The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-05

| the corner. Morathan two hours passed
and still the girl eroached there, Her
little whftefngers worked aervousiy Her
eyes were aeYerstin Her brow was drawn
in deep. Paiuful5fnes, as tku1gh the poor
disordered brain beneath made some great
physical effort to form thought. And SO
the darkness fell.
With morning came the keeper.
us there hole in the wall?" He laughed
maliciously. 'Then we can have no bread
today, and the excellent man passed Oh
well satisfied. Had he not inflicted pun
ishment when punishment was due?
And, moreover, his large and hungry
family lived on the bread which cost him
nothing.
June passed and July-long summer
days when the sun lay in the court yard,
and there was always a wasn corner in
cell No. 80, where the sbeaHS1fal insane giri
was kept. The keeper liked to go there
and lounge in the afternoons. She was
afraid of him, and hefozad her terror,di-
verting. It pleased him to see her stand
ing with downeast eyes sending cot those
strange gleams from Under the deep
fringed lids; with heawing breast, from
which the breatA la5ored heaysIgI with
trembling fingers locked 30 tightly to-
gether that the little nails grew rpe1+H1e with
the cruel pressure. 1t was tribute to his
| power.
A more observant person might have
seen something here to peGt-night
have analysed this fear and found in it a
trace of danger-Inight have declared this
attitude 10 be that OF a paEson detected
| or in fear Of detection--in wrong doing
| But the keeper. good man, was not one to
analyze. He examined al the cells daily
1t may BE- that hiS examination was some
| times clumsy. But wAV should he suspect
! this cAild9 Or suspectfng, way should he
/ fear her? A slender, white faced, covering
! thing who could only piak a hole in the
/ wall to hunt fer an imaginary May bugl
! A poor, weak, iEnbecile creature who shook
at the sound OF his vUieei The keeper
would have called your analyst fool for
| his paiRsi
There were times when the girl did not
shrink from him, h1st instead greeted him
with her charming, childish smile. Then,
were he in q good hUmor, he would talk
with her. Truly q strange duet, this, be-
tween the man without intellect and the
woman without reason. An interesting
study of chiaro OScuro, where the ideal
subtlety of the maniac stood out intensely
against the british, unimeginGtive sSolidi-
ty of the keeper. Often his rough voice.
like the believing of buil, frightened her.
but she listened to him with her adorable
smile, and only when he turned his eyes
away did that strange expression leap into
her face, that greedy, jealous light burn in
the eyes which, stealthuy, she raised to the
ragged clumps Of hair which lay upon his
temples. Once he surprised the glance. He
laughed loudly, derisiVely.
He had not altogether forgotten the May
Bug.
''Ahal' he laughed, "doSt seek thy treas
ure? Obi Oh! the fooli the iaiotI the luna
tic! Oh! have it! Here!' tapping his
forehead suggestively aad blinking his
flue china eyes, "herel keep it safely"
The girl made sudden, uncomfortable
movement as if she would spring upon
him, and the strange look deepened in her
eyes-the look Of passionate desire now
mingled with rage and hatred of the man
who kept from her what she coveted. The
keeper was enchanted at the success of
his pleasantly. Still laughing, he rose,
stretched his legs comfortably and lOunged
over to the window Outside the court lay
flooded in the sunlight, a gray fowl minced
across the tagging, pecdng at the tufts of
grass which forced themselves between the
stones of the walk The flowers in the
square garden plot in the center of the
court gave up their sweetness languidly to
the caresses of the warm air. The keeper
gazed stohdly through the grating His
hard little eyes rested unhhnhngly on a
great metal ball on which the dazzling
sunlight sported bravely.
Softly she came-sof5ly, lightly With
cheeks aflaIne with the strength of her de-
sirel With cleaning sapphire eyesl With
quivering nostrils and parted lips through
which the breath huttered TREMENDOUSLY!
Softly she came, with her 1.-THE young body
swaying, and Eer little, trembling hands
before herl In an instant her dainty fin
gers had twisted themselves in the mans
rough hair, jerked the great head back
ward, and began a furious scratching in
the grizzled mop over the left temple. The
keeper flung himself around with an i'm
precation and sent the woman spinning
against the wall.
''nsolencep' he roared, rushing upon
her. "Dost thou dare, indeedf In the
name Of reason-of which thou knowest
naught-take this-and thisr
He struck her crushing hlow with his
clinched fist. She smotl1ered a cry and
crouched, still with that dangerous look in
her eyes-crouched as If TO spring at his
great brutal, palpitating throat.
"Rsye a carer' he mutteHed threaten
ingly. rushing upon her again. Slowly her
expression changed. The corners of her
pretty mouth trenabled. She put out one
delicate hand with a depreoating gesture.
She srniletl-Rt first family. Then, with
more assurance, and moving gently for
ward she looked up, shyIy, into his scowl-
ing face as one who would implore forgive
ness. 1t was the canning OF the maniac,
but il touched the vanity of the keeper.
How ready she wGs 20 confess his powerl
How eager 20 sue his pardon!
He was Modified.
"Therep said he, mo more of thy stupid
tricks. foolr' And he went away.
The summer wahed. No. 30 seemed dull
and som er She slept little, grew weak
and thin, and from eut the pallor Of her
face her great blue eyes shone unnatur
ally. she was silent fer long hours at a
time. She no iepgsr talked of the lost May
Bug. She looked f77e a student who seeks
to solve great problems, and who loses his
health and strength il long vigils. She
left her bed at night and strange scratch
ing sounds were heard in her cell
she sleeps too warm, perhaps" said
the keeper; give her cooling shower'
And this merry fellow baGe them hold her
under the icy douche until she iel, chilled
and exhausted, to the ground This &C
CURED twice. After that there were no
more nocturnal disturbances. The keeper
chuckled
AZ know their tricks, said he.