Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-04-18

i0 vi ei4e DfotnerS nau opened 10
ADMIT us, and had relocked), | had
neard cries proceeding from an upper
chamber. | was conducted to this
chamber straight, the cries growing
louder as we assembled the stairs, and [
found patient in high fever of the
brain, lying on bed.
The patient was woman of great
beauty, and young; assuredly not much
past twenty. Her hair was torn and
ragged, and her arms were bound to her
SIDES with sashes and handkerchiefs.
hoticed that these bonds were all por-
lions OF gentleman's dress. On one of
them, which was fringed scarf for a
dress OF ceremony, saw the armorial
bearings OF noble, and the letter E.
II saw this, within the first minute of
my contemplation Of the patient; for, in
her restless strivings, she had turned
over on her face on the edge of the bed,
mad drawn the edge Of the scarf into her
mouth, and was in danger of suffocation.
My first act was to put out my hand to
relieve her breathing; and in moving
the scarf aside the embroidery in the
corner caught my sight.
Il turned her gently over, placed nv
hands upon her breast to calm her and
keep her down, and looked into her
face. Her eyes we dilated and wild
and she constantly uttered piercing
shrieks and repeated the words, NV
husband, my father and my brother
and then counted up to twelve and said,
Hush? For an instant, and no more.
she would pause to listen, and then the
piercing shrieks would begin again, and
she would repeat the cry, My husband,
my father and my brother!' and would
count up to twelve and say Hush p
There was no variation in the order, or
the manner. There was no cessation,
but the regular moments pause, in the
utterance of these sounds.
How long, 1 asked, has this
lasted?'
10 distinguish the brothers, | will
call them the elder and the younger; by
the elder mean him who exercised the
most authority. 1t was the elder who
replied, Since about this hour last
night
She has husband, a father, and a
brother?'
ga brother
d" L do not address her brother?'
"He answered with great contempt,
NO.
"'She has some great association with
the number tweIve?'
1.-THE younger brother impatientIy re-
joined, With twelve o'clock
"'See, gentlemen said l, still keeping
my hands upon her breast, how useless
| am, as you have brought me! If [
had known what | was coming to see,
could have come provided. As it is, time
must be lost. There are no medicines to
be obtained in this lonely place
'The elder brother looked to the
younger, who said naughty, There is a
case of medicine here, and brought it
from closet and put it on the table.
4
81 opened some of the bottles, smelled
them, and put the shoppers to my lips.
If had wanted to use anything save
narcotic medicines that were poisons in
themselves, l would not have admins
tered any of those"
Do you doubt them?' asked the
younger brother.
"'4ou see, monsieur. l am going to
use them,' [ replied, and said no more.
Il made the patient swallow, with
great difficulty, and aftsr many efforts,
the dose that l desired to give. AS in
tended to repeat it after awhile, and as it
was necessary to watch its influence,
then sat down by the side of the bed.
There was timid and suppressed wo-
man IN attendance (wife of the man
down stairs), who had retreated into a
corner. The house was damp and de-
cayed, indifferenly furnished-evidently
recently occupied and temporarily used
Some thick old hangings had been
nailed up before the windows to deaden
the sound Of the shrieks. They continued
to be uttered in their regular success
sion, with the cry, My husband, nv
father, and my brother! the counting
up to twelve, and 'Hushp The frenzy
was SO violent that had not unfas-
tened the bandages restraining the
arms; but had looked to them, to see
that they were not painful. The only
spark of encouragement in the case was
that my hand upon the sufferers breast
had this much soothing influence, that
for minutes at time it tranquilized the
figure. 1t had no effect upon the cries !;
no pendulum could be more regular.
''For the reason that my hand had
this effect q assume), had sat by the
side of the bed for half an hour, with
the two brothers looking on, before the
elder said:
"'There is another patient
81 was startled, and asked, is it a
pressing case?
"'You had better see,' he carelcssIy
answered, and took up light. *
"The other patient lay in a back
room across a second staircase, which
was species Of loft over stable. There
was low plastered ceiling to part OF
it: the rest was open, to the ridge of the
tiled roof, and there were beams across.
II e4-o,,- yrara STORED in that nor