Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-04-12

..Oh. mum. but there's TIL dog,
mum; and daren't"
This was fear with which I oonld
sympathze, for remembered that the
dog. which was always loosed at night
was really ferocious, and said. as q
last resort:
.Then there's nothing to be done
but to go to the asylum. and beg one
of the physicians there to come to US.
Ask for DR.. Wilder-he's an ola friend
of my husband's--and tell him that
Mi. Dermott's mother has been taken
suddenly ill. He will come as favor
to me, 1 am sure"
Luckily. Bridget had not my fear of
the asylum. and would not have mind
ed whole regiment of lunatics; and
by the time had soothed my patient
a little, DR.. Wilder was at the door.
II was up already" he said. elm
deed, I had not been in bed, for one Of
our patients escaped last evening. and
we have spent most of the night in tele-
graphing. and going to various places
where we thought she might be-
Ibid not think then that man who
had been out all night could not be
very glad to be called out again before
he had chance to rest but l led the
way to Charles mothers room. tell
ing him of her being so weary the
evening before. and all that knew of
her sudden illness. We found her APP
parently sleeping, her face turned to-
ward the wall. DR.. Wilder laid his
myers on her pulse, and light as his
touch was, it aroused her. She turned
toward us. and opening her eyes. said
quietly: "You are Charlie. l like
you. You are good to me-"
/ began: "What do you think -
The doctors face wore an expression
of perfect amazement as he looked
first at me and then at his patient, but
he said to her very quietly: Aunt
Nellie, now that l am here, you are
better am going 20 talk with this
lady, and in ten minutes shall want
to find you dressed, and ready to go
with me-
Eyes. l will, Charlie" she said; II
will go anywhere with you"
Then DR.. Wilder turned to me, as I
stood in utter bewilderment and
beckoned me out into the hall.
II beg your pardon, :" he said. "but
if l had delayed or shown the least
hesitation, or doubt of her obeying me.
1 could not have easily managed her.
Did you think this was Mrs. Dermott?
Why, it Is old Aunt Nellie, and she has
been with us ten years"
"Do you mean that she is insane?"
I asked.
Insane? yes. he replied, Gas hope
lessly SO as any one in the asylum. !
can usually manage her, for she thinks
that am son of hers. whose death
was the cause of her insanity. Didn't
she talk about Charlie and 'Frank?'
Frank is her name for one of the at.
tendants, against whom she has some
grudge. She calls me Charlie, and
she often pretends to be i'll, hoping
that will come to her. think she is
dressed by this time. Could ask you
to lend me warm shawl for her?
The air is very chilly"
1 brought the shawl mechanically,
and in moment more my supposed
mother-in law had taken the doctors
arm, and was walking up the street,
apparently as well as possible.
ANY woman who reads this story
will know that the next thing that l
did was to have ca good cry" and
that 1 sent for Frank to stay in the
house the next night. Charlie came
the day after, and not many days
later. my real mother-in-law. She had
been detained by unexpected company.
Her telegram was afterwards found in
the waste-basket, owing to the blum
dering of a stupid office boy who hap
pered to be the only one in when it ar
rived.
Of course. was laughed at, but l
am not sorry for the adventure, for my
visit from the mild. little old Lady with
the childlike laugh has taken away
much of my unreasoning horror of in
sane persons; and I have never been
sorry for one-half minute that mar
ried Charlie, although we still live on
Asylum strect.-Eca ~ Iappan. in
Won,dn'S Journal.