Willoughby, in Tottenham Court Road.'
'Thank you,' said I, as he placed the scissored advertisements before
me.
I read several of the announcements. They were all small, and perhaps
that is why I had never noticed one of them in the newspapers, for
certainly they were odd enough. Some asked for lists of absent-minded
men, with the hobbies of each, and for these lists, prizes of from one
shilling to six were offered. In other clippings Dr. Willoughby
professed to be able to cure absent-mindedness. There were no fees, and
no treatment, but a pamphlet would be sent, which, if it did not benefit
the receiver, could do no harm. The doctor was unable to meet patients
personally, nor could he enter into correspondence with them. The
address was the same as that of the old curiosity shop in Tottenham
Court Road. At this juncture I pulled the pamphlet from my pocket, and
saw it was entitled _Christian Science and Absent-Mindedness_, by Dr.
Stamford Willoughby, and at the end of the article was the statement
contained in the advertisements, that Dr Willoughby would neither see
patients nor hold any correspondence with them.
I drew a sheet of paper towards me, wrote to Dr. Willoughby alleging
that I was a very absent-minded man, and would be glad of his
pamphlet, adding that my special hobby was the collecting of first
editions.
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