The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-10-03

tended guardians said. Poor creature,
she is often thus. 1t is the effect of my
speaking of her condition. 1t is Il very
pitiable case, very" and he heaved sigh
of sympathy. "Her friends are greatly
distressed at her state, but they hope that
she can be cured, and have determined,
therefore, to send her to Utica"
These words convinced the conductor
of their truth, and other passengers in
the car, who had become deeply inter
ested, felt as he did. but somebody
may know you, madam he resumed.
Let me take you through the train. If
anybody whom you recognize will cor
roborate your story, will protect you.
Will you come with me, pleasei"
ave will accompany her. observed
the elder custodian. 1--WE have strict or
ders not to let her out of sight. She
may destroy herself; she is often despcr-
ate and her friends constantly fear sui
eide when she is in one of her moods.
One of their objects in sending her to
Utica is to place her where she will be
necessarily watched, and can do no harm
to herself We will accompany you,
Mr. -" and he stepped to her side
and took her arm.
She recoiled AS if she had been stung,
and exclaimed, with blazing eye and
pallid face, and in the greatest agitation,
''For Gods sake, do not let that man
touch me!'
LET it be me, then, Mrs. -" re-
marked the younger of the couple, adj
van cling toward her. Again she started
away, shuddering, with the words, "You
are both in league against me. You have
some dreadful plot, Of which | am the in
nocent victim. Oh, God! oh, God these
men will kill me!'
She allowed the conductor to lead her
through the train, her custodians follow
ing, and speaking to the passengers as
they went along, expressing pity for her,
explaining the nature of the case, and
the painful duty they had to perform.
Their statements were universally cred
tied. Everybody thought the lady in
sane, and her excited frenzied appearance
was reason for their thinking so. But
nobody knew her; nor could she find
single face that was not strange to her.
She looked eagerly on both sides of the
aisle, and in the last car said, in her
heart breaking tone: ''No one l know;
not face l have seen before--not one.
What will become of mel" And then
she sank into the silence of despair. Her
face had the appearance of mad
woman's, and every body on the train be-
lieved her mad. AS the conductor
rather drew than accompanied her back
to the car, she moved mechanically, as if
in dream.
Having taken her seat she burst into
hysterical tears, sobbing bitterly, and
exciting the commiseration of her fellow
passengers. Then she grew compare
lively calm, and scarcely moved muscle,
conveying the impression that she was
about to swoon. She did not, however.
She sat upright in her seat, pale as mar
BILE, her features working and her limbs
twitching as though she were suffering
from epilepsy.
All this had been done in less time
than it has taken to tell it. She had not
been long in her seat before the whistle
sounded for Utica-only fourteen miles
from Homeland the two men approached,
saying gently, "1ou must come with US
now, Mrs --. We will not harm you;
We wish you WE'LL we are your friends;
we are doing what your friends desire"
Again She expressed her horror of them;
appealed to the passengers besought
them to protect her; declared that she
was perfectly sane, and that these men
intended to carry out some base design.
Nobody believed her, of course. The
train stopped. The conductor stood near
her, having told one of the brakemen to
bring a carriage, and the custodians
caught each an arm of the lady. She
resisted for a moment, gave little shrek,
and then seemed to faint. One of the
men caught her up in his arms once
more, saying, Poor lady" bore her to
the carriage, and, while his companion
held open the door, placed her inside
both got in after her; the carriage was
driven off, and the train dashed forward
and disappeared in the darkness.
The train arrived at Albany, and the
devoted husband who had been at the
station was impatiently waiting to receive
his wife. He waited and looked in vain
Everybody had gone and still she was
not there lie was directed to the con-
ductor of the drawing-room car, who, on
learning the appearance of the lady
sought for, perceived at once that she
must be no other than Mrs. -, who
had been pronounced insane. lie re-
mem bered, too, that she had said she ex-
pected to meet her husband at Albany;
but one Of the false guardians had
explained that meeting her husband was
one of her decisions; that her husband
was in Boston and had himself engaged
them to take her to Utica. The reveIa-
tons made to the husband were terrify-
ing, of course, but he felt that not a
moment was to be lost, and the conductor