Page 18 (1/2)

Sundayin the country, considered

hi to church, and went for a

long stroll At half-past one he presented hiood's

house

'I have had a letter fro me a

most extraordinary story, and I should like to knohat you think of

it A man, as left a er, had an only child, a lovely

daughter of about fourteen years old, in whose existence his oas

completely wrapped up She was subject at times to curious fits of

self-absorption or absence of mind, and while she was under their

influence she rese

awake Her father would not take her to a physician, for he dreaded

lest he should be advised to send her away fronition of her disorder ht have

upon her He believed that in obscure and half-mental diseases like

hers, it was prudent to suppress all notice of them, and that if he

behaved to her as if she were perfectly well, she would stand a

chance of recovery Moreover, the child was visibly i, and

it was probable that the disturbance in her health would be speedily

outgrown One hot day he went out shopping with her, and he observed

that she was tired and strange in her h she was not

ill, or, at least, not so ill as he had often before seen her The

few purchases they had to make at the draper's were completed, and

they went out into the street He took her hand-bag, and, in doing

so, it opened and he saw to his horror a white silk pocket-