Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1856-02-27
3 C5rilImg storp.
a RAIL WAY PANIC,
BY A. B EDWARDS.


If this were played upon stage, now.
cnnid cnndemn it as an i'm robable tiction."-
I'GtJ th Night.
Do yOu think look like madman!''
| was falling into train of pleasant THOUGHTS
when these words, uttered in a clear, steady
voice by my opposite neghbor, fell upon nv
| started and looked him in the face. He
was a small, salow, ntelligent-looking man.
mnti"d from head TO foot in a superb Spanish
cloak lined with sables. His tone of voice was
perfectly composed and matter-of-fact.
I" Indeed, sir" replied, with some surprise,
"no such idea occurred to me-"
/" But am mad, though - he retorted in the
same quiet, confidential wav.
] was in 10 humor for levity Just then, and
as this was so evdently an attempt at practical
joking, made brief reply to that effect and
looked out of the window. 1t was an express
rain, going al the rate of fifty miles an hour
every moment bore me farther from one who
was inexprcssbly dear to me, and felt that
! never wished for silence and solitude more
than at that moment. The worst of it was
that, if this man had made up his mind to talk.
could not help hearing him, and there was no
one for him to address, since we were alone to-
gethcr in the carriage.
Yes" he continued, {" really am mad. | |
have just escaped, just escaped-not an hour
ago. Shall tell you how did it!"
continued to look out at the landscape fy-
ing past, and feigned not to hear him.
:. / was not always mad, oh, hear, no do
not exactly remember now what it was that
drove me to it, but think it was something
connected with Lord Palmerston and the ace
of clubs. NO-yes-oh yes the ace of clubs
had certainly something to do with it. How
ever, that rs of no consequence now. had a
fine housQS and gardens, and horses, and SER
wants, a A a wife--aha such pretty, gentle,
loving lkslIe wife! And | loved her, too-no-
body "A rs how loved her-only wanted to
murd,E d. or. loved her so, that wanted to
murd6er lor! Wasn't that a rare joke, chi"
8egin by this time to feel seriously uncom-
fort, bile. 1t was getting slowly dusk, and nv
com apanion's face, composed as it was, wore an
od 4expression thatI did not quite like.
es Pray, sir" | said, with affected careless G
IS, let us changethe subject If YOU insist d
a cOnversing with me, we may as well choose Y
a more agreeable theme" a ..... n
Agreeable Why could anything he moro q
E agreeable! Well, / will continue. II was ri
long time before they foad it out, hid itso we'll Il
but knew it we'll enotgh, for I used 70 co. y
faces everywhere, in tn, furniture. nm in a. s.
'rSes' in the bushes; ami | knew thew conid b
not really be there, and that was mad =, I.s, Vi
fof had always expected it. Az, ever since
| was boy at school! Somehow they did find 81
!" oit' though, in spite of all my caution, and 9
was SO cautious, so cautousl They found il
out and. one day two men came and seized me m
IN ny garden-my own garden! and took me %
y The mad-house On, it was drsary place. So
.nat mad house They shut me up by myself til
In abare, cold room, with never fire TO warm J.
me'though it was bitter winter. The windows a,
We've barred across with ron, through which h.
the daylight shone, az if through the ribs of 4 70
skeleton; and every night-would YOU believe ey
h'--every night there came a fearful shane. d.
and sat there, mocking and bowhg at inc in the Il,
moonbeamsi That was hell, indeed One he
night, wAen could bear it no longer, rushed =,
upon the shape and fought and struggled with
IT, and dashed it up against the hard walls I
$500 @9atl e; gid Hvf