The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-02-24
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

spoken about his convictions b
would have done far less good
Imagine doctor Of European
reputation, a delegate to the Con
gress of Penologists at Boston
calmly advocating the treatment o
nervous diseases upon the basic the
ory of reincarnation; imagine grav'
and learned medicos listening In COLI
silence which was warmed into kindli
ness by the enthusiasm and 'sincerit.
Of the little earnest man; imagine thu
doctor not only retaining his reputa
ton, but actually winning q syrnpa
thetic hearing from men like Maine
Harvey, Lucien Bronkhorst and Field
ing-Parr-but you could not imagine
anything seemingly SO improbable un
less you knew Doctor Emmanuel. car
see him now, the great neurologist
penologist and sociologist, seated be
fore the fire in Paul Tarrant's library
nursing one knee, his black beard
thrust aggressively forward, his white
hand waving in the air as he acclaimed
In an impassioned plea.
This night he was having the fight
OF his life. I, his assistant, was only
passively on his side, while Paul Tar.
rant, the millionaire, our host, fatty
denied his claim, and Capt. Mervyn
O'Farrell of the Ninth Virginia regi-
ment, declared that the doctor was
talking absolute nonsense, If you'll
excuse me, doctor" The captain was
a member of the Episcopalian church
and held the creed in it's orthodox
rigidity. He had no use for imported
Oriental myths, as he expressed him
SELF. II he had known that the doc
trine of reincarnation was held uni
versally In the ancient world, not ex-
Guiding some of the early missionaries
Of Christianity, he would still have pro-
tested with equal vehemence. In fact,
he grew 80 heated that he cut short
his visit by full hour and left us,
courteously enough, but distinctly up
set by what he would have privately
called "the damned nonsense of that
little Greek doctor"
When the captain was gone we drew
our chairs closer around the fire and
warmed our fingers at its blaze.
"He's a fine fellow. OFarrell," said
Mr.. Tarrant, apologetically-for the
captain had gone In his opposition al
most to the limits Of what courtesy al
lowed. "You must forgive his heat,
Emmanuel. The fact Is, he is laboring
under o severe nervous strain just
now. Would you like to hear the
story?"
We were glad to have the subject
changed so adroitly.
tits very sad," pursued the million
aire. "O'Farrell is, as you may have
seen, physically the image of some old
Roman hero. In fact, have bust in
my gallery which want you to look at
afterward; IL believed in reincarna-
ton, doctor, I would almost declare
O'Farrell to be Maximius come back
to earth. And mentally and morally
he is no whit inferior to his physical
makeup. Everybody loves him-a big
hearted, hot-headed. impetuous, kind
ly Irishman. His character lie, in fact,
singulariy gracious and winning. And
when he fell in love with Mary Roth
way six months ago everybody envied
her and congratulated him as being
the only man living who was worthy
of her.
/. MARY Rothway IL the only daugh-
ter OF the late Senator Rothway. They
have q big hoase-an old-fashioned
colonial mansion-out ON Brooklyn
heights. It's been In the family for
generations, and In former days the
Rothways owned q large section of the
Hand fronting on the East river. Mary
never went much into society. She
was q. home-loving girl. and very re-
ligious. When she met O'FarrelI it
seemed to be q case of love ct FIRST
sight with each of them. But I have
1t from the Rothway's. family ply
sician that Mary is of markedly neu-
rasthenic temperament. He alone was
dubious when the engagement was an
nounced. He told me In confidence
may perhaps repeat it to you gentle
men, since you are both doctors-that |
she suffers from what he calls-clos-
trophobia?"
"Claustrophobia," I corrected. and
Doctor Emmanuel suddenly stpSred |
nursing his knee and stared hard nc |
Mr.. Tarrant.
"Oddl Exceedingly oddl" ha MUIR |
INJURED. Il beg your pardon. NJ Tar
rant"
THE symptom OF this disease, as I |
understand" resumed the millionaire,
sis an ineradieahaaa fear OF closed |
gpaces.a xH
"Yes.a said Doctor Emmanuel. at In
Qmaes common among neurasthenics-
and among ordinarily healthy people,
too, for the matter of that-as liz its
agorophobia, or fear OF open
spaces, such as streets and squares.
The sufferer from clanstrophcbia fears
TO remain In q closed room. The walls
seem about to rush In and crush him
to death. He cannot pass down mar
row passages without terror. But SO
long as the fear Is kept within reason
able bounds It Is not of great conse-
quence."
Mary Rothway," pursued Tarrant,
rbrooded over this weakness OF hers.