The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-15

imam stay In this mole In the WOODS
would agree to live with maniacs a
a month. You check my grip SO it
will follow me on the Monday train, and
I'll go to Toledo tonight with the
crazies."
The traveller was really desperate
enough to brave almost any thing in the
endeavor to reach home. The train
stopped exactly at the point where he
was awaiting it in hiding. He had
hastily torn off his standing collar.
turned up his coat collar, battered some
big dents in his Derby hat, rolled up
his trousers an inch or two, disheveled
his hair and brushed the order out of
his well-kept mustache.
Thus disguised, he thought, any train
men who should espy him would take
him for a guard. and the guards
would easily suppose him to be an en-
ploye of the road. Fate favored him,
as he climbed up the steps of the coach,
for no one noticed him, and his lucky
star seemed very bright when he found
that no locked door prevented his en-
trance to the car. Boldly walking in,
he sat down near the rear door and af-
fected the nonchalant air of brake
man. while he furtively gazed at his
fellow-passengers.
He had a carload of human nature
to study, and he anticipated amuse-
ment.
Lemuels thought to himself that, had
he not been previously posted, he could
not have told, by their appearance, that
all these people, over forty were in the
car, were unfortunates whose reason
had tottered on the throne and fallen
into the dull void of insanity. The wo-
man who persisted in wanting to raise
a window, to chill her neighbor in the
next seat back, acted as sane as many
other women do who travel without a
keeper. The man who tried to spread
himself over two whole seats, to the ex-
clusion of all others, did not act differ
ent from many other men who would
be more at home in a cattle car.
Both of these people might be crazy.
thought the trespasser, but they acted
perfectly natural, as did also the wo-
man who repeatedly changed her seat
from one part of the car to another, and
the one who did her best to stare her
neighbors out of countenance.
In his new-found interes st the COM
mercial traveller, who was so lately eX-
tremely wretched, forgot his woes.
His condition in life might require him
to travel in all manners at all hours,
b.ave the terrors of country hotels,
and meet many rebuffs and disappoint-
ments; yet he thanked Heaven that he
was not as these poor creatures.
While thus felicitating himself upon
his good luck, temporal and mental, he
noticed a man coming toward him
from the front of the car. walking with
slow dignity down the aisle, scanning
each face as he passed. He was bare
headed, and the wavy hair that flowed
in classical curves about his forehead
shaded a pair of brilliant dark eyes
As the man came to where Lemuels
was sitting he stopped, gave the COM
mercial traveller a look that seemed to
pierce through him. and made the
guilty trespasser feel that his trick was
discovered and he would be put off the
train.
One of the physicians in charge"
I Il 4 -
ready working calculation of the
probable distance he would have to
walk to town. 4,
Il am glad to see you," gently re-
marked the sharp-eyed man; you are
looking quite well"
The commercial traveller felt that the
pleasure was not mutual, but he was
glad TO know that his countenance did
not expose his inward agony of appre-
hension.
Are you going far?" said the man
who, Lemuels was sure must be the
chief physician.
Il am headed for Toledo" was the
non-committal though inelegant reply
of the man, who really could not tell
how far he was going, though he had
no doubts about how far he wanted to
60.
II will sit besides you awhile" was
the next remark, which was reassuring
and did not signify any immediate in
tention of expulsion. When seated.
the doctor looked straight into the
commercial travellers eyes and sa d:
This is my school-my peripatetic
academy-and / want to assure you, sir.
that in us you see a community that is
a chosen one. These are my pupils,
my Notwithstanding a long, white
hand about him-.'and among us we
have all knowledge, all power To us
cosmic science is but a primer; the sys-
tenn of law, harmony and order in the
universe is but fundamental.
You teach them scientific knowl-
edge, then?" said Lemuels. who al
ready felt mystified.
Ito us the problem of the relation of
mind to matter is no longer one of dis
pute or struggle. The nature of our
knowledge of existing things. of the ex-
ternal world, was a puzzle to the an
cient philosophers who first began the
inquiries into mans cognizance of ex-
istences outside of himself, but to US it
is established. Don't you see, sir, that
in the metaphysical, while the body is
but mortal the mind exists forever and
holds dominion over all matter?"
"Yes-ah, yes; TO be sure" said
L l. i. IA,