Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-06-13
Many POST IE'ELLlGgECEE.
4 MYsTEsr.

4 MTsTE9f.
lam physician, and among my pa.
f;euss n1rn,er the wife OF deceased
army officer. Ii was case Of nervous
debility. She hsd. 20 70 speak, genius
Tor nervousness; her body, like hsr soul,
yibratsd ss touch, ike Q de.icsts
strinasd instrument under skilful a 3
tAr's hand She was an excellent vie,
and abe sdorsd second husband whom
shs married SON after the death OF fnr
general, whose title "a. world continued
10 give her.
Sns worshippsd hsr Last husband, but
unfortonassly the unworthy scamp
much younger than hts vife--in no wav
deserved the self sacrificing tenderness
and the loving sosicitu3e With which soc
treated him. Wherever and whenever
an inducsment offered be stole away
from an elegant home and spept the
night as we'll as bis wife's money 10 ois
sipsti0n-
bsyuudisss. all the more as the frivolous
youth. who had every reason TO avoid an
oosu rupture, knew how 70 preserve zp-
peaysuces with an inexhaustible store OF
iudisputabie evasions and excuses. de
lied and cheated with the thorough and
uutirinq attention Of man TO whom
fraud and artifiee yielded q yearly in
come of many thousands Thus she was
absolutely unable TO get any proof OF
his infideiity. Nevertheless, her unerring
instiuct told her thst her husband de
oeived her and was unfaithfGi, thought
which sufficed To entirely unsetsis her
highly nervous organization.
Moreover, she pat his different state
ments together, aud discovered little con-
Observation-Disclosures Then the poor
woman shed bitter tears and sobbed IN
heart breaking fashion, and became 80
miserable that she WAS not ashamed. IN
der the circumstances, TO consult me, her
family physician and trusted adviser.
At FIRST stroye 10 calm her In the usual
way, by lying.
Bot, alas. soon saw these innocent
expedients were not SUFFICIENT. DO the
lazy often sat for hours IN my study,
crying and wringina her hands with IN
cessant grief. One day she sat ON the
sofa, her head barred In her hands,
QroaninQ and moaning In agony OF soul.
Without design, beyond trying 70 soothe
her. | smoothed her forehead several
times with my hand, and saw, to my
great surprise, the sobbing woman be-
come quiet. insoluntsriiy let her hands
fall TO her side, draw regular breatiis.
and soon fall into deep sleep.
NV astonishment merged into Joy, Tor
the poor woman with her grief had be-
CONS little troublesome. Therefore !
ordered my servant To roll the sofa on
which she slumbered into the next room.
After q while awakened her by blow
ING In her face, and then told her she
had slept.
"Ah." she answered, "that has done
a world of good. l feel, indeed, that you
are right, doctor. Probably have been
fool 70 suspect my good husband"
Hho gratefully pressed my hand and
departed. hopefully smiling.
About month afterward the coupe OF
this lady stopped again before my door,
and the unhappy wife entered my study
with weeping eyes. 1t was renewed
Rroaus, renewed tears. 1 told her TO 20
70 the little room. I made the same
passes lightly over her brow ~ on the
former occasion, and she slept again in
4 moment. Again she awoke in more
calm state, and hastened 10 her nosne
and husband.
One day she came to me unusually
agitatsd, and told mo with teas that
her husband had not come home the
previous night. Ny office hours we're
nearly over; my waiting.ro thronged
with patien o. gently led her into the
little room, put her to sleep al usual,
looked the door aud went back to my
study. My servant brought an urgent
dispatch. A Brazilian prince was dan
gerousiy i'll; adifhoult surgical operation
must DO performed, and was honcred
with request to psrforIn IL. The steam
ahip would leave Bordeaux next morn
ing. To catch ths night train must
atHrt at once. excused myself TO my
patients. Iquickly packed all the ne
cessary instruments and books, bought
a ticket, and very soon left Paris far
behind.
The train was late. the s.esmer was
waiting for us. ! was scarcely on deck
before the signal for departure WAS
sounded and We were moving. | went
u onoc 10 my cabin, unpacked my sci
entifio works and lost myself in reading.
thought of the great honor fallen TO
my share, and Alternated between hops
and fear NJ to the success of the opera
tion. Wearied with the day excitement,
went 10 sleep and did not awake till
morning. ! went ON deck. The captain
approached me.
we seem to have come good way,
captsinr'
swer.
"And whore do you intend to stop on
the way7'
Nowhere. We 90 directly to Rio de
Jansiro. 4 thirty six days voyage lies
before as"
Steamers went much slower in those
days than now.
"Thirty.s six days. cried, mechani-
cally. mo triiie, that, captain; a long
tims--a very long time indeed"
looked thoughtfuliy at the play Of
the waves. A dark prcsentiment sud
denly troubled me; il seemed TO me az
had forgotten something.
But what could I have forgotten?
What had slipped my mind? Suddenly
groaned Aloud. Like lightning 1t had
dashed through my head. The nervous
lady. had forgotten the unhappy wife
whom bad left 10 complete catalepsy!
The lady locked In the little room which
my people never entered, the key Of
which had carried with ms.
Captain cried, lifting my hands
implorinciy. II must Instantly send a
telegram"
The captain took two swift steps side
wise and fixed his eyes on me in sin
gulAr way. He evidently believed had
suddenly gone crazy.
muss--I must telegraph, captain"
tneisted. ~ have forgotten tho gen.
erals wife. captain-the generals wife.
Who II asleep. Do you hear, captains
She 10 asleep.'
In the devils name what do you
meant" cried the captain, impatientiy.
IL Won left her aslcep she must have
awakened by this time"
He turned his back. laughing hoarsely,
and ordered two sailors not 10 lose sight
Of me.
Tneed not say what terrible day |
paaned. Sleeping or waking, always
nv the dreadful picture Of the poor vo-
man. sunk In sleep. lying on the sofa
from which she could never rise.
In what q state found myself on the
thirty-sixth day Il would not 10 easy for
You "a imagine. Al Last Rio de Jansiro
vas in sight. threw myself into a
boat, sprana ashore, and ran to the teie-
graph ONCE.
Break open door Of small room: wake
mp generals wife"