Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-28
4 DOCTORS STORY.

One fine summer day IN the year 1877,
| was proceeding by TIE South Tsstern
railway to visit a friend and former pa
tient, resident of Portsmouth. Il is not
often that q medical man gets a holiday,
and but for the kindness of q fellow
practitioner, in taking u4y practice for g
fortnight, should not have had an OF
portunity of enjoying the sea breezes.
The train on which [ started was an
early one, and, having procured my ticket,
/ took nay place IL the second class car
riage and lit my cigar, for it was smok-
ing carriage. On entering it l was sur
prised-and, think, naturally SOTO find
the further corner of it occupied by a
lady.
"Oho!" said /, inwardly, "some fast
American demoiseIIe who desires to in
dulge in a cigarette"
On os servatiGn, however, it appeared to
me that the features of my fellow-traveler
did not bear upon them that impression
of cuteness which marks American ma
tionality She bad soft brown eyes, a
FULL round face, 9 prOfusion of chest
nut hair. She was dressed in a plain
travelling suit, bound with white bradid,
and wore a straw hat.
''Maybe German" I soIiloquised
they are terrible smokers"
But again it Occarred TO me shat posi-
bly, the young lady might be neither
American or German, but had got into
the carriage without noticing that it was
reserved for the use of smokers. Under
this impression / bowed slightly to her,
saying:
II fear my cigar may annoy you! Per-
haps you are not aware that this is 6
smoking com partment?"
sob, yes" she answered, with slight
German accent; yes, yes, yes, yes!"
There was something peculiar in her
slow, DELIBERATE utterance and the four.
times repeated monosylable. A dreamy
look, too, in the speakers eyes as if her
mind was preoocupied. However, the
train was now in motion, and 1 had moth
ing for it but to ensoOnce myself in my
corner, look out OF the window, and take
Il birds eye view of the surrounding
louse-tops.
For short time this was we'll enough;
but began at last to weary of the mo-
notony of such an amusement. We Eng
lishmen, as rule, are so reserved and un
sOciable that we shrink into ourselves
and every fresh addition to the occupan Is
of q railway carriage or an omnibus is re-
ceived with blank looks and sort of
tacit intimation that he has no right to
enter. Now, / am free to confess that,
whatever my failings, want of sociability
is not one of them; and [ determined TO
try to engage my companion in a little
conversation. There could be no impro-
priety in man of my age twas 3S) en-
deavoring to beguile the tedium of a lazy
journey by conversing with fellow tray
eler-a school girl) and certainly not ort
of her teens. It was, therefore, with an
almost paternal feeling that l addressed
her.
"There are not many passengers by
this train" / remarked.
"Two thousand and three" was the an
swer that not a little startled my equa-
nimity.
/ looked at the speaker expecting to
find mischieVous smile dancing in her
eyes or lurking at the corners of her
mouth. Nothing of the SOFT She was
perfectly serious, even stern, and her eyes
had still the same dreamy, far-away look
in them.
Very absent minded, or else in love-
/ Thought TO myself. However, [ tried
again.
81 think we shall have a fine day for
our Journey" / ventured to remark.
She turned upon me with that fierce,
despairing, yet restless look that we see
in a trapped rat.
How you talk, talk, talk"' she cried in
digpantly.
"But-n
care you mRd?" she screamed in a tone
of such intensified shrillness, and with
such an awful hungry look in her eye that
the truth flashed upon me like an inspir-
alton.
She was mad!
Medical man as 1 am, feeling of hor-
hor overeame me when I reflected that I
was shut mp alone in the carriage of 3
train travelling at express speed with a
lunatlc. True, was a strong man; she
only girl. But it is incenceivable what
extreme strength is possessed by many of
the insane. / have known q woman thus
afflicted require two, and even three, pow
erful men to restrain her during one of
her paroxysms.
However, | endeavored 90 keep as cool
as possible, as | looked the young girl
steadily IN the face. She looked at me
for moment or so without quailing; then
she sank back in her corner, ressmed her
apathetic posture. and sat gazing out OF
the window, with the far-away look in her
eyes, as if no such person as myself was
in existence.
Poor girI?" thought; and began tO
wonder who or what she could be, and
how she came to be travelling alone
Gould she have escaped from an asylum
If so, how came she to oe possessed OF
efficient funds to procure a railroad
Il cket?
I had had some experience in ''mad
cases." and | knew that the most out
rageous ones are those where the patient
maintains an even sullenness of demeanor
The girls case did not seem to me to be
one of them. On the contrary, her sud.
den change of mood when augered her
seemed to indicate it to be case Of tenn
porary alteration of mind, and conse
quentIy q durable one.
/ looked at my watch. In quarter Of
an hour we should be at Basingstoke.
was in the very act of returning my watch
to my pocket, when my companion, with
mocking laugh-the peculiar metallic
ring Of which it is quite impossible TO de
scrlhe-i.teraliy hurled herself upon ms
with overwhelming force, broke the watch
from Its chain and sent it spinning
through the window. In another second
she was endeavorjng to force herself also
through the window.
What followed as easy to relate. OF
course assistance was athand, and the I'M
fortunate young lady was removed to q