The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-02-11
81 Bound by a Spell X|


their grasp Of the boughs. my feet slid
powerlessly from their hold. and l fell
The reality. I awoke-not with
start, but | slowly rose up into Sit
ting posture, as though an iron lie. er.
worked by some hiddenu power, had
pressed me upwards. l could feel that
my eyes were wide open and staring
my whole body locked and rigid.
Upon the desk at the foot Of the bed
stood lamp. the light Of which was
strongly intensified by a reflector. Its
glare fell full upon a woman's face. In
an instant l recognized Judith Porter.
She was attired in dress Of black vel
| vet. made high up to her throat: draped
behind her head was curtain OF black
velvet, upon which was as 1t were.
| thrown in powerful relief her pale coun-
| tenance and red hair. Her eyes were
| unnaturally dilated and fixed. They
seemed drawing my soul out of my body,
and absorbing 1t in themselves.
Nv next sensation was that l was
| speaking-answ ering questions, OF what
| nature l could not tell, for the answers
| were made without any volition on my
part: they seemed drawn by come occult
| influence from the most secret recesses
| Of my memory.
BY and by all consciousness deserted
me, and became motionless. When
awoke I was lying just as had thrown
myself. half dressed, upon the bed. The
dull light of lowering sky. out Of which
! the rain was descending IN torrents, was
upon me. My visitant had left no trace
behind her; every article was precisely
in the same condition, as far as l could
remember, as when retired to rest
got off the bed and bathed my head
! and face with cold water. This revived
| me; but there was dizziness about the
brain that l could not clear away. AS
my faculties resumed their functions. /
became conscious Of sensations yet more
strange. There was a feeling of void
ness. as though some vital principle had
been drawn from me; but, above all.
there was an intense longing to be again
within the influence Of those eyes-yet l
shuddered at the thought. There was a
spell upon me-a spell that drew me
irresistibly towards Judith Porter.
Mr.. POrter's threat was no idle one.
Body and soul was, through his daush-
ter utterly subdued to his WILL Out
Of her presence. l felt that could not
exist. l followed her about like
spaniel dog. l was ever trying to catch
her gaze; a few seconds beneath it's in
fuence reduced me to a trance-like state,
in which my soul seemed to pass from
my keeping into hers. My sleep-when
I could sleep, which was seldom-was
heunted by the widest fantasies. My
: L fn rho l-c
/ became hollow, my looks emaciated. 1t
was as though vampire was preying
| upon my life. 1t was not love that
she inspired me with. but fearful fasci-
nation; while l lay at her feet, passion
| ately imploring her to take pity upon me.
to give me her love, to become my wife,
| l would have given the world to have
possessed the power to fly from her to
i the furthermost extremity of the earth.
| was her slave-bound to her by chains
stronger than were ever forged by hu
| man hands.
And she was merciless in her power
| She hated me, loathed me, despised me!
| She did not tell me so. but my instincts,
now preternaturaly sensitive, needed no
words to divine her thoughts. While a
free agent, I had refused. shrunk from
an alliance with her, and she was now
! enjoying her vengeance.
you should have taken me when
was offered to YOU" she said, mocking-
ly. "now it is too late!'
| l knew she did not mean the latter
part of her sentence. knew that after
she had glutted herself with my torture,
she would become my wife. I could read
it as plainly as though her mind had
been printed book open before me.
l still went through the form of super
intending the boys, but was very little
use in this pitiable condition, and Mr.
Porter himself was oftener in the school
room than had ever known him before
He treated me the same as usual, but he
never regarded me without a cunning
leer of triumph. Except during the
school hours | was never suffered to
enter the kitchen, or to exchange a
word with Martha. l afterwards learn
ed that she made several attempts to get
to me, but all these efforts were baked
by the vigilance Of her master or mis-
tress.
As for me, l made no effort to see Der,
neither bad any desire: l WIS alienated
from every object in life save one. One
night, as | was going to bed, | found
her standing close against the wall upon
the first landing. She laid her hand
upon my arm, and said, in a whisper.
What are they doing to you, Master
Silas! What has so awfully changed
you? You don't look like a creature of
this world. Can do anything for you ?
"You can't do anything for me, Mar
tina. Thank you for your OFFER" said.
pressing her hand.
us it true that you are going to mar
~ Mis- Judith?''
Il hope So" I answered.; and yet
shuddered as I spoke.
Poor boy! Whatever can 1t be that
ails you? l do believe that woman has
bewitched your
Before I could answer, the sound Of
footsteps in the passage warned rs that
spies were at hand. l blew out my
cardle and crept upstairs: and Martha
disappeared In another direction.
One evening. several Of the principal
members OF the congregation of Little
bethlehem were invited to tea. was
present. and was seated next to Judith.
who was kind and almost affectionate in