Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-08-18


SON, who was sleeping for the time being
in one of the attics, had not forgotten to
put the kitchen lamp out, which some
times he did.
The window Of my room was wide
open and a lovely fresh breeze came
blowing in. sat down on the bed for
a minute or two to enjoy it. A nice in
for an enterprising burglar, l
thought, if it were known there was
anything worth stealing about the
house. He could be up the trelliswork
in half a minute. Then the escaped
lunatic, too; it might have afforded
shelter to him if closely pursued. Thus
musing, slipped off my things prepara-
tory to getting into bed, bat before do
ing SO there was duty | had to per-
form and which always had done since
I slept in the house.
There was a door leading from my
room into a kind of dressing room,
which was sometimes opened during the
day for various purposes and in front of
which a curtain was rugged up. Being
naturally rather timid, always used to
see that this door was properly locked
and the space under my bed untenanted
ere settled down to slumber.
Taking up the candle, made my way
across the room to the door, but when
within couple of yards or SO Of it |
came to q dead halt. The paragraph l
had read in the paper seemed to whirl
through my brain, and for the moment
/ had hard work to keep myself from
collapsing on to the floor.
The lunatic at the time of his escape
was attired in morning suit of black,
and wearing dancing pumps! | was
startled, can tell you, but not without
reason-for peeping out below the curs
tain which covered the door were the
toes and half the feet of pair of patent
leather boots! | regained my composure
gradually, and moved away back to-
ward the bed, but keeping my eye on
the curtain the whole time.
Who knew but that the lunatic might
have been watching me through pin
hole in the curtain, and, conjecturing
the place of his concealment had been
discovered, make a rush at me? But no.
He evidently was ignorant of my dis
covery, for the feet remained there mo.
tionless.
What was l to do? Here l was in a
room by myself, within five yards of 9
madman; standing feet inches in his
socks, whom under ordinary circum
stances it would take a couple or three
men to tackle and satisfactorily dispose
of. shuddered as | thought of it.
mentally measured whereabouts hi!
head would be behind the curtain, ant
casting my eyes around the room, to my
Joy they rested on a pair of Indian club'
was in the habit of exercising with il
the morning. That was my sures
chance.
Imoved casually across to where TIN
clubs were standing, and taking then
up commenced to occupy myself with ;
few of the exercises to work up steam
for the coming blow. Now OF never
Suddenly dropping one of the clubs Oh
the bed as brought it around, with tn
other made for the door and directed
it with all my strength at where sup
posed the head of the mailman to be.
Crash! I fell forward against the cur
tain after the blow, and commences
striking out savagely with my fist to fol
, low it up. Down came the curtain wit,
a run, and the brass rod with it, stril
, ing me on the head and completelystu
ming me.
1t must have been q peculiar sight a
Benson saw it, when he came tumblin
down the stairs to see what all the TO,
was about. There was l on the foo
: enveloped in the curtain, bleeding fro1
, wound above the temple, knuckles Gu
and bruised and panel of the door q
a the back smashed in by blow tha
a would have pulverized half doze
q lunatics had they been there.
"The mad man he's escaped"
o managed to gasp, sitting up among th
g wreck.
= "The 90, sir?" anxiously asked Be,
4 son, helping me up and leading me tt
! ward the basin in order to bathe IN
4 injured head.
"Mad-man-behind the curtain. Gt
in at the window-escaped from Brat
r ley asylum last night during the bal
Wearing patent leather boots-saw thel
l. under the curtain,'' I jerked out spa
medically.
70 "Saw lis WHAT" cried Benson, droj
v ping the sponge he was holding and T
h garding me with amazement.
y y "His patent leather boots, man, pee
y ing out from beneath the curtain"
,r Benson seemed to jump in the air
IT that.
a a "Gor luminy, mister; them weren't
.e madman! Them was your moo uns
't came this morning. I puts 'em behir
u the curtain there so as to keep out ii
70 70 dust. an muck. Oh, Lor', sir, you hi
10 made mistake"
s. By Jove, and hadn't 1 just, and di
u figured myself for month or SO in Il
n bargain.
If There was no doubt abont it, for fro
a. the folds of the curtain were shaken II
,p NJ new pair Of pumps, which had arrive
that morning by parcel post just as Ca
d, son turned up.
r Stanley, the cause of all the confusio
y = had been captured that afternoon in
il copse good many miles from my pla,
1t and is still an inmate at Bradley as
T. T. luln.
g If Jim Carson had managed to s
d more out of me than that 1 got my SCI
d on the temple from falling off q hor
n this affair would have been in pril
n months ago. Benson knows the vail
l. of sovereign and his masters servic
e SO I'm the first to let it all reach tt
nrhlic.-True Flag.