The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-20


do you see that lady over thereT'
asked Ben Hollister at a social gath
oring.
Eyes. What about herr
Though she has never been mar
lied, she is known as Mrs. Warbur-
ton
Indeed / remarked. looking at her
again. There was nothing in her ap-
Dearance to indicate a scandal On
the contrary. there was that to refute
one. cit cannot be used reproachful-
ly?"
Certainly not She applies it 20
herself" replied HOLSTER.
"How do you know all this?" l
asked.
"She is my cousin. l know her
story we'll. She is going out of the
room. Observe her.
1 did so, and as she walked she
seemed to be looking UP, as if at some
enc beside her. And yet there was no
one there.
"She believes" added my compan-
Son, "that the man whom she consid-
ers her husband is attending her. He
comes and goes. Whether his being
or not being with her has anything to
20 with a greater or less degree of
mental detection / don't know In
society she is never seen without him.
On all other subjects / consider her
perfectly rational She is respected
and beloved and received everywhere.
No one has told her that other people
do not see her attendant and that she
cutters under hallucination. Never
9neiess che knows eihcrs do not see
Rim. STILL it is impossible for her to
believe that she does not see him her
self.
This IS her STORY: She is Miss Ma
hon Beale. When the Spanish-Ameri-
can war broke out she was engaged TO
Sam Warburton, a captain IN the --th
United States infantry. She was very
much N love with him. and the part
Eng with him quite broke her down
He was with his regiment in all the
fighting that occurred from the time
the American troops landed till the
lest shot was fired. Indeed. it was one
q these last shots that killed him.
"It seems that when he went to the
war hts betrothed had a presentiment
that he would never come back to her.
She scanned all the reports of the
fighting, always dreading to see his
name. There were a good many hot
fights in that war, besides a lot OF dis
ease. Miss Beale suffered from the
strain ana received a terrible shock
at last. News came that the Spanish
forces at Santiago had surrendered
and the war was over. The people Of
the United States were rejoicing at the
victory, and hundreds whose relatives
in the army had been spared to them
were looking forward with delight to
these rejoicings. There came a belat-
I'D report that her lover was killed at
the very last. She withdrew from the
social world for time, and when she
reappsared was observed to act as if
attended by Captain Warburton."
And how do you know that he is
not attending herr" I asked.
Hollister looked at me as if he had
seen suddenly struck with the belief
that was as daft as the lady.
Now, am a physician, and a physi-
clan Of the newest school. In other
word, believe In autosuggestion
which means that people suffering
from certain ailments, especially of the
so called nervous order. are producing
the trouble themselves on themselves
by believing they have the ailment in
question. I was very much struck
with the personnel of Miss Beale and
was seized with desire to cure her
of her hallucinati0n. / wished Hollis
ter to tell her that he knew Il man
who did not share the opinion Of most
people that she suffered from halluci-
nation, but that such thing as the
zeal presence of Captain Warburton
was possible. My ultimate object was
10 gain her entire confidence.
do you really mean" asked Hollis
Ter. that you have any idea whatever
that wrath is attending her?'
MY reply is the question have just
asked. How do you know there is not?"
Il don't know 1t. but I'll bet you SO
no 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
j received the introduction. I made
no mention Of what Hollister had told
me. chatting on trivial subjects. /
esl,ed permission TO call upon the lady
and received II. When I called saw
at once by my reception that HOLSTER
had told her what I lad said TO him.
in me she q found some one to sym
Iathize with her. We had not been to-
Cether long before she regretted that
Captain Warburton had gone out to his
club, the Army and Navy. else she
would have been pleased &c 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 mad recovered. put
was Keeping mp the halluciDation by
Rutosrggesyion In other words. she
made nerSeir think that CAPTAIN War
burton was with her by believing he
was with her. The problem before me
lis saw twas to Kill Captain War
g. i Il