St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-03-27
A MADMAN'S STORY.
His Mysterious Rival and His
Awful Secret.

One afternoon last summer / had oc
casion to visit the insane ASYLUM al
-. Among the large number o
patients confined in that institution
was particularly interested in one who
bore about him evidences of having
been once splendid specimen of man.
hood. Despite the stoop of his shoul-
ders and his air of debility it was easy
to trace the outlines of former mag
nificent frame. His forehead was lofty,
his chin prominent and bold. his every
feature in a sane man would have indi-
Gated strength and an irresistible will.
Yet if left in solitude for even a mo-
ment his expression became haunted
and his manner so timid that it COM
pletely contradicted the outlines of his
face.
When questioned the warden about
this man he could give me no informa-
ton whatever. The young lady i'm
mourning who had caused him to be
left at the asylum had been uncommu-
nicative, and as for the man himself,
he had either forgotten the past or did
not wish to speak of it. l might ques-
hon him, though, if | liked. 1t could
do no harm.
The subject of my curiosity was
walking stolidly about the gardens at
tached to the institution, and lost no
time in approaching him. His manner
was affable, but when / asked him to
tell me the story of his life he cast on
me such look of horror that l beat a
precipitate retreat. About half an hour
later, as | was about to pass out of the
gate, | Ifelta slight touch on my shoulder.
turned and saw the mailman.
Il will write you my history" said
he. although l can not bring myself
about to tell it. 1t will be painful to
ME, but may be of use to Others" l
accepted with thanks and made ar
rangements with the warden to have
his writings sent on to ME by mail.
About month later I received a
package from him containing about
forty sheets of folio-cap. covered COM
pletely with close writing, of which the
greater part was a mere scrawl. Yet,
after much study, l made out enough
to construct the following narrative,
which give, not in his words, for they
would be unintelligible. but in my own
1t is narrative which l deem it my
duty to publish:
|, John Whitman. am descended from
the peasantry of England, to whom 1
owe my former keen, though practical
and matter-of-fact, cast of mind
During my college course, until my
senior year. | was without an equal in
either athletics, society or class stand
ing. Yet, though had no equal. had
Z rival.
Whenever | was first this one was
second, except in popularity, for his
manner was SO egotistical as to inspire
disgust, while he was abnormally bright
and his brightness often took so devil
ish turn that he was even feared. He
was small yet wiry youth. of sallow
complexion, jet black hair and an eye
SO deep set and SO peculiar that no one
could ever remember its color.
l seemed his evil fate in every con-
lest. [ took the prize i'm the athletic
held by jumping only one inch higher
than he; by running the half mile two
seconds faster. While it was clear that
was to be valedictorian. it was no less
evident that he would deliver the sa-
iutatory address. To cap the climax
We We're rivals for the hand of GER
tain young heiress in town, the despair
Of all the undergraduates. and had it
not been for me he would undoubtedly
succeeded in his suit, for he was the
most brilliant converSationalist | ever
met. When he exerted himself to talk
Ia You atfably it was as if YOU looked
into the eye of a rattleSnake and were
fascinated by the colors YOU saw there.
But Mollie one day gave him to un-
derstand that he was again second in
the race, and the disappointment drove
him almost insane. 1t seemed as if
he could bear the companionship of no
living thing after that repulse. and it
was, perhaps, to be away as far as pos
sible from human beings that he bought
the old stone house about quarter of
mile from college and lived there
alone. The spirit of gloom must have
selected that place for his habitation.
To say nothing of its lonely position
outside the city, of the huge sycamores
that surrounded it and kept out every
sunbeam, the home itself was low and
damp and seemed built more under
ground than above. The owner had
never before been able to rent it for
any price, and it had so bad name
among city urchins that no promise
which the chestnut trees held out could
induce them to come into the vicinity.
Here, as l said, my rival lived alone,
coming among us only at recitations.
He seemed to take an extraordinary in
terest in chemistry. and it was rumored
that he had even fitted up laboratory
in the cellar of his house Otherwise.
too. his actions became inexplicable
One afternoon, while was standing on
the campus. he came up to me from
behind, and pressed my head quickly
in several different places once with
each finger of his right hand. Thought.
at the time, that the repulse which
Mollie had given him had affected his
mind, and so said nothing, but the