The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-07

"Ch1 hoVS 0CNCA SOuC SJd%y1 pnt' Hicks"
 "Thar, we won't argy that pint. Ihad a son, as good feller as ever lived. He fell in love with a girl and asked her to marry him. Well, she consented and the day was-won't you have some more e ffee2 Whenever you want anything jest sneeze an I'll fetch it to you. Yes, the day was sot. The girl 'peared to love Will, but bless your soul, when the time come, she turned ur her nose at him an married another man. This was more than poor Will could stand, so he lost his mind, right then an' thar. didn't want them to take him to the 'sylum, so I built this place for him. He died about two months ago."
 That was unfortunate, surely"
 His goin' crazy was, but his death want. I'd ruther be dead lifetime than to be crazy ten minits."
 Yes, death is preferable. Do you know how far it is from this place to Blue Rock Springs2"
 Let me see. Blue Rock Springs? We'll, it must be seventy-6ve miles, mebbe less, but ten to one it's more."
 "When we become better acquainted, MT. Hicks, want to tell you something"
 "All right, but wait till we do git ac- quainted, fur am mighty slow man to believe anything man tells me-"
 don't think so"
 "Why?
 Because when that fellow Brown told you was his crazy brother, you believed him without Investigating the matter. If you are so careful why did you not de- mand proof of my insanity?"
 "Wall, now, I'll be hanged if you ain't 'alkin' sense, but don't you know that crazy men air the smartest folks in the world? They air. My son Will would sometimes talk like preacher an a scholar an we'd think he was comin round all right but when we turned him out he'd go wild again. No, MT. Brown"
 " My name is Barker"
 " Wall, I'll call you anything to humor you. Now, 1T. Barker, want you to stay in this room-an' sorter believe you're goin' to do it, too-tell everything comes right. Your brother-I mean MT. Brown-told me that you was a fine talker an that you would talk your way out if l didn't mind, but am going to Mind."
 "Say, did Brown bring any of my booksp
 "No he only brought few suits of clothes. When he was handling your coat little picture dropped out an afer lookin' at it be said that it was his sis. ter's picture an he put it into his pocket"
 Annie Hills picture He would take it to her. could scarcely restrain my sell, but knew that an outburst would strongly tell against me.
 "Have you any books 2" asked.
 "Yes, l believe thar's few scattered around somewhat"
 handed him the breakfast dishes He went away but soon returned with book.
 " Now," said he, here's book thatll ketch you goin' an comin'."
 l took the volume and looked at the title. Cold6eld's Treatise on Insanity"
 don't want this book"
 "W'y, you don't know what you air talkin' about. It's full O interestin' readin'. Tells all about crazy fellers an how they act. Give it here if you don't want it."
 gave him the book. He looked at it a moment and then said:
 "P Pore Will used to read this book"
 No wonder he did not recover" replied.
 He smiled rather sadly, but don't think that any recollection of trouble could have relieved him of his amusin air.
 "I've got to go away fur day or two," he said, but I'll leave you in good hands My wife is skeered O crazy folks but she'll | see that you don't need nothin'. Good | bye till come back"
 He had not been gone many minutes, when little girl, with one of the sunniest faces have ever seen came to the door.
 How are you, little girl2"
 "Howdy. Are you crazy like my brother wass' she asked, pressing her face against the bars.
 No, I'm not crazy"
 "Then what makes my pa wanter put you in heref"
 He thinks I am crazy because bad | man told him that am crazy"