The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-21
THE
SPIRIT CLUB

DIR. Gerrish has already consulted
me about your wife's remarkab BILE case, ="
he said, g so I know the salient points
of IL. But, of course, before seeing her
I should be glad to learn in history
from you, as you suggest But be brief,
for
His companion put uD his hand sud-
denly. A series Of screams, laden with
the mortal terror Of a human being,
burst upon them from somewhere
above, seeming to fill uD its farthest
reaches the lofty and splendid hall in
which the two men were standing.
There was but one light visible among
the shadows, which, as it cleaned soft
~ here and there on a marble statue,
scintillated evilly on some gilded pic
ture frame, or sullenly burned on pol
iShed bit of ancient armOr, served
scarcely more than to eXaggerate the
Somber gloom of the place and amDIify
in the imagination its already huge di-
mansions. In such vague, mysterious
surroundings the screams, startling
enough in themselves, were awesome,
and with a cold shuddeT Mr. Harsh
hastily drew the doctor into one of the
reception rooms and switched on the
lights.
she has been that way at intervals
for months" he whispered eXcitedly
He was a fresh looking man of 80 OF
light complexion and regular features
in whose face the dominant expressions
were those Of the acumen and reserved
force which We associate with the
highly successful captain of industry.
The gray eyes held the possibility of
lneTciless glitter in their uncOmpromis-
ing depths, the narrow brow seemed al
ways just about to gather in a frOWn,
the lips beneath the thin, briStly brown
mustache were firm TO rigidity, and the
chin, square and solid, was relieved
from an appearance of downright bru-
tality only by a vertical cleft in the
middle, resembling an OvergrOwn dim
pie. Some slight suggestions of soft
ness lay in that and, of all his fea-
lures, in that alone. But at this mo-
ment it was evident, despite his normal
atmosphere of impasSiVity, that he
maintained a fair degree of cOmpOsure
only by great effort of will, and as he
spoke he sank heavily into a chair as if
in urgent need of its support for his
trembling body.
1t won't take two minutes to tell
you what l wish to-" he continued in d
low, hurried voice, "and it seems nee
essary to your understanding of the
case. 1t is as a hypnotist only that you
can be of service here. Medicine we
have tried in vain. The trouble began
one night last summer. She had been
ailing for some time, and we couldn't
find out what the matter was, except
thar ii was of a nervous nature, when
on this night she startled me out of Z
sound sleep by screaming suddenly. I
thought at first that it must be an at
tack of nightmare, and began TO shake
her; but she shrieked louder than ever.
So l sprang up and turned on the
lights. Then l saw that she was cow
ering down in bed, with staring eyes,
screaming as YOU have Just heard her
doing and finging her arms about over
her head as l have seen boys fighting
bees. When the light flashed up she
threw me a terrified look and dived I'M
der the bedclOtheS, still fighting and
shriekins. It was terrible, terrible! To
be afraid of Me"
What explanation did she make
then or afterward? Any?"
only that she was frightened and
felt a pain, as if a nail had been driven
into her brain. When the doctor came
he pronounced it a case of clavus hys-
tericus-nOthing SO very serious, he
said. But il has proved serious
enough. Two or three nights out of
every week since then she has had one
of these spells. l have called in the
most famous physicians No use" He
shook his head desDOndently. Though
all of them say the same thing about
the disease and prescribe much the
same treatment, she doesn't improve
They do not reach the malady, what
ever it is. 1t was DR.. Gerrish who told
me of you and your hypnotic power,
which he said was marvellous, and ad-
vised me to call you. He said he was
convinced that at bottom the trouble
was mental rather than physical, and
that if a cure We're possible you were
the man to work it."
Does she talk with you freely about
her case?"
All. that is one of the incompre-
hensible mysteries," he cried, rising
excitedly and pacing a few steps rapid
~ back and forth. Then he stopped
with his hand on the doctors shoulder.
She won't talk about it with any
body he whispered. 'She altogether
shuns the subject: viii not listen to a
word of it. 1t is the strangest thing in
the world. The most that can be drawn
from her is a no or a yes in answer
to some insistent question put by the
doctor who happens to be in attend
ance. But me-she seems afraid of
he! She shrinks whenever I approach
her. II can't understand it. Why,
DR.. Furnivall. I love her. She is all
care for on earth. She has always
looked TO me for everything. Our mar
RED life has been ideal, but now
now"
He broke off suddenly. In order to
hide an emotion of which he was ap-
parently ashamed he presented his back
TO the doctor, and. mOtiOning over his
shoulder for him to follow, mounted the
wide staircase to the floor above. with
out another word.
The doctor found the sickroom. a
large and magnificentIy appointed
chamber, blazing in the splendOrs Of
cluster of electric lights which depend
ed from the ceiling in the center. In
answer TO his questioning look, Mr.
Harish whispered:
She insists on that. The least sign of
darkness frightens her, even although
she tries to keep her head under the
bedclOthes. as you see now. 1t is
strange. She must have either full
sunshine OF those lights. l don't dare
to go in with you. I'll wait out here"
A trained nurse and a helper were
in the room, whom the doctor, after a
few words with them, mOtioned to
leave him alone with the patient. Then,
removing bis glasses, he advanced to
the sumptuous bed, in which he could
see the outlines of a human form be-
meath the coverings. which rose and
fell slightly with the spasmOdic breath