The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-01-08

time keeping step to "Lar-diddle-
lickl' given in most spasmodic
manner as he went over the various
articles Of furniture.
Ny brain was in a whirl. Would
he never stop? And if he did stop.
what would his insane fancy next
prompt him to do? AZ / tottered
over the door, | set my mind to
work to devise some plan ofescaping
from this annoying lunatic.
| had not taken off my rubber
boots, and OF course my attempts at
dancing had been clumsy and tire
some enough. | saw that my agile
companion regarded the boots at
times with contemptuous disapprov-
al. This led me to think of the slip
pers which | wore through the day
They were in the big closet. With n
thought of them n mehod of escape
suggested itself to my mind.
Commanding my voice as we'll as
could, | explained to the man how
difficult it was to dance in rubber
boots, and asked him if he would
oblige me by fetching the slippers
from the closet, the door of which
pointed out to him. He readily com
piled, and ran to the closet With a
wildly heating heart i followed him
unnoticed
The slippers were not in sight, and
as the lunatic CROPPED about in the
farther corner of the closet, | slam
med the door upon him, and whirled
the big button half around.
With IL howl he tried the door,
then burst into a tornado ofshrieks,
excavations and threats, accompani-
ed by kicks against the stout old
door that made it creak and tremble
| worked with all my Unborn
strength to barricade the door with
a long recitation bench which stood
opposite it and near it. Then throw
ing on my coat, leaped to the top
OF the desk, and climbed out through
the little window behind.
During our goblin dance the wind
had lulled, but the snow still fell
heavily. | plunged through the deep
drifts toward Mr.. Fosters house,
calling for help at every step. Mrs.
Foster, who was up with her sick
baby, heard me while was yet far
off and sent her husband out to an.
swer the call.
''My face was chilled from my ex-
posure to the wind, and was so
much affected by the nervous shock
which l had sustained that | was not
a very lively guest at Uncle Johns
the next day. However, no serious
consequences followed. The school
had holiday for the rest OF the
week, and resumed again on Mon
day morning.
My prisoner, a pauper from the
next town, had once been a dancing
master. For several years lie had
been subject to periodical fits of in
sanity. 1t had been the practice of
his keepers, when the approach of
one OF these attacks was indicated,
to take him to the state asylum,
where he remained until he recovered;
but the attack of insanity which re-
suited in his visit to me had come on
He had artfully eluded
the overseer at the poor-house, and
made his escape on the morning of
the storm. Guided by my light, prob
ably. he had sought shelter in the
school-house.
The reason of my Uncle Johns
failure to come for me that day was
that he had been taken suddenly ill
with n slight illness. He had sent q
message, bidding me to 90 to Mr..
Fosters for the night, but through
the heedlessness of the boy to whom
it was entrusted it was not delivered
to me.
| think it must have been his en-
loyment of my recital of my adven-
ture that cured him, for he ate very
heartily of his Thanksgiving dinner.
Buckley, in Youths Com
panion.