The Globe-republican., 1890-07-09


limbs was broken. came to nurse him.
For seven long weeks l was his con-
slant, his only companion. l read to
him, talked to him-and then-and
then"
HE died?"
"No; he became hopeless lunatic.
1 have never loved since then; but now
your face brings it all back to me. Ex-
cuse the outburst of my feelings"
She laid her head on his shoulder,
and cried into his collar. Drane could
feel his hair begin to turn gray but he
shut his teeth together with resolution.
Tho other fellow had stood it seven
weeks before he went out of his head,
and Drane believed that he could last
till jenkins came.
In fact he did; but it was a close
shave. Jenkins was tall and greedy
man, with hollow cheeks and a cheer
less smile. At his appearance the
woman with romance in her life
vanished in charge OF her companion,
who proved to be the matron of the
house. jenkins did not care to question
the new conner. He was satisfied that
all charges would be promptly paid, and
he at once escorted Drane to an apart
ment on tho third floor. Here the un-
fortunate young man secured some toast
and tea. which, however, did not Who'll
ly sustain him against the horrors of
the night.
Jenkins made a casual inspection of
IL
room.
''You will excuse this formality," said
he, ''but the man who occupied this
room before you brought in piece of
rope with which he hanged himself over
the headboard of the bed before morn
ing. We have had many cases of the
kind. Good night"
This was a cheerful subject of reflec-
ton to take to bed with one, and it was
still more consoling to hear the key
turned on the outside of the door.
81 believe that 1 shall actually go
crazy before morning." said Drane as
he stretched himself upon the bed. It
was insufferably hot. The windows were
carefully barred and screened in a way
which not only prevented the suicidal
egress of Jenkins boarders but denied
ingress to an adequate supply Of the
free air Of Heaven. After making this
discovery Drane returned to his bed,
where he was soon dreaming that the
dangling heels of his unhappy pre-
decessor were still knocking against the
headboard.
From this nightmare he awolse
with shiver of horror. He sat up and
listened. There was certainly strange
noise in the heavy air. Sometimes it
was like subdued voices; then it was
signing; and again it was gurgling
groan. For some minutes Drane could
not summon up the resolution to in
vestigate, but at length he arose, and
quaking with horror he endcavored
to trace the disquieting sound to its
source.
1t led him to door which apparently
separated him from the next apartment
What CHASTITY mystery lay behind it?
He hardly dared to think. He listened,
and the gurgling signs made themselves
plainly audible. Doubtless some un-
fortunate was leaving the Retreat by
the method jenkins had described, and
had failed to arrange his moose in an en-
tirely satisfactory manner. For what
seemed long time. Drane quaked and
hesitated. not daring to penetrate
further into tie secret. Then with a
sudden resolution he seized the knob
and threw his force upon it.
The door opened easily. It revealed
an empty closet, with set bowl at the
side, into which a thin stream of water
was trickling. and running down the
escape pipe with the noise which had SO
Mortified him. Alarm gave place to
wrath. He vowed all sorts of ven
geance upon every body who had even
remotely contributed to his present
evil plight. Every body but Bessie.
He forgave her, and in thinking Of her