The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-05-21
They could easily lodtch her,

1HeB cOutU tdSUU lcutch HcT.
departure had startled her or because
the mysterious forces at work in her dis
organized intellect happened to manifest
themselves at that moment, she had ut
tered as they moved that strange, faint,
inarticulate cry which was so terrible
to the good people who took care of her
The two physicians simply noted it as
curious fact.
After they had disappeared from the
fange of her vision the girl sat for
long time without any apparent change,
save that i'll lieu of scanning the faces
pf the physicians her eyes looked with
the same dreadful fear into the fire in
the open CRATE. Over and over again,
with a persistent monotony that of it.
self was enough to make the sympathet-
ic observer shudder, this embodiment
in motion of the unnatural and unvaly-
ing condition of the shattered mind, this
alternate clasping and unclasping of the
hands, went on The white palms came
together, the fingers intertwined, the
palms moved slowly across each other,
the fingers lost their hold and wandered
nervously, and then the dreary round
began again, and SO on, ceaselessly and
always.
''ls she never still?" the elder physi-
clan asked.
Never wholly so. Nervous motion Of
some sort is necessary. Nothing but &C.
tual interference from without can stop
it, even for an instant. "
1t happened then that an external in
terferenee unexpectedly occurred to il
lustrate the practitioners statement. A
cat, which had been curled up by the
fireside, crossed the floor and sprang
into the girls lap. With repetition of
the peculiar cry and a sudden intensifica-
/, ton of the dominant expression in her
face, the patient started to her feet. The
cat jumped down and ran away The
girl gave no heed to his departure. Her
gaze was fixed immovably on the spot
where she had seen him. and she contin-
ued minterruptedly for several minutes
to move her hands as if driving back
some palpable object which persisted in
remaining in her lap.
She sees the cat still" whispered
the elder physician. "Just as thought,
The impression produced on the retina
Dy MI bDJtCt llll Iltl 10 tbp Wv lh
to leave her even after its departure.
This is moreremarkable retention than
had deemed possible But there is no
evidence that she thinks at all, !"
mot as we think. No. !"
Gradually the repulsing motion of the
hands gave place to the old nervous
clasping and unclasping The time came
when the poor creature seemed to forget
the special terror caused by the cat in
the general dread with which all things
seemed to inspire her. But she still con-
tinued to stand
'Thinkr' murmured the elder physi-
clan. why, she doesn't even know
enough to sit down when she is tired. -
In truth, at that moment the girl be-
gan to sway violently, and had not the
foremost physician gone promptly to her
assistance she would have fallen.
Her limbs arc too weak to stand SO
long, said the younger man. But
don't put her to bed yet. / want to try
All experiment.. "
"Of what nature?"
"Simply to see what effect music will
have. have known downright idiots.
WIN IGSDOlltl W oSulNO ploNO-
cation than tho sight of food, to have
their interest visibly aroused by the
sound Of musical instrument. Miss
Maxey will favor us with few selec-
tions. I'll speak to her. "
He raped at the door of an adjoining
chamber and exchanged few words
with the person who responded. In a
few minutes pretty young lady with
black eyebrows and demas!, color in
her checks had takep her seat at the
piano. The two physicians had retired
to their former position behind tho bed
curtains, and the patient, as before, sat
on the edge of her bed.
What shall play?" the young lady
asked.
Something loud and energetic. "
There was rustling of leaves, and
then the drastic opening chords of q
Liszt rhaspody made the vases shiver on
the mantel The sounds startled the pa.