The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-26

ing along the corridor.
Here you are" said Mike, 'sNo. 49,"
"But this is patients ROOM" / said.
"Surely DR.. Disney doesn't intend to
put me in here"
.He does, though, and yen find yer
self entirely comfortable. Yen find all
We want and the attention will be per-
feet"
/ ssBut don't care to stay in this part
Of the house. II Disney has nc better
accommodation than this for friend he
hasn't met in three years, I'll get out and
70 back to Aberdeen"
"And think you'll conclude to stay
where ye are" said Mike with funny
little chuckle.
"Come, aow, you'd better begin to
undress quietly, for that bath is waitin
for ye."
1t began to dawn upon me that Mike
really thought he had got new patient,
and laughed out loud at the joke.
"Why, Nike" said, ode you mean
to tell me you don't recognize your old
friend? You surely are not under the
impression that am patient"
sOh, that's all right. recognize my
old friend very well, and l haven't said
We was q patient. Only I'm telling you
to hurry out Of them clothes and take
ye're bath"
at is about time to stop this fooling,"
l said. Now let me pass; want to go
down to your master"
"Ye1l find there's no foolin about it
7 30 nI<,~ ,x,1 4l.o+
the master on this fure is called Mike
Brady-Mr. Mike Brady, Esq. Now
take off them clothes"
Nov let me pass; I've had enough of
this" l said quietly, but was getting
very hot, and felt myself turning white
in the face with suppressed passion.
The affair was getting beyond the limit
of a joke. / stepped forward as though
to push by him.
| had been so absorbed in this little
controversy that / had quite forgotten
the proximity of those two keepers who
had been following us SO closely for
some time. AS l stepped forward, Mike
stepped back and uttered little sharp
whistle. In one instant felt myself
grabbed from behind and was in the
powerful grasp of the two men.
struggled and fought like a Gagged
tiger, but / was as helpless as baby,
and there stood that dunderheaded
fiend, Mike Brady, smiling at me in
calm victory and making me more and
more angry and mad.
Madl
Mad? Yes! That was It'll He thought
was mad, and he knew to perfection
how to arouse all the evil passions with
in me. And he meant to do it. The
two keepers knew no better; they were
under his orders.
Now there flashed across my mind the
hundreds of stories had heard and read
of perfectly sane persons being sent to
lunatic asylums "to get them out of the
way" and how, after q short spell of
careful treatment, they had become
literally raving luDatics. Would Mike
Brady drive ME out Of my mind?
By big effort restrained my anger
for moment, and attempted to speak
quietly.
"Now, Mike" I said, "this joke is
about over. Please send one of these
men for DR.. Disney, and he will tell you
what mistake you are making. am
his old friend and have come to stay
with him as his guest. He will be wait
ing dinner for me-"
Nov don't let's have any more of
that talk. know all about you-of
course, you're the doctors guest. You're
all his guests. 1t is a little way he has.
And yell be going to stay quite long
while acceptin his hospitality. You're
going to begin at once. Are ye going to
take that bath?"
81 am not"
"Then we'll have to give it to you"
In moment I was thrown onto the
bed on my back, and while the two
disrobe me. Then began to struggle
desperately and shout at the top of my
voice.
"Well have to gag ye if we shout, my
FRIEND" said Mike. But struggled all
the more and shouted louder. "There's
no one will hear ye, and we'll soon put
a stop to that struggling" He stepped
| Oub VI Vic IOOfl ttIlu IGLuIu6u III a HILL
ute with an ar1nful of straps.
They were going to strap me down!
The horror of the moment was almost
worse than the agony of the thought
that l was III the hands of three igno-
rant brutes to whom every sane effort l
made was further proof of my insan-
ity. 1 was becoming weak from exertion
and want of food. Then I understood
Mikes object in taking me the long
walk over the building. He had been
firing me out. Still kept up my
struggles and shouting.
With wonderful rapidity, showing
how well and thoroughly Mike had &C
quired his duties, strap was thrown
across my legs and buckled tight to the
bed, and another across my chest hold
ing my arms to my side and almost
choking me.
"HeT settle down directly" heard
one of the keepers say, and in truth /
had almost exhausted myself.
/ l began to feel the room swimming