The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-01-24

tur-mArketS OF the country
Dunbar received his allowance quar-.
terly. It was small. But he stinted
himself in every expense. The money
which other young fellows spent in CT
gars, jewelry or drink, went tor Jessy 4
clothes or schooling.
Early in the spring OF sc, he ap-
peared In the Office one morning In
great excitement, but with the logged
obstinacy showing stronger than usual
in his face.
"what is wrong, walter?" asked Mr.,
Mccain.
~ have had letter from Col,
Thorpe. lie formally demands that
I shall return to Baltimore at once, give
up Jessy, and enter his family, As being
totally incompetent to take care Of my
self. He had better take care how he
pushes me too closely to the WALL" said
the young fellow. his face growing hard
and stern.
Two days later, a messenger-boy
came into the Office and handed Walter
note. Walter was observed to flush
and look pleased. He took up his hat
hurriedly and left the Office. He did
not return. When night came, he fail
ed to appear at the house, Mr.. M'Cann
searched for him, and the Rext morning
called in the aid Of the police.
The messenger-boy was found. He
said that the note was given to him by
lady stopping ut the Continental Ho-
tel. But the lady had left town on a
night train, and could not be traced.
Walter had not been seen at the hotel.
For weeks the search was kept up. II
Mr.. M'Cann had been the boys father,
he could not have been more jealous or
anxious. But Walter Dunbar had van
ished as utterly as if the earth had open
ed and swallowed him.
Mr.. M'Cann wrote finally to Col.
Thorpe, stating the circumstances, and
received an answer from clerk in his
Office, to the effect that the Colonel had
sailed for Europe and proposed to re-
main there for several years.
What was to be done? The search was
kept up, but in vain. Little Jessy,
friendless and penniless, remained with
the M'Canns, who treated her as one of
their own children, though but i'll able
to bear the additional burden.
A year--two years--passed, and Wal
ter Dunbar had not been heard from.
Even Mr.. M'Cann began to lose hope,
and to think Of the boy as dead.
1t seems that the note which Dunbar
had received was signed by the name Of
an old friend of his fathers. 1t stated
briefly that she was in town, and wished
to see him; that she was going to drive
in the park, and would be glad II he
would accompany her.
The carriage, close hack, waited at
the corner of the street. Walter ran
out, beaming with pleasure, sprang into
it, and was driven rapidly away.
In few moments the carriage stop
ped again, and gentleman entered,
while another took his seat with the
driver. The man who came inside in
PRODUCED himself as Mr.. Crane, of Balti-
more, friend Of Mrs. brakes. He
proved very entertaining, and Walter
did not at first observe that the carriage
was going to the suburbs Of the town.
/" Mrs. Drake is at friends house in
the country to-day" explained Mr..
Crane. 1--WE are to call for her there
and take her to the park"
Presently they drove into spacious
grounds, and up 20 the door of noble
Walter, with his new friends,
entered.
"This way, If you please" said an
attendant.
The next moment he was in cell,
and the door bolted and barred behind
him.
1t was private insane asylum. The
only requisite for admission was a GER
tificate from physician in Maryland
(who had, by the way, never seen the
b0y), that he was insane, and q warrant
from a magistrate. Both of which pa
pers Col. Thorpe had paid for.
As soon as the boy was safely near
cerated, the Colonel proceeded TO take
out commission Of lunacy, and the
the lads estate passed wholly into his
control. There was no possibility Of
his release unless by the Colonel's per-
There is no need to linger on Walters
rage and despair. He wrote letters to
his friends, to lawyers, to the press,
which the attendants quietly burned.
He urged, pleaded, stormed with his
keepers, and they listened with stolid
Indifference, putting him in . strait
jacket when he grew violent.
At last he became quiet. Then
they said his mania was Of the sullen
kind, and therefore more dangerous.
Walter knew that II he could once es-
cape, he was safe. It would be impos-
sible for his guardian to prove him in
sane before any court.
But he was guarded as securely as any
prisoner in the penitentiary. Twice,
when he had grappled with his keeper,
he had been felled and beaten until life
was nearly gone.
One day, two years after his impris-
onment, as the boy walked up and
down the ward, he heard squeaking