Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1908-12-05

to come within sight of them without
falling under their influence, and be-
ing made by the operation of my will
to believe that they saw the valley
| filled with water, while our colony was
establishing itself within. There were
but few score of us at first, but we
obtained accessions from all quarters,
till, at the end of year, the valley
contained more than 500 inhabitants
I'VE had taken a VOW of individual
poverty as austere as that of the
Capuchins-but to me was the power,
to me the glory. / alone knew the
secret Of the Hypnotic motors, and
every soul in the place was blinded
and unconsciously under my influence.
Not one was able to pass outside the
lines while the wires were charged,
and the machines were never stopped.
Meanwhile we increased In numbers
and In collective wealth, for we had
set about extensive mining operations.
anly daily took out an average of
$4,000 worth Of gold dust. A scien-
tifically cultivated zone of land sup
piled all our own needs, and the pro-
ceeds Of our mine were devoted to the
cause OF socialism and anarchy.
alone went into the outer world from
time to time to sell the gold and ap-
ply the money where 1t was most
needed
Frequently emissaries we're dis
patched outside on special service, but
not one Of these ever returned. They
were invariably caused to lose all
memory OF the city on departing, re-
Numbering only the blind purpose
with which had inspired them.
Ravachol was one Of these-Lucchini,
the slayer of the Austrian empress,
was among the latest. Whenever a
king has been shot at or millionaire
assassinated during the last ten years
1t has been by my order, and as sure
ly by my hand as If myself had held
the weapon.
THE city continued to grow, even
| beyond my expectations, and in 1889
was already densely populated. Ten
years later, indeed. It contained up
ward of 10000 toilers-nearly 100000
automata. Frequently l made jour-
news to recruit new settlers, as we'll
as to spy upon the Vaccinations Of
our enemy, the world. I became well
known in the business and social cir
cles Of four capitals, and 1t was upon
one of these expeditions that was
so ill-starred as to meet Marie Lor-
rhine.
"She was the daughter of multi
| fold millionaire, man against whom
all our hostility was directed, but
found myself loving her from the first
Invisible City, worked, I plotted,
cursed, but / could not tear the love
out of my soul. had never known
the like before; here was something
absolutely beyond my control. To love
| meant desertion to the enemy and
treachery of the most dastardly kind
to the cause of liberty. For a year
did not go within 500 miles Of her, and
1 devoted myself fiercely to the grim
business of dynamite and stiletto, as
half a dozen nations know to their
cost.
"All was in vain. l was as CON-
pletely enchanted as were the deluded
victims of my powers. Strangely
enough, to exercise these powers upon
her l felt to be impossible. Yet 1 did
not even know whether she had so
much as dreamed of loving me, nor
did / much care. Such love as mine,
l knew well, was not to be baked by
a mere womans will. 1t was with my
own will that the battle lay.
There Is no need to detail my strug-
gles-they lasted for three years, and
at last 1 gave up the unequal conflict.
1t was in the Invisible City, late at
night, 1 remember, that at last admit
ted defeat, and, once conquered,
made immediate preparations to open
my new career and completely close
the old. Human life, 1 am glad to
say, has never weighed much with me.
Our immense water reservoir was sit
uated on the hillside just above the
city, and by night 1 employed myself
secretly in weakening the gates.
also labored to turn the half dry
course of a river that a cloudburst al
ways changed to roaring torrent, and
to defect 1t toward the reservoir. The
valley would All like a cup with the
next cloud-burst, and not a man could
pass the lines, even under fear of
death. For myself, the only danger
was that which always menaced me in
| leaving the city-that the Hypnotic
wires should make the earth circuit to
my body-for the constant neighbor-
hood of the strange psycho-physical
currents had produced an effect some
what akin to polarization-to avoid a
technical explanation. AS safe
guard, ] wore complete garment Of
woven glass, manufactured by our
own processes, and flexible as cloth.
ION the Sd of January, 1899,