Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-07-05

dangling heels Of his unhappy pre-
decessor werC still knocking against tho
hendbonrd.
From this nightmare he awoke
with shiv OF horror. He sat up and
listened. There was certainly strange
noise in tho heavy air. Sometimes 1t
was like subdued voices; then 1t was
signing; and again 1t was q gurgling
groan. For some minutes Drane could
not summon up tho resolution to in
vestigate, but at length he arose, and
ouaking with horror he underworld
to trace tho disquieting sound to Its
source.
It led him to o door which apparently
separated him from the next apartment.
What CHASTITY mystery lay behind 1t?
He hardly dared to think. He listened
and tho gurgling signs made themselves
plainly audible. Doubtless some UNI
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 the secret. Then with q
sudden resolution he seized the knob
and threw his force upon 1t.
Tho door opened easily. 1t revealed
an empty closet, with set bowl ut the
side, into which 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 he!
he foil quietly asleep and was not
Weakened till the light Of morning
streamed into tho room.
Breakfast was served to such OF Jenk-
ms boarders as could be trusted outside
their cages, ut eight o'clock. Afterpar-
taking Of that frugal meal Drane was
permitted to spend littlo while In the
parlor. 1t had no other occupant a
first except short, stout man with III
abundance Of stiff, curly hair who sat q
a table writing. Every time no paused
in that labor he stuck his pen behind
his ear; and when he was ready to rc'
sumo his task he picked up q fresh one
forgetting what no had done with the
other. The consequence was that in
few minutes the bushy hair over his
ear was full of pen-holders, and there
remained only the one which he was
using. Presently that joined the rest
and then the little nan, after hunting
about the table few minutes, gave i
up and pushed his paper from him.
Tho servants hero arc very careless,
said he to Drane. "Thoy always fail t.
provide me with pens, although the.
know the Importance of my work. Ant
for myself, am SO absent-mindcd, d.
you know, that my forgetfdlness ha
been the ruin of my life. 1t Is true"
He leaned toward Drane impressively
and continued: IL am genius. i ono
wrote tho greatest poem extanr. The'
mislaid it. For months searched TO
the manuscript, but without finding
trace of it. My cursed forgetful
ness! Then tried to remembe
what was in Tiny forgetfulnes
again. couldn't think OF sin
gle line. could remember onl.
that it surpassed Homer. Dante o
Shakespeare. The thought that ha'
thus cast away undying fame by mer
carolessness undermined my health, Tin
til they brought mo to this sanitarium
Confound it, ono might as we'll be hon
est about it. There's no sanitariur
about it. It's lunatic asylum. an
for the sake Of veracity let's admit II
Here sit scribbling away every day
trying vainly to hit upon tho singh
inspiration which for moment raisc'