The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-06-21

Excellent! Now, | can speak out
plainly with little fear of disappoint-
ing you. After what | have said, you
will agree with me that the only
change in Miss Burnhams life which
will be of any use to her is change
that will alter the present tone of her
mind on the subject OF Mr.. Aldersley.
Place her in a position TO discover-not
by reference to her own distempered
fancies and Visions but by reference
to actual evidence and actual fact
whether Mr.. Aldersley is or is not
living man; and there will be an end
Of the hysterical decisions which now
threaten to fatally undermine her
| health. Even taking matters at their
worst-even assuming Mr. Aldersley
has died in the Arctic seas-it will be
| less injurious to her to discover this
| positively than to leave her mind to
| feed on it's own morbid superstitions
and speculations for weeks and weeks
together, while the next news from the
! expedition is on it's way to England
| In one word, | want you to be in
| position, before the week is out, to put
Miss Burnham's present convictions to
practical test. Suppose you could
say to her, We differ, my dear, about
Mr.. Francis Aldersley. You declare,
| without the shadow Of reason for it,
| that he is certainly dead, and, worse
still, that he has died by the act of one
of his brother officers. I assert, on
the authority of the newspapers, that
nothing of the sort has happened, and
that the chances are all in favor of his
being still a living man. What do
you say to crossing the Atlantic and
deciding which of us is right-you or
Il? Do you think Miss Burnham
would say no to that, Mrs. Crawford?
If | know anything of human nature,
she will seize the opportunity as a
means of converting you to the belief
in the Second Sight"
Good heavens, doctor! do you mean
to tell me that we are to go out and
meet the Arctic expedition on it's way
home?"
Admirably guessed, Mrs Crawford!
| That is exactly what l mean"
But how is it to be done?"
tioned-didn't THAT I had heard
something on my road to this house?"
"Yes?"
well, met an old friend at my own
gate, who walked with me part of the
way here. Last night my friend Gined
with the admiral at Portsmouth
Among the guests there was a member
of the Ministry, who had brought the
news about the expedition with him
from London. This gentleman told the
company that there was very little doubt
that the Admiralty would Immediately
send out a steam vessel, to meet and
rescue men on the shores of America,
and bring them home. Wait a little,
Mrs. Crawford. Nobody knows as yet
under what rules and regulations the
vessel will sail Under somewhat sim
liar circumstances, privileged people
have been received as passengers, or
rather as guests, in Her Majesty's
ships-and what has been conceded on
former occasions may by bare posi-
bility, be conceded now. | can say no
more. If you are not afraid of the voy-
age for yourself, l am not afraid of it
may, | am all in favor of it on medical
grounds) for my patient. What do you
say? Will you write to your father and
ask him to try what his interest will
do with his friends at the Admiralty"
Mrs. Crawford rose excitedly to her
feet.
"Write!" she exclaimed. ct will do
better than write The journey to Lon
don is no great matter-and my house?
keeper here is to be trusted to take
care of Clara in my absence. I will see
my father tonight! He shall make good
use of his interest at the Admiralty
you may rely on that. Oh, my dear
doctor, what prospect it is! My hus-
band! Clara! What discovery you
have made-what a treasure you are!
How can 1 thank your"
compose yourself, my dear madam.
Don't make too sure of success. We
may consider Miss Burnham's objec-
tions as disposed Of beforehand. But
suppose the Lords of the Admiralty
say No?"
"In that case / shall be in London,
doctor; and l shall go to them myself.
Lords are only men-and men are not
in the habit of saying No to mel" So
they parted.
In a week from that day Her Maj
estv's ship Amazon sailed for North
America. Certain privileged persons,
specially interested in the Arctic voy
ayers. were permitted to occupy the