The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-14


 Brookfield drew out his watch. + They were to come after me ill five minutes if I didn't return, and those five minutes. MT. Pustice, I hop ed you would give to me.'' ! With pleasure" "...st ,. r. The Justice sat down amiably, but IBrookfefds remained standing, thought: fully, silent, as though sconsid dering his | mission. At length, with compensat- | ing positiVeness, he began:
 Those two books that you sent msT 7ss.- 's
 q. want to thank you for them again and ask you how far you go with the men who wrote them, especially the second one Do you believe that book?'
 ''Yes, I do. I know the man who wrote it, and I believe him.
 Did he. ever do any. of the stunts for you that he writes about?' "He didn't call them 'stunts,' but he has given me many demonstrations of his nower-and mine.' For, example?"
 ''For example?" Prentice paused a moment, meditating. Well, he ask ed ne to think of him steadily of some unexpected time, and to think of some definite thing. A few days later l-in this room-two o'clock in the n1orningI concentrated my thoughts l-Icmentally pictured him going to his telephone and calling me- And did he do. it?' Brookfleldd ask ed. eagerly. ,;' NO" As Prentice paused a shade of disappointment crossed Brookfield' s face. But he came here at my break fast hour and told me that at o'clock he had walked and risen from his bed and walked to his phone in the hall way with an impulse to call me, and then had stopped because he had no message to deliver, and because he thought his imagination might be tricking him. You hadn't given him any tip, such as asking him how'd slept?"' ''None. Five nights after that | I repeated the experiment. -
 "Well?'' z.
 That time he called me up''
 What did he say ?'' ,'@s'* "He said; old man, you ought to be in bed asleep and not disturbing honest citizens which was quite true Both men smiled at the Justices ad- mission. There was a moments si- voice that wavered between awe and amusement:
 "By love! That's kind of marking back to the Salem witchcraft business. isn't it?"
 s'Distinctly." Prentice assented, "and In measure explaining the witch craft business: Those old women of Salem were the uneonscious pioneers in new mental field. A poor, lone creature, hungry for companionship. let her thoughts dwell on some young girl Of the neighbofhood; the girls thoughts answered by this inevitable laW,"s<
 Really inevitable?"
 Really inevitable. The. girl could Al al n Q nd hoys ra h. borly claim for sympathy, but when she couldn't banish the woman from her thoughts they called it witchcraft, and hanged the woman, q
 Its a devlish creep business, isn't it?'' Brookfleld said. after moments thought.
 .> !s'Yes."E
 "And If it's so-" he continued, more to himself than to the Justice.
 And it IS so." Prentice pursued Pays a man to be careful what he thinks.'
 . Tt G will II very yell pay your type of
 T don't want to be possessed by any of, these playhouse theories, but I'm blamed If a few things haven't happened to me, Mn Justice, since you started me on this subject.
 Along this line?''
 Yes" Brookficld answered; and IL, added: And I've tried the other side of it. too." .ss | ..5s .-.,+s.s.s; ..s.4-
 What other. side ?'ses. = '"The mesmeric business.'' Brook field involuntarily suggested the mo- tion of the hypnotist as he said: 1T can do it.''
 Again Brookfeld felt the steadiness of the old mans gaze. He met it just as steadily as he found himself wondering which of his thoughts his silent inQufsitor was reading. After a mement of this telepathic interroga-: ton, as Brookfeld construed it, the Justice leaned forward on the table.
 'Then I should say. MT. Brookf1eld, that for you the obligation of clean and unselfish thinking was doubly im- perative"
 Within this. last year I've put per- Isons-wen, practically asleep in a chair, and I've made them tell me what a boy was doing mile away, in a jail.' :. "I see no reason to call clairvoy- ance a playhouse theory" Prentice answered, easily.
 'sI only know that I do it,''
 eYes. you have the youth for it. the glorious strength There was a pathetic note of regret in the old mans voice. Docs 1t make any demand on your vitality?"
 .'I've fancied that headache to which I'm subject is more frequent that's all." BrOokfleld passed his hand over his eyes-a gesture that had become characteristics.
 'rBut you find the abliity-the pow don't you ?''
 "Yes. Within the last month I've put a man into a hypnotic sleep with half dozen waves of the hand"
 As Bro0kfleld lifted his hand from the back of the chair and voluntarily repeated the mesmeric pass, Prentice asked:
 Why any motion?''
 Fixes his attention. I suppose" Justice smiled. "When in your. own mind your belief is sufficiently train- ed, you. won't need this-" And Prem tice initiated. Brookdeld's gesture
 'I won't?" somewhat incredulously.
 "No."
 "What'll I do?"
 Simply think"
 Brookfeld smiled slightly.
 "You have headache, for exam ple?"
 1T shave a headache, for a fact" Well, some persons could cure itl by rubbing your. forehead
 ''I know that" Brookfeld admitted, | how Viola had done so. 1 Others could cure it by the passes | of the hypnotist; others by simply 1 willing that it should be cured."
 Well that's where can't follow i you and your friend, the author .
 "You simply think your head aches," | Prentice said, tolerantly.
 "I know it: aches,''
 "What?" Brookheld looked at his ,oct uyhO uaa 1oaninU oyiofyv ha r,