The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-11

occurred to me, until standing dunbly
hesitant before him, I became con-
scious that he was making mental In
ventory OF me with q view to a dag
nosis.
The penetration of his gaze i'm
pressed me at once. His steel gray
eyes were like n pair OF convergipg
probes; and they were his dominant
feature. Aside from them his face
was commonplace.
Doctor" I said, and the sound of
my voice was relief to the strained
tension OF the moment, 81 learned of
you through Mr.. Cameron-Mr. Rob
ert Cameron, mutual friend"
hoped to see his expression bright
en- at the name, but 1t did not. IL
there was any change whatever It was
In the reverse direction. After a sec
onds deliberation he asked:
you wish to consult me regarding
yourself?"
On a sudden impulse ] answered.
YES" though / had neither ache nor
pain, and, 30 far as / could Judge.
was perfectly normal.
Il see," he replied. Am I right
IN assuming that your trouble is of
q nervous character!"
Heaven knows that in spite of my
fnncied normality there had been suf.
hcient reason In the past few weeks
Tor my nerves to 20 awry. con.
fessed that 1 had been under copsid.
erable mental strain.
Thereupon. having bade me be seat
ed. he began to ply me with questions
with q view to sympathetic revelation.
1 fear. however, that gave him mea-
ger material upon which to base con.
chsion. l slept well, my appetite was
excellent ! had observed neither a
numbness nor supersensitiveness in
my finger tips. nor a sensation of ful.
ness at the base Of the brain. /
could not recall any twitching of my
muscles, nor any diminution OF mus
cular power. At length, after a brief
pause, he inquired:
viii you be good enough to tell me.
Mr.. Clyde, why you think you require
professional attention."
And my inability to answer him, Off
hand, paradoxical as 1t may seem.
eventually supplied me with an an.
swer at once truthful and convincing.
Because" I explained gravely. 81
find that Of late am losing my power
OF mental coordination"
The ardor with which he seized
upon this index Of my supposed NAL
ady was amusing. Instantly he grew
obviously and deeply interested.
have since learned that what is known
as confessional insanity, a rare con.
dition, usually has It's inception in this
wise, without essential emotional dis.
turbance." If I may quote an author.
ity. AT the time, believe he was
suspicious OF a developing paresis
What he thought, however, or what
he did not, is aside from the story. i
know only that his manner changed
abruptly, his object evidently being to
gain my full confidence. Whereupon.
the bars Of reserve lowered between
us, ventured to revert to our so-called
mutual friend"
"This isn't anything like beri.beri
Is 1t. doctor?" began. My ideas of
the disease I mentioned were of the
haziest character. / knew, however,
that 1t was common in the Orient, and
thither would lead him.
"Oh. no. Mr.. Clyde" he answered,
suavely enough, now. "Beri-beri Is
merely the eastern name for multiple
neuritis. You haven't a neur!tis or
you would know 1t. saw a great deal
qf beri-beri In China and on the Malay
peninsula"
DO remember to have heard Cam.
eron say he contracted It in the east?'
asked. plunging for connection.
II don't recaIl that Cameron ever
had It," was his response. And then
his brow grew thoughtful. Are you
sure he told you that he had; and that
he was attacked while in--in AsiaY"
| noted his hesitation over fixing the
place, and wondered. At all events
had arrested his interest. Purposely
l adopted a tone NJ uncertainty.
"N-n-no. / can't say definitely. But
l had an impression that" And there
l paused. When / continued II was
with the direct question: do you hap
pen to know, doctor, whether Cameron
was ever in Picking? 1t seems to me
1t vas"
II do know that he was in Peking,"
he interrupted. almost savagely. "He
was In peking, in September, 1903. To
be exact. he was there on the four.
teenth day Of that month. I have rea.
son TO know it-a particular reason
20 know It,"
After all, how easily the information
l craved had come to me! And yet
l would have been glad to hear the
contrary; for Cameron had assured
me, In all solemnity. that he had never
been In China. and II Jared upon my
conception OF the mans character to
discover that he had tried to deceive
me. | could only conclude that his