The Argosy, January 1906 — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

314 ginning in an humble way under Dr. * Burress’ instruction. That her interest in nursing was not altogether connected with Lloyd was proven by the fact that she attended several of Burress’ patients during that winter—patients who did not feel Lloyd’s unconquerable distaste for a female nurse. 3 Her intercourse. with Burress was that of a sister with a brother. She trusted him utterly, and on his side every selfish consideration was elimi- mated. The physician’s attempt to cure Lloyd was, first of all, for Leslie’s sake. All his spare time was given up to the study of similar cases. He fitted him- self as well as possible for this special work which he had undertaken, and if he made minor mistakes they were the mistakes of an honest man groping for light on a subject which filled all his thought. Burress’ practise increased rapidly. The advertising which Lloyd’s case gave him helped this to no inconsiderable ex- tent. The young physician’s finances improved. He furnished several articles to medi- eal journals, dealing with his observa- tions of Lloyd. All this prominence would make the final crash of his life, when it came, the harder to bear; but Burress went on his chosen way calmly and as though the thought of exposure never entered his mind. Much that he tried to do for Lloyd was at first beyond the patient’s appre- elation; many simple things he could not understand. Remembering noth- ing excepting that which had occurred since his strange awakening, it was very difficult for Lloyd to comprehend the meaning of “ memory ” or the fact that he had already lived an existence which he had forgotten. But one day he mislaid the book out of which Burress was teaching him to read. He could not remember where he had put it for some little time. His mentor grasped that opportunity and Lloyd comprehended ai last what mem- ory was. From that hour he became anxious as Burress himself—or as Leslie—to re- cover what he had lost. Burress believed it unwise to relate THE ARGOSY. to the patient much of his old life. It was enough that Lloyd should realize that there was something to attain in the recovery of his memory. If his present mind was filled with tales of his previous existence, they would be confounded with what he might, in the future, remember of his own volition. To this end, Burress forbade anybody answering the questions which Lloyd put in curiosity. The formula was “Ask the doctor,” and to Burress the patient turned for all information. Before the winter was half over, Bur- ress’ practise had increased so that he could afford a horse and carriage. Lloyd learned-to drive, and was the physician’s companion more than ever. They slept in the same room, and of- ten, when Burress came in late from some case and found his friend peace- fully slumbering upon his couch, he watched him with his own mind given up to strange speculations. While the body of Seymour Lloyd was at rest, where did his fancy stray? Those mental activities while we are asleep, which we call dreams, endure continually, whether we afterwards re- member the dreams or not. Lloyd’s remembrances of his present existence were so limited—his present life had been so short—that food for his dreams must be meager indeed. Yet his movements in his sleep, his sighs, his smiles, showed that his mind was active in weaving scene after scene in the imaginary world into which he had sunk. So frequently did he think of this, and so strong was the hold it gained upon his mind, that Burress finally put it to a test which, until he was proven wrong or right, he would not trust to any other soul. when Lloyd’s mind seemed particularly active, and after giving the patient a mild sleeping draft, warranted to put him into a sound slumber at once, he ordered a pot of strong tea for himself and sat down beside the sleeping man to watch. The shaded night-lamp revealed the outline only of Lloyd’s face, yet every change of expression which moved his countenance was noted by the doctor’s He selected a night © comicbook reo)