The Cecil Whig., 1886-06-12

influence of an opIate. | was tired
myself, and went to bed to get a few
hours sleep, leaving word for Curtis 10
be called. In the middle OF the night
| was walked by Jane standing by my
bedside, looking frightened out of her
wits. DO, pray, Tr. Forman, come
to the strange lady When | got to
the room she was lying in the bed,
weak, but perfectly conscious. She
lntimated to me that she wished TO say
something TO me privately. OF course
tried to induce her to put it off, but
she was determined. So sent lane
out of the room. Then she said, 'Dr.
| am the first wife of Edmund Thor
burn was incrcdulous, and thought
her crazy, the more SO that the next
thing she told me was that she had
been for the last six years in lunatic
asylum. But when she told me her
story | saw that she was at that mo-
ment as sane as | was. 1t is an inter
esting case" said the doctor, suddenly
falling into his professional tone. "No
family taint-violent fever, followed by
more violent insanity, and likely to re-
suit in cure" After a moment he
continued ''She, of course, remem-
bercd nothing of her first attack. She
called it insanity; nothing insane in her
way Of speaking Of it, using just the
same terms you or l would, without
evasion, and suDposes now that from
certain faint recollecions her cure had
begun about the time of the asylum
lire. She remembers something of the
scene, and the next thing finding her
self shivering and half clad in railway
train. She remembers nothing more
until she became an inmate Of The Cen
tral LunatiC Asylum. There were no
means of Identifying her for a long
time. She had been supplied with
clothes by charitable people on the
train. No inquiries we're made about
her, which she could not understand
until l told her OF h-r supposed death.
She was called Mrs. March, because it
WAS in the month of March that she
was brought to the asylum. Her re-
cover was gradual, but it is a common
experience with such persons that their
own names and individuality is the last
for the restored mind to grasp. About
six months ago she became perfectly
herself She felt an entirely sane and
rational doubt of herself, until tine had
tested II but about a month ago she
gave such information of herself as led
TO letter being written to Drightwood,
where Thor0urn had a church at the
time Of her illness. Th0rburr was not
there, but an answer WAS received say
ing he was at East Harrowby. They
wrote again. That letter could never
have been delivered, and, after waiting
four weeks for an answer, Mrs. Thor
burn persuaded thc supcrinte 1dent to
allow her to come here with an atten-
dant to find her friends. The atten-
dant found some acquaintance, and
began to gossip with them. Mrs.
Ihorburn tells me that she felt shame
and horror at returning to her hus-
bands house accompanied by keeper;
50 she slipped off, and met Priscilla.
You know the rest
DR.. Sudbury sat looking like man
paralyzed. ''Nelo"
"Hou must send Thorburn here to-
night"
DR.. Sunbury rose and walked rest
lesSly about the little office.
"To-night," repeated DR.. Forman
''tor | don't think she'll last beyond to-
morrow"
"Why, what's the matter with her ?'
asked Or. Sunbury, pausing in his
troubled walk.
Nothing but DEATH" answered DR..
Forman. "Skill can do nothing for
that woman. She ought to have rallied
from the fainting spells instead, she
went off into convulsions. She ought
to have rallied from the convulSlons :;
instead she is sinking as fast as any
mortal | ever saw. Poor thing, SO
pretty, so gentle ?"
1t was arranged that MIR. Thorburn
was to be sent for and to DR.. Sunbury
was left the dreadful task Of telling him
the truth.
An hour after that, DR.. Sundury,
thinking miserably of poor Priscilla and
the unhappy creature upstairs, heard
the wheels Of DR.. Forman's buggy
grinding on the gravel outside, and Mr..
Thorburn' S quick, soldierly step as he
entered the house. DIR. Sunbury met
him with a sinking heart, and cold
tremor that shook him like al aspen.
q came at once, as You see my
friend" began Thorbum, cheerily.
And the; looking closer at Dr. Sun
bury's white face, said, '.Why, what is
the matter:?"
| DR.. Sunbury, without 4 word, led
him back into the little office. and
carefully closed the door. "Thorburn,' -
he said, q believe you TO be man
and Christian. Call up, therefore, all
your manhood, and all your dcpen-
dence on God, to bear what | have to
tell you"
Mr.. Thorburn's dark skin grew a
shade darker at these words, but he
made no reply, only looking DR.. Sun