pathology of lying-第12节

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airs　that　led　her　to　lie　about　being　the　other　girl。　　She　insisted　she　was　sorry　for　the　many　lies　she　had　told　various　officers；　but　felt；　after　all；　they　were　to　blame　because　their　obvious　desire　to　have　her　tell　that　she　was　Agnes　W。　led　her　on。　　They　deceived　her　first　because　they　misrepresented　themselves　and　did　not　say　they　were　police　officials。　　Nevertheless；　she　makes　much　of　how　she　hates　her　false　position；　being　registered　under　a　false　name　and　figuring　as　a　deceiver。

The　significant　points　in　the　long　story　of　Inez；　as　told　to　us　in　the　days　of　our　first　acquaintance　with　her；　are　worth　giving。　　（At　this　period　she　was　with　us　thoroughly　consistent；　at　all　times　she　has　appeared　self…possessed　and　coherent。）　　Inez　states　she　is　17　and　has　just　come　from　a　town　in　Tennessee　where　she　has　been　living　for　a　couple　of　years　with　some　people　by　the　name　of　B。　who　adopted　her。　　At　first　they　were　very　good　to　her　and　she　loved　them　dearly。　　She　was　quite　unsophisticated　when　she　went　to　them　and　did　not　realize　then　that　they　were　not　good　people。　　She　met　them　at　an　employment　agency　in　St。　Louis　where　she　had　gone　after　leaving　the　Smiths；　the　people　who　had　brought　her　up。　　At　that　time　the　B。's　appeared　fairly　well…to…do；　but　Mr。　B。　had　been　running　up　debts　that　later　carried　him　into　bankruptcy。　　Inez　was　sick　and　exhausted　now　from　having　worked　so　hard　for　them。　　She　finally　ran　away　from　that　town　because　the　B。's　wanted　to　go　elsewhere；　leaving　her　in　a　compromising　position　with　a　young　man　who　rented　their　house。　　She　first　tried　boarding　in　two　places；　however；　before　she　ventured　to　go。

The　Smiths　were　the　people　she　lived　with　until　she　was　14。　　She　remembers　first　living　with　them；　but　faintly　recalls　bearing　the　name　of　Mary　Johnson　before　that。　　Who　the　Johnsons　were　she　does　not　know；　but　she　feels　sure　of　the　fact　that　she　was　born　in　New　Orleans。　　However；　Inez　does　not　worry　about　her　parentage　even　though　it　is　unknown。　　Mrs。　Smith　was　an　elderly　woman　of　wealth　who　was　very　good　to　her；　and　by　the　time　she　was　14　she　had　studied　German　and　French；　algebra　and　trigonometry。　　She　had　a　French　tutor　and　took　lessons　on　the　piano。　　Always　did　well　in　school　and　loved　her　work　there。　　The　Smith　children；　who　were　much　older；　were　very　angry　with　their　mother　for　all　the　money　she　spent　on　Inezthey　would　have　preferred　its　being　expended　on　their　children。　　The　son　grew　quite　abusive　and　Mrs。　S。　was　made　to　suffer　so　much　that　the　girl　came　to　feel　that　she　was　largely　the　cause　of　the　old　lady's　unhappiness。　　After　one　particularly　deplorable　scene　she　slipped　away　from　their　home　in　New　Orleans；　traveled　to　St。　Louis　and　went　to　an　employment　agency　where　she　found　the　B。's。　　At　the　present　time；　above　all　things；　she　does　not　want　the　Smiths　to　know　about　her　when　she　is　temporarily　a　failure。　　She　will　never　go　back　to　them　until　she　can　help　the　old　lady　who　was　so　good　to　her。

Inez　tells　us　she　is　now　suffering　from　a　wound　still　open　as　the　result　of　an　operation　for　appendicitis　performed　two　years　previously。　　She　also　suffered　from　tuberculosis　a　few　years　ago。　　（She　was　found　to　be　running　a　slight　temperature；　and　some　slight　hemorrhages　in　the　sputum　were　observed。）

It　may　strengthen　the　portraiture　so　far　sketched　to　give　our　impressions　as　stated　after　our　first　study　covering　a　week　or　two；　nor　will　it　lessen　the　reader's　interest　to　remark　that　it　was　not　for　lack　of　acquaintance　with　the　pathological　liar　type　that　we　failed　to　correctly　size　up　this　individual。　　Indeed；　we　had　already　studied　nearly　all　the　other　cases　cited　in　this　monograph。　　Our　statement　ran　as　follows：　　‘‘This　girl　is　very　frank　and　talkative　with　us。　　With　her　strong；　but　refined　features　and　cultivated　voice　she　is　a　good　deal　of　a　personality。　　She　is　sanguine　and　independent。　　Very　likely　she　does　not　exaggerate　the　hard　times　she　has　had　in　going　from　one　home　to　another。　　One　cannot　but　respect　this　unusual　young　woman　for　wanting　to　keep　her　early　history　secret。　　It　would　be　fortunate　if　some　one　would　care　for　the　girl　and　get　her　ailments　cured。　　With　her　very　good　ability　she　might　easily　then　be　self…supporting。''

A　woman　of　strength　and　judgment　undertook　to　look　after　Inez。　　The　girl's　personality　commanded　interest。　　In　a　few　days　she　complained　more　vigorously　of　her　abdominal　trouble；　an　operation　seemed　imperative　and　was　performed。　　（An　account　of　this　will　be　given　later。）　　Later　the　girl　was　taken　to　a　convalescent　home　and　then　to　a　beautiful　lake　resort。　　While　here　she　suddenly　was　stricken　desperately　ill。　　Her　friend　was　telegraphed　for；　a　special　boat　was　commissioned；　and　the　girl　was　taken　to　a　neighboring　sanitarium。　　The　doctors　readily　agreed　that　the　case　was　one　of　simulation　or　hysteria。　　She　was　brought　back　to　Chicago　and　warned　that　this　sort　of　performance　would　not　pay。　　After　being　given　further　opportunity　to　rest；　although　under　less　favorable　circumstances；　in　a　few　weeks　she　was　offered　work　in　several　homes；　but　in　each　instance　the　connection　was　soon　severed。　　Then　without　letting　her　guardian…friend　know；　Inez　suddenly　left　the　city。

Inquiries　had　brought　by　this　time　responses　telling　something　of　the　career　of　Inez　in　the　past　two　years；　but　nothing　earlier。　　She　was　the　‘‘mystery　girl''　in　the　Tennessee　town；　as　she　was　in　Chicago。　　The　B。's　kept　a　boarding…house　and　took　Inez　as　a　waitress；　knowing　her　first　by　still　another　alias。　　She　worked　for　them　about　a　year　and　then　went　to　Memphis；　where　she　was　sick　in　a　hospital。　　She　had　now　taken　the　B。's　name。　　They　were　regarded　as　her　guardians　（on　the　girl's　authority）　and　they　finally　sent　for　her　again　out　of　pity；　although　they　felt　she　had　a　questionable　past；　and　they　knew　she　had　lied　tremendously　while　with　them。　　Then　the　B。's　moved　away　and　turned　Inez　over　to　a　respectable　family。　　While　with　the　B。's　Inez　had　been　regarded　as　a　partial　invalid；　their　physician　diagnosed　the　case　as　diabetes　and　found　it　incurable。　　In　fact；　the　B。's　went　into　debt　for　her　prolonged　treatment。　　Another　physician；　who　was　called　in　after　the　B。's　left；　said　the　trouble　was　Bright's　disease。　　At　any　rate；　all　regarded　her　as　suffering　from　some　chronic　disorder。　　Except　for　her　extraordinary　lying；　of　which　she　made　exhibitions　to　many；　and　some　little　tendencies　to　dishonesty　mixed　with　her　lying；　Inez　was　regarded　as　being　quite　normal。　　The　two　other　families　with　whom　she　lived　for　a　time　found　it　impossible　to　tolerate　the　girl　on　account　of　her　lying。　　Finally；　obtaining　money　by　false　representation；　telling　the　story　of　a　rich　uncle　in　Chicago　to　whom　she　was　going；　Inez　departed；　taking　with　her　a　trunk　containing　valuables　belonging　to　the　B。's。

Dropping　our　chronological　account　of　this　case　we　may　from　this　time　deal　with　it　as　a　whole；　putting　together　the　facts　as　they　developed　by　further　study　of　Inez　herself　and　by　the　receipt　of　information　from　many　sources。

Since　we　have　known　her；　Inez　has　been　under　the　observation　of　several　skilled　medical　specialists。　　She　all　along　has　been　in　good　general　physical　condition。　　Having　been　treated　previously　for　diabetes；　special　examinations　were　repeatedly　made；　but　never　a　trace　of　this　trouble　was　discernible。　　Her　own　story　of　having　had　tuberculosis；　and　the　traces　of　blood　in　the　sputum；　which　she　presented　on　handkerchiefs；　etc。；　led　to　repeated　tests　for　tuberculosis。　　These　also　proved　absolutely　negative。　　Before　all　this；　there　was　found　on　the　left　side　of　the　abdomen　a　mass　which；　from　the　history　the　girl　gave；　was　surmised　to　be　a　tubercular　abscess。　　At　this　time　she　was　running　a　little　temperature。　　An　operation　was　performed　and　an　encysted　hairpin　was　removed　from　the　peritoneal　cavity。　　This　had　undoubtedly　found　entrance　through　the　old　appendicitis　wound；　the　hairpin　had　evidently　been　straightened　for　the　purpose。　　Both　wounds　now　speedily　closed。　　Gynecological　examination　showed　no　disease　and　established　the　fact　of　virginity。　　Thorough　neurological　examination　showed　that　the　girl　was　not　of　nervous　type　and　that　there　was　no　evidence　whatever　of　organic　disease。　　There　was　complaint　of　frequent　headaches；　but　no　signs　of　acute　suffering　from　these　were　ever　witnessed　and　by　this　time　no　reports　of　subjective　symptoms　could　be　credited。　　No　sensory　defects　of　any　importance。　　It　was　always　easy　to　get　a　little　variation　upon　visual　tests　and　the　like；　however。　　Weight　130；　height　5　ft。　1　in。　　Color　good。　　Head　notably　well　shaped　with　broad　high　forehead。　　Strength　good。　　Very　normal　development　in　all　ways。

Most　important　to　note　as　bearing　on　her　social　career　was　the　fact　that　Inez　was　possessed　of　markedly　strong；　regular；　pleasant　features；　including　a　good　set　of　teeth　well　cared　for；　and　an　unusually　firm　chin。　　In　attitude　and　expression　she　seemed　to　give　complete　proof　of　great　strength　of　will　and　character。　　Her　face　suggested　both　frankness　and　firmness。　　When　with　quiet　force　and　dignity　asserting　her　desire　for　education　and　a　place　in　the　world；　Inez　presented　a　most　convincing　picture。　　Perhaps　even　more　significant　is　the　fact　that　Inez　possesses　a　speaking　voice　of　power　and　charm；　well　modulate