Page:The achievements of Luther Trant - Balmer and MacHarg - 1910.djvu/44

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A faint smile appeared on the faces of Mr. Branower and Dr. Joslyn, but Reiland knew that his young assistant was merely establishing the normal time of Margaret's associations through words without probable connection with any disturbance in her mind.

"Home," Trant said; and it was five and two-tenths seconds before he could write "father." Reiland moved, sympathetically, but the other men still watched without seeing any significance in the time extension. Trant waited a moment. "Money!" he said, suddenly. Dr. Reiland watched the swinging pointer tremblingly. But "purse" from Margaret stopped it before it had registered more than her established normal time for innocent associations.

"Note!" Trant said, suddenly; and "letter" he wrote again in two and six-tenths seconds.

Dr. Joslyn moved impatiently; and Trant brusquely pulled his chair nearer the table. The chair legs rasped on the hard-wood floor. Margaret shivered and, when Trant tried her with the next words, she merely repeated them. President Joslyn moved again.

"Cannot you proceed, Trant?" he asked.

"Not unless we can make her understand again, sir," the young man answered. "But I think, Dr. Joslyn, if you would show her what we mean—not merely try to explain again—we might go on. I mean, when I say the next word, will you take the