|||gout?d by a Spell ■§
CHAPTER I.
I Before commencing the narration of
that strange, extraordinary series of
events which began In my fourteenth
year, I must glance back nt the earlier
years of my childhood, and at those who
Influenced it.
My earliest recollections are of Tab
•raada House; previous to those, nil is
dim and shadowy. Tabernacle House
was an establishment kept by the Rev.
Obadiah Porter, for the reception of
some half dozen boys.
The reverend pedagogue was a man
whose satyr-like face greatly belied his
professions of profound piety. I could
not understand, child as 1 was, how it
ever came into his head to set up us a
tutor, or how parents or friends could be
induced to confide the education of chil
dren to the care of a man deficient In
the commonest rudiments of learning.
His original occupation was that of a
shoemaker, and his hands still retained a
coarse, grimed look. His bullet-shaped
head waa covered with a thick mass
of hair, which had a shaggy, ragged np
pearnnce, from being cut In irregular
lengths, or rather chopped away in
pieces. His forehead was very low. He
had thick, shaggy eyebrows, and small,
Kiinke-liko eyes. In stature he was short,
thickset, bull-necked; his arms were re
markably long, his feel splay and ill
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was a widower, with
one daughter. Bo powerfully have terri- i
ble events engraven her after-image upon
my mind, that 1 can scarcely recall its
first impressions. 1 think she must have
. been about fifteen or sixteen, 1 Being
some five or six, when I. first saw her.
' Hhe did not bear the slightest resem
blance to her father; she was tall, thin.
her hair was bright red, her complexion
pule, her eyes large, her features deli
cate, and sharply cut. To this young
lady was handed over the tuition of her
father's pupils.
There were live besides myself. There I
was a strange bond of sympathy be
tween us all —not one of as knew any
thing of our parents. One knew an
■ unt, another an uncle, a third a grand
mother, or a grandfather, or a guard
lan, but no father or mother.
It wus a peculiarity of Mr. Porter's
establishment that he did not take boys
who had parents. His advertisement in
the. newspapers ran thus: "The Rever
end Obadiah Porter undertakes the cere,
education and religious training of or
phan boys from the earliest age. in
, exceptional references as to piety and
discretion will be siren. N. B. —No hoi
idays."
It is not my Intention to linger upon
this period, or enter into any minute de
scriptions of our uninteresting, monoton
ous life. The years crept on, and were
almost wholly passed within the pre
cincts of Tabernacle House. It was a
' flue, old-fashioned dwelling. It had large '
gUUens back and front—the latter be- '
ing screened from the road by a high
wall —besides an extensive orchard and
a paddock. Altogether, it was quite a
gentleman's house. But rents are won
derfully low in these parts. Mr. Por
ter was very well-to-do. His boarders
alone brought him in a respectable in
come; his chapel was well attended; and
he numbered many of the most prosper
ous Mawworms of the town among his
congregation, to one of whom —a Mrs. '
Humphries—this house belonged.
By and by there were changes. One
boy left, and then another; but others
took their places. Grim-looking persons
came to take them away; but, except in
one case, we knew nothing of their fu
ture destiny or destination, and they
dropped out of our lives completely. It
seemed as though we were interlopers
upon the world, and ought never to have
been born.
The exceptional case I mention was
that of a boy named Josiah Cook, whom
Mr. Porter had transferred from his
care to that of a printer in the town, us
an apprentice. 1 little thought that
Cook's transference to Bury would so
materially influence my own future life
■that out of that event would spring an
incident destined to shape its whole fu
ture course.
There was one large room at the top
of the house, in which we sir boys slept,
two in each of the three beds. Cook
was my bed fellow, and we were fast
•;ends and companions. He was a bold.
■ituresome boy. and on the last night
his sojourn amongst us he proposed
daring plan of some night paying us
ret visit nnd relating all the "ad
res" he should experience in his
■tue.
n easily climb over the garden
•in the uext field," he said; •'so
t, boys; if you hear a Stone
i up at your window, it will be
_^^ months passed away and we
*.X nothing more of Cook. lie was
pidly fading out of our thoughts, when,
18 autumnal night we heard a sharp
acL at our bedroom window. The bold-
It of our number gently lifted the sash,
and peered out. It was a bright moon
light night, and he saw. standing in the
garden beneath, the well-known figure
2 of our old companion.
* The back of the house was covered
with a tine old pear tree. It had not
been pinned for several years, m.d had
thrown out its wood somewhat wildly. A
fey whispered words, and Cook was
mounting the tree with hand and foot, ,
almost m* easily as though be had been ;
Ascending a ladder. When he clamber- i
'ed into the room we all gathered round i
him ia a sort of awe-struck manner.
"Now. look here, boys," he said; "what 1
' ' • ' * ■ ■ •
do .yon think has brought me her* to
-1 ii,:l.(V
"To sen us," we supposed.
"Well, that of course; but do you
think it would be the thing in me to
come and make your mouths water with
the story of nil those nice things, unless
I had something to pop into them?"
"He has brought us something nice to
eat," was the Idea suggested. But when
be unfolded the meaning of his symbol
ical speech, our hairs positively stood on
end. Of all the delights experienced by
him in his new sphere of life, that upon
which be most glowingly dilated was the
theater. His master printed the bills
for thai establishment, and lie was fre
quently employed to carry them to the
manager. He thus gained admission be
hind the scenes, while his acquaintance
i with the bill-sticker gained him an occa
sional order for the pit. His proposal
was to present us with some of. these or
! ders.
"Yon can toss up which shall go first,
."in! when old Porter thinks you're snug
in bed, you can just drop down thai tree,
tike a run and there you are at the the
ater."
We knew no more about a theater
than wo did about the Temple of Isis,
except thai the Rev, Obadinh occasional
: ly referred to ii as the abode of Satan,
; and the house of sin—words which ( \on
mi cii to quote to our tempter.
"Abode of fiddlesticks;" he cried irrev-
I erently; "how jolly green you are to be
lieve what that snuffling old hypocrite
tells you! It's (he jollies! and loveliest
place in the world. Abode of Satan'?
It's more like the abode of angels! Why,
the women are the beautifulest creatures
you ever saw—such a treat after carrots
and gooseberry eyes down stairs."
We shivered with affright nt the terms
applied by this daring renegade to the
Rev. Obadiah and his daughter. The
power of the strong mind over the weak
er is well known. We were fatuously
weak—mere puppets in the hands of this
experienced boy of the world.
He produced two coins from his pock
et, and before we knew what we were
about, he had initiated us Into another of
the sins stigmatised by our tutor—toss
ing. The fates decided in my favor. 1
tried to get out of it: but such was
the irresistible influence that Cook uxer
cised over us thai we had do power to
struggle against his will, and I felt my
self compelled to acquiesce In his pro
posal that I should hold myself ready
any night thai 1 heard a pebble thrown
againai the window to arise, dress my
self, descend Into the garden and make
for the theater. The cold perspiration
started from every pore at the thought;
but, with a trembling voice, I promised,
for all that.
Shaking bands with us all round, and
reminding me once more of my appoint
ment, with threats of vengeance if 1 fail
ed, this wonderful phenomenon scrambled
out of window, and in a few seconds we
heard him thud upon the ground be
neath.
Friday evening came. Bight o'clock
was our hour for bed. It so happened
that on that particular night Mr. Porter
hurried us away rather earlier than
usual.
Crack! There he was! My heart leap
ed into my mouth, and I could scarcely
repress a cry, so excitedly nervous had I
become. 1 gently opened the window and
looked out. There was Josiah, looking
up at me.
"Come on," 1 heard him whisper.
CHAPTER 11.
How I managed to descend the tree
without falling I cannot understand; my
hands and limbs shook as with a palsy,
and my head swam as with a deathly '
sickness. When 1 reached the ground
1 w.ms so faint that Josiah had to support '•
me for several seconds. When I recov- '
er.-d. he helped me over the garden wall. '
The whole way, Josinh never ceased '
talking; but I was too bewildered to heed
his words. I was only roused to at ten- !
tlon when, upon halting before an ex
tremely gloomy, solitary looking build- '
ing, my companion cried. "Here we are!" '
Wo plunged down a narrow passage, Jo- !
siah presented a small slip of paper to
a man who stood behind a half-door, and '
we, entered the pit of the theater. '
It was really a Hall of Dazzling Light. 1
The play, I have since ascertained, was '
Bhakspeare'a "Romeo nnd Juliet." Sit- '
ting hi that little country theater, wit
nessing what was, perhaps, only a third
rate provincial performance, a new world
was opened to me— the glorious world '
of poetry and imagination. I trembled ■
with a dazed delight at the soft beauty |
of the love scenes; my heart swelled with )
kindred tire at the passionate outbursts;
and 1 sobbed at seeing the lovers die in
one another's arms. It was no fiction to
me. but a reality, beautiful almost be
yond realization, yet painful almost be- '
oud endurance.
When the curtain fell, I fell with it '
from my Elyslan heights. With a shiver '
I awoke to the dull realization of myself, 1
My first action was to turn to Josiah,
and grasp his hand in silent gratitude.
I did not wish to see any more; 1
wished to pet away now. to dream over i
what I had seen. Josiah had to go be
hind the scenes to get the proof of the
next night's bill, and I waited outside '
the Stag* door until he returned. In a *
few moments he. came out In a great
flurry.
"Look here, Silas." ha said; "I can't 8
go back with you. I must get home di- €
rectly, or there'll be an awful kick up t
Oome along; I'll put you in the road, so
that you can't miss your way."
I shall never forget the sense of deso- >
latiom that fell upon me when I found t
| !
myself alone in the street All the direc
tions Josiah had given me vanished in
an instant from my memory, and 1 stood
helpless, not knowing which way to turn.
I was in the outskirts of the town, it was
marly eleven o'clock, and not a soul was
j about. I walked straight on, fervently
I hoping that it might be in the right direc
tion.
Finally I was in the middle of a long
street, one side of which was occupied
by ordinary houses, bat that on which
I found myself was distinguished by a
line of vast, gloomy looking buildings,
turreted trails hunt? with ivy, and broken
ruins. I felt awe-struck at the mighty
piles of masonry that towered above me.
I was Standing right before un archway
jof a grand Norman tower. I walked tim
idly beneath its black, vaulted roof, to
the iron gate at its further end, and peer
ed at the line of crumbling ruins that
rose among the trees and shrubs, white
and ghastly, in the moonlight
As I stood thus, I heard a rustle.
Chilled with a sense of fear. 1 turned
quickly round. Through a rent in the
wall, many yards above my head, came
a broad ray of white light. As I turned,
it was falling upon an object that fasci
nated my gaze. It was the head and
fare of a beautiful girl, but so pale, so
rigid, that, for an instant. I thought they
were those of a statue. She was crouch
ing in the deep shadow of the black
walls. For a moment I stood upell
bound, my eyes fixed upon here. She
was the lirst to break the spell. Rising
from her crouching position, she timidly
advanced towards me, and laid a small
white hnnd upon my arm. The touch
thrilled me like an electric shock.
"You will not hurt me, will you?" she
said in a soft, pleading voice. She was '
a blight, delicately formed child, about i
my own age, my own height, clothed in \
a dark gray drew. Her features were so ]
delicately moulded that they seemed >
rather those of a wax doll than of a ,
human being, except in their expression,
which was full of soul. Her eyes were
wonderful: I have never seen eyes like '
them—they were so sad. so abstracted, '
in their far-off gaze; and. as she fixed '
them upon mine, they thrilled my very (
soul. ]
"Hurt you?" I echoed. I knew not t
what to say; my brain was too confused. (
-' "Can you tell me the road to the (
city?" she asked, in the same low voice.
I answered that I had no idea— that I
had lost ray way, and knew not where I
was.
"What part do you want?" she asked,
with a look of deep interest. ,
"I want to get to Little Bethlehem
Chapel; then 1 can find my road," I an
swered.
At those words she drew back a few c
steps, and something of mistrust crept (
into her face.
"How strange that we should meet!" 1
she said, in a dreamy voice. "I think I (
can show you your way. I would take ]
yon. but I dare not." she added, with aU
shudder. "Hut first look out in the I
street, and see if any one is about."
I went to the opening of the gateway, f
and looked out. Not a soul was mi sight. c
I beckoned to her arid she glided to> my
side and pointed out the way 1 was to •
take. * |
"1 think this is my way." she said, i
indicating an entirely opposite direction; j
then added, in an anxious tone, "But
you will not tell any one that you have
seen me?"
1 assured her I would not. She took '
my hand, and we stood in the silent
street, with the full moonlight shining ]
down upon us. I could not talk. I fell
like one deprived of the power of speech
and volition. I
"I wonder if we shall ever meet again?
It is not likely," she went on. with a
sigh. 'That is your way. Good by."
She lightly pressed my hand, and with
one more glance from those sad eves she
hurried away.
In loss than half an hour I was in
the garden. As 1 began to climb the
tree the bedroom window was cautiously '
raised; my companions were sitting up
for me. The clock struck twelve. My '
escapade had escaped detection. I was '
overwhelmed with eager questions. Ido 1
not know what I answered. I had fall- I
en back into my dream. I do not know >
whether 1 slept nt all that night- my i
senses were steeped in a delicious lan
guor, in which the play and the after in
cident were inextricably woven together !
—in which I had changed my identity; !
I was Rome,,, and she whom I had so ]
mysteriously met was Juliet. With her '
1 acted all the s(<ohps of love that I
had witnessed: but mingled with them '
were new elements, shadowy, intangible; ]
flitting too quickly in > grasped but in i
which Judith Porter's face was strange- ;
ly mingled. And so these phantoms ,
chased each other through my brain un
til at the last a fair head, with delicate '
waxen features, wan and colorless, lav '
dead in my arm*. • " ]
(To be continued.)
i.
Booksellers In Turkey never sell
the Koran. The Turkish bible is '
deemed too precious to be sold. It Is
Riven away to the person who desires
It, but the tradesman first Insists he ]
receive a nice little present in money. '
The idea that the toad is poison- 1
ous has a foundation in fact. The ■
skin secretes an acrid fluid, and just (
behind the head are two sacs which '
when pressed, ejects a fluid that burns »
and stings the skin.
The number of qualified voters in 3
Japan Is only about one per cent of (
the total population. Each voter must l
be twenty-five years of ago, and nay
fifteen yen—about $7.50-as a yearly
tax.
The pleasantest things in the world !
ire pleasant thoughts, and the great- !
?st art in life Is to have as many of J
:hem as possible.—Emerson. ic
There never was any heart truly
rreat and generous that was not also
ender and compassionate. — South. >t
TO PROTECT PUBLIC LAND.
The Government Committee Favors
Changes of Laws.
The public lands committee, which
has been considering the advisability
of changes in the land laws, has com
pleted its report. The report will be
submitted to the president at oncve. It
makes important recommendations de
signed to remedy existing abuses.
The abuse and evasion of the timber
and stone act, whose repeal or sweep
ing modification is urged repeatedly in
government reports, and the commuta
tion clause of the homestead law are
discussed, and it is believed that the
repeal of the former and the modifi
cation of the latter so as to require a
prolonged and substantial residence
on the homestead acquired, instead
of the present short period, are rec
ommended. The question of control
of the grazing lands of the govern
ment is considered at length.
It is estimated that there are 300,
--000,000 acres of land in this country
apparently fit only for grazing pur
poses, and designs are recommended
to prevent the constant destructive
work perpetrated on these lands by
trespassers and to prevent the fre
quent conflicts over public grazing
lands among different classes of stock
men.
One of the recommendations is that
the land laws and their administra
tion be left in the hands of the interior
department; another provides for con
gressional legislation turning over the
grazing privileges on the public do
main to the department of agriculture,
with ample safeguards and protection
to the actual settler.
The report goes into a number of
other matters with a view of protect
ing the immense public area of the
country. The commission consists of
Commissioner Richards of the genera]
land office, Clifford Pinchot, chief of
the forestry bureau of the department
of agriculture, and F. H. Newell, in
charge of the irrigation work of the
department of the interior.
JAPS REPULSE RUSSIANS.
A Couple of Minor Engagements Re
ported Sunday.
Tokio. Feb. 13.—Japanese Man
churian headquarters telegraphs that a
company of Russians attacked Wait
aoshan village and were repulsed. The
Russian batteries on the western foot
of Ta mountain shelled Putsaowo on
Friday. A company of Russians at
tacked Liuchientun early Saturday
morning and were repulsed. The Rus
sian artillery then slowly shelled Liu
shientun and vicinity.
The Russians have continued their
lefensive works to Liuchientun and
seem to have extended their rights
along to Siafangshen, which is about
a mile and a quarter east of Mentapao.
Japs Seize Another Prize.
The German steamer Parros, bound
for Vladivostok, was seized off Hokkai.
Her cargo consisted of shipbuilding
material and foodstuffs.
Japan has placed an urgent order
with a Glasgow manufacturer for 50
powerful locomotives.
NINE CRIMINALS WERE LASHED.
Whipping Post Is Well Patronized at
Wilmington, Delaware.
Wilmington, Del.—Nine criminals,
shivering in the severe cold of winter,
were punished at the whipping post
and four were pilloried for an hour
each. John Wilson was given 10
lashes for stealing a foot stove used
by a liveryman to keep his calves
warm. Tie squirmed with pain while
the lash blistered and cracked the skin
of his back. William Postles cried for
mercy as the lashes fell on him. Ho
stole three mackerel to relieve his
hunger. Ten lashes and a year in the
workhouse constitute his punishment.
George White was another who
writhed under the lash. He will go to
prison for six years for attacking and
robbing a woman. Several prisoners
were lashed for various offenses. Wil
liam Ryan, a highway robber, was
both lashed and pilloried. Another of
the offenders in the pillory was Daniel
Hector, "Voodoo Doc," swindler.
BRIDE IS VICTOR IN DUEL.
Drops Her Husband, Who Is Shooting
at Her.
Oakland, Cal., Feb. 13.—Edward R.
Koehn and his wife, who were mar
ried only seven weeks ago, engaged in
a pistol duel Sunday, with the result
that the husband's body is now in the
morgue. The couple quarreled imme
diately after marriage. She shot at
him four times. One bullet entered
liis neck, killing him.
Kohen was a shipping clerk em
ployed in San Francisco and was \V2
years of age. The wife is 2H years
:>f age. She was not injured. She is
under arrest.
Ladrones Are Hard Pressed.
The band of Ladrones which attack
ed the town of San Francisco de Mala
t)on, in the province of Cavite, January
>4 and captured the wife and two chii-
Jren of Trias are being hard pressed <
by a troop of cavalry under Major F. i
W. Sibley. They have released Mrs
rrias and her two children, whom they
were holding for ransom. j
May Wheat
$2 a Bushel
Chicago, Feb. 17.—Wheat sold on
the board of trade today a the hightest
point for the year. Frighetned by the
predictions made by John W. Gates
that prices would soar in the next 60
days, the shorts fairly tumbled over
one another to get their hauds no the
cereal while it is yet within reach.
They bid may prices up to $1 19%,
which beats the record price attained
on the great wave of speculative exoit
ment last fall by more than 1 cent.
With other wealthy speculators, who
operate most of the time in Wall street,
Gates is credited with holding con
tracts calling for the delivery of 80 -
000,000 bushels of wheat next May.
There are not more than 10,000,000
bushels of wheat acceptable on con
tracts in this market in the whole
country. While the market today was
excited, the brokers declared it was
nothing to where May might be expect
ed to go before the Gates deal is over
Predictions of $ 1.50 wheat are now
heard on all sides, while there are
many in the trade who think thnt
nothing short of $2 a bushel will be ac
cepted by Gates and his followers for
wheat.
General Wallace
Is- Dead
Crawfordsville, Ind., Feb. 16 —Gen
eral Lew Wallace, author of " Ben
Hur," at one tone minister to Turkey
and a veteran of the Mexican and civil
wars, died at hi,si home in this city
Wednesday night,' aged 78 years
The health of General Wallace has
been tailing for several years, and for
months, despite the efforts of the fam
ily to keep the public in ignorance of
his true condition, it has been known
that his vigorous constitution could
not much longer withstand the ravages
of a wasting disease.
For more than a year he has been
unable to properly assimilate food. At
no time has he ever confessed his belief
that the end was near, and his rugged
constitution and remarkable vitality
have been responsible for prolonging
his life several months.
The deahtbed scene was one of calm
ness. Besides the physician, only his
wife, his son, Henry Wallace, of In
dianapolis and Mrs. Wallace were
present. When told by his physician
ho was dying General Wallace was per
fectly cam, and his last words were
expressions of cheer to his grief strick
en family. Bidding them farewell, he
said:
"I am ready to meet my Maker,"
and lapsed into unconsciousness, from
which he did not recover.
The funeral will probably be held
bunday.
I Dr. 7;,? Ristine, who had been
General Wallace's phsyiciau fur many
years, said tonight that the direct
cause of death was exhaustion, result
ing from starvation. He had been an
inveterate smoker, and this was ascrib
led as the cause of his illness, primar
ily. He gave up the habit, however
and lent every aid to the [skilled specl
lahtststhat were called. He failed
slowly, but surely, and three months
"go his condition became alarming.
He rarely left his home, and the la?
time he was on the streets was Novem
ber 4 a Soon after he was confined to
his bed and since that time he sat up
only a few hours at a time each day
A week ago it became known he was
sinking rapidly.
Elma, Wash., Feb. 17. — Charles
fr°om BSII? ed Wlth Btealin * a wa<*°
irom Bill Cleinger at Oakville and
who confessed his crime, as found
mTtto. liSC, eUiUJaiL He had com*
tmtted suicide by taking carbolic acid.
THE TOWN OF GOLdFieLP, NEV .
Great Mining Center-Mecca for Min
_. T . Ing Men.
Where, six months ago. there were
a few scattered tents and shacks there
>s now a city of nearly 5000 peop e-a
b ii..? tent X and °"c and two -tor?
building S -the cltTorOoldfleTd Nev
he center of what may prove '
the greatest mineral belt *" "
ered in this country COY"
ever saw.'" 1 *™»* th™
INTENSE COLD IN THE WEST.
Big Storm in Southern Colorado and
New Mexico.
Reports of intense cold- accompan
"■« »n CUons by snowfall are r .
«*ved l fro* Co.orado, Wyoming and
M« Mexico, in, southern Colorado
and northern New Mexico the worst
■torn since 1886 raged. In N.w Me x .
co tho storm reached the P r6por« ons
-el Str great d-a - -/
ltf l ycr * } *™~™er ten mfllion people /
Italy who cannot read or write /