The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-07-11
CHAPTER VII.

But this was not the best of it; he
heard Mrs. Bowers reply. Only two
words, indeed, and as Irrelevant as arc
most feminine utteranccs in times Of
emergency: "Why, Bessier' was all she
said, or at least all that Drane heard,
but he was more than rejoiccd. Her
namo was Bessie! At last he had some
thing to call her in his thoughts. It
was tho first hint on the subject. In
his JOY at this discovery he forgot to re-
gret that he didn't know tho other half
Of hcr name. He watched her pour her
woes into Mrs. Bowers ear, and was
satisfied.
Such spectacle is always entertain
ing, for when woman has embarrassed
man by making a blundcr, if she is
not too stupid to see it, nor too proud to
acknowledge it, nor too nervous to know
what she is about, she will sometimes
pity him divinely, if he is reasonably
good-looking. And if she has begun to
feel a little tenderly toward him, she
will often accuse herself unjustly, in
order that she may have the luxury of
telling herself how sorry she is that she
has put him into difficulty.
That was why Bessie now gazed at
Drano with such angelic sympathy de-
pictcd upon her beautiful countonance
Shc said in her heart that her testimony
had somehow helped to prove that he
was insane. 1t was question of the
heart, and in such cases a woman never
allows al appeal to the higher tribunal
Of tho mind. So Bessie acted upon her
first impulse and implorcd Mrs. Bowers
to DO something, no matter what it was
With Mrs. Bowers it was u question
neither of tho heart nor of the mind. but
of the conscience. Therefore she de-
cided to be mcrciless, but just 1t was
her plain duty to protect Bessie from
impoStors, fortune hunters and lunatics;
so she froWncd at Drano in way that
gavo him a chill to supplement- thofcvcr
which Bcssic's tcndcr glanccs had put
into his blood.
''Whcre will they send him now?"
asked Bessie, shuddcring.
"Probably to Wards Island, tempo
rarily," replied Mrs. Bowers.
''Wil thcy be good to him therc?''
''Iic will be cared for, . said Mrs Bow
CTS. atcrnly; ''and fed-to q certain OK
tent
''Oh, myr' cried Bessie, tcarfully.
Cant we take him home with us? You
havo been so kind to me that l look
upon your house as homo now, you
know
Il couldn't think of such thing"
Mrs. Bowers said, firmly. Il can not
have q lunatic in my house. 1t is all
that l can do to look out for you"
At the thought that Dranc would be
sent, partly on hOr account, to an island
whore there might be neither pudding
nor tea, Bessie developed symptoms of
hystoria which touched Mrs. Bowers
heart
''Porhaps l could get him committed
to lcnllins' Retreat" she said, rclenting
"Whorc is that?" asked Bessie, catch
ing at a straw.
''It is a private asylum uptown" )" said
Mrs Bowers, ''where they caro- for mild
but hopeless lunatics. l will speak to
tho judge about it."
SIS it better than that awful island?"
sit is q shade moro cheerful" Mrs.
Bowers admitted, shutting her lips to-
gother firmly.
"Thcn mako tho judge send him
thcro," cried Bessie. Tell him that l
will give him ten thousand dollars if he
will"
My dcar!' exclaimed Mrs. Bowers,
shocked at tho girls ignorance, ''there
are only a certain number of Judges in
Now York, and you don't want them
all"
Drano had observed this conversation,
though he could not hear any Of it. One
can not hear any thing in a New York
police court. The testimony OF tear
full innocence given in such places is
heard only in Heaven: which is Just as
we'll, perhaps, for it may get some at
tention up there. However, Drano
knew that Bessie had been pleading for
him: and when Mrs. Bowers approached
tho judge, the prisoner realized that
some amclioration of hiscondition might
be expected.
Mrs, Bowers talked earnestly with the
magistrate, and with such good effect
that Drarc was consigned to Jcnkins'
Retreat till his friends irom Kansas
City should arrive. AS for tho tramp,
he went to be fed-to a certain extent.
Mr.. jenkins called his asylum ''rc-
treat" adviSedly, because it certainly
was not an advance upon any thing
hitherto existing in that line of bust
ness. Its exterior had all the subducd
horror of 4 fashionable boarding
whore nothing thrives but gaunt re-
spectability Withinit was even worse.
An atmosphere of Preferences given
and required" especially the latter,
filled the hall; and through doorway
at the right, could be seen q tomb-lillo
parlOr, wherein upon the sarcophagus
of q sofa sat the rigid images of two an
cientfemales, evidently patients. They
looked out at Drane with a cold severity
that made his hair curl.
He had como thcrc in charge OF
court officer. and had not been allowed
to exchange word with Bessie, whom
Mrs. Bowers had dragged away as soon
as the question of commitment had been
settled. He felt deserted and friend
less, and despite the fact that it was a
very,warm evening, he shivered as he
stood in the hall waiting for jenkins,
of whom the officer had gone in search.
A large number of entertaining and
cheerful reflections crowded upon Dranc
as he stood in the dimly-Gghted hall.
lie wondered, for instance, whether a
straight-jackct would be regarded as an
essential of absolutely correct evening
dress in Mr.. Jenkins retreat. He also
had curiosity to know how often, on
an average, the violent lunatics in the