Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-07-05

answered. II cannot let matters re
main as they are. Dick must know
how that awful smile affects me; and
cannot tell him myself. You are a
physician; people will listen to things
from you that they would not toler-
ate from an ordinary person. Won't
you help me?"
/ / did not like the idea, but the girl
looked so beseechingly, so young and
terrified, that could not help yield
ing, and promised to do as she re-
quested. When she had left / stood
leaning against the rail, thinking over
the strange interview I had just had
with the girl. My candid impression
was that she herself was i'll, and that
it would only be fair to Farquharson
to warn him with regard to her con-
dition Just then the man himself
made his appearance.
IF you are looking for Mrs. Farqu-
harson," said, "she has just gone
below. She asked me to give you a
message. / trust you will not con-
slider it too great liberty on my
part, if I tell you that I think your
wife's nervous system needs atten-
ton badly. She came to me little
while ago and confessed that she was
frightened. 1t is IAN odd case, all
nerves / suppose, but she informed
me that she could not stand your
smile-what is the matter? You don't
seem we'll"
The man had turned very pale. "My
SMILE" he gasped 81 never knew
that she had seen me smile; 1 had
guarded against it. No wonder she is
upset"
"It is a plain case of nerves." I re-
peated, but he shook his head.
There is nothing the matter with
her." he said. "She only failed to
| endure what no woman could stand.
I see, Halifax, that I must give you
marry that girl; but was tempted,
for | loved her. This is my just pun
ishment. I tell you, doctor, you have
never come across case like mine.
Come over here, under this light My
wife has explained to you that she
breads my smile. The best way to
show why she breads it, is to illus
trate it. Some people wonder at my
gravity, but for you will lift the cur
tain"
Suddenly his whole face underwent
complete revolution. The mouth
stretched wide, and literally seemed
to open from ear to ear, showing his
glittering. white teeth. The short
hair on the forehead was brought
down and reached the eyebrows. At
the same time, by some extraordinary
CONFUSION of muscle, the lower eye
lids were inverted, and the eyeballs
rolled up until there was nothing Wis
ible but the whites. In this horrible
contortion, which partook of the idiot
and monkey in its extreme horror, the
real Farduharson seemed to have
vanished Uttering a groan as his
features recovered their normal cast,
the man turned aside and covered his
face A cold horror seized me. had
looked upon what might have been
the face of fiend.
For Heavens sake" I said catch
ing him by the arm, what is the mean
ing of this?"
Il have illustrated my SMILE" he
said '"That is the only way in which
can smile. Now listen to my laugh.
Steady your nerves, for the sound is
not pleasing"
He gave sort of chuckle, low and
deep at first, and resembling, to GER
tain extent, the baying Of hound;
| but as the laugh proceeded, it rose in
strength and sound, until at last it re-
sembled certain strings of the bass
fiddle played in absolute discord. 1t
came and went, rising in volume, un-
til the sense of every nerve Jared
caused the listener to iuvoluntarily
clap his hands to his ears. I had
heard madmen laugh, and listened to
| the jackal shrek in the jungle, but
no man or beast had ever produced
such a sound of horror as that pro-
i ceeding from Farquharson's tips.
| Nov you know my secret" he said,
resuming his usual automatic manner
and immovable cast of face.
'But why do you do it?" | asked.
II cannot help myself Az child,
am told that I was all right, but
when very young had a BAG fall and
sustained conclusion of thy brain.
From that time the horror gr;sw upon
me. I was taken to many doc1ors, but
not one could help me. The general
supposition was that received some
grave injury to the cerebral senters.
One doctor said that as 1t was evil
IDENTIFY caused by shock it might be
possible that another and greater
shock would restore me to normal
condition, but that sort of thing can
not be done to order. and my ease is
surely incurable. For years have
trained myself never to smile or
laugh. Even the ordinary powers of
expression are impossible to ma, for
the slightest movement of NY ;ace
causes an intolerable grimace. Be
fore we were married Lii often re-
marked on the immobility of nay face,
1