medical experience among neurasthenic and
hysterical women, Dr. William Owen had never encountered a more puzzling
case than the one before him on this brisk winter morning when he set
forth to answer the urgent appeal of Penelope Wells. Here was a case
fated to be written about in many languages and discussed before learned
societies. A Boston psychologist was even to devote a chapter of his
great work "Mysteries of the Subconscious Mind" to the hallucinations of
Penelope W----. Poor Penelope!

When Dr. Owen entered her attractive sitting room with its prevailing
tone of blue, he found his fair patient reclining on a _chaise longue_,
her eyes heavy with anxiety.

"It's good of you to come, doctor. I appreciate it," she gave him her
hand gratefully. "I expected to go to your office, but--something else
has happened and I am--discouraged." Her arm fell listlessly by her
side. "So I telephoned you."

"I am glad to come, you know I take a particular interest in you," he
smiled cheerily and drew up a chair. "We must expect these set-backs,
but you are improving. You show it in your face. And your letter showed
it. I read your letter carefully--studied it and--"

"You haven't seen Captain Herrick?" she asked eagerly.

"Not yet. I have asked him to dine with me this evening."

Penelope sighed wearily and twined her fingers together in nervous
agitation.

"It's all so distressing. I can't understand it. Why did I see myself in
that bowl of gold fish, so distinctly? Tell me--why?"

"You mustn't take that seriously, Mrs. Wells. These crystal visions are
common enough--the books are full of them. It's a phenomenon of
self-hypnotism. You are in a broken-down nervous condition after months
of excessive strain--that's all, and these hallucinations result, just
as colored shapes and patterns appear when you shut your eyes tight and
press your fingers against the eye-balls."

This did not satisfy her. "What I want to know is whether there is any
possibility that I really did what I saw myself do in that vision? Do
you think there is?"

"Certainly not. I believe you did exactly what you tell me you did--you
spent a few minutes in Christopher's studio and then came away angry
because he kissed you. By the way, I don't see why one kiss from a man
who loves you and has asked you to marry him should have offended you so
terribly, especially when you admit that you care for him?"

His tone was one of good-humored indulgence for