The Argosy, January 1906 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

THE OUTCAST. keen eyes. Hour after hour passed, challenged by the resonant tones of the clock in the hall. Midnight came and went. The small hours dragged their slow lengths by, and then arrived that time, just before the dawn, when tired humanity sleeps its soundest. Lloyd, who had Jain very quietly until now, turned over and muttered a phrase. Instantly the doctor’s_half- deadened senses were alert. He rose and leaned over the sleeping man. A little flush had come into Lloyd’s cheek, his lips were parted, he breathed deeply, and his eyelids twitched as though he were in a state between wak- ing and sleeping. Changing his posi- tion in the bed had partially aroused him. Burress shifted the shade of the lamp that the added illumination, might re- veal the face more plainly. He saw Lloyd’s lips moving and caught a whis- pered word. Much as he had hoped for some sign of the restoration of Lloyd’s primary personality, this single word set the doctor to shaking with nervous dread. Since his awakening in his new char- acter Lloyd had refused to show the shghtest interest in Leslie Searle. He never addressed her by her name nor re- ferred to her separately from other wom- en whom he saw. But this word he had uttered in his sleep was “ Leslie.” Burress was con- vinced that the dream which disturbed Lloyd’s repose at that moment referred to the girl and dealt with a time pre- vious to the accident which had so changed the patient’s personality. Lloyd did not speak again, but after a moment fell into deeper slumber. The physician discovered nothing more that night, but he wrote at once to Ogle- thorpe. The scientist agreed with the assump- tion which Burress maintained. Dis- connected pictures, scenes in his former existence, arose in the patient’s dreams, and Oglethorpe encouraged his pupil to increased efforts centered on restoring Lloyd to his former state of mind. Burress’ first article regarding the ease in the medical journal brought him 315 a score of letters from both laymen and professional investigators. Several hints and suggestions contained in these let- ters he gratefully accepted ; others he was afraid to follow. Some suggested the use of what is commonly called.“ hypnotism ” to throw Lloyd (for a shorter or longer period) into his primary personality. But the young physician, inclined to be a con~ servative investigator by instinct, was afraid to use a power which he did not understand, and which so few scientists agreed upon. But he continued his observations of Lloyd’s natural slumbers and, early one evening, when his friend had fallen asleep on the office lounge and the Febru- ary rain dashed angrily against the win- dows, he was encouraged to make a deeper incursion into the mysteries of Lloyd’s dream-life. : The patient was restless, turning from side to side on the hard couch, and mut- tering in his sleep. With some people, and under certain conditions, it is very easy to bridge the gulf between the reali- ties of existence and their dreams. Lloyd’s ps formed words which, now and then, became audible. Burress had left his desk and sat closely beside his friend, watching and listening to his al- most ceaseless babblings. Now and then he caught a broken phrase plainly: “How it rains! How it rains!” was repeated over and over again, while the sharp gusts of the storm rattled the win- dows. It was easy enough to understand what had suggested the fancy which now enthralled his mind. ) ‘hen followed words: which startled Burress. They referred to the danger of somebody getting wet—and that some- body the restless sleeper referred to as <4 she.” “Put my coat round her, Rame,” mut- tered Lloyd, still in his dream. “Will that keep her dry, See?” the doctor asked distinctly, yet speaking in a low voice. Strange as it may seem, the ques- tion did not arouse the sleeper, but seemed to fit into his dream perfectly. “ Of course it will!” he exclaimed, with apparent exasperation. “ Until we get to the corner, anyway.” “What corner? ” asked the doctor. Ecomicbook by ie (ee)