The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-03-11

my mind came the remembrance OF
that white face, that still form, lying
as l had left it, with the pure white
snow falling thickly around it.
Philippa was sitting in front OF the
fire. Her hat was removed; her dark
hair d~isheveled and cleaning wet with
the snow which had melted in it. She
must have heard me enter and close
the door, but she took no notice. AS
l approached ner she turned her shout
der upon me in a pettish way, and as
one who by the action means to signi-
fy displeasure. | came to her side
and stood over her, waiting for her tc
look up and speak first. She must
speak first. What car say, after all
that has happened to her tonight?
But she kept a stony silence kept
her eyes still turned from mine. Al
last l called her by her name, and bend
ing down, looked into her face.
Its expression was of sullen an
ger. and moreover, anger which seemed
to deepen as she heard my voice. She
made a kind of contemptuous gesture,
as if waving me aside.
"Philippa," I said. as sternly as I
could, speak to me-
laid my hand upon her arm. She
shook it off fercely, and then started
to her feet.
"You ask me to speak to YOU" she
said; "you, who have treated me like
this! Oh, it is shameful. shameful,
l come through storm and snow-come
to you, who were to welcome me as a
brother! Where are you? Away,
your wretched servant tells me. Why
are you away? trusted you! On, you
are a pretty brother! If you had
cared for me or respected me, you
would have been here to greet me.
No! you are all in a league-all in a
league to ruin me. Now l am here,
what will you do? Poison me, of
course! kill me, and make away with
me, even as that other doctor killed
and made away with my poor child!
lie did! l say he did, l saw him do it!
All, all, all,-even you-you, whom l
trusted-leagued against me"
She was trembling with excitement.
Her words ran one into the other. 1t
was as much us | could do to follow
them; yet the above is but a brief con-
d~ensatson of what she said. With
unchecked volubility she continued to
heap %reproaches and accusations, many
of which were OF the most eXtrava-
CANT and frivolous nature, on my
head. At last she was silent, and re-
seated herself in her former attitude;
and the sullen, disconnected, illused
look again settled on her face.
And yet, although |, who loved her
above all the world, was the object OF
her fierce reproaches, no words l had
as yet listened to came more sweetly
to my ear than these. \ great Joy
swept through me; a tide of relief
bore me to comparative happiness.
Whatever dreadful de-d the poor girl
had that night accomplished, she was
morally innocent. Philippa was not
accountable for her actions!
ASS doctor. 1 read the truth at once
The rapid flow Of words, the changing
moods, the vehement eXcit ement, the
sullen air, the groundless suspicious
one and all carried conviction, and
told me what was wrong. Mrs. Will
sons words of yesterday, which warned
me that Philippa's health should be
inquired into, added absolute certain
ty.
NV professional brethren who may
happen to read this will understand
me when l say that, although it is long
since 1 have practiced az a doctor,
am sorely tempted, rs l reach this
stage of my story, to give in detail the
particulars which induced me to ar
rive at such a belief. No physician
no surgeon, lives who does not fee
it his duty as well us his pleasure to
an accurate account Of any out-of-the'
common case which has come under
his notice. But I am not writing
these pages for the benefit of science;
and having no wish to make my tale
assume the authority of hospital re-
port, shall restrain myself. aud on
technical points be as brief as posi-
bic.
In short, then, Phillapa, had fallen
victim to hat mania which not un
commonly shows itself after the brit
of a child-that dread, mysterious dis
ease which may, AT the moment whel
everything seems going well, turn
house of joy into a house of mourning
a disease the source of which 1 hav
no hesitation in saying has not ye
been properly traced and investigated
So far as l know, there is no mono
graph OH the subject, or certainly Their
was none at that time.
Still, it is admitted by all the author
ties that this species of insanity i
not untrequently produced by a severe
mental shock. especially when that
shock is accompanied by an overwhelm-
ing EMS of disgrace.
Such being the case, it is small won
der that Phillipa, waking yesterday
morning to receive the intelligence that
her marriage with Sir Mervyn Fer
rand has been a farce, should have
been thrown into q state extremely
| susceptible to the attack of the disease
Her careless exposure of herself to the
wintry air. when last night she sought
me and claimed my aid, most probably
FASTENED the attack Of the foe. Mrs
Wilson had noticed her strange man
aer. myself have remarked upon hel
rapid changes from calmness to eX'
citability. 1t was clear to me thai
even when she visited me last night
the mischief had begun to develop it
self. l blamed by blindness bitterly
! ougnt to have seen what was wrong
Considering her agitated state, I ough'
to have been warned, and have taker
precautions; but Ihad attributed those
Gtful changes, the meaning OF Which
was now only too plain too me. to th'
natural agitation experienced by a pas
sionate yet pure minded women, who
found herself deceived. Oh. had
but guessed the real cause, or rather
the way in which her grief, had affected
her, all the dark work of that nigh
might have been left undone.
Although in many ways it added t
the difficulties and dangers which SUI
rounded us, the discovery Of the trut
was an ~unspeakable relief to me. n
right minded man could now cali tn
poor girl guilty of crime. The man
blood was indeed on her hands: yel sh
had shed it, not knowing what she dc
Her frenzy must thea have been a
its height. The idea of his coming
that night must in some way have oc
Cured to her. The desire to Sc
him must have driven her to 60 ant
meet him. Her wrongs-perhaps tn
dread she now felt of him may hay
induced her to arm herself; perhap
she carried the weapon for self-prc
lection. Any way, she was mad whe'
she started; she vas mad when sh
drew the trigger; she was mad whe
she broke from nv graSD; she wa