The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-04

showed plainly the ravages which two
days OF suspense and agony had accom-
plished. but she was braced mentally by
my presence and Leah's return. and in a
condition TO discuss calmly what was 10
be done. Leah had also rallied from her
| collapse. and the dinner brought her
strength and courage
The meal was over before we had
| settled how Leah could be kept in IA
vOr with the other onef-whom We
agreed. hereafter. to call Edna-and we
were still uncertain as TO our actions
in regard TO many other compile
cations which might arise. 1t depended
principally upon the extent OF my infiu-
ence with Edna. To hear Joy discuss
these phases OF her condition in that
other state-her fOndness for me, her
whms. her weaknesses--gav me a
strange sensation. But what struck me
as most remarkable In her talk was the
sense OF justice she always showed In
regard TO Edna One might have ex-
pected Joy 10 resent the intrusion OF this
second personality, so inimical 10 her
own interests. but she never failed TO
acknowledge Edna's rights. Indeed. her
whole attitude was that Edna was strict
~ another person, rather than some part
of herself broken of and endowed with
an independent existence-whieh was my
theory OF the situation.
l quite lost myself in the subtleties OF
the case. To know that probably on the
morrow l should be face to face with
this same woman, in form and feature
precisely the same, and yet as different
from her. really, as the West is from the
east, gave me, I'm spite of my EFFORT 10
"a mind h.
sort of mental instability which was dis
concerning. I could not quite believe that
she would or could change. She seemed
too real, too normal, ifI may qualify
such adjectiYes And besides all this. I
had begun TO think of her in another
way, which made the prospect OF any
such change seem unbearable
Meanwhile, JOY grew steadily sleeper
She reused herself occasionally, by an
effort, but would droop the moment she
had stopped speaking Coffee no longer
stimulated her She began to walk up
and down the room. leaning on Leah's
arm, as If she were fighting of the
effects of laudanum. Her suffering was
cruel. We had. at last, to restort to
strychnia.
So, for another hour we talked, while
she became more haggard. more weak.
Up and down, up and down the room
they went.We talked of seeking the
advice OF some specialist. here or
abroad. of the possibility Of direct APP
peal to Edna, in the chance OF some
compromise 10 be effected. OF Leah's ac-
tons should she be peremptori)y dis
charged again, Of the prospect of her be-
able to stay in the vicinity, to return as
soon as joys own personality had reas-
serted Itself, of the proper method Of
safeguarding joys property, Of the pos
sibility of Edna's actually departing from
Midmeadows-there were a hundred sides
to the subject, and all battling There
seemed TO be nothing to do but to await
further developments and see If ! my
self could not succeed in managing Edna.
rather wondered at the fact that JOY
did not once mention the doctor as pos
sible co-operator with U.s. II seemed to
me that she instinctively distrusted him.
though she never permitted herself to