The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-08-13
WEARII &c
A CROWN
By JOHN Y. LARNED

\ u
..What do you think. doctor, Of this
statement that metal worn on the head
of one afflicted with hysteria when the
1 same is placed on the head Of another
person will produce like effect?"
II don't believe it"
81 do"
''WhyY
Because. in the first place, it has.
been demonstrated by medical men in
Paris. and, in the second place. I once
. had case of it in my own practice"
"Give me the case"
This was the doctors story:
There were two sisters. do not
care to give their names. so will give
| fictitious names-LiIlian and Louisa.
Lillian was the older. During GER
tain winter it was proposed to give an
/ entertainment for charity. and the Sis
ters were among the performers.
Among. other attractions were living
tableaux. In one of these tableaux
Lillian took the part of Queen Mary of
Scotland. seated in a room of Holy
/ rood palace at Edinburgh, surrounded
/ by courtiers. Lord Darnley, whom she
afterward married. was among them.
| Now, the man who personated Darn
ley was very tall man-Darnley him
self was long. you will remember
whom Lillian had never seen before
rehearsal Strange to say. she fell vio-
| lently in love with Darnley. There
was but one rehearsal before the per-
Torrance. and while those who took
! part were being posed. it was noticed
that the queens eyes were bent on
Darnley lovingly. Perhaps you have
never seen woman 50 infatuated with
a man that she can't keep from show
ing it. | have.
Nobody thought of the crown the
queen of Scots wore or where it came
from. l certainly did not then. but
| since Il have hunted the matter up
/ and have learned all about it. Lillian
by her evident predisposition for this
fellow who personated Darnley attract
ed the attention Of all present at re-
hearsal When the tableau was Civ
| en- before an audience she looked at
! him so lovingly that all except those
who knew supposed it to be part of
| the performance and were delighted
with the representation.
This performance was such a sue
T cess that it was determined to repeat it
the following week. The day it was
to be given again I was called on to
visit Lillian professionally. l found
her in an abnorma1ly nervous condi-
ton. with other symptoms. ! forbade
her taking part in the tableau. which
was to come off that evening. and it
was decided that her sister Louise
was to assume the part in her place.
What do you suppose happened?
Louise was very like her sister. and
during the few moments that the pic
ture was exposed to the audience she
regarded Darnley with the same infat-
uated look that her sister had worn.
so that most of the audience supposed
that it was Lillian who personated the
queen and was assuming the same
LoveIorn expression as when she had
exhibited before. | was in the au
dience and was astonished to see ii
real lover look such as had seen in
Lillian.
i Among the performers the matter
made a good deal of talk. for it was
evident to most of them that these
/ lovers looks of the sister were real.
l. being brain specialist at once saw
| problem before me 1t seemed to me
! that there must be something in the
relative position of Darnley and the
! queen known to each of the sisters
%Lot e,;,,
liar to the emotion felt by the real
| Queen Mary for the real Darnley. But
on inquiry learned that Lillian knew
nothing of the historical relationship
between Mary and Darnley. while Lou
Use had supposed that Mary hated him
81 talked with both girls and. without
accusing them of being in love with
| the slan who had personated Darnley.
drew from them their feelings while
! in the ia bleau. Both admitted that
| they had felt strange emotion which
| had disappeared as soon as the curtain
was rung down and they took off the
crown. made bold to ask them the
nature of this emotion: but, it being
| matter on which woman would
| shrink from speaking. | got no definite
information. But from different adj
missions coming from one or the 9th
er of the two gathered that they
felt an emotion the nature of which
/ they did not understand themselves.
The matter passed so far as remark
was concerned but not from my mind.
! Yet, seeing no solution of it. finally
| dropped trying to solve it. Then came
! 81, - 81
Paris had no sooner read it in the
| newspapers than i reverted to the
tableau. and | Immediately thought of
/ the crown worn by the two sisters. |
[ went to the man who had furnished
/ the costumes for information about it.
! He referred me to Il certain theater
| and gave me his card Introducing me
to the property man. | asked him to
/ tell me something about the crown
that had been used in the tableau
I ~ u, -. 4, -.