Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02

editor had sent me out on an assign
ment. my sole equipment being a clip
ping to two paragraphs from the morn
ing Star:
GIRL IN COMA SIX PAYS, pATsnsHows NO SIGN
Virginia Blskeley. the nineteen,yearold daugh
tar Of Mrs. Stuart Blake Of Riverside o,ivs
stiI shows no sign Of returning conseiousness.
~ he. here Il Her
and sister have both vsinly tried to coax hei
hack to eonseiousness but thei. enorts , have
HAYNES, the family physician. and several spe
eialists who have been called In consultation
are completely batied by the strange malady
Often I had read of cases OF morbid
sleep lasting for days and even for
weeks. But this was the first case had
ever actually encountered and I was
glad to take the assignment.
The BlakeIeys, as every one knew. had
inherited from Stuart Blakeley q very
considerable fortune in real estate In
one of the most rapidly developing sec
lions of upper New York. and on the death
of their mother the two girls, Virginia
and Cynthia would be numbered among
the wealthiest heiresses of the city.
They lived in a big sandstone mansion
fronting the Hudson and it was with
some misgiving that 1 sent up my card
Both Mrs Blakeley and her other daugh-
ter. however. met me in the reception
room. thinking. perhaps. from what j
had written on the card, that I might
have some assistance to offer.
Mrs Blakeley was a well preserved
lady, past middle age. and very nervous
Mercy. Cynthia." she exclaimed, as
of those reporters. No, I cannot say
anything. Not a word. 1 don't know
anything. See DR.. Haynes. -
But. mother" interposed Cynthia
1t may be that some one who reads OF
1t may know of something that can be
done Who can tell?'
Well; I won't say anything" per
sisted the elder woman. Il don't like
all this publicity. Did the newspapers
ever do anything but harm to your
poor. dear father? No. / won't talk.
Il won't do us bit of good. And you,
Mrs. Bakeley backed out of the door,
but Cynthia who was a few years
older than her sister. had evidently
acquired Independence. At least she
felt capable of coping with an ordinary
reporter who looked no more formida-
bic than myself.
1T is quite possible that some one
who knows about such cases may learn
of this" 1 urged.
She hesitated as her mother disap-
peared. and looked at me moment.
then. her feelings getting the better of
her. burst forth with the strange ap
peal have already quoted.
1t was as though I had come at Just
An opportune moment when she must
talk to some outsider to relieve her
pent-up feelings.
As we stood in the reception hall. I
succeeded In getting the story. which
seemed to be more of human interest
than Of news. I even managed to Sc
cure a photograph of Virginia as she
was before the strange sleep fell on
her.
Briefly. as her sister told it, Virginia
was engaged to Hampton Haynes. a
young medical student at the college
where his father was a professor Of
diseases Of the heart. The Hayneses
we're of fine southern family which
mad never recovered from the war and
had finally come to New York. The
father. DR.. Calvert Haynes. in addition
to being a well known physician. was
the family physician of the Blakeleys
as already knew.
:. Twice the date Of the marriage has
Cynthia B s H %e dont Ino%
what to do. And Hampton is frantic"
Then this is really the second at
tack of the morbid Sleep" I queried.
other wasn't SO long-not more than q
day"
She said it in a hesitating manner
which I could not account for. Either
she thought there might be something
more back of it or she recalled her
mothers aversion to reporters and did
not know whether she was saying too
much or not
do you really fear that there is
something wrong?" I asked, significant
~, hastily choosing the former explana-
tion.
cynthia Blakely looked quickly at
the door through which her mother
had retreated
II don't know" she replied. tremu-
ousiy- Il don't know why I am talking
to you. I'm so afraid. too. that the
newspaper. may say something that
You would like to get at the truth.
II i promise to hold the story back 90
persisted. catching her eye.
Yes." she answered. in low tone.
But" then stopped.
Il will ask my friend, Prof. Ken
aedy. at the university. to come here"
You know him." she asked. eager
~. He will Gomez
without a doubt" treasured, wait
Ing for her to say no more. but picking
In the hall.
Fortunately I found Craig at his lab
oratory and few hasty words were
all that was necessary to catch his in
i. terest.
II must tell mother" Cynthia cried.
excitedly. as 1 hung up the receiver.
= Surely she cannot object to that. Will
you wait here?"
As waited for Craig J tried to pug
xle the case out for myself Though
I knew nothing about it as yet, / felt
sure that had not made a mistake and
that there was some mystery here.
81 Suddenly i became aware that the
two women were talking in the next
poom, though too low for me to catch
what they were saying. 1t was evident
however. that Cynthia was having
some difficulty in persuading her
mother that everything was all right.
We'll. Cynthia" I heard her mother
say. finally. as she left the room for one
farther back. Il hope 1t will be all
right-that Is all 1 can say"
What was it that Mrs. Blakeley SO
feared? Was it merely the unpleasant
notoriety? One could not help the feel
Ing that there was something more that
not tell Yet, apparently. 1t was aside
from her desire to have her daughter
restored to normal She was at sea,
herself. felt.
Poor dear mother" nurmured Gym
fhfa. rejoining me in a few moments.
'She hardly knows Just what 1t is she
does want-excert that We want Vir-
gina well again"
We had not long to wait for Craig.
What I had told him over the telephone
had been quite enough to arouse his
curiosity
Both Mrs. BlakeIey and Cynthia met
him. at first a little fearfully, but
quickly treasured by his manner as
we'll as my promise TO see that nothing
appeared in the Star which would be
distasteful.