Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-11-12

ID strong. tai fellow. standing over Oax
fest TIVE, dark hair and slight mustacho.
Up to the present there r. no news to hand
OF his recapture. notwithstanding vigOr-
Gus search. which is being pursued I'm all
directions
A queer story thought, when
had finished reading the paragraph,
and more so to me- because Bradley
Asylum was only about three miles
distant from my place, and / had re-
ceived an invitation to be present at
the ball in question.
Thinking that it might result in
my getting to know some of the resi-
dents round about sooner than /
should do in ordinary everyday life, I
had accepted the invitation, and sent
up to town for a new dress-suit and
pumps for the occasion. Then Jim
Carson telegraphed in the morning
he was coming to see me by the first
train next day to have look round
my estate, as he called it; so / gave
up the idea of going, as I should be
too tired in the morning to show him
round. Anyhow, my toggerY failed
to turn up in time, so I was boxed in
any case.
After reading few more bits OF
news in the paper 1 began to feel
sleepy. so I got up to go to bed-frst,
however, going round the house to
see that.all was locked up and secure,
and see that Benson, who was Sleep
ing for the time being in one of the
attics, had not forgotten to put the
kitchen lamp out, which sometimes
he did.
The window of my room was wide
open, and a lovely fresh breeze came
blowing In. I sat down on the bed
for a minute or two to enjoy it. A
nice invitation for an enterprising
burglar, I thought, if it were known
there was anything worth stealing
about the house. He could be up the
trellis-work in half a minute. Then
the escape lunatic, too, it might have
afforded shelter to him if closely pur-
sued. Thus musing, I slipped of my
things preparatory to getting into
bed, but before doing so there was
duty had to perform, and which I
always had done since I slept in the
house.
There was 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 I settled
down to slumber.
Taking up the candle, I made my
way across the room to the door, but
when within couple of yards or so
of it came to dead halt The para
graph I had read in the paper seemed
to whirl through my brain, and for
the moment l had hard work to keep
myself from collapsing on to the floor.
The lunatic at the time of his es-
cape was attired in a morning suit of
black, and wearing dancing pumps!
I was startled, can tell you, but not
without reason-for peepiug out be-
low the curtain which covered the
door were the toes and half the feet
of a pair of patent leather boots! I
regained my composure gradually, and
moved away back towards the bed.
but keeping my eye on the curtain the
whole time.
Who knew but what the lunatic
might have been watching me
through pin-hole in the curtain and,
the place of his conceal
ment had been discovered, make
rush at me? But no. He evidently
was ignorant of my discovery, for the
feet remained there motionless.
What was I to do? Here I was in
a room by myself, within five yards of
a mailman, standing 6 feet 2 inches
in his socks, whom, under ordinary
it would take couple
or three men to tackle and salts
dispose Of I shuddered as
I thought of it.
1 mentally measured whereabouts
his head would be behind the curtain,
and casting my eyes round the room,
to my JOY they rested on pair of In
dian clubs was in the habit of exer-
cising with in the morning. That
was my surest chance.
1 moved casually across to where
the clubs were standing, and, taking
them up, commenced to occupy my
self with a few of the exercises to
work up steam for the coming blow.
Now or never! Suddenly dropping
one of the clubs on the bed as I
brought it round. with the other I
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
curtain after the blow, and COM
menced striking out savagely with my
fist to follow it up Down came the
curtain with a run, and the brass rod
with it, striking me on the head and
completely stunning me.
1t must have been peculiar sight
a. Benson saw it, when he came
tumbling down stairs to see what all
the row was about. There was on