The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-16
A MENTAL
MYSTERY
By ALAN HlNSDALE

other medium than the atmosphere. but
few of US are prepared TO admit that
one human brain is capable of affecting
another human brain without any 9th
er medium than that of the wireless
telegraph.
Nevertheless, there are instances of
such communication.
l believe that there is mental force
not yet explained scientifically that
carries these messages, and l am going
to give the reason why I have arrived
at this conclusion.
/ am an artist From a child have
been absorbed in the beauties of ma
ture and their transmission to an
other form. As boy | could make
these transformations so successfully
that my pictures attracted the atten-
tion of my friends. Nothing would do
but that | must be educated FOR an
artist.
But there was no means for the pur-
pose. \ younger sister of mine had
been left small legacy 10y her grand
mother Ny Eleanor was her
lldDlt-lllSlNAtti Oii altNhlillE llilS lliblifN
to my education. | declined to accept
il at first, but She insisted that | would
be successful artist, my pictures
would sell at good prices, and | could
repay her Thus encouraged, con
scented and entered an art school.
Unfortunately my education took
from me the ability | had shown in
frcchand drawing The technique re-
quired for work that would pass the
critics was obnoxious to me. Never
theless. | persevercd and mastered it.
But l never regained the ability / had
possessed to hit off something that in
Dictated genius,
! spent several years after being
graduated at the art school painting
pictures. which were no better than
hundreds of other artists could paint.
! regretted that had accepted my sis.
ter's 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.
dition my debt To my sister got on my
mind, and | could not get it Off Flea.
nor begged me to stop worrying about
ii, but without success. | was sent
off to the seashore and lodged In "A
fisherman's cottage.
n,n \ a..
porch of the cottage looking out on the
ocean. The sun was glinting the blue
waves which were rolling in and break
ing on the beach. Some fishermen
were getting out their boat, gulls were
flying hthcr and thithcr overhead. one
occasionally darting down to pounce
upon fish. ! was seized with n 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 in my
comfortable wicker chair. famed 10y Il
balmy sea breeze. began to work over
an imaginary canvas, laying down ON
1t the view before me The picture
grew In my mind as plainly as If
were really putting II on canvas.
worked without elfort-or ut least
seemed to do So and was conscious Of
transferring the scene before me ex.
actly as it WAS without the loss of any
of lis 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
! 1t was some time before | gained
sufficient strength to 20 home. When
| returned my sister told me that there
was no further necessity for me to
worry about my debt To her. for it la |
been paid. ! asked her who had paid
ii, 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 | had used for a studio
There WAS desk in il. and. going To
this desk without any definite object. |
noticed pigeonhole that had been
empty was now full of papers | took
them out and found they were letters
that had accumulated during my i'll
ness | opened one and read il. II was
from a dealer in pictures asking me il
| had any of my work for sale He
had 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 our
that had come upon the letters. But
the explanation must now come out
and she gave it to me
One morning while | was at the sea
shore she had come into my studio ant
something. she knew not what. ha,
prompted her to sit down before m,
easel. take my implements and begir
to sketch. She had no ability whateve