Show T ank MR LOUIS JOSEPH by VANCE author of the false faces tile the lone wolf etc R Must illustrated rated by irwin myers copyright 1930 by the author 16 p 0 THE PICTURE vaguely conscious of a double personality but without a any idea of 0 its meaning the girl leonora makes make tier her accustomed way into the street of strange race faces in tile underworld of now new lork marlo mario joins tier her greatly in love and seeing the fine qualities which the girl really possesses mario seeks to turn her from the path ot of inevitable destruction she promises to marry him at s care cafe gathering place of criminals leonora meets her partner red bed carnahan Carn ehan and his associates aiso clates anil and Is accused of betraying a fellow criminal to the police she sav av abely defends herself police crash into the room and two are killed by carnahan Carn ehan leonora and the rest escape in her studio priscilla 71 maine laine wealthy artist awakes from f troubled sleep with a distinct feel j ing of having her life united rinsed with mith leondras Leo noras priscilla has painted a picture of herself in fancy dress dres a alpy which has a strange effect on her unnerved and tearful fearful that her mind is affected priscilla alls to her aid a dear friend ir dr phillp philip fosdick who Is in love with her he Is stunned to find that her story of the rho police fight is s confirmed by the newspapers 0 CHAPTER THREE the haunted woman 1 I CATECHISM 5 there was an interlude of which she ehe retained no memory more than a confused impression of a time of stress ando conflict of struggling with oil all her ber might to hold fast to reason sustained throughout irmay it may be saved by a sense of philips sympathy ond and strength A crisis was reached and passed growing more calm or rather more numb dumb than calm Priscil ln found herself in a roomy armchair with a serl seri ous cius faced philip fosdick seated scaled squarely in front of her holding her two hands bands in a grasp so compelling that it narrowly escaped being painful and talking steadily in even persuasive accents infinitely soothing and heartening therel there lie ile was alert to the first indication of returning self control youre better already have I 1 been silly rb philip ilip she essayed an apologetic smile disengaging alsen her hand to make instinctive dabs at her hair not a bit youre not that sort you had a shock enough to stagger anybody but boure auve reacted famously and now all you need do Is sit tight and consider this thing coolly and sensibly but how can I 1 look and posture gesture ture were once more distracted why I 1 dont even know whether im myself or m here I 1 am you to do you know youre right here in your own studio low how can I 1 be sure I 1 thought I 1 was last night but it seems I 1 1 I ivas heaven 1 knows how far away in that dreadful place when iben that happened not here at all I 1 1 rubbish you were here asleep here where you woke up you merely dreamed you were el elsewhere eiN liere with what psychic provocation remains to be seen theres on an explanation a perfectly simple and natural one for everything and it can be got at if only we go after it in the right way which Is precisely what were going to do you and L I 1 words and manner carried a measure of conviction thank you philip she said im trying to believe if but you dont know how bow hard I 1 it t I 1 Is thais where you youre re wrong I 1 do know F I 1 understand perfectly on the other hand I 1 know theres nothing unnatural lo in nature there cant be and therefore we cant fall to solve this problem e except dept through your lack of faith in ili roe me if trust me help roe me all you can lie be absolutely frank ill do my beat of 0 course to ril ill never have a minutes pence peace till I 1 know the truth ask me anything you the like ond and ill III tell you lap truth troth if I 1 know brow it tin sure you will but philip ilip tell me one thin thins first she he faltered and looked r aside you dont u uneasily lle you dont think im wrong any way mentally I 1 menn mean fosdick foi alck laughed with calculation a tough laugh that scouted scout edthe the suggestion and at the same time was indulgent absolutely not youve got the lightest right cst est mind I 1 know cut but youre youie anything but obvious vill a youre KS is con complex a personality as any ive ever known youre strongly or score suore or less what we terra term psychic napo impressionable susceptible j le to influent influences ces that work on you without your knowledge whatever it Is the truth Is known to your subconscious ons clous self arid and that Is bound to tell us soon or late but how philip for the first time since be bad tier her the newspaper tone and alii manner were unaffected by mental strain fosdick suppressed a rummer glimmer of satisfaction seeing he be had succeeded to lo so interesting her that be r alil iau gensib ien sib rs es of what rightly or wrongly slie she considered a menace to tier her reason than of the fascinating problem it presented if we fall to get at the trouble by straight analysis an alyss collecting dissecting and comparing known knon n facts well v ell catch the subconscious betraying itself it always does docs cilia no matter how jealously it may try to hoard board its secret it cant help flirting with the temptation to discuss it indirectly and so in tile end it always lets the cat out of the bag what makes my job so interesting one never knows what word or phrase gesture or nuance of expression express lon will give the clue one needs so it if we fall to make visible progress in direct examination tie be sure that some time when were viere least expecting it the subconscious will prompt you to drop the hint that will lead us straight to the heart of the mystery slie she nodded eagerly already well persuaded and only too anxious to believe ilow how shall we begin I 1 feel strong enough to have bave a go at it it now good I 1 then lets got get our conr facts in order first the things we know beyond dispute philip produced a pocketbook found a fair page and at its top penned the notation priscilla alaine age awen tyone ty one where were you born here in new york at least I 1 presume I 1 was does it matter cant say as yet philips words fol followed owed his fountain pen tour father v was as hobart maine ne of this city a portrait painter made a great deal of money inherited more was forty eight when he died the years ago leaving bovi ou ills sole heir a handful of millions your mother died when you were born if my memory serves yes iler her name 1 I dont know philips brows lifted your father tell you never the girls eyes clouded ile he always seemed so distressed u when uben ben my mother was mentioned I 1 learned not to ask questions odd must have bare been something uncommon to make him vold avoid the subject with his own child ever strike you that way sometimes priscilla hesitated looking down doan doa n at a forefinger which traced a pattern on the arm of the chair im afraid I 1 never bothered about my mother much human enough still somebody must know your aunt eother Eth cr im afraid not she really my aunt you know distant cousin I 1 believe did she ever mention your mother only once and then only to say she understood dundei fathers married life a happy one she say why she know somebody must fosdick repeated repeat eil testily tet tily well theres our first big question mark now philip lip you dont think possibly tile the reason the marriage was unhappy was vias because of anything like mental trouble on my mothers side no fosdick declared with just the right degree of pained forbearance do try to cure yourself of that notion nolion cilia its ridiculous theres nothing wrong with your mind any more than with mine lets see iee pi 11 0 A r ive been afraid of love philip EC co cause of these dreams his pen hung poised you had the happiest of chit childhoods tho that t I 1 know and the usual education arid and thus far youve youre lived in an average life the elie sort ot of life our sort of girls do live Dow nowadays you like fun fua had and friends and pretty frocks books music the theater admiration youve youre never once known bringer or hard work or barring what you may have read anything about the harsh and seamy sides of life I 1 know youve never been engaged but vl whether hother youve ever been in love priscella llla colored b brif lit shook tier head ills ilia eyes narrowed harrowed honor bright oh ive had crushes of con course rae every girl has and ae always been awfully fond of if you on pond fond he groaned ive been afraid of love because of these dreams it seem right to think of marrying with such a cloud hanging over me lie ile grunted impatiently scowled at ills his notebook shrugged pursued the dreams br brgan began gan tn in childhood you say and were infrequent and formless until about your fifie crith year then they began to seem real and therefore to play an important role in your life to occupy your thoughts more or less nd exercise a secret influence on all motives and actions I 1 pre sum you never kept a diary or any rec d of the dreams you give V E any idea how bow often they occurred at what lint intervals no I 1 never thought 1 pity it might be helpful if we could prove periodicity even eccentric Ilo however wever if they hey go on one thin thing you must promise me always tell me as soon as youve had a dream let me talk to you about it before the impression has a chance to fade and always write it down too the way you did this one 1 I will of course youve never consulted anybody else never a living soul I 1 talk to anybody I 1 simply risk their thinking nie me queer 1 I understand now lets see if we ca can n get a line on this from another angle allow were you feelen feeling yesterday any way unusual restless arid and unsettled ot otherwise herile very well vell rather jolly nou ou know inclined toward a lark of some sort what did you do with yourself all day nothing much I 1 hall had a model in the M morning orn ing but d ddn t like 11 ke wh what a t I 1 was doing and let her go before noon in the afternoon I 1 worked on my portrait of myself till the light began to change and know you were painting your own portrait cilli ila majy I 1 see it why of coursel course it II AUTO HYPNOSIS delighted as always when some one she liked showed interest in like work she loved love so well uell the girl gill forgot her preoccupation in a twinkling and jumping up gaily linked philips arm and let led him across to the tall canvas beside the pier glass Tb there erel she did you 1 know piscilla maine could be like that impressed by his first glance phil philip merely uttered a thoughtful ilium I 1 1 arid and in silence studied the portrait with nith an intelligent appreciation not with wonder onder priscilla released ills bis arm an and stepped back pleased by this mute tribute pleased as well vell to lo have her own overnight impression confirmed experiencing that rare warm glow of gratification which only an all ortist artist knows when lie he looks upon his handiwork and finds it good well drawn draun anil and modeled daringly yet sensitively painted with an unerring sense of color and values the girl in gipsy dress dres man spirited and convincing there was arresting challenge clial lenge in that impudently tossed head with its laughing mouth of sear scarlet let and lark dark eyes agleam with charin ing ine Ing insolence olence under lashes kahps lah ps well done sald said philip rini imply ply im so glad you like it philip the he named a dealer known to both wants to show it in hp gil berles 1 I like ilke it Immen immensely gely only I 1 ca cant nt pet get over nil an odd notion that it anu on the likeness Is extraordinary 1 I remember well viel the night you wore that costume and yet soine somehow how you PC it too philip turned to ile her with ith a sharp glante pl iipp slip laughed consciously 1 I till fill ansi night nl lt after id I 1 d fahed up then with the dhenin floii arc h and real in luy loy thoughts I 1 saw id pointed palmed not myself but that other self the girl ou see mp there priscilla maine riot not 11 llie e priseilla ceilla you and I 1 know naps leonora Ien noro good lord philip grim grille wore were you ibbil drig of tier ln r while hile painting 0 no o not not that I 1 remember and lid yet wit holli your knowl Illow rdse ledge you must linao lion been ile he moved nearer tile llie picture to examine it more closely it brings everything back so clearly the girl niu mused ed it gives me the strangest gest feeling of unreal liv makes tire me wonder which Is which which the living woman which the shadow tho the voicu voice behind heliend him trailed off into a pen pensive ave murmur marmur ile he made a mo movement ement of exasperation and simultaneously becoming conscious of the stillness looked round to see the girl posed in a stare gaze standfast at the portrait her look dull and remote head bead thrown back a trifle hands hanging banging with palms exposed in a gesture curiously appealing her respiration abnormally slow and deep fosdick took a quick step to her I 1 crying cilia Cil lal she seemed not to hem hear ile de said in sharp insistence do you hear cilla cilia come out ont ot of it itt that broke the spell sighing softly she drew a hand across her eyes then with nn an uncertain smile extended it to litta him philip clasped it between Us no own oun now what he be demanded with brusque good humor io had ill the funniest sensation I 1 was thinking about the pointing painting wondering if perhaps id done something extraordinary and weird painted my own soul into the figure un on the canvas you know so that it really lived and was vlas me while I 1 was merely a shell ot flesh and blood and suddenly it seemed to me my fancy had conic come true that I 1 was really there on the canvas looking into the room here seeing myself I 1 mean seeing priscilla maine and wondering about her and about you as it if id never known either of us as it if I 1 were a stronger stranger in my own studio do you understand philip it musi must sound so wild and silly what was it philip what made roe me feel that way auto hypnosis a mild phase su per induced by excitement and fretting nothing to worry about and still frankly I 1 dont like it I 1 nt care to have it happen too frequently its no good encouraging that sort ot of thing each time it hoppens happens hope hape e vr V r 1 I cant get over an odd notion that it you it breaks down resistance makes you only the more susceptible to the next nest suggestion if I 1 were ere you id drop that portrait port rali put it out of sight and mind till weve settled this question opened it up and let light into its darkness and so relieved your doubts and fears perhaps youre right priscilla demurred hut but I 1 dont know it makes me dle unhappy to have unfinished work on hand dout dont aou ou think I 1 might better finish it up and get it out of the studio altogether cut but philips disapproval was manifest please she begged tier prett prettiest lest jt it only means another day or two then I 1 can let harkness Har Ilar knoss kness have it and forget all about it 1 I cant say yes cilia I 1 he be at all surprised it if it turned out that tile lie portrait was wholly to blame for last nig nights lits experience I 1 menn for the peculiar content and trend of your dream she was frankly puzzled and said so 60 the rhe power of suggestion it has exerted on your thoughts he be explained till yesterday you never expressed it even to yourself but subconsciously I 1 any doubt the thought has always been at work flint it ouri Nour elf zelf you were painting but the heroine eroine li of your dream story another woman if a different life with an independent spirit anti and mentality and then of course all this Is sheer guesswork gness work there are associations inherent in tile hie concept of gipsy girl rind and |