New Britain herald., 1923-10-08


 tsined, but he deliberately held him self in cheek, lie ate his dinner, talked an hour or So with Morton, and it was n0t until he was safe Ia lis room and had taken every pres rRuiion against surprise, that ne seh'
 uFed to look at it.
 'l was brought here" li began without preamble. "f don't know how, The next day-it must have been the next day-Dr. Brisiew told me that ] had been very ill and was in hos. pital, but that I would sec my father md mother soon. I believed what he said for little while. Hut when inc effects ef the drug wore on-l must have been given drns--t felt well and strong. My parents did not come, there were excuses. in' sisted on going home. br. Brlstow and the eopey woman wouldn't let me. When tried 10 20. they pre-. vented me by force, I screamed and struggled. Then the Doctor rnt a drug into my arm, These scenes happened several times, and always ended in inc same way. They never let mo get oui of that one room. Then one day when coplcy thought | was asleep. T heard her talking out side my door to another nurse.
 "This woman said: ''fs your sister getting any better:" and copley an swercd in a weep-y voice: No: shell never be any better. I'm afraid They talked a while. and then the other nurse said: IT you were a littF younger, dearie. and hadn't been herc for years. I'd try to get the hundred thousand dollars reward for that mss ing Hone Ranger. You're almost dead ringer for her
 Then it all flashed over mo, what they were doing; why I, Hope Ran ger, was insthis place" The sheets of the letter shook in Kelsey's hands.
 After heard these women talking. and understood what it meant, | nearly went mad. trying to thlnk what to do. head already tried 10 bribe Copley, but she is in love with Bristow and absolutely ruled by him. So I just sat thinking; plans, plans | gCefnjnR InTOuSIi iig biN'' T know all about that, muttlereu Kelsey. as he paused to turn the page Then she quickly resumed :--
 T was so furious, so despairine. so bent on finding some way out, that J wouldn't even look at those two, the only nersons I saw. wouldn't speak to them. or notice then in any way They couldn't understand the reason for the change in me, and were sur | nrised. 4. saw them exchanglne chances. And then it came to me. don't know how, that if pretcnded to be silly and not remember any thing they might let me out of that room and go about as l sa" the others doing from my window. 'I worked up another scene witn Cooley, when I knew the Doctor Was away. I fought. to get out the door, and when she gave me the drug to nu,et me. I accused her of having given me an overdose in her excite went She. denied it. but was bothered. Then I pretended to ne l in a stupor for almost an entire dav' When I came to; I acted as if were stupid. as if were some one else. said I was a writer and asked TOT pencils and paper, and wrote pages or nonsense.
 "I heard Bristow talking to Copley' .cha inning he said at first, but sne convinced by this time that she had riycn me an overdose, and nnai.y go, him to thinking so, too. hearu him explaining to, her about shock and something about, a congenltaily weak brain.' She was upset apou. .' all. but he told her. Better so' II ' true.' , oe
 "He nut me through all kinds o' tests--surprises, everything IL Was dreadful. but my nerves are strong and I was fighting for my lite, He talked to me about my parents my horne. I was indifferent. Then ne not to trying to make me remember things that aren't true. lie tolo my my name was Nerna Copley, ana {, reneated it after him likt parrot. have only forgotten my pose W,tn them once. That was when Copiey tr,ed a hat on me and caught a o,imnse of myself and burst out ,au,binr But it was so grotesque that even an imbecile would nave laughed. o,e known to any one. To say that am Hone Ranger would only convince r, ost neople that I am the lunatlc l .nnear But I am Hope Ranger, l