Evening star., 1921-07-31
JEANNETTE-


patient in the place. and they
spoke of him as Uncle Char
ley" though he was SO sweetly dig
nified that usually they addressed
him as "Mr. Blake" even when II
was necessary to humor his delusion
The delusion was a misfortune pain
full only to himself. For all that. II
closed him in as completely as II he
had been walled up in concrete.
Moreover. one day he was sane
man and the next he was in custody
as a lunatic. yet nothing had hap
pened in this little interval to ac-
count for p, seizure so instantaneous.
In 1904 no more commonplace
young man could have been found
in any of the great towns of our
eastern and near eastern levels
well brought up. he had inherited
and the moderate wealth o. his par
ents.
1t was in the autumn of the year
just mentioned that he went for the
his sister. Mrs. Gordon Troup. an
experienced traveller. She took him
through the English cathedrals. then
across the channel. and they arrived
unfatigued at her usual hotel in
Paris after dark on clear November
evening. Mrs. Troup's three-year-old
daughter. Jeanette, with a nurse.
completed the small party.
They dined in the salon OF their
apartment. and at ABOUT O'CLOCK
Troup suggested the theater-a pan
tomime or ballet for preference. since
her brothers unfamiliarity with the
French language rapidly spoken
might give him dull evening at ia a
Marigny. where they saw part Of q
potpourri. called revue" and they
left the Marigny for the Folies Ber-
ceres. The "revue" at the Folies
Troup observed to her brother. and
much bolder than that at the
Marigny; the feebleness was in the
wit. the boldness in the anatomical
exposures. which were somewhat ,, dis-
comfiting-''even for Paris" she SAID.
X y
CHE remembered afterward that he
remained silent. frowning at the
stage. where some figurantes just
then appeared to be dressed in ball
gowns, until they turned, when they
appeared to be dressed almost not
at all Mercy said Mrs. Troup.
and presently asked her brother if
he would mind taking her back to
the hotel: so much. dullness and so
much brazenness together fatigued
her. she explained.
He assented briefly and they made
their way through the outer room:
where Hungarian" band played
stormily for a painted and danger
ous-looking procession slowly cir
Young Mr.. Blake seemed to be
startled: he paused for a moment.
looking confused. But Mrs. Troup
pressed his arm. Let's get out to
He replied that he never did: they
stepped into a cab at the door, and
on the way to the hotel Mrs. Troup
expressed contrition as a courier.
T shouldn't have given you this for
said. I'VE ought to have waited
until morning and then gone to the
Sainte Chapelle. I'll try to make up
for tonight by taking. you there the
first thing tomorrow"
To her mind, at least, the even
ing's experience was the slightest OF
episodes. and her brother told her
not to BOTHER" but to forget it,
He spoke casually. but as he went
into his own room and closed the
door his forehead still showed the
same frown that she had observed in
the theater.
The outer door Of the apartment.
giving entrance to their little hall.
of the hotel: she locked this door
and took the key with her into her
bedchamber. and this precaution OF
hers later made IL certain that her
brother had without doubt passed
the night in his own room.
Her little girls nurse woke her
the next morning. and the woman's
voice and expression Showed such
distress that Mrs. Troup jumped up
at once; rs something wrong with
mo. ma'am. 1t is Mr.. Blake"
'Is he ill?"
II think so-that is. I don't know,
ma'am A valet-de-chambre went
into his room half an hour ago and
MIR. Blake hid himself under the bed"
"What?'
perhaps you'd better come and
see, ma'am. The valet-de-chambre
10 very frightened of him."
who was more afraid of the valet-de-
cRambre. and of everybody else. for
that matter, as Mrs. Troup discoV-
cred. He declined to come out from
= under the bed SO long as she and the
But what's the matter. Charley,
dear? she asked. greatly disturbed.
why are you under the bed?'
And in his voice. as he replied.
a pathetic indignation was audible.
because I haven't got any clothes
on"
At this she began to laugh. Good
but no mesdame"" the valet ex-
planned. He is dressed all entirely.
n you will stoop and look
She did and saw that her brother
was fully dressed. Cant you take
these people away? he cried pet
tishIy. DO you think it's nice to
stand around looking at a person
that's got nothing on?"
And thus began his delusion-his
long, long delusion. which knew no
variation in the sixteen years it pos
sessed him. Mrs. Troup had him
quietly brought home to a suburban
sanatorium convenient for her to
visit at intervals. He was the most
so long as his delusion was discreet
"1y humored: yet it is probable that
the complete record of kleptomania
would not disclose more expert
thief
THIS was but a natural outgrowth
of this disease. which within
year or two had developed, to the
point of fine legerdemain. and at
the end of ten years DR.. Cowrie. the
chief at the sanatorium. declared that
his patient Uncle Charley Blake.
could steal the trousers off a mans
legs without the man himself being
'Uncle Charley" could steal the most
carefully fastened and y-pinned
apron from a nurse, without the
nurses being aware Of it. Indeed,
attendants. nurses and servants who
wore aprons learned to remove them
he