Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04


as a reality, if you will but if you take it for
such, treat it as such. Have straight talk
with her and take her or break with her"
1t may seem strange to layman that l
should speak so to a patient about his deus1on
in this manner; but doctor will understand
my reason. The only way to cure halluci-
nation is to treat it as real, and so encourage
the patient to bring it to a crucial test against
reality. That is what l meant to do with
Payne.
"Verv we'll" he said slowly I'm have it
out with her; but can't do it before anyone.
I'll walk along by the sea up Waln1er way
and talk to her and come back to you here.
IAN right" | agreed. J lit cigar and
watched him walk slowly away. | was smok-
ing a second cigar and strolling about to keep
warm when he returned.
He walked briskly and hummed cheerful
tune, and when he came up to me he slapped
me on the shoulder. She's real" he cried.
shes reall She won't tell me her name, or
anything about herself; but she says if I'll go
to Gibraltar she'll meet me theTe.-at the
Bristol Hotel. Wen go by the mail.
'Umphl I said "Well, we may as well go
there as anywhere else but you must know
that it's utter folly Come, Payne you are
clever man, and you know now that it is
Authorization; but if you let it grow on you
till you don't know you'll be insane. You
understand"
YES" he agreed Il understand. If she
doesn't appear there l shall know that there's
nothing in it. There isn't of course; but
it, Mordaunt?
Don't be an asst" | answered.
Then we went back to the hotel and to bed.
Two days later we started for Gibraltar.
Violet" did not trouble him the voyage,
and we stayed on THE Rock" for a week
without hearing from her. Meanwhile we
made friends with an elderly woman Miss
Fame and her niece Doris Fame, who were
staying at the same hotel The niece was
about twenty, a shy, pretty girl with soft
brown hair and big brown eyes. Payne talked
to her good deal, and at the end of the week
| noticed them sitting together in the dusk
in the little garden opposite to the hotel.
Were you talking to Miss Doris TO make
Violet iealous1" | asked him when he had
come in.
Moo" he said. Il was talking to her for
herself
"Umph!" l took a drink of my whisky
and soda. "She-she's young, you know, old
man, and she might think you meant-what
you don't, of course
"Oh, I'll be careful" he promised hastily.
81 didn't say anything that mattered and
and fellow must talk to somebody. She's
got rather the same sort of voice as Violet
and | suppose that attracted me; though she's
the very antipodes of her in character. She's
dear little girl, all the same. If | was sure
she wouldn't turn up-you know what
mean?"
Yes l said, :" 1 know. 1t won't do, Payne.
You're perfectly sane at present, but you
have pretty bad Authorization You have
got to get rid OF 1t before you We any r1ght TO
make love to little Doris.
Il haven't done anything of the Sort"
he protested warmly.
Then don't!" | insisted You're a lika-
BILE fellow, old chap like you, you know
and she's young, and she might think you
meant something"
He drew a deep breath. Il would mean
something" he said, if | was sure that she
wouldn't come back-Violet."
But you're not sure, your" | asked.
Strange to say, those who suffer from hal
fluctuations can generally tell when their
decisions have gone from them.
No. he said, I'm not. l wish-I don't
know that | do either No woman can be to
me quite what Violet has been"
For the next week he was less with Doris,
but when a fortnight had passed and Violet
did not appear, either delusion or in
reality, ne began to pay marked attention to
her again. She appeared to like him also, but
their courtship was curiously spasmodic. They
seemed attracted and repealed by one another
in turn, and to be falling in love half
willingly
Miss Fame the aunt spoke to me about it
one evening. Il am very troubled about Mr..
Payne and my niece, DR.. Mordaunt, she
said "They seem to be drifting toward an
engagement, and yet l don't think they are
really sure that they care for one another.
When young people sure they really