Rock Island Argus., 1910-12-19

from certain ailments. especially or the
so called nervous order, are producing
the trouble themselves on themselves
by believing they have the ailment in
question / was very much struck
with the personnel of Miss Beale and
was seized with Il desire to cure her
of her hallucination. l wished Hollis
ter to tell her that he knew a man
who al not share the opinion OF most
people that she suffered from halluci-
nation, but that such a thing as the
real presence of Captain Warburton
was possible. My ultimate object was
to gain her entire confidence.
do you really mean," asked Hollis
ter. that you have any idea whatever
that a wrath is attending herr
MY reply is the question have just
asked. How do you know there is not?'
81 don't know it. but I'll bet you SO
to 10 cents there isn't"
what use in betting? Neither of us
could win. since neither of us could
prove his position. However. ] wish
you to introduce me to your cousin "
I received the introduction. ! made
no mention Of what Hollister had told
me, chatting on trivial subjects. /
asked permission to call upon the lady
and received It, When | called / saw
at once by my reception that Hollister
had told her what l had said to him.
In me she had found some one to sym
pathize with her. We had not been to-
gether long before she regretted that
Captain Warburton had gone out TO his
club. the Army and Navy. else she
would have been pleased to have me
make his acquaintance.
My theory was that Miss Beale's
trouble was mental and had come from
q shock: also that she would have re-
covered from that shock by natural
process. or rather had recovered, but
was keeping up the hallucination by
autOsuggestion. In other words. she
made herself think that Captain War
burton was with her by believing he
was with her. The problem before me
--as saw it-was to kill Captain War
burton. He was dead to all other per
sons, and it was my business TO kill
him in her mentality. How was ! TO
do this?
One evening when calling on Miss
Beale I said to her, BY the bye. was
introduced into the Army and Navy
club the other day and met Captain
Warburton'
saw that the mention of him seemed
to disturb her-that a panied express
sion passed across her face. So made
but one more remark about him-a re
mark conveying something / especially
wished to convey. He is not looking
very we'll" Then, without waiting for
n reply, turned the subject.
Once or twice after that mentioned
having met Captain Warburton and
never failed to remark that he seemed
TO be i'll. My process or, rather, at
tempted process of cure was neces-
earily a slow one, and by hurrying
feared to spoil all. Indeed. was not
wiling to take any risk by haste on
nv own account as well as the Iady 5.
When began my course Of treatment
I simply desired to enable her TO get
rid of the image she was creating or
her former lover. Before had known
her n month 1 hoped to put myself in
his place.
AS soon as I dared act decidedly
wrote her a note stating that l had
very important communication to
make to her and I hoped she would
nerve herself to endure separation.
I would call the same evening.
I called and found her anxiously ex-
pecting me.
Mrs. Warburton," I began at once,
your husband yesterday called at my
office to consult me on the matter OF
his health found him suffering from
a heart trouble which, should he re-
ceive the slightest shock, might carry
him off I have told him that absolute
quiet is essential and have advised
him to go away from the city, from
every one he knows or who knows
him, and to live absolutely alone, not
communicating with any one. He has
taken my advice and asked me to i'm
part the news to you"
BY this act gave my patient a tenn
porary backset, but this 1 expected. 1
saw that she was going through the
strain she had suffered at receiving
the news of Warburton's death. did
all 1 could to comfort her, but would
not say that | believed the course /
recommended would restore her hus-
band to health / left her. promising
to return the next evening and give
her more news.
When l saw her again she told me
that the captain had been TO see her
before his departure-that he looked
very badly, and she. was very much
troubled about him. This was an un-
welcome surprise to me, for l feared
the wrath would see her occasionally
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