Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-05-08
PUBLISHED LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, s.

And nrane took that delightful sug-
gestion to his apartment, and medi-
tated upon it. Was it possible that he
was really insane? We're the strange
events Of the past few days which he
seemed TO remember, in reality only
Authorizations?
Who could determine, ifleft wholly to
himself, without single visible link
between him and the past, whether that
past had any real existence? In short.
Drane didn't know whether he was
crazy or not. He watched himself for
symptoms. Did his hand tremble?
Or hts heart beat too fast or too slow2 He
enjoyed q nice case of hypoehondriacism
till hong past midnight, and when he
fell asleep, the zebras described by the
forgetful genius were ordinary and rea-
sonable animals compared to those
which pranced through his dreams.
But the morrow brought a great
event, no less than call from Bessie.
She came unattended, but alas! the
matron was present during the entire
interview This not only prevented
Drane from enjoying the conversation
10 the full, but it also made it impossi-
Die, or at least unwise, for him to ask
her name. So he called her Bessie, and
she,made no objection.
Only for a moment in the hall were
they able 10 be alone. Then Bessie
hastily passed Drane note, and num-
Der of small, heavy, mysterious articles,
wrapped in a handkerchief. He had
barely concealed these things in his
pocket when the matron approached.
''But your nameP" whispered Drane,
hastily
Il am here as Mrs. Lawrence Drano,"
she replied, with blush. only the
wives of patients can visit them on or
binary days"
And She hurried away, leaving Drano
in delicious perplexity.
In his room he examined the note and
the bundle. The former proved to be
an elaborate plan for his escape written
out with the detail Of French de-
tective novel The latter was a great
lot Of keys Of all sorts and sizes. They
| had been taken from the doors in Mrs.
4 Bowers house, as the note explained,
and were OF course designed 70 open
doors in the Retreat.
Drane studied the plan of escape re-
/ ligiously. He noted every place where
he should 60, and the number of the
! particular stair where he must breathe
in order to avoid detection. In some
way Bessie had discovered that the
guard at the door was changed at mid
night. Drane was to steal softly from
his room at 1865. AS near that hour
rs he could guess he stole. according 70
directions, having punched the key
from his lock and opened his door
with one Of the bunch Bessie had
brought.
He crept down the stair keeping in
mind the various shrewd details of the
plot; where he must hide 10 let the
guard pass him; how he must do this,
that and the other thing which the
ingenuity Of the girl had devised.
And now he stood at the bottom OF
the lower stair. The guard was asleep
with his head against the wall. This,
too, was according to programme.
Drane could easily have passed him 10
his place Of concealment, but suddenly
a new and simpler phase of the problem
struck him. He coughed. The guard
did not move. Then he went up to the
fellow and shook him. The guard
| awoke.
Here your he cried, sleepily; go
back TO your cage"
Drane seized him by the neck;
dragged him to the parlor door; pitched
him head first into the room; and before
the man could recover his balance or
his bowls could bring assistance, Drane
had opened the outside door, and was
eavorting down the street.