Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-12-13

recognition was mutual; our greetings
most cordial. Before asking the usual
questions, lest inadvertently l touch
heartache. looked significantly at
her mourning.
Evelyn" she answered briefly.
ut was pitiful thing. She was in
perfect health the day we reached
Nagasah. Cur first excursion was
nearly over when we stopped at a Gu
rio-shop. A most hideous old beggar
was offering the proprietor a gem
Rolfe bought it for Evelyn. Then she
complained Of being tired, so he called
jinrikishas After he had helped her
in, she said she was going to wear her
ring, for Nagasah luck, and put 1t
on. When we reached our hotel, and
Rolfe went to help her out, she was
dead"
Was the ring an amethyst, set lii
silver wire?"
Yes, why?"
1T is strange coincidence. 1t was
stolen from my wife several weeks
ago, and its theft was probably the
cause of her present illness" Then l
explained the circumstances.
Poor child" was the answer, she
has heard you talk English, anil un-
consciously absorbed it. She is deli
rfous, of course. There Is never any
meaning to fever rawlings. I'm going
right in and nurse her. Please let
me. You don't know how empty my
life seems without Evelyn"
1t was what wished, but would not
have asked. When we entered, the
patient lay with her back to the door,
in an attitude of hopeless, petulant
anger. Primrose and Narcissa cover
ed, like terrified spaniels, in the op-
posite corner. Amethyst turned slow
ly, as one who scorns to show interest.
| afterward learned that she had tried
to leave the room, and had been pre-
vented by the faithful maids. One
look at Mrs. Brandt, and the sick
woman sprang to her feet with a wild
cry of "Mother!"
Mrs. Brandt behaved with the most
admirable composure, soothing the
little brown girl exactly as though it
had been her own tall and stately
Evelyn whom she held In her arma.
Feeling that my darling was now
safe, again started for the doctor.
On the way back, with the best Amer
lean physician in Nagasaki, l en-
countered Rolfe with his little daugh-
ter. had not even known of the
birth of this child-an Evelyn in minia'
ture. Our entrance into the sick
room occasioned another outburst of
this strange dellrium Amethyst ig-
nored me, throwing herself into the
arms of Eevelyn's husband.
"Rolfe. take me home What is
the matter? Edith, come here. You
know mamma, don't you, If every one
else is crazy? Where is my ring?"
At a motion from the physician,
Rolfe. who understood that deliriun
was unaccountable for its action, and
had behaved with the most admirable
good sense. turned to me with horror
written on his lace.
In heavens name, Phil, what does
it mean? How did Evelyn's soul get
into your wife's body?"
Well, what did 1t mean? Here was
the voice. the language, the memory
which psychologists tell us constitutes
the PERSONAL---VERY. a woman three
months dead, a woman whose pres
ence and very name l had forgotten.
And here was the face, the form, the
outer semblance, the material shell, of
gentle little Japanese girl, who had
never spoken, or heard, a word OF
English. who had never seen nor
heard of Evelyn. nor of Evelyn's
mother. and husband, and child, yet
recognized these as her mother, her
husband. her child, and identified her,
self with every detail of the life of the
dead Evelyn.
The ring is the only point of con-
junction" said the physician, when
we had placed every concomitant
clearly before him. Both women
have owned it. You say that your
wife" lolSing at me, was passionately
attached to it. and that its loss occurr-
ed as an incident. probably the de-
termining one, of the beginning of
her illness. Moreover, this delirious
Identification Of herself with Mrs.
Savage seems to turn upon the owner
ship Of the ring. which came into the
possession of Mrs. Savage only a few
moments before her death. How this
peculiar Identification of personality
comes about know no more than you.
But 1t is barely possible that the
restoration of the ring may assist in
bringing back the wandering reason.
We can not tell what the power of as
sociation may accomplish
Rolfe read my glance of anguished
appeal.
The ring was buried with EVELYN"
he promptly answered. by all means
get it. The situation Is positively
CHASTITY. But nothing that re can
do can really hurt Evelyn She
wOnld GLADLY 40 apyfh,,- g.. -.