Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-04-08
A FAIR WIDOWS
CLEVER RUSE
Unique Case of Mania and
How 1t Was Cured.

IeS, am Or. AamltOn.
MRS. Ward wants you to come to
her Immediately. She Is very ILL"
"All right. I'll go at once"
"Confound I'll" exclaimed the doctor
as he hung up the receiver and return
ed to party OF bachelors he was en-
tertaining at dinner He had thar very
day declined an invitation from this
Mrs. Ward. a wealthy young widow.
to escort her to the opera. his excuse
being that he had u patient In charge
whom he could not leave.
'You fellows keep the ball rolling"
he said. 1--WE got n call and must
leave you for awhile. Patrick, keep
the gentlemen well supplied. There's
a fresh box of cigars In the side
board"
DIR. Hamilton was In too much OF a
hurry to get back to the party TO wair
for his own horse and fortunately
found a passing cab. In ten minutes
he was at Mrs. Wards He found her
on n lounge In the library dressed In
dinner costume, a lamp with rose
tinted shade standing on a table be
side her casting very becoming light
on her face The doctor advanced
and. taking her wrist between his
fingers, looked at her searchingly.
whats the trouble?" he asked
81 don't know. After dinner / was
seized with very singular feeling"
'fWhereT"
I'm the ears"
The doctor removed the shade from
the lamp and. taking little glass from
his instrument satchei, threw concen.
trated rays of light into the widows
left ear. Finding nothing unusual
there, he examined the other ear.
tits quite possible" he said, '-thnt a
tiny bug crawled into your ear and
crawled out again. You hear nothing
unusual nowr
'No, l haven't heard anything un-
usual"
'Then>what was the sensationT
"a terrible longing"
Longing for what?"
"There 1t is againr' And tremor
ran over her shapely frame.
The doctor. thinking that It might be
"a symptom of insanity. looked steadily
into her eye. II was clear as n bell.
soft and liquid. as II met his. There
was not even the slightest indication
of nerve tension, The doctor was puz-
zled
Pm afraid I'm going to lose my
mind, DOCTOR" said the patient
why so?"
~ have paroxysms in which feel
thar I must hear harmonious sounds
or go wild. oh, doctor. II you could
only play on the piano"
IL can't"
'"rhen won't you'take me somewhere
where l can hear music. 1t is the only
thing that would satisfy my insane
craving"
'H'mpf said. the doctor. A light was
beginning to break In upon him. '''You
have seats at the yoperaT'
IA box. How uqkind of you to de-
cline to tnke me when had gone to
the trouble to provide places"
1t was a reproachfui look the widow
gave him out Of her soft eyes. The
doctor. who up to this moment had but
one desire-to get back TO his conviviai
guests-began. to feel other sensations.
Mrs. Ward was very pretty woman.
a very charming woman. To one of her
own sex her ruse would have excited
contempt Not so to the man.
Excuse me moment" he said, ris-
ing 1T must use your telephone. The
patient have in charge is in u critical
and must keep In touch
with him.
"You'll hnd It in the little room at
the end of the hail"
The doctor rang, up his own house
and called for one of.his guests.
"I'll be longer than ! supposed he
said. "but I'll be back before the even
ing is over" ~
Serious caseT- so
very"
IAN right; we'll stay till you come"
Then Dr. Hamilton returned to the
widow, and told her. that he could
spend an hour with her at the opera
Doctor" she said. IF were to
take you where your patient couldn't
reach you and he were to die while
you were at the opera would never
forgive myself"
How considerate of your
perhaps II we stay here and the
paroxysm comes on again. II you whis.
per softly In my ear with that musical
voice of yours 1t would allay the crav-
ing" sssstl
wen try It."
The doctor again examined the pulse. |
this time taking the little hand In his
to determine whether II was moist or
feverish. He sat in silence. He was
Doctor" said the widow. Its COM
Ing on again Speak to me- Your
voice is as harmonious as cello"
Mrs. Ward he began.
Camilla = not Mrs. Ward. You |
would pronouncescamilia beautifully"
Camilla" ~
go on"
II love your
That was the end OF Mrs. Wards
2s;ai';l
DR.. Hamilton returned to his guests
1t II O'Clock
"What was the trouble. doctor?"
"A unique case of mania. sH'tf
Patient ont OF danger?'
"Quite recovered: temperature NOR
nal. skin soft. lips moist
what was your treatment?"
Administered a sedatiYe through
he ear"
. Il