Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-24

How l saved Herbert and brought
him out with a strong brain and in ev-
cry way physically sound is so strange
case that ii should be placed in writ
ing before l forget any of the details.
] do not mean that l did the thinking
and the planning that saved him, but
that had it not been for me no think
ing or planning would ever have been
done and Herbert would have died
under the strain or lived a lifetime
in a madhouse.
Herbert and I were first playmates.
then schoolmates: then the status be-
tween US was that OF a strong friend
ship between a very young man and
a very young woman. His mother,
rich widow, from the first disapproved
of our intimacy for her son would in
herit her vast estate, while l had
nothing. But neither Herbert nor l
at that time thought of marriage.
When he was eighteen his mother
died. leaving him all her property to
be paid to him when he became of
age His brother, Edgar Holt. was APP
pointed executor of the estate and
Herbert's guardian. There were 9th
er features of the will which had we
known earlier would have saved Her
bert a deal of suffering Not knowing
them, we were working in the dark.
Mr.. Holt. an old bachelor, on the
death of his sister went to live with
his ward, taking personal care of him.
/ could not see any necessity for this.
for Herbert was at an age when he
should have been at college. Yet this
uncle kept him at home. doing moth
ing. 1 asked Herbert why he assented
to this, and he said it was better for
him not to antagonize his uncle till
after he had attained his majority.
Some time after Mrs. Torry's death
Herbert sent me note asking me to
come and see him. He gave no reason
for the request; but, thinking he might
be i'll, l went at once. | was taken
by the housekeeper to a suit OF rooms
he occupied and found him lying on
lounge. the picture of dependency.
"Why. Herbert / exclaimed, what
is the matterT
81 don't know" he said mournfully.
Never had 1 seen such a change in
any one in so short space of time.
I had been with him a week before.
and he was then perfectly well. Now
he seemed to have gone far on the
way to become n nervous wreck.
What a singularly decorated room"
1 said to him after he had told me
about himself The wall paper was
purple, and the shades and curtains to
the windows were red. There was
something in the colors or combination
of coIorS that paoda mo feel n strange
nervousness.
Uncle Edgar had my rooms redec-
GRATED while i was away recently.
How do you like the paper:'
II don't like it at ALL" l replied.
1 encouraged Herbert as well as
could and when l left promised to re-
turn soon. l went straight to our own
family physician, DR.. Willard, and told
him all about Herbert's case. Incl
dentally l mentioned the decoration of
his rooms.
"Get him out of that at once" said
the doctor.
why SOP
Because If he lives surrounded with
those colors and none other for a
month he'll be maniac"
/ sent a note to Herbert the same
evening telling him that the doctor
had recommended other rooms for
him. and the next afternoon I went
to see him. found him where had
left him the day before. l asked him
why he had not moved, and he said
his uncle had declared DR.. Millard's
statement to be nonsense I begged