The Tomahawk., 1917-04-05

self" she asked solicitously. "You
must have tripped over the fringe of
the rug. hope you are not hurt. No
yes, there is a mark on your lip;
it is bleeding"
ut is nothing" answered the Doctor
calmly. won't you all sit down,
please?" he continued. ut was all my
fault; shouldn't have left those grue-
some Indian photographs lying about
he whispered to Robinson, and the
poor fellow nodded miserably.
Half an hour later the couple de-
parted, she clinging to his arm and
looking up into his face with manifest
alteration, he obviously enthralled by
her, and trying to conceal the unhap'
piness about which she rallied him.
When he had seen them to the
door, DR.. Emmanuel came back. We
sat round his fireplace and clipped
off the ends of our perfectos.
well, gentlemen" said Emmanuel,
leaning against the mantel, which was
too high for him, and made him look
like a beneficient gnome, II told you
that this case possessed interesting
teatures.'
Eyes," answered Tarrant, "you did.
What is it? Demoniacal possession?"
"Pooh!" answered the Doctor light
ly. II don't believe in that"
"The New Testament is full of 1t. -
Eyes, but the demon of those times
did not correspond to what we call
the evil spirit" answered the Doctor.
| TIo
spelled, was simply an inner monitor,
friend who watched over one. So
crates had his demon who always ad-
vised him when he was in doubt.
Don't you remember, in that splendid
speech Of his before the judges who
sentenced him to death, he refused to
purchase his life by ceasing to preach,
| and told them that he believed death
must be good thing, because his de-
mon had not dissuaded him from the
course he was taking? No, Tarrant-
there may be devils that take posses
sion of human beings, but am very,
very sceptical. What the evangelists
called demons were simply the pre-
vious personalities in the subjects,
trying to live again in their present
incarnation"
"You mean," I said, that Miss AL
dynes personality in her previous ex-
istence is trying to GUST the present
one?"
"Yes-precisely," the Doctor an
swered. "It's succeeding, too. When
my friend Robinson brought her to
me she was simply moody and neuro-
tic. Now she is fast losing her mind.
The old personality is conquering the
present one. am afraid / shall have
to kill it," he continued. "But it's a
hard thing to KILL
AS we made no reply, he continued:
tits a curious case, and yet many
Of these cases Of double personality
are reported from time to time. U.s.
| ually, however, they represent mere
| assures in the stream Of the present
| personality. There is the famous case
| Of Miss Beauchamp, for instance, to
be found in all medical books upon
this subject, in which single person
atty divided into nine parts, many or
them hating and plaguing each other.
One of these personalities would take
possession of the subject and stuff
beetles down her back, afterward
awakening the dominant self, which
had horror Of beetles.
However, in this case we have to
deal with two antagonistic personal
tiles, one of which has lived its life
and has no business meddling here.
In the Miss Beauchamp case the prob
lem was to unite the nine several
strands into one. Here it is to kill
the usurper. And I shall kill her
that woman who knocked me down
just as easily as I would kill rat"
He looked like fierce little fighter
as he stood there, clenching his fists
at the memory of the blow. And yet,
I don't think Emmanuel would have
killed a rat. Stay, though, I remem-
Der now certain. story Of a viv1-
section; but that has no place here.
did you ever read Hans Andersen's
Fairy Tales'?" continued the Doctor.
IF so, you are acquainted with the
Danish legend which appears and re-
appears all through those stories OF
the beautiful princess who was
changed at ulSuI luIo d 1udAl5Aone
devil, and this had to be killed or
exercised before the hero could marry
his princess. Well, here Is the case.
Seth Robinson is perfectly nor
NAL American gentleman of ire
proachable character and unimagin-
ative mind. Who was he eighteen
hundred odd years ago? Probably a
simple Roman gentleman Of the old,
fast vanishing school which had made
his country the ruler of the world.
Or, since he was born in Athens, per
haps the last personality Of Mr.. Rob-
inson was an Athenian gentleman.
Whatever he was, his life was SO nor
NAL and natural that his personality
disintegrated in the proper manner.
It can never be recalled"
"You mean that his last personality
has utterly vanished?" asked Tar
rant. THAT is hideous thought
it means annihilation.'