The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-04-29

| Inc captain waited little-letting
the new flood of information which had
poured in on him settle itself steadily
in his mind. This process accomplish
ed, the Arctic explorer proceeded reso-
lutely on his way to further discover
les.
May ask, ma am, if you have ever
seen her in state of trance with your
own eyes?" he inquired.
my sister and l both saw her in the
trance. little more than a month since"
Mrs. Crawford replied. "She had been
nervous and irritable all the morning,
and we took her out into the garden
to breathe the fresh air. Suddenly,
without any reason for it, the color
left her face. She stood between us,
insensible to touch, insenslble to
sound, motionless as stone, and cold
as death. in moment The FIRST
change we noticed came after a lapse
OF some minutes. Her hands began to
move slowly, as if she was cropping in
the dark. Words dropped one by one
from her lips. in a lost vacant tone.
as If she was talking in her sleep.
Whether what she said referred 10 past
or future I cannot tell YOU She spoke
OF persons in foreign country-perfect
strangers to my sister and to me. At
ter little interval, she suddenly be-
came silent. A momentary color ap-
peared in her face, and left it again.
Her eyes closed, her feet failed :4er, and
she sank insensible into our arms."
Sank insensible into your arms" re-
peated the Captain, absorbing his new
information. Most extraordinary.
And-in this state of health-she goes
out to parties and dances. More ex-
traordinary still!"
You are entirely mistaken" said
Mrs. Crawford. She is only here to-
night to please me. And she is only
dancing to please my husband. AS
rule, she shuns all society. The doctor
recommends change and amusement
for her. She won't listen to him. Ex-
cept on rare occasions like this, she
persists in remaining at home"
Captain Helding frightened at the
allusion to the doctor. Something
practical might be got out of the doc
tor. Scientific man. Sure to see this
very obscure subject under new light.
How does it strike the doctor now?"
said the Captain. Viewed simply as
a case, ma'am. how does it strike the
doctor?"
He will give no positive opiaion."
Mrs. Crawford answered. He told me
that such cases as Clara's were by no
means unfamiliar to medical practice.
We know he told me, that certain
disordered conditions of the brain and
the nervous system produce results
quite as extraordinary as any that Won
have described-and there our hnowl-
edge ends. Neither my science, nor
any mans science can clear up the mys-
terry in this case. 1t is an especially
difficult case to deal with, because Miss
Burnham's early associations dispose
her to attach supersitious Importance
to the malady-the hysterical malady.
as some doctors would call it--from
which she suffers. can give you in
structions for preserving her general
health; and l can recommend you to
try some change in her life-provided
you first relieve her mind of any secret
anxieties that may possibly be prey
ing on it,
The Captain smiled self-approvingi
The doctor had justified his anticipa-
lions. The doctor had suggested a
practical solution of the difficulty.
Aye! aye! At last we have hit the
nail on the head! Secret anxieties.
Yes! yes! Plain enough now. A dis
appointment in love-eh, Mrs. Cray
ford?"
Il don't know, Captain Heliing: 7
am quite in the dark. Clara's conf
dence in me-in other matters I'M
bounded-is, in this matter of her (sup-
posed) anxieties, a confidence still
withheld. In all else we are like Sis
tiers. l sometimes fear there may in
deed be some trouble preying secretly
on her mind. l sometimes feel a little
hurt at her incomprehensible silence"
Captain Helding was ready with his
own practical remedy for this difficulty.
Encouragement is all she wants,
maam. Take my word for it, this mat
ter rests entirely with you. It's all in
a nutshell. Encourage her to confide
in you-and she will confide."
Il am waiting to encourage her, Cap
tain, until she is left alone with me
after you have all sailed for the Arctic
Seas. In the meantime, will you con-
slider what I have said to you as i'll
tended for your ear only? And will you
forgive me if own that the turn the
subject has taken does not tempt me to
pursue it any further?"
The Captain took the hint. He in
stantly changed the subject, choosing,
on this occasion, safe professional
topics. He spoke of ships that were or
dered on foreign service; and, finding
that these subjects failed to interest
Mrs. Crawford. he spoke next Of ships
that were ordered home again. This
last experiment produced its eftect-an
effect which fha Cantafn had MT ho,