The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-01-03

asked Ben HOLSTER at a social gath
ering.
yes. What about herr"
Though she has never been mar
ried, she is known as Mrs Warbur-
ton"
"Indeed!' remarked. looking at her
again. There was nothing in her APP
pearance to indicate a scandal. On
the contrary. there was that to refute
one 1T cannot be used reproachful-
ly|
Certainly not. She applies it to
herself" replied Hollister.
How do you know all thisY' /
asked.
"She is my cousin. l know her
story well. She is going out of the
room. Observe her.
l did so, and as she walked she
seemed to be looking up, as if at some
one beside her. And yet there was no
one there
''She believes" added my cOmpan-
ion, 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
do with greater or less degree of
mental DETECTION / don't know. In
society she is never seen without him.
On all other subjects l 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
suffers under a haIlucination. Never
theless she knows others do not see
him. Still. it is impossible for her to
believe that she does not see him her.
self.
This is her story: She is Miss Ma
rion 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 in love with him, and the part
ing 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
last shot was fired. Indeed, it was one
of these last shots that killed him.
1T seems that when he went to the
war his 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 and 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
their return. Miss Beale shared in
these rejoicings. There came belat-
ed report that her lover was killed at
the very last She withdrew from the
social world for time. and when she
reappeared was observed to act as II
attended by Captain Warburton."
And how do you know that he Is
not attending her?' asked.
HOLSTER looked at me as if he had
been suddenly struck with the belief
that l was as daft as the lady.
Now, | am a physician. and 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. | was very much struck
with the personnel of Miss Beale and
was seized with a desire to cure her
of her hallucination. | wished Hollis
ter to tell her that he knew a man
who did not share the opinion of most
people that she suffered from haIluci-
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?''
Il don't know it. but I'll bet you $40
to 10 cents there isn't
what use in betting? Neither of us
could win, since neither of us could
prove his position. However. l wish
you to introduce me to your cousin
| received the introduction made
no mention of what HOLSTER 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 HOLSTER
had told her what 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 nae
make his acquaintance
My theory was that Miss Beale's
trouble was mental and had come from
a 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
~ 90. a., IL w.. a., Eli Contoin 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 | said to her, by the bye, | was
introduced into the Army and Navy
club the other day and met Captain
Warburton.'
l saw that the mention of him seemed
to disturb her-that panied express
sion passed across her face. So | made
but one more remark about him-a re-
mark conveying something l especially
wished to convey. "He is not looking
very we'll" Then, without waiting for
a reply, turned the subject.
Once or twice after that | mentioned
having met Captain Warburton and
never failed to remark that he seemed
to be ILL., My process or. rather, at
tempted process Of cure was neces-
sarily a slow one. and by hurrying l
feared to spoil all. Indeed, was not
willing to take any risk by haste on
my own account as well as the lady's.
When l began my course Of treatment
| simply desired. to enable her to get
rid Of the image she was creating OF
her former lover. Before | had known
her month hoped to put myself In
his place.
AS soon as | dared act decidedly
wrote her a note stating that l had a
very important communication to
H. n