The story
“The banker spent every leisure hour studying hypnotism, and practicing it. When the banker’s daughter wanted to marry the penniless young man the father decided it was time to get some practical benefit from his studies. With many weird and complicated motions the father backed the poor boy to the library window. Under the same window Rusty Reginald was eating the last of a purloined pie. The boy fell on top of him, shrieked wildly and fled. ‘Eureka!’ he howled when he saw Reggie. ‘Am I some little hyp? Look daughter! My marvelous mental power has even transformed his clothes!’ Daughter looked. A bright idea came. She knew pa would want to exhibit his handiwork at the Hypnotists’ Club; and while he was there she had other plans. She induced pa to take his prize materialization to show the other hyps. When he had gone, she found her sweetheart, packed her bag, and left a little note for her father. At the club, father was amazed at his own powers. He didn’t know that most of his orders were obeyed because of the policeman that bobbed up every few minutes where Reggie could see him.
“’I will show you the supreme test of the true hypnotist!’ he announced. ‘Having transformed this man from a well-dressed person to a ragged tramp.’ Then came a tap on the window. The club members all turned. So did the banker. Two cops were looking in on the scene and pointing at Reggie. They jumped from the window. But Reggie had seen enough. He dove under a convenient couch. The banker and his fellow members turned. The subject had disappeared even as the master amateur hypnotist had promised. Then the cops came and spoiled it. From under the couch they drew the struggling Reggie. The banker tried to protest, but he and his explanation were waved aside. ‘Hypnotism, nothin!’ asserted a cop brutally. ‘This is Rusty Reginald the yeggman! He’s got a record as long as yer arm!’ And the shock kept father away from the bank for a week.”
Summary from Reel Life · 26 February 1916
