Nogales international., 1930-09-19
Sixteenth Installment
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE

WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
Alone in New York, remembering nothin
of her past life, not even her own name
and with nothing about her with which t
identify herself, a young woman meets Fri
Hamilton, who tries to befriend her. Sh
runs away from him, meets some curiou
people through whom she gets a job a
dancer in "Jakes" night club. A man ou
of her past life appears there one night
Samuel Henderson. She Goes not remembe
him but fears him, and runs away again, thi
time back to Eric. Hamilton persuades he
to 60 through marriage ceremony witt
him, to give him the right to protect her
They had Just got back from the City Hal
when Henderson finds them. He identlhe
the girl as Eve Darlington, famous singer
who lost her memory from nervous shocl
induced by unsuccessful effort to save two
children from drowning. Henderson hal
hoped to marry her. Eve is still ignorant Of
her real identity. Hamilton calls in DR.
Carrick, a nerve specialist, who arranged
with other doctors to try the effect of anothel
shock to bring her back to herself.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY.
eyes"
"How did you manage it?"
"Well, 1 got the clothes from the
East Side apartment. The janitor
let me have then-for a considera-
tion," Eric finished with wan grin.
"Now don't go up in the air, Doc
tor" he begged; "but I've simply got
to make a suggestion and you've got
to listen to it. l want you to have
a consultation before you go ahead
with this experiment. want you to
discuss the case with two or three
of the best psychiatristS in New York
the associates you have the greatest
faith in-and see what they think Of
your experiment. I'll leave the selec-
tion of them entirely in your hands,
but as l shall pay their fees I want
the privilege of hearing what they
say"
"a consultation now would excite
aer and to that degree might ifnperil
The success of my experiment. That's
why l didn't arrange it. But I've
been wishing they could see her."
Carrick admitted, and since you feel
hat way I'm wondering if we could
have them study her without her
knowing it. Could you have all four
Of us to dinner tonight as friends
IF yours?"
It was an unusual dinner.
1t is difficult to carry on a dinner
conversation with person whose con-
scious life is less than a month old.
Again and again Mayer came up
against the black wall.
He retreated from it so tactfully
than he seemed not to touch it. But
he learned young Mrs. Hamilton's
present preferences, and something
about the recent plays she had seen, as
well as her impression of a new book
or two, and his interest in her deepened
He was vastly impressed, as Carrick
had been, by the poise and dignity of
this cropping figure that moved toward
him through such fog. His vivid
imagination pictured himself as a vic
tim of this girls experience, and the
flesh of his scalp tingled.
An hour later, in the hotel writing
room, the physicians, joined now by
Carrick, passed on their conclusion to
Hamilton. They were very frank
with him.
NO one can promise you anything"
Hazard confessed, except that the
experiment will not do Miss Caring
ION any lasting harm. If she had not
wrung promise from you to the con-
trary, we would suggest that her
manager should be told the whole
situation and consulted. But as there
is in the case the element of his pas
sion for her"
Hamilton felt Se1f-conscious.
"And her obvious fear of him." he
pointed out.
Exactly. Considering those things,
it would be better, perhaps, to pro-
ceed as Doctor Carrick suggests. The
alternative is to let matters drag
alone, and in that case you will GER
tainly have to take Mr.. Henderson
Immediately and fully into your con-
6dence."
EYES," Hamilton regretful1y ad-
mitted; Il see that. We can't keep
him in the dark any longer"
Carrick made no secret of his jubi-
lation over the concurrence of his
colleagues in his plan.
Then we're all set" he declared. |
Il have an answer to that telegram I |
sent this morning to the Chicago hos
Dital. We can stage our experiment |
Lor the day after tomorrow if this
line weather holds, as l think it will. |
Ready for your part of it,"
"Of course" But Hamilton spoke |
from black depression. He was
still horribly afraid of that coming |
experiment, and he did not care how |
many doctors knew it.
The day set for the test was of the
warmly mellow type that sometimes
comes as the last gift of dying Sep
tember. To that degree Nature worked
with Carrick, as he pointed out to his
nervous young assistant.
1t was easy for Eric to persuade |
Eve to take an automobile spin early
that morning; easy to drop unseen,
in the back of the roadster, the care
fully packed suitcase; easiest of all
10 turn from the city's roar, flash out
across Long Island, and bring up at
a remote stretch of beautiful seacoast
that lay simmering but lonely in the
sunshine. Indeed, it was almost de
serted. Only two figures, women in
bathing suits, gave life to it. y