Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-14
bench was ..simply dreadful. {"

But this was not the best of it; he
heard Mrs. Bowers reply. Only two
words, indeed, and as irrelevant as are
most feminine utterances IN times Of
emergency: "Why, Bessier' was all she
said, or at least all that Drane heard,
but he was more than rejoiced. Her
name was Bessie! At last he had some
thing to call her in his thoughts. 1t
was the first hint on the subject. In
his joy at this discovery he forgot to re-
gret that he didn't know the other half
of her name. lie 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 blunder, 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 little tenderly toward him, she
will often accuse herself uniustly, 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
Drane with such angelic sympathy de-
picted upon her beautiful countenance.
She 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 woman never
allows an appeal to the higher tribunal
OF the mind. So Bessie acted upon her
first impulse and impIored Mrs. Bowers
to do something, no matter what it was.
With Mrs. Bowers it was question
neither Of the heart nor of the mind, but
of the conscience. Therefore she de-
cided to be merciless, but just. 1t was
her plain duty to protect Bessie from
impostors, fortune hunters and lunatics;
so she frowned at Drane in way that
gave him chill to supplement the fever
which Bessie's tender glances had put
into his blood.
Where will they send him now?"
asked Bessie, shuddering.
Probably to Wards Island, tempo
rarily," replied Mrs. Bowers.
"Will they be good to him thereP'
''He will be cared for" said Mrs. Bow
ers, sternly; land fed-to certain ex-
tent"
"Oh, my!' cried Bessie, tearfully.
Cant we take him home with us? You
have been so kind to me that look
upon your house as home now, you
know"
81 couldn't think of such thing"
Mrs. Bowers said, firmly. 81 can not
have lunatic in my house. 1t is all
that can do to look out for you"
At the thought that Drane would be
sent, partly on her account, to an island
whore there might be neither pudding
nor tea, Bessie developed symptoms of
hysteria which touched Mrs. Bowers
heart.
Perhaps could get him committed
to Jenkins Retreat" she said, relenting.
Where is that?" asked Bessie, catch
ing at straw.
at is a private asylum uptown" said
Mrs. Bowers, ''where they care for mild
but hopeless lunatics. / will speak to
the Judge about it."
''Is it better than that awful island?"
sit is a shade more cheerful" Mrs.
Bowers admitted, shutting her lips to-
gether firmly.
"Then make the Judge send him
there" cried Bessie. Tell him that
will give him ten thousand dollars if he
will"
''My dearr' exclaimed Mrs. Bowers,
shocked at the girls ignorance, there
are only certain number of judges in
New York, and you don't want them
ALL"
Drane had observed this conversation,
though he could not hear any of it. One
can not hear any thing in New York"
police court. The testimony of tear
ful innocence given in such places is
heard only in Heaven; which is just as
well, perhaps, for it may get some at
tention up there. However, Drane
knew that Bessie had been pleading for
him; and when Mrs. Bowers approached
the Judge, the prisoner realized that
some amelioration of hiscondition might
be expected.
Mrs. Bowers talked earnestly with the
magistrate, and with such good effect
that Drane was consigned to Jenkins
Retreat ill his friends from Kansas
City should arrive. AS for the tramp,
he went to be fed-to certain extent.
Mr. Jenkins called his asylum ''re-
treat" adyisedly, because it certainly
was not an advance upon any thing
hitherto existing in that line of busi-
ness. It's exterior had all the subdued
horror of fashionable boarding-house
where nothing thrives but gaunt re-
spectability. Within it was even worse.
An atmosphere of references given
and required especially the latter,
filled the hall; and through doorway
at the right, could be seen a tomb-like
of sofa sat the rigid images Of two an
cient females, evidently patients. They
looked out at Drane with cold severity
~ at made his hair curl.
He had cone thcre in charge of a
court officer, and had het been allowed
to exchange word with Bessie, whom
Mrs, Bowers had dgaggcl away as soon
as the question o. sommitment had beer
settled. lie felt deserted ana friend
less, and despite the fact that it was a
very warm evening, he shivered as be
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 DFane
as he stood In the dlmly-llghCeo nait.
lie wondered. for instance. whether a
straight-jacket would be regarded as an
essential of absolutely correct evening
dress in Mr.. Jenkins retreat He also
had curiosity 10 know how often, on
an average, the violent lunatics in the
establishment ovcrpowered their keep
ers and slaughtered the less demented
inmates. But. deepest and most impoF,
tant of all, was the question of supper.
for the meal which he had appropriated
in the bath had ceased to give him sat
isfactory support, and it might be a long
Eilne before he had chance to steal an
other.
jenkins was slow in coming; and
Drane got more and more nervous. lie
had an unusually strong natural horror
OF lunatics. Not that their presence is