Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1912 — Hypnotic Suggestion. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hypnotic Suggestion.

By Troy Allison.

There had been no such excitement In the village since the arrival of the new music teacher, Julie North. To believe that Dickie Armstrong could really hypnotize people seemed a large draft on one’s credulity. Dickie had lived In Wakely the 24 years of his existence, had gone through the grammar school, the most mischievous boy In It, had been off to college and come home to practice law, without any one suspecting he possessed mysterious powers. Since the fact had become generally known, the postmaster referred to various letters and pamphlets that had been coming for the last three months, and gave it as' his opinion that Dickie Armstrong had taken a course In hypnotism by mall. Ir. the meantime the four months In Wakely had been full of novel pleasure to Julie North. Coming from a busy northern city there was something fascinating In the lazy, happy lives of these southerners. The music teacher in a small village attracting almost as much attention as the President In Washington, she was invited to dinners, picnics and dances until she realized she was enjoying a belledom she had never before experienced. Her landlady, one of the before-the-war aristocracy, treated her like •a guest. The landlady’s three bachelor brothers seemed to think their mission in life was to see that the new teacher should not have a chance to get lonely. These four, following as near as possible the old-fashioned, luxurious style of the before-the-war planter, had rented their many Inherited

acres of cotton and rice lands and considered they had labored as much as was good for man when they made the rounds every fall to collect the rent. The three brothers • were known through the section as Mr. Jack, Mr. Courteney and Mr. Pat, and no one ever took the trouble to add their last name unless it were in conversation some one born outside the boundaries of South Carolina. Then the Darragh brothers were referred to in the same way one referred to the flora and fauna of the State—as facts generally known. The usual crowd of young people had gathered at the Darragh place one night soon after the discovery of Dickie Armstrong’s hypnotic powers. "Dickie,"do give us an "exhibition; now do," pleaded pretty little Susan Manning from the corner of the oldfashioned davenport where she was lounging in oriental ease. Julie North looked her skepticism, but seconded the request Dickie trumped up as many excuses as a pianist who has been invited to play. "Really, I have never tried it on any one except the little negro boys I toled into my office. I don’t know, even whether it would take the same effect upon you palefaces,” he begged as a reserve card. "I have always heard.that blondes made the best subjects,” replied Julie. "I’m the only blonde in the room, and I offer myself a willing subject to the cause of science.” Dickie started* the performance with a quaking heart The blonde hair seemed to cling to his fingers caressingly when he pressed them on her temples according to the rules and regulations prescribed by mail, and he found it harder to concentrate his thoughts than when he had tried the subjects at his Office. Susie Manning giggled, and Dickie gave her a reproachful glance. , "The .charm positively refuses to work when there is any giggling going on,” he growled. Mr. Pat leaned forward and offered her a caramel from the box on the Üble. "That win keep you, occupied until the seance is over,” he whispered. Dickie grew red with mortification when he had tried all the prescribed rules in vain. Mr. Jack and Mr. Courteney wera chuckling a good-natured badgery, and Mr. Pat was unable to feed Susie Manning caramels fast enough to check her giggles. Suddenly Dickie stood erect and h—ming “ “Hue —eh I Bo quiet! She's ah

right now,** he whispered, and they saw Julie’s eyes were fixed and vacant She responded readily when he suggested she should sing a song. She went through the whole course of Examples for Suggestions that lingered In Dickie’s memory. . The docility of his subject fired him with a desire to try new and original fields. “Are you engaged to be married?” he demanded, fixing a stern eye upon her. “No,” came the prompt answer. "In there any man you really care for,” he continued, never taking his eyes from hers. “Y-yes,” she answered hesitatingly. “What’s his name?” demanded the merciless Dickie. Subie Manning cried out In protest “O, Dickie, don’t —ah, don’t! That’s not playing fair, Dickie; that’s not honorable. She would be so mortified if she knew,” and the black eyes filled with sudden sympathetic tears. But the harm was done. Before Dickie could repeat or recall the suggestion the answer came with startling distinctness, “Pat Darragh,” she said distinctly. When they looked around they found Mr. Pa( had slipped from the room. After the crowd had left Mr. Pat tapped softly on the shuttered door that opened from Julie’s room to the veranda. “Please come out a few minutes,” he begged. “It’s not late, and the moon Is absolutely great,” She came out smiling the while. He led the way to a rustic seat near by. “I have been much-worried lately, Tflfass Julie” —the Southern mannerism of address sounded like a caress in his Southern voice. “For the first time In my life I’ve made a real and complete fool of myself about a woman. It hits hard when a man Is 38. I realize so fully that I am not In It when compared with the young set, but —I couldn’t help loving you —I don’t see how any one could.” he added in self-justification. “Some few have been able to resist;” she was heaping the white sand In piles with the toe of her slipper. He leaned forward, his elbowsson his kpees and his hand supporting a melancholy face. “I know I’m too old to attract a girl of 20—like Dickie Armstrong would, for Instance.” ’‘Susie Manning could probably give you some information as to Mr. Armstrong’s powers of attraction;” She rounded the heap of sand with the air of an experienced -mound builder. “She told me to-night that she had Just promised to marry him.” ’ “I thought It was you!” His tone showed relief that Dickie could be labeled “harmless,” and surprise that an Intelligent human being could be aware of the existence of the moon when 'the sun was in plain view. “I didn’t Intend to tell you—l thought It would simply worry you to know —that I had made a fool of myself, but I have changed my mind. I am going to Charleston for a few months and the neighbors might be able to get a great deal of amusement out of the fact that I left home because you refused to marry me.” The building of sand was destroyed by one quick stroke of her high-heeled slipper. “It Is absolutely necessary—that I refuse?" she leaned forward and looked straight Into hls-eyes. “Why—Julie!” he said, and the lawn suddenly seemed a veritable garden of Eden. Later, when she told him goodnight, she turned suddenly and came back to him. “Pat, I must tell you something.” “You had always seemed so humble, I couldn’t make you understand. So the hypnotism seemed a fine chance. I—l wasn’t hypnotized tonight—l was shamming.” .“You darling!” he exclaimed, seizing her in his arms.

I wasn’t hypnotized to-night