The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-17

Leod, where had left him-by the pa
tents cot.
The condition of the latter did not
seem TO have changed materially. Per-
hnps the pulse was n shade weaker, but,
on the other hand, he was quiet, but for
a slight nervous twitching, and had
been so ever since left.
now come TO that part Of my story
which / look back upon with more or
less self-reproach. That my conduct
was professional in the highest sense of
the word, am often driven to doubt,
however much try To justify myself by
the argument that a better knowledge
of the history Of the case was indis-
pensable to its safest treatment.
When / am most frank, however, as is
the case tonight, am driven to ad-
NIT that the prime motive of my final
attempt TO hypnotic my patientwas an
overmastering curiosity, and all that
can be alleged in extenuation is that
hardly expected to be successful in an
experiment in which had never fully
succeeded. that none of my former at
tempts had been attended with the
had no earthly reason to anticipate
any in the present case. In fact think
/ may honestly say that when / placed
my hand upon the sick mans brow, as
i had previously done with a markedly
soothing effect. / had no definite in
tention of attempting to get him under
psychic control. Everything that fol-
lowed may be said to have been simply
the drift of events.
AS before, my influence seemed 10.
quiet the patient. The nervous
twitches ceased gradually. and, with
in minute after contact, his regular
breathing denoted n peaceful and
natural sleep.
I suppose my mind, full as IL was of
the information CLEANED through the
morning. may have expressed in its own
subtle language desire for the knowl-
edge it craved. BE that as IL may, l
was startled a moment later by the pa
tents rolling his head slowly from
side to side as il to escape my touch,
while, at the same instant, he spoke in
drowsv tones that seemed to come from
n great distance.
do not trouble me. do not know
how to tell it. i cannot understand"
IL was here that my error, il error
1t were, took shape. Surprised at words
that surely evidenced the hypnotic
state, / at once exerted myself to the
full and a few passes with my free
hand seemed to overcome all resistance.
But you. must tell me-" ! said. "It
is necessary for me to know in order to
treat you proferly."
"What shall tell?" he asked, in the
same dull tones.
Where was your ship when she was
caught in the ice?"
"Near Kennedy's channel"
'When was that?"
'T do not remember. Lest year.
June, think"
He was speaking now with no shadow
of dialect, which / took to indicate
that he had been born Of parents who
talked good English, and that his
speech of the night before, which con-
fess had somewhat puzzled me, had
been merely the result Of long associa-
tion with rough seafaring men of sun
dry nationalities.
I'm what direction were you car
ried?" was my next question. a,
North" -
'How far?" .lyIRipis erSSs,,
ITO the POLE"
For a moment I almost lost control
OF him from sheer astonishment. Then
i gathered myself for the next question.
How do you know?"
''I took the observation at eighty
nine degrees thirty-eight minutes north
and"
Where were your captain and Off
cers?" / asked, foolishly interrupting
him in my excitement.
dead and overheard. They oil
starved and froze when we drifted
through the ice-wall-all but the ser
onu mate, and he went crazy when ne
saw the rift in the wall close behind
us. He came at me with capstan-bnr
and had TO kill him. He'd have lived
and killed me IL / hadn't. We were in
the open sea then and II was warm"
"And you reached the pole?"
"Yes." ~
what did you find there?"
"The place where men first lived.
What else means the tradition Of every
ancient race-thnt their fathers came
from the north? Where did the earth
cool first? Where was IL first habit
ableP Where else do the stars revclye
in tholiform Manner and where else
does the sun set only once q year. and
"a year seem only n day?' You are
blind-blind. all of YOU"
Trembling with excitement put my
next question:
but what did you sec?"
For the first time since I had begun
TO question him. he hesitatcd and
seemed 20 struggle against my influ-
ence, writhing under my hand. while
the persphntion stood out in beads upon
his face. !. foT my part, was now fully
absorbed IN my effort and labored with
al my force 90 subdue him. At last
the answer came, but in n way that
gNoVfcl that no laJ H. ~ - .~co,.ol