The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-14
turaI canses-perfectly natural causes.

sursl canses-perfectly natural causes.
Hi! Blastoderm. you've given me the
Se.cutta Mercantile Adreysisey."
~ Inc aust got up in little whorls, while
.ne tree tops rocked and the kites whis-
.eu. But no one was looking at the com-
ing OF the rains We were all staring at
tne biastoderm who had risen from his
chair and was fighting with his speech.
Then he said. still more slowly:
Perfectly abie-dictionary-red
cock-alone.'
Biastoderm's drunk" said one man,
out the Biastoderm was not drunk. He
looked at US in q daxad sort of way, and
nekan motioning with his hands in the
n lrsiI light as the clouds closed overhead.
Ihen-with a scream:
What Is it? Can't-reserye-attain able
--merket-Obscure--"
But his speech seemed TO freeze in him.
ana, Just as the lightning shot two tongues
tnat cut the whole sky in three pieces and
me ram fell in quivering sheets. the Bias
.ooerm was struck dumb. He stood paw
ing and cnamping like a hard held horse,
ana his eyes were full Of terror.
The doctor came over in three minutes.
ara heard the story. Its aphasia," he
SAID. Take him to his room. knew the
smash would come" We carried The Bias
toderm across in the pouring rain to bis
Quarters aud the doctor gave him bromide
OF potassium TO make him sleep.
Then the doctor came back to Ms and
told MS that aphasia was like ali the arrears
OF "Punjab Head" falling in q lump; and
tnat ony cnce before-in the case Of q
sepoy-had he met with SO complete a
case. | myself have seen mild aphasia in
On overworked man, but this sudden
uumbness was uncanny-though, as the
biastoderm himself might have said, due
10 'periectly natural causes"
He'll have TO take leave after this. -
said the doctor. He won't be fit for
work for another three months. No: ii
isn't insanity or anything like it. It's
only complete loss of control over the
speech and memory. fancy it will keep
the Biastoderm quiet, though"
Two days later the Blastoderm found
asked vas: what was it?" The doctor
enlightened him. "But | can't under.
stand i'll" said the Blastoderm; "I'm
quite sane; but / can't be sure of my mind,
1t seems--my own memory-can I?'
"Go up into the Hills for three months
and don't think about it," said the doc
tor.
But can't understand it," repeated
the Biastoderm. 1T was my own mind
and memory"
II can't help it" said the doctor; .'there
are good many things you can't under
stand; and. by the time you have put in
my length of service. you'll know exactly
how much man dare call his own in this
world"
The stroke cowed the Blastoderm. He
could not understand it. He went into the
Hills in fear and trembling wondering
whether he would be permitted to reach
the end of any sentence he began.
This gave him wholesome feeling OF
nistrust. The legitimate explanation that
he had been overw orking himself, failed to
satisfy him. Something had wiped his
lips OF speech, as mother wipes the milky
lips OF her child. and he was afraid-horri-
biy afraid.
So the club had rest when he returned
and II ever you come across Aurelian Nc
Goggin laying down the law on things hui
man-he doesn't seem 10 know as much as
he used to about things divine-put your
forefnger on your lip for moment, and
see what happens.
Don't blame me if he throws glass at
your head !-Rudya,d Kipiing.