The Winslow mail., 1900-08-16


for did not dare to interrupt him, Mona
did not appear. Breakfast passed and
| she was supposed to be asleep. No one
was ever allowed to be awakened. The
afternoon came, and when nothing was
| heard from her, maid was sent to
her room. She could get no answer.
Now, alarmed, they rushed to Mona's
room, and finding it locked, were obliged
to have the door forced open.
"'Oh, God, how cruel to tell! There,
kneeling by the bed, dressed in her long,
white gown, was my poor darling
clutching and gnawing a piece of hor-
rible human flesh, a human hand! They
| fled before the shrek she gave.
"'Then it was that my darling was
declared hopelessly insane and taken to
a mad house. Her beautiful coura ge
I shaken at last, her noble reason gone.
None had the courage to write me, none
dared to face me, for they had wrought
the cruelest wrong ever inflicted upon
one of Gods creatures.
"'Those two girls-devils-fien
call them not girls-in order to carry
out their Infamous plan to frighten
Mona had persuaded one of the med
ical students to bring them this evil
! dence of human butchery, a human
hand, fresh from the dissecting room.
That day l repudiated my personal
connection with the profession, and
challenged the instigator, or rather the
executor, of this crime, but the coward
refused to fight. | do not know what
became of him, but he disappeared from
all possibility of my ever meeting him
again.
"'Months heightened into a year,
and my Mona was no better. L became
an old man in that year, just as you
see me now. l could never bring back to
her the slightest sign of recognition.
"'At first she was violent and un-
manageable. At such times only one
person could influence her. He was the
most noted physician connected with
the institution. DR.. Bogardus had
taken an interest in my poor girl from
the beginning. He spared nothing
within the power of science to awaken
the barest sign of reason. l watched
breathlessly from day to day. L gave
up everything else in the world to
haunt these mad walls which held my
life and soul within one narrow cell.
AT last all hope was abandoned. :.
CDR. Bogardus had a theory that
violence could only be lessened by the
indulgence of the mania, where it did
not threaten human life. The mania
was often extravagant and beyond the
power of the institution to carry out.
Ny Mona liked to repeat the ghastly
scene of that deadly night.
"'She clutched at everything near
her without seeming intention of doing
harm. 1 had begged DR.. Bogardus the
privilege of bringing her to my own
house, where his slightest direction
decided that she could not have the
necessary freedom, and DR.. Bogardus
resigned from the staff-to my over
whelming gratitude, | need hardly say
and brought with him the old wom-
an who had been Mona's faithful at
tendant. For 23 years we three have
lived here alone, cut off from associa-
is DR.. Bogatdus whom you have seen.
He has never allowed any other inhu-
ence in the house.
"'The substitution of the ivory hand
was discovered after long experiment.
1t proved SO satisfactory that she has
never been without it day or night
since she first received it. The bridal
= Ii
mist over my own-'the bridal Dress
he repeated, is also the result of eX-
pertinent. She refused over and over
again to wear any dress until DR.. Bo-
gardus suggested this as connection
with her old life. The effect was be-
yond our fondest expectations. She
has worn it nearly every evening for
20 years, and her delight gives me the
strangest happiness.
"'When your message came / real
lied that you knew nothing of my un-
happy story, and my selfishness to see
a familiar face once more outweighed
every other consideration. My Mona
selects particular room for the scene
you witnessed, and for this reason 1
0Opeu yOu NOuIu uUG Ue ulS luIUeu.
She never shows any excitement, but
is only like some beautiful child. The
house is for her benefit. | live but to
add to her material comfort. There
are no keys, the light is never shut off,
and she is not conscious of the division
of day and night. She is usually awake
at night, and sleeps during the day as
quietly as an infant.
"'She is still beautiful, but, oh. so
white and frail!' His voice had sunk
to a whisper and his face was ashen.
Il leaned over to put my hand on his,
when a piercing scream rang through
the house, and there was the sound of
hurriedly shut dooors. l started up,
not knowing what to do. Llewellyn
rose and with wild look in his eyes
said to me, quietly:
"'Go; l have killed her."
81 tried to get nearer to him, for l
thought he would fall, but he only
held me back and pointed to the door,
repeating: Go; 1 have killed her"
II stumbled upstairs, got my bag
and was down again without seeing
anyone or hearing any other sound in
the house. For days the suspense was
terrible to me.
''It was impossible to leave Boston
without being sure of the facts. 1
wrote note to DR.. Bogardus, but re-
ceived no answer. [ was overwhelmed
with the thought of the possible share