Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-12-04


might az well oome frpt a. last l bad
told him I knew nothing Of his misfor'
tunes, thinking thereby 10 please him,
and allsy any suspicion he might have OF |
a connection existing between them and |
his presence there at the institution.
ut was Fort Wayne and Erie that did
most Of the business for me, Fred" he re-
sumed; "I lost clean half a million
somewhere inside of six months. Think 1
of tbatt A snug little fortune, ehY Made
clean sweep Of me, clean to dollar
But that wasn't the worst Of 1t, Fred You
knew / was engaged to Clara Nelsoni
NOT Oh, forget you've been away from
New York for some time. Well, l was
the handsomest girl you ever set eyes on,
Fred, but--well | won't say. She Tilted
me, Fred, fitted me when she understood
I'd lost my money went back on me alto.
gether. They say she'd done the same
thing with others without their losing
any mony at all; but don't believe It, for
she was engaged to me, and to no one else
that ever | knew. When l sold my
horses, the two greys, they were spank.
ing team and no mistake. All inside of
Elk months, Fred and most of 1t In Erie
and Fort Wayne"
This is q brief synopsis OF Archibald
and discurBive, as 1t was, can give here
but the leading points, which are quite
sufficient 1t appeared then that there
were two causes, the loss of riches and the
loss of wife that had served to unsettle
my cousins reason, but one Of these
causes was the consequence of the other
Which operated most strongly upon him
was O question that addressed itself at
once TO me, although to the question had
no answer, and for the cause itself no
remedy. l could neither restore to him
his wealth, nor alter the rejection of him
by his lady love. / could zee that Archie's
vanity had been considerably piqued by
this last, and with very excellent reason,
for he was splendid looking fellow tall,
powerfully built, with q great head of
thick, brown curls, and long, yellow, side
whiskers that were enough In themselves
to excite the envy Of many less fortunate
Adonis.
several weeks went by, and except for
the rambling nature OF his conversation
at times, and the slightly wild, unsettled
look of his eye when talking about his
losses and the girl who Tilted him, l should
certainly have concluded that there was
mistake somewhere and that my
cousins entire sanity was matter beyond
question. As 1t was l trusted that time
would do everything toward restoring that
perfect balance which alone appeared
wanting. To this effect l wrote his father
when Archibald had been only a week at
the institution, and the old gentleman ap-
peared much relieved ON learning my
opinion, backed as 1t was by that of Doc
tor Grained
But now comes that part of my recital
that will 60 to prove what have already
said respecting cases of insanity. 1t so
happened one morning of the third week
of my cousins stay, that patient occu-
pying the same floor, who had exhibited,
for some time back, rather alarming symp-
toms, became suddenly violent, and had to
be removed from his room to one of an
other kind set apart for emergencies like
this. OF course this could not be done
without some little noise and disturbance,
which was deemed at all times advisable,
should be kept as much as possible from
| the knowledge of the Others But this
was not always an easy task. There was
sure to be some on coguizant OF the trans
action whom we would rather had not
been. This happened to be the case on
this particular occasion with Archibald
Earle.
When the removal had been accom-
plshed, loud and repeated ringings at his
bell summoned me to his apartment, and
1t was with feelings of anxiety that went
thither Arrived there, these were for the
moment entirely dispelled by the calm,
even cheerful expression of his face, and
the hearty greeting he extended to mo.
| "Come in, old fellow confounded row
you're having this morning; what's it all
| about?"
| had no sooner entered than he closed
and locked the door, put the key
into his pocket, and turned upon me witt
an expression the very reverse of that ht
had worn few moments before.
"Why, what's the matter, Archyt ?"
asked.
"The matter" he replied; an JUS
show you what is the matter Sit dowI
there p pointing to a chair; "and don
get up till tell you" took the chail
indicated, thinking by so doing to concili
ate him, but far from 1t he was evidently
very much worked up about this samC
"row" that he spoke of, and was very
desirous of soothing him, and, if possible
allsying any suspicious he might have o
the true character of the institution.
Now, then" ssid he after a moment
pause, taking up y position directly il
front of me, "the matter is this-don't at
tempt to deny it-you keep an asylum TO
the Insane. That's what you do here, ant
! you know it. All that about water cur
is mere sham and nonsense"
YOU'RE mistaken, Archy," exclaimed
"Dcn't attempt to deny 1t, sir" he in
terrupted "Pve found you out. Yo
have deceived me; so has my father; 8
has old Bitterdrug; but I'll be even wit
you al, and with you first" He ha
fastened the door of his room, as l hav
, already said. We were at the far end @
/, the hall, his apartments being the las
opening on l6ng corridor running eas
; and west, his front windows looking to tn
south, and those at the side to the west
, l nigh: call, and call in vain in case n,
. one happened to be in that part of tn
house or grounds; besides should onl,
betray fear of him by any such proceed
ing, and so rellnquish what advantage
might otherwise have.
"I've been roped into this" he said, an,
his features began TO assume settled vim
dictive expression; "and enticed out her
to be domiciled with lunatics but, as
said before, I'll be even with you, For
; Wayne and Erie to the contrary notwith
standing here he laughed short laugh
and drew from an inside pocket razor
which he slowly and deliberately opened
0NSdt- iledNCus! HOW tue slBut VI INA
sharp instrument caused the chills to rul
through me. 1t had never for momen
occurred to me his possessing such
weapon, for he had entirely neglected hi
beard while in the institution.
With degree of GOODNESS and metho
. singularly out of keeping with his forme
excited manner, he proceeded, with q
eye closely watching my movements tn
: while, to carefully sharpen the razor
. pausing every now and then TO try Il
, edge by drawing It across a hair, which h
! got from his own head by running hi
fingers once or twice each time throug
his thick chestnut curls.
| sat watching all this preparation wit
mingled feelings IL would be impossible fc
me to describe, rapidly turning over
my mind the chances of escape Iconfe'
that TO jump through the window, with
: ! fall nf ahn,t Af1p ffsat into tba r