Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-12-20

ti' 4uuleS "iIQ the other guests We're el-
lAef chatting N couples or grouped
ibaiI the piano Mrs. Sprin-tEorpe
came and sat beside me
"Ne}l," Size asked, have you found
III" owner Of the voice:'
he speech was accompanied by Il
N.iSlit, pecu!iaT gesture, one of those
l+1Ie neENouS tricks Of manner to which
We are All subject and which sn clearly
HiarN oar duality. In this ease
i Supplied ne With the missing link o.
eNi"''hrr and enabled me at once to re-
ply;
Yes, it has Just occurred to me-"
"W,45 VAS Z
y lady wl.o once called to consult
ne professions. lly.''
"Iid"pd:'
j Her tone implied desire for further
I fhrorin,ition, 80 proceeded:
1T Was about SIX years ago was
tfoA a struggling young physician.
/ nursing q feeitle practice in Il new
n"i@'lmrhoaa one day a lady in q
/ elllrk veal eatled 10 ask my advice in
! regard TO her mother. who. she said.
VAS suffering from heart disease Then
sAr deScrl5esi the symptoms, which
Wrf" those Of Z person in q very crit
lcal STATE. they had been expecting.
She said. the return of q long absent
son and brother who was Il naval Off
+ Ger. but she had that morning received
/ the sad Intelligence of the wreck of his
of oil Il
! Some explanation would have to he
mad" to the mother of his continued
absence but could they tell her the
| truth in the state of her health?
Il replied that such {; revelation at
, such time would probably be attend
! ed hy f%tal consequences. She left. de-
claTins that at whatever cost she would
conceal the truth from her mother
And you have never seen her sinee?"
NO: ! had quite forgotten the cir
cumStance.
And Yet. would not recognize her if
you met l:cr again."
"As said. her face was concealed by
! thick veil. have not the slightest
idea of her features"
Yes"
You do not think it was I?''
Had it been YOU you would have
rocollected the circumstance"
(which do not But there are re-
semhlances between voices. | suppose.
as there are sometimes between faces"
81 do not remember ever having
heard of such d case"
"And YOU are skeptical on the point?'
Il should have been but for this in
stance"
THE coincidence appears to me to be
remarkable, for at first sight it seemed
as though | had met you before. How
do you account for that:'
1T is something l cannot account
for"
'Do you believe that two people who
have never met in the flesh may meet
and become acquainted in dreams?'
II protest. | said. laughing. you
have me at a disadvantage. This is a
theory | never heard before and in re-
gard to which l am unprepared to of
fer an opinion. | am curious to hear
more of it. What do you call it?'
"Ah. doctor. | am afraid You would
only prove a scoffer.' At this point
she WAS called away.
That night in the smoking room
Springthorpe and | fingered over our
cigars after the other guests had re-
tired. | had been thinking over the
mystery of that woman with the veiled
face. That she and Mrs. Springthorpe
were the same | had not the slightest
doubt. but as she evidently feared rec
ognition had been too polite to insist
upon it, Why there should be any
mystery about visit to a physician
puzzled me.
do you know" l asked if Mrs.
Springthorpe is liable to any heredi-
tary malady?
81 really cannot say" he replied. II
never knew her family"
Are her parents dead. then?'
"Yes: she has been an orphan since
childhood
Here | made q mental note.
A little later asked:
Have you any children?'
II have an only son by my first wife.
He is an officer Of one Of my East In
dia packet ships"
WAS he at home at the time of his
mothers deathT
mo. but he was hourly expected aft
er three years absence on foreign
station. Poor fellow! he arrived only
in time to find his mother in her cof-
6n"
Here made another mental note.
"Did the first Mrs. Springtlorpe die
Of consumption?'
mo: OF heart disease"
"Her end was unexpected. then?"
"Not altogether She had been all
ing for years. and the doctors warned
us to be prepared for death at any mo
ment At the same time they said she