Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-05
critical. The: other was . wonan-in
trouble (; and that wss enough.
W.~> - A. ~


trouble and that wss enough.
Were they going to rob jour"
The woman broke into . short dis
cordant laugh; but immediately grew
grave sgain, gazing silently ct Gladys,
a. II debating with herself once more.
Why did she look j, thar strange
way-why did she laugh il shs were IN
trouble? wondered Gladys, IS silently
returning her gaze With an uncanny
feeling Of she knew not what. Sud-
denly her fears took shape; . terrible
suspicion, aroused, perhaps, by the
others laugh, dsrted into her mind.
One thought had suggested another |;
she remembered now that the voice
which had sounded familiar to her was
that Of DR.. Harland. who kept o
private asylum just outside the village.
After moments reflection she said,
making great effort to command her,
self and appear to speak in a quiet, ma
tural tone:
The voice Of one Of those in pur.
suit Of you seemed familiar to me. IL
was that Of DR.. Harland, who lives at
the-who receives patients. Do you
know him ?"
mad people, do you mean" She
was silent for few minutes, then slow
ly recommended: "You are thinking
that am one Of them, and have made
my escape?"
At loss how to reply, Gladys uncon-
sciously betrayed what was in her
mind, shrinking back little as she
murmured, with a whitening face, 81
thought that perhaps"
You needn't be afraid. | am
as sane as you are. II ever wo-
man bad her wits about her I've got
mine this minute, =" She paused again,
and, after a moments thought, seemed
to come to some decision. " You look
tie sort to judge for yourself and stand
by any one you promised to help.
WELL" after another keen look, 81
will trust you. have been shut up
there and I've made my escape. !
should never have got free if | hadn't,
though | am no moro mad than you
are."
"But DR.. Harland is good man. |
know him, and know he would never
lend himself To-"
"No, oh, no. I've nothing to say
against him." h1rriedly. alt was
the othcrs-they that gave the certifi-
cates-who were to blame"
Butt do not understand. What
motive could they have had?"
"People are sometimes treated as
insane when they are not, you know.
Didn't you hear about that poor lady
that was put away not long ago?"
eyes, l heard Of that" replied Gla-
dys, recollecting something Of the kind,
and it's having been said that the motive
was to obtain the property Of the lady
kept in duraDce. But DR.. Harland
would not"
81 told you it was the others. He
thought that what they said about my
beirg insane was true-because-bc-
cause | kept to the story ; and-it's 80
dreadful No wonder he can't be-
lieye, when those that put me with him
say it's just that I'm insane about, and
that / only fancy what occurred"
You saw something lonesome
thing dreadful" calculated Gladys.
eyes" The woman paused a mo-
ment, as though listening again, then
hurriedly went on; 81 saw it done.
The poor gentleman was on a visit
and-it was a summer night ; and-I
vas in the-the garden, as it might be
here, to-to--get a breath Of fresh air.
looked in at the dining-room window.
They had been playing some gambling
game, aud-hsd given him too much
wine. They made him sign some papers,
and-then-oh, cannot tell you "
DO you mean--did they kill him s"
calculated Gladys, with dilating eyes.
81 saw it, Oh, it was too dread
'ul Afterward ! got hysterical, and
cried out about what had seen !;
and-then-to save themselves they
pretended | had lost my senses, and
got the doctors to sign paper that |
had"
"Ah cruel, wicked What you must
have suffered :" said Gladys, with a
look of mingled horror and pity.
"You can SEQ now why | was so
anxious to make my escape-how little
chance should have to do so again if
they caught me-"
"They shall not. You are welcome
to stay here until you can communicate
with your friends, poor thing"
ooh, no, | dare not -; hurriedly
adding, " They would find me-"
81 would not give you up. | have
friends in the neighbOrhOod, and"
"Ah, you forget about that, poor Ia
dy. They were armed with authority,
and could make you. My only chance
is to get safely away to where they
could not find me, until | could prove
myself sane. IL | could but contrive
to reach my sister in LOndon--Hush {!
| thought | heard-sre they coming
back"
mot yet. They will come back
this way--there is no other-when they
find you have gone to the station, but
it is nearly two miles there and back.
How can | help you? There is the
junction, but that is quite four miles
from here, and you do not know the
way"
II could soon find it, but it's no
use trying now. They will be on the
watch for me in the road, and there's
no other way, SUPPOSE"
Why, yes; of course there is
How could ! forget" exclaimed
Gladys, with look OF relief. :" A
much shorter way, too Through the
churchyard and across the fields at the
back you would save quite mile and
q half"
"Will you put me in the way ?"
eagerly. Then, her face falling again,
"But most likely they know it, too
and if they suspect I've gone there
they will follow me. They would be
sure to think of the junction."
Eyes; am afraid they would"
"Then can only depend upon the
desperate chance Of hiding or outrun-
ming them-unless-"
"Unless WHAT" questioned Gladys.
"Icould not expect it," hesitatingly.
"You may expect anything it is in