The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-11-18
A DREADFUL MOMENT
BY ARTHUR ALDRIcH.

fences Of great tragedy.
II was when l first began my studies
to become an alienist and DIR. Michael
John, the superintendent Of the great
insane asylum. was extending me
every courtesy, as he always has done
with students whom he thought to bs
In earnest This was one Of my peri
odieal tours through the asylum, and
the silver-haired old superintendent
was showing me cases of special in
terest
The patient under discussion was
surely a most unusual personality to
meet in that kind of a place. a tall
and well-formed individual, with a
forehead marvellous in its height and
breadth, features chiseled from the
most aristocratic mold, and a manner
almost imperious, which seemed en-
tirely out OF place in the iron-barred
cell, except for one feature. His
| eyes. suggesting all manner of intelli-
| gence, yet bore the unmistakabls
signs of the maniac. His Van Dyke
beard, in connection with his other
features and general bearing, suggest
ed at once to me the medical man, and
this proved to be fact
My interest was deeply aroused at
once, not only from the superinten-
dents remark, but also from the ap-
pearance of the patient. Soon after,
snugly ensconced in the superinten-
dents office, with glowing pipes, lis
tened to the strange story which | am
about to relate.
DR.. Charles WILDER was one of the
most promising physicians of the
metropolis. Still in his early thirties.
at time of life when most physicians
are struggling for foothold, he had
won his spurs and was recognized an
a power in the medical world
One cloud only obscured his hori-
zon, and that a very serious one to
man of his high-strung sensibilitiea
A dearly beloved sister, the baby OF
the family. the pet of parents and
brothers and sisters, but more than
that, his own particular idol, had be-
come involved in an unfortunate love
affair and had disappeared. Every
means that money and brains could
suggest were employed to find her.
but all to no avail The doctor had
given freely of his own time and mon
ey and chased vill-o'-the-wisp clues
from ocean to ocean in a frantic en-
deavor to find the wandering girl. FL
nally they had been compelled to give
up the search and the doctor returned
to his practice and his work broken
hearted man,
Time the great healer, did some
what to cover the burning wound, but
the light never came back to the doc
ton came to him in the form of a
whose beauty of face and
physical grace were equaled by lofty
spirituality which accorded most har-
with his own. Perhaps the
very depth and hclplessness of his sor-
row for his little sister gave his adj
and desire for his beautiful
iancee added strength and import
ance; at any rate, under the charm OF
his new relationship, the old sorrow
became less keen and was well on tho
way to tender recollection. One
memorable afternoon he called at the
lone of his bride-tobe and the we'd
ling day was finally set. The moments
passed swiftly, as they always do uu-
Ter such circumstances, and when tho
loctor happened TO glance at the clock
le jumped to his feet in dsmay. Il
will be late at the clinic" he ex-
laimed, and with passionate en-
race hurried away.
When he arrived at the university
he students and faculty were assem-
led, and all was in waiting for him
The case was one of peculiar inter-
st, the patient had died under cir
umstances which gave every reason
} believe that there had been certain
evelopments In the affected organs
hich had never been observed and
hich the medical world was exceed
Ugly anxious to investigate. The sur
con took up the case at once upon
1tering the amphitheater, and I'm an
stant forgot his romance and all else
his science. He stated the case and
lie conditions surrounding 1t, the ten
tive theories which had obtained
JUS far, and the probabilities of now
'certaining the correctness OF these
eories AS he proceeded his enthusi-
IN arose and he became again the
'ostle of the scalpel. Holding the
ittering instrument in his hand. he
ew back the sheet from the subject
the table before him. And then
e students and the assembled facui-
beheld a most dramatic scene
hen the sheet was thrown back DR..
ilber beheld before him the features
d form of his lost sister Dorothy
! paused suddenly in the very act Of
serting the scalpcl into the body, the
strument dropped from his hand, an
,redulous light appeared In his eyes,
passed his fingers over them rapid
several times, he gazed again at the
,e before him, then look of horror
,pt into his face. he gasped ard
tched his throat, then, with
II