Connecticut western news., 1888-06-27
She was madl-


 was shut up alone in the carriage of a train, travelling at express speed, with Q lunatic. True, l was a strong man, she only a girl. But it is 1nconceivable what extreme strength is possessed by many of the insane. l have known woman thus afflicted to require two, and even three powerful men to restrain her during ono of her paroxysms.
 However, I endeavored to keep as cool as possible, as looked tho young girl steadily in the face. Shs looked at me for a moment or so without quill ing; then she sank back in her corner, resumed her apathetic posture, ard sat gazing out of tho window, with tho far away look in her eyes, as if no such per- son as myself was in existence.
 "Poor girlr' thought; and I began to wonder who or what she could be, and how she came to bo travelling alone. Could shc have escaped from an asy- lum. If so, how came she to be pos so ssed of sufficient funds to procure a railway ticketa -+....
 had some experience in tmad cases" and knew that the most outrageous ones arc those where tho patient main- tains an even sullenness of demcanor. Tho girls case did not seem to me to be ono of them. ca the contrary, her sudden change of mood when I angered her seemed to indicate it to be case of temporary alteration of mind, and con- sequcntly a curable one. looked at my watch. In quarter of an hour wo should be at Basingstoke. was in the very act of returning my watch to my pocket, when my com panion, with Q mocking laugh-the pc culiarly metallic ring of which 1t is quite impossible to describe-literally hurled herself upon me with ovorwhelm- ing force, broke tho watch from its chain, and sent it spinning through the window. In another second she was endeavoring to force herself also through tho window.
 Then commenced terrible struggle, of which I even yet shulder to think. | My muscles were strained to their ut most limit of tension, the pers spiration poured down my face, and my arms felt as if about to be wrenched from their sockets. And all this to restrain one of the sex commonly called tho "weaker" l from self-destruction.
 All this time the poor girl uttered no sound that could give warning to the guard or our fellow passengers of the terrible struggle for lifo or death that was going on within a. few yards of them. As for my own voice, tho extra ordinary physical tffort l was making to restrain tho would bo suicide entire ly prevented my making the slightest use of it. But just as my powers were failing mo, and felt that could no longer prolong tho struggle, tho train began percoptibly to slackcn speed.
 "Thank Heaven 1 Basingstoke at last"
 What followed is easy to relate. Of course, assistance was at hand, and the unfortunate young lady was remov,d to a place of safety. From letters which we found on her, and some articles of
 jewclry, which we ad vertised, we speed lily discovered her friends. Naturally I, a medical man, would not lose sight of her till had discovered thom.
 The patient proved to bo q member
 of German family, naturalized in Eng
 land, who was sub ject to periodical at.
 tacks of mental alteration, but had
 never actually been in tho asylum.
 During the attacks, which invariably came on without any warming, so that
 it was difficult to watch her, sho was
 seized with restless desiro to wander
 over the country, and, it appeared, had
 merely selected the Southwestern line
 because it happen cd to be the nearest to her own home.
 She had been so long without an at tack that her mothers and sisters had or
 the pre- evious night venturcd to go to al
 evening party leaving Lotta fast asleeI in bed at home. During their absence she eluded the vigilance of the servants ) got up and dressed herself, walked ) about for some time, and took ticke , for the early Portsmouth mail-at least that was what she imagined and told u /; on her recovery. Her memory, however 2 was very imperfect, but the poor chile must ce rtainlY have walked about tn l streets for some time prior to the depar turc of tho express.
 ? It was natrral that under the circum 3 stances-I have already stated that f had had considerable experience in sucl a cases-her frion ds should ask me to en l deavor to effect cure.
 undertook it and entirely succeed. ? ed. And also l undertook and succeed
 cd in something else.
 @ It is my wife who is looking over m y shoulder as write, and who says:
 My dear, the maddest act of all m o life was when"
 a But here stop.
 e A Prize For Jaw. Breakers. d There were 45O compctitors for tn '- prize offered by an English journal fo