Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-12-10
CHAPTER THREE
The Haunted Woman.
!. CATECHISM.

There was an interlude of which
she retained no memory more than a
confused Impression of a 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 q 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.
"There !" He was alert to the first
Indication of returning se%lf-cOntrol.
you're better already"
Have i been silly, Philip" She
essayed an apologize smile, olsen
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 II" Look and ges-
ture were one more distracted. "Why
I don't ~ know whether I'm my
self or where I am"
"YOu do; you know you're right
here, in your WI studio"
"HOw can I be sure? I thought |
was, last night, but 1t seems I wasn't
in that dreadful place, when hat hap
pened-not here at all :"
Rubbish you were here asleep,
here where you woke up. You mere
ly dreamed you were eIsewhere-with
what psychic provocation remains to
be seen. There's an explanation, a
perfectly simple and natural one, for
everything, and it can be got at if
only we go after 1t in the right way.
Which is precisely what we're going
to do, you and l."
Words and manner carried a meas
ure of conviction. "Thank you,
Philip" she said. I'm trying to be-
lieve, but you don't know how hard
1t is"
"Thats where you're wrong: I dc
know; I 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, hell
me all you can, be absolutely frank
"Tll do my best . Of course
I've got to; I'll never have a minutes
peace till I know the truth. Ask me
anything you like, and I'll tell you the
truth if I know it."
"Tm sure you will"
"But, Philip; tell me one thinl
first" She faltered and looked
uneasily aside. "You don't
you don't think Pm-wrOng any way
mentally, I mean"
Fosdick laughed with calculation, {
laugh that secuted the suggestion an(
at the same time was indulgent.
absolutely not. You've got the
rightest mind I know. But your,
anything but obvious, ella, you're a,
complex a personality as any I've eve
known. You're strongly intuitive-o
more OF less what we term psychic
sympathetic, impressionable, suscepti
BILE TO influences that work on yol
without your knowledge. Whateve,
1t is, the truth is known to your sub
conscious self, and that is bound t.
tell us, soon or late"
But how, Philip"
For the first time since he hat
shown her the newspaper Priscilla
tone and name were unaffected b,
mental strain. Fosdick suppressed
glimmer of satisfaction, seeing he hat
succeeded in so interesting her tina
she was less sensible of what right.