Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30

incarceration Oh LIllS SSiiLiSAiiAii ~ 't'A
clubhouse of his fathers mansion.
There was the explanation that ne
was in hiding for a crime or that he
was mad and that they wished TO
avoid an asylum, or that he had some
disease which caused his segregation.
l could think of no other adequate So
lutions These, then, had to be slfted
and balanced against each other.
1.-THE criminal solution would not
bear inspection. No undiscovered
crime had been reported from that dis
trict / was sure of that. LII 1t were
some crime not yet discovered, then
clearly it would be to the interest of
the family to get rid of the delinquent
and send him abroad, rather than
keep him concealed at home. / could
see no exclamation for such a line of
conduct
Insanity was more plausible. The
presence of the second person IN the
clubhouse suggested a keeper. The
fact that he locked the door when he
came out strengthened the SUPPOSE
ton and gave the idea of constraint.
On the other hand, this constraint
could not be severe, or the young man
could not have got loose and come
down to have a look at his friend,
You will remember, Mr.. Dodd, that /
felt around for points, asking you, for
example, about the paper which Mr..
Kent was reading. Had it been the
Lancet or the British Medical Journal,
it would have helped me. 1t is not
illegal. however, to keep a lunatic
upon private premises so long as there
is a qualified person in attendance and
the authorities have been duly
notified. Why, then, all this desperate
desire for secrecy? Once again /
could not get the theory to fit the
facts
sCTHERE remained the third posi-
biIity, into which, rare and UNI
likely as it was, everything seemed to
fit. Leprosy is not uncommon in
South Africa. BY some extraordinary
chance this youth might have con-
tracted it. His people would be placed
in very dreadful position, since they
would desire to save him from segre-
CATION. Great secrecy would be need
ed to prevent rumors from getting
about and subsequent interference by
the authorities. A devoted medical
man, if sufficiently paid, would easily
be found to take charge of the Suf-
ferer There would be no reason why
the latter should not be allowed free
dom after dark. Bleaching of the
skin is a common result of the disease.
The case was a strong one-so strong
that / determined to act as If 1t were
actually proved. When on arriving
here | noticed that Ralph, who car
ries out the meals, had gloves which
are impregnated with disinfectants,
my last doubts were removed. sin
gle word showed you, sir, that your
secret was discovered, and if / wrote
rather than said 1t, 1t was to prove
to you that my discretion was to be
trusted
l was finishing this little analysis of
the case when the door was opened
and the austere figure of the great
dermatologist was ushered in. But
for once his sphinx-like features had
relaxed and there was a warm hui
manity in his eyes. He strobe up to
Col. Ellsworth and shook him by the
hand.
"It is often my lot to bring i'll
tidings and seldom good" said he.
This occasion is the more welcome.
1t is not leprosy.
"What?"
"A well marked case of pseudo-lep-
rosy or ichthyosis, a scale-like affec-
ton of the skin unsightly. obstinate.
but possibly durable. and certainly
non-infective. Yes, Mr.. Holmes, the
coincidence is Il remarkable one. But
is it coincidence? Are there not sub
tie forces at work of which we know
little? Are we assured that the appre
hension of a complaint from which
this young man has, no doubt, suf-
fered terribly since his exposure ito
its contagion, may not produce a ply
steal effect which stimulates that which
it fearsg AT any rate, / pledge my
professional reputation-But the
lady has tainted! ! think that Mf1
Kent had better be with her until she
RECEIVERS from this joyous shock"
(Copyright 1897,