The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-14
A MENTAL
MYSTERY
BY ALAN HlNSDAF

other medium than the atmosnbaro ~.
lew OF US are prepared TO admit thar
que human brain is capable OF affecting
another human brain without any an,
er medium than that OF the wireless
telegraph. s'e'S
nevertheless. there are instances Of
such communication.
l believe that there is a mental faro
not YET explained scienti6callv that
carries these messages. and am COIN,
70 give the reason why l have arrived
at this conclusion.
am an artist. From n child have
been absorbed in the beauties Of ma.
lure and their transmission n ~
o'ler form As boy | could make
these transformations so successfullv
That my pictures attracted the alton.
ZION or my friends. Nothing would do
out that | must be educated for nm
artist.
But there was no means for the pur.
pose. \ younger sister of mine had
been left small legacy by her grand
mother Ny sister Eleanor was her
name insisted on devoting this money
TO my education. declined to accent
II at first, but she insisted that | would
he successful artist. my pictures
would sell at good prices, and could
repay her, Thus encouraged. | con
Sented and entered an art school
Unfortunately my education took
from me the ability | had shown in
freehand drawing The technique re-
quired for work that would pass the
critics was obnoxious 10 me. Never
theless. ] perseyered and mastered il.
But | never regained the ability had
possessed TO hit off something that in
dicated genius.
| spent several years after being
graduated at the art school painting
pictures which We're no better than
hundreds of other artists could paint
| regretted that | had accepted my sis.
ters loan. for | was scarcely able to
make enough money to keep body and
soul together. to say nothing OF paying
what had borrowed.
One winter | broke down IN health
and in the spring was told | must
have change of scene and air to build
up my strength. In my weakened con
dltion my debt to my sister got on my
mind, and ! could not get II of Flea.
nor begged ME to stop worrying about
1t, but without success. | was sent
Off to the seashore and lodged In IA
tishermans cottage.
One morning was sitting on the
porch of the cottage looking out on the
ocean. The sun was gliuting the blue
waves which were rolling in and break
ing on the beach Some fishermen
were getting out their boat. gulls were
flying hitiler and thithcr overhead, one
occasionally dartmg down II pounce
upon fish ! was seized with a de
sire-natural TO an artistic portray
this scene
| had not been permitted to bring
my artists tools with me, so | could
not do, as | wished. As | sat ia my
comfortable wicker chair, famed by a
balmy sea breeze. | began TO work over
an imaginary canvas, laying down on
1t the view before me. The picture
grew In my mind "a plainly ms II |
were really putting it on canvas. |
worked without effOrt-or at least
seemed to do so-and was conscious OF
transferring the scene before me eX
actly as 1t was without the loss Of any
Of its subtle beauties.
Nevertheless there must have been a
severe mental effort. for as soon as |
had finished my imaginary or mental
work | lost consciousness and knew
nothing till late In the afternoon, when
| found myself in bed.
Ii was some time before | gained
sufficient strength to go home. When
returned my sister told me that there
was no further necessity for me 10
worry about my debt to her, for ii had
been paid. asked her who had paid
It and she said that had paid it my
self. Further than that she would
give me no information until | had
fully recovered.
One day after had got stronger
went. unbeknown to any one. TO a room
at home that | bad used for a studio.
There was desk in it. aud, going to
this desk without any definite object. |
noticed a pigeonhole that had been
empty was now full of papers. | took
them out and found they were letters
that had accumulated during my III
ness. | opened one and read II. II was
from dealer in pictures asking me II
had any Of my work for sale. lie
had a constant demand for it, Aston
ished. | opened another and another.
They were all requests for my pictures.
While | was thus engaged my sister
came in She seemed much put out
that had come upon the letters But
tho EXPLANATION must now come OUT.
and she gave it to me
one morning while was at the sea
sbore she had come into my studio ana
something. she knew not what had
,ro,,,ntad her TO sit down before M!