San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-02

He 1CdlkGd brtSkty up the street TO the gate
The more thought of the scene had
witnessed on the lawn, and of the words
l had heard Mrs. Caroline Green address
to Richard Melville, the less liked the
idea of my patient walking on the lawn
alone after nightfall.
l didn't like Richard Melville's defiant
attitude.
couldn't bear to think of the pitiful
changes had observed in Mrs. Caroline
Green's demeanor.
1t was plain to my mind that some
kind of secret understanding existed
between the two. could not see why a
person in Mr.. Richard Melville'sposition
should find it necessary to have a private
understanding with a patient in an in
sane asylum.
The most sensible view to take of the
matter was that Mr.. Melville was only
humoring the insane fancy of the wom-
an in whom his mother took so great an
interest. This is the view finally forced
myself to take.
But even taking this view of it, and
knowing what cid of Mrs. Green's hal
lucination, it seemed to me to be my
plain duty, in the interest of my patient,
to prevent a second secret meeting.
To my mind the one meeting l had
witnessed should not have been permit
ted, even in the presence of Mrs. Clark
Melville. resolved to place the whole
matter before Mrs. Melville at the first
opportunity.
Mind you, it did not occur to me that
there was any wrong motive for the APP
pointment at the gate. 1t does not mat
ter what my opinion is now. 1t is suffi-
cient if | state now that was then only
apprehensive of the effect on my pa
TENTS health of continued companion
ship with Richard Melville.
The result Of my deliberation on the
subject was a resolve that if my patient
did meet Richard Melville at the iron
gate in the night time should not be
very far away. Ny instructions were to
allow her all the freedom from restraint
possible under the rules of the asylum.
resolved to follow these instructions to
the letter, and at the same time to make
sure that the privilege was not abused.
Mrs. Green did not ask permission to
visit the lawn in the evening until the
third day after the appointment had
been made. l granted the request as
soon as made, and arranged to carry out
my programme of surveillance.
Ny patient made her appearance on
the lawn at eight o'clock. From my
window could watch her every move
ment without being seen. She walked
about the place in the usual way for
nearly an hour, stopping now at the
fountain and now at the gate, before her
manner betrayed the slightest impa-
thence. Then her pauses at the gate be-
came longer and more frequent.
Then it occurred to me that from the
position occupied it would be impos-
sible for me to see and identify her Wis
itor. The thought came to me that the
appointment might not have been made
for the man who made it. | had thought
of nothing all day but the proposed
meeting, and | was not willing that it
should take place without my knowing
more of it than l could learn from the
window of my room. People who read
this may set this down as bit of femi-
nine curiosity. Call it matronly pru-
dence, and You will have it right.
As l left my room, dressed for the
street, an attendant stopped me with
this statement and this question:
M. Richard Melville came "a the