The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-01-07
CHAPTER THREE
The Haunted Woman.
I. cATEcHISM.

she retained no memory more Cnan
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 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
There" He was alert to the first
indication Of returning self-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. "HystericaIT'
''Not Il 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 coolIy and
sensibly'
But how can Il" Look and ges-
ture were once more distracted. why.
I don't even know whether I'm my
self or where I am"
You do; you know you're right
here, in your own studio"
''How can I be sure? I thought
was. last night. but it seems 1 wasn't
II 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
1y dreamed you were elsewhere-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-
Heve, but you don't know how hard
il is"
That's where you're wrong: [ do
know; understand perfectly. On the
other hand, I 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"
''TIl do my best :. Of course.
I've got to; I'll never have a minutes
peace till know the truth. Ask me
anything you like, and I'll tell you the
truth If 1 know it."
I'm sure you will"
But, Philip; tell me one thing
first" She faltered and looked
uneasily aside. "You don't
you don't think Fm-wrong any way
mentally, 1 mean?"
Fosdick laughed with calculation. a
laugh that secuted the suggestion and
at the same time was indulgent.
Absolutely not You've got the
rightest mind 1 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, impressionabIe, suscepti-
bic to influences that work on Won
without your knowledge. Whatever
il is, the truth is known to your sub
iconscious 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 Priscilla's
tone and manner were unaffected by
mental strain. Fosdick suppressed a
giimmer 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 it presented
IF we fail to get at the trouble by
straight analysis-collecting dissect-
ing and comparing known facts-weIl
catch the subconscious betraying it
self. 1t always does, ella. No mat
ter how jealousy it may try to hoard
its secret. it can't help flirting with
the temptation to discuss it indirectly.
and so in the end it always lets the
cat out of the bag. That's what makes
my job so interesting: one never
knows what word or phrase, gesture