The daily morning oasis., 1920-10-29
CHAPTER THREE
The Haunted Woman.
4. cATECHISM.


she retained no memory more than a
confused impression Of time OF
stress and conflict: Of struggling with
all her might to hold fast to reason,
sustained throughout, it may be saved,
by a sense Of Philips sympathy and
strength
A crisis was reached and passed.
Growing more calm-Or rather more
numb than calm-Priscilla found her
self in a roomy armchair with a seri-
ous-faced Philip Fosdick seated
squarely in front of her, holding her
two hands in a grasp so compelling
that It narrowly escaped being pain
full, and talking steadily In even, per-
suasive accents, infinitely soothing
and heartening.
'ThereP He was alert to the first
indication of returning self-control.
you're better already"
"Have I been silly, Philip" She
essayed an apologetic smile, disen-
gaging her hand to make instructive
dabs at her hair. "Hysterical?'
"Not a bit. You're not that sort.
You, had a shock, enough to stagger
anybody, but you've reacted famously,
and now all you need do is sit tight
and consider this thing coolly and
sensibly."
~But how can n" Look and ges-
ture were once more distracted. "Why,
I don't even know whether I'm my
self or where l am"
"You do; you know you're right
here. in your own studio"
"How can be sure? I thought i
was, last night, but 1t seems l wasn't
Il was heaven knows how far away,
in that dreadful place, when that hap
pened-not here at all !"
Rubbish: you were here asleep.
here where you woke up. You mere
ly dreamed you were elsewhere-with
what psychic provocatiOn remains to
be seen. There's an explanation,
perfectly simple and natural one, for
everything. and 1t can be got at II
only we 60 after 1t In the right way.
Which is precisely what we're going
to do, you and l."
Words and manner carried meas
ure Of conviction. "Thank you,
Philip" she said "Im trying to be-
lieve, but you don't know how hard
| Il is."
THAT'S where you're wrong: do
know; understand perfectly. On the
other hand, ! know there's nothing
unnatural in nature, there can't be;
and therefore we can't fail to solve
this problem except through your lack
of faith in me- If you'll trust me, help
me all you can, be absolutely frank"
"I'll do my best Of course
I've got to; Til never have a minutes
peace till I know the truth. Ask me
anything you like, and I'll tell you the
truth II I know ii"
"Pm sure you will"
"But, Philip; tell me one thing
| first" She faltered and looked
uneasily aside. You don't E.
| you don't think Pm-wrong any way
mentally, mean?"
Fosdick laughed with calculation, a
laugh that secuted the suggestion and
at the same time was indulgent
Absolutely not. You've got the
| rfghtest mind l know. But you're
anything but obvious, ella. you're as
complex a personality as any I've ever
known. You're strongly intuitive-or
more or less what we term psychic
sympathetic, impressiOpable 'suscepti-
BILE to influences that work on you
without your knowledge. Whatever
| II is. the truth is known to your SUBJ
conscious self, and that is bound to
tell US, soon or late"
"But how. Philip"
For the first time since he had
shown her the newspaper Priscilia's
tone and manner were unaffected by
mental strain. FOsdick suppressed a
glimmer of satisfaction, seeing he had
succeeded In so interesting her that
she was less sensible of what rightly
or wrongly she considered a menace
to her reason. than of the fascinating
problem II presented.
"Tf we fail to get at the trouble by
straight analysis-collecting dissect-
ing and comparing known facts-we'll
catch the subconscious betraying it.
self. 1t always does. ella. No mat
ter how jealousy 1t may try to hoard
its secret, it can't help flirting with
the temptation to discuss It Indirectly
and so in the end 1t always lets the
cat out of the bag. That's what makes
my joD so interesting: one never
knows what word or phrase, gesture
or nuance Of expression, will give the
clue one needs. So II we fail to make