The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-06

"Will you make Me one prOmlSeg
 "Perhaps, but not in advance"
 "And will you keep it?"
 eff I make it..
 "Will you promise me to do one thing you have already promised to do?"
 "Orme, am in no mood to sit here znd gossip like an old woman"
 ooh, don't act ugly. You're done out of it all around, in any case. BelEnap. it seems, was to beat both you and me. Then why should not you and try to forget? But now as to this lit tie promise was only going to ask you to do as much as Belknap, or less.'
 "Very we'll, then"
 "T want you to promise to marry Grace Sheraton"
 I laughed in his face. q thought you knew me better than that, Orme. I'll attend to my own matters for myself. I shall not even ask you why you want so puerile promise. I am much of a mind to shoot you. Tell. me. who are you, and what are you. and what are you doing in this country?"
 "Do you really want to know?" he smiled.
 "Assuredly I do. I demand it'
 "I believe will tell you, then." he said quietly. He unused for time be- fore he raised his head and went on.
 "I am Charles Gordon Orme, mar uufs of Butte and Rayne. Once lived in England. For good reasons I have since lived elsewhere. l am what is known as a black sheep-a very, very black one."
 "Yes. you are a retrograde. rene gade, blackguard and murderer" said to him calmly.
 "AIl of those things and much more," he admitted cheerfully and calmly. "I am two persons or more than two. I can't in the least make all this plain to you in your grade of intelligence. Per haps you have heard of exchangeable personalities"
 q have heard of double personalities and double nves," I said, ''but I have never admired them"
 eve will waive your admiration Let me say that I can exchange my personality. The Jews used to say that men of certain mentality were possessed of devil. only say that was a student in India. One phrase is good as another. The Swami Hama data was my teacher. I am a raja yogi. l have taken the eight mystic steps. For years even here in this country l have kept up the sacred ex ercises of breath, of posture, of thought"
 "All that means nothing to me-" l said.
 "No; it means nothing for me to tell you that I have learned Yama, Niya- ma, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara. Dharana, Dyhana and Samadhi. Yes, I was something of an adept n..ce. learned calm, meditation, contempla- tion, introspection, supercOnscious rea- soning-how to cast my own mind to a distance, how to bring other minds close up to me. But"-he smiled with all his old mockery-"mostly I failed on Pratyahara, which says the senses must be quelled, subdued and set aside. All religions are alike to me, but they must not intrude on my own religion. I'd liefer die than not enjoy. My religion, say. is to play the great games-to adventure and above all to enjoy. That is why am in this coun- try, also why l am in these grounds tonight"
 You are playing some deeper game than know"
 'I always am. How could you be expected to understand what it took me years to learn? But suppose in your case you need few practical and concrete proofs. Let me show you a few things. Here. put your hand on my heart"
 I obeyed. "You feel it beat?'' he said. Now it stops beating. does it not?' And as live, it had stopped!
 Feel on the opposite side:'' he com- handed I did so. and there was his heart. clear across his body. and beat ing as before! "Now l shall stop it again. he remarked. calmly. And 1 swear it did stop, and resumed when he liked!
 "Put your hand upon my abdomen" he said. did so. All at once his body seemed thin and empty. as a spent CO., coon.
 q draw all the organs into the tho- rax," he explained. When one has studied under the Swami. as l have, he gains control over all his different muscles, voluntary and involuntary. He can, to great extent. cut off or in. crease the nerve force in any muscle. Simple tricks in magic become easy to him. He gains, as you may SUD- pose, a certain influence over men, and more especially over women. if that be part of his religion. It was not with the Swami. 1t is with me!'
 You are strange man. Orme," said. rawing long breath. "the most dangerous man, the n st singular, the most immoral ever new.''
 ''No.' he said, reaching for his cigar case, II was only born without what you call morals. They are not neces- sary in abstruse thought. Yet in some ways I retain the old influences of my own country. For instance. l lie as readily as I speak the truth, because it is more convenient: but though l am a liar, do not break my word of hon. or. am renegade. but am still an English officer! You have caught that distinction"
 "Yes, would trust you," said, eff you gave me your word of honor.'