Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-12
THE MANIAC sutton.

bccucu w c1JOJ OuI LnuoiO % uuCn
that | think 1 never tried harder to
acquit myself well, and l fatter my
self 1 succeeded, too"
swell, Amy, I'm glad you went"
replied her friend "but visiting in
sane asylums, to entertain the in
mates, is not exactly in my line, |
always had an uncomfortable aver
sion to every being who is not in
his right mind. / had q little adj
venture once, too, which l can new
er forget
"An adventure [ dOte on any
thing Of that kind ; do tell me about
it, and Miss Amy folded her pref
ty hands and prepared to listen.
ut isn't much of story, Amy,
but it was a serious matter to me
at the time. You remember the
visit l made to fathers relatives in
the eastern part of the state : Soon
after my arrival at Cousin Julia's,
l met, at a little party one evening,
the most peculiar and, at the same
time, the most fascinating man l
ever saw. He was very large,
swarthy as an Italian he wore a
heavy beard, dark as nights his
hair, which was of the same color,
had the most eccentric habit of
standing straight up from his fore
head, in an aggressive style"
"Bless me You call that fas-
cinating man ("
"Just walt till I tell you of his
wonderful eyes. His eyebrows
were very heavy and almost met
OF course his eyes were black, but
they had such a peculiar express
sion; they seemed to draw you,
somehow, even against your will
The most trivial remark he made
assumed an importance that no one
else ever impaired to it.
"From the first was rather awed
by him, and he seemed to be quite
attracted by little me. l forgot to
tell you his name was Mr.. Chase
He sent me music and then gazed
at me while l sang it until l felt
impelled to sing better than l ever
did before. lie sent me flowers and
l wore his carnations, though, you
know, l don't admire them at all,
and never want to see one again.
OF course l was teased good deal
about my conquest, and | really be-
gan to dread his calls and cOntrived
10 have some one present always, as
I feared he would ask me to marry
him and l did not know how to
answer HIN. One evening he found
me alone, and had just begun a
most touching remark when to my
relief little Elite ran into the room
and effectually put stop to senti-
ment. lie left very soon with sort
of longing in his weird eyes which
impressed me strangely.
"The next evening my host re-
marked to his wife:
"'POor Chase has been obliged
to go back to the asylum they
took him to Harrisburg to-day
$50 here was the end Of my TO-
nance and the solution Of the mys.
terious influence he had over me.
| always had felt there was some
thing uncanny about him, and this
explainedit. / had heard OF in
sane persons having such power
over others, and 1 must say l
breathed easier to know he was out
of the way before had been borne
entirely under the spell Of those
wondrous eyes. Imagine my feel
ings when, few days after, tie
servant brought me this card and
told he had asked to see me alone.
Cousin Julia was out, else would
have insisted on her going to the
parlor with me. thought of all
the tricks of insane people that l
had read. The more | thought the
more nervous I grew but at length,
summoning all my self-possession,
l vent down stairs. He was NOV
ing restlessly about the room when
1 entered, came at once TO meet me,
and taking my hand exclaimed;
"'At last 1t seems an age since
l saw you
"Terri6ed as Twas my innate love
of truth compelled me to say:
alt is Just week.
"'Ah, yesv he murmured, but
time is measured by what we enjoy
or suffer, and so it seems to me a
long weary time since | saw you.-
Perhaps you have heard l was
obliged to go out of town after
saw you last, and have but lust
now returned from Harrisburg
indeed, l have not been home yet.
l felt | must see you first
ale was sitting close by me aud
leaned caressingly towards me as
be said {:
"I was wearying for the sight
of your dear face, for you must
surely know that you are very dear
TO me-
al felt as if was slowly turning |
to stone. Here | was, mere mite,
in the complete power Of this giant
of an escaped lunstic. 1 shall new
err forget the horror of it. just here
fate in the person Of Cousin Jslis
interpOsed before l had ia any way
committed myself.
"'Ah, Mr.. Chase she said, q am
glad to see you; when did you re-