(urth) TSH: Doris and Lupine

[Dave Tallman]

James Wynn wrote:
> Hmmm...Why do you assume a bad smell means a werewolf? I thought it
> was vampires that had a bad smell. But I never associated the false
> Doris with Nicholas until now. Incidentally, I kinda think Mary King's
> ghost might be Lupine's soul.
>   
Let's see if this all fits together. We have two vanishing passenger 
incidents involving Doris. One is pp. 132-133, and Bax definitely says 
this is Lupine. ("She was in here with you." "Yes. She was."). The other 
is Mary King on p. 200. Doris sees her vanish (or says she does).

The theory would be that Doris and Lupine are the same person, that she 
was once known as Mary King and split off her soul as part of the 
process of becoming a werewolf.

Breaking down the first appearance of Lupine:
1) Walking with Doris down to the river, "a hand slipped into mine."
2) Doris said "I think I'll turn around and go back" from some distance 
behind him. This is her sending  her soul back away (so she can take 
Lupine form).
3) Her physical body remains with Bax, and the car keys remain in her 
possession.
4) Ghost-husband Ted appears, disapproving of this move. She dismisses him.
5) Winkle shows up to protect Bax ("A fox barked") and Lupine races away 
in wolf form.
6) Lupine talks to Bax by the water about heads, arms, etc. She gives 
Bax the car keys.
7) The ghost passenger looking like Doris gets into the car with Bax. 
She cannot drive and doesn't eat. She has the odor of Lupine, or of carrion.
8) They catch up with physical Lupine, who has run ahead and is now back 
in Doris form. The soul rejoins her, vanishing from the car.

Another interesting fact about Doris is that she was a home-economics 
major (p. 127). Such a major is very rare these days, but was more 
common in the past. This allows us to place her in Mary King's days.

Doris knew Martha Murrey and might easily have found out that Bax was 
dining at her home. She probably killed the neighbor Star Paxton (first 
victim of the Hound of Horror) at the time she did so that Bax would see 
the body.

This helps resolve the question of the identity of the "wonderful girl" 
in the challenge note on p. 261. We speculated it could be Doris or 
Lupine. Now it seems there is no reason it couldn't be both.