The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-14

are. He is bad mans victim and it is your duty to turn him out"
 Let us wait while, mother let us wait while"
 "Well, but Albert, even if he is crazy what right have we to keep him shut up He could go to law and make us smoke for this"
 "That's all well enough, but we ain'i the ones to blame. His brother"
 His brother, the mischief That man is not his brother"
 "Well, we don't know about that Mehbe he is an mebbe he ain't. All we can do is to wait an see."
 "Yes, but while we are waiting to see, this poor man is shut upin prison. It's not right, Albert"
 Why, l never saw woman undergo such change. It want long ago that you was skeered to death O crazy folks. "
 |" am afraid of crazy folks, but am not afraid of this man, for he is not crazy. Vilsie, come here and read that story to your father."
 The child recited the story.
 Now" said Mrs. Hicks, "do you think crazy man could write like that ?"
 "That ain't no proof Mollie."
 What?"
 |" say that ain't no proof for morn two-thirds O the books in the country was wrote by crazy men. This here writin' fever is the best proof O a mans insanity. Don't you know how my son used to scribble?"
 "Yes, but he wrote love letters"
 Makes no difference. Writin' is writin' an you can't make nothin' else out c it. We'll, we'll put eff this here discussion till l get bite to eat, for am as hongry as pun 'kiL-fed hog"
 After Mir. Hicks had cousoled his ap- petite, he came to the door of my prison.
 Helloa," said he, 1 see you air still here"
 Yes, 1t seems that am."
 "My wife tells me that she come mighty nigh turnin' you loose"
 " She seemed to sympathize with me-"
 "Oh, she's kind hearted, but her jedg- ment ain't always the best. She has spent too much O her time 'mungst books to have the best iedgment in the world. Spoke about turnin' you out, eh2 We'll, I'm glad she didn't for might have scolded her when got back"
 If my remaining here has saved her scolding, am glad that she did not Hberate me-"
 'Bliged to you for the compliment, said MT. Hicks with a decided return of his amusing air.
 Won't you come in and sit down ?" said l.
 "No, believe not. You'll please ex- cuse me for not bein' more neighborly, but"
 "But what?"
 Well ain't got over the idea that you air crazy. Sometimes I'm afraid that Pm crazy myself"
 Now look here, old man, this impris. is getting to be very tiresome, and while expect to gain nothing by threats, yet must tell you that this affair shall be investigated in court of justice. Brown showed no certificate proving my insanity"
 Yes, but he proved it by the men that came with him."
 But what right had they to testify against me2 He had shown no certi6- cate authorizing my confinement"
 "No, for he said you got out O 'sylum an another certificate want necessary"
 Why didn't he take me back to the place from which he said had escaped ?"
 "Because he didn't want to humiliate the family"
 "Then, why did he admit having taken me there in the first place2'
 |" don't know. Say, podner, you air gittin' down little too close for me. ain't no lawyer"
 "It does not take lawyer to observe tie law. You are laying yourself liable :o fine and imprisonment, and don't you lose sight of the fact that intend to have this affair sifted. For few dollars per month you are keeping me in an illegal prison and"
 "He can make you smoke for it." broke in Mrs. Hicks, who suddenly appeared.
 Mollie, this ain't no affair O your'n, an the less you meddle with it the better it will be for you. Do you hear me ?"
 "Of course hear you, Albert, but after heayinC wh at this n, q n caid xpa ava a v,eL