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

had Just returned from long trip TO
the United States and was sitting in my
chambers in Broad street, Aberdeen,
smoking the pipe of peace and feeling
full of amity to all mankind" 1t was in
the month of November, in the year
1875. was very glad to get back TO the
dear auld Granite City, for | had not
been at home for three years. | was
looking forward to resuming all my old
friendships and wondering where
should begin. Fate settled the question
for me. The double rat-tat-tat of the
postman sounded on my front door, and
my good old housekeeper, Mrs. Duthil,
brought me n letter in well known
Handwriting. 1t was from my next best
friend, Alec Disney.
II have just heard OF your arrival,
dear old fellow" it read, land shall be
deeply offended If you don't come to see
me first. | am in charge of the Inch
Lunatic asylum. Things have prospered
with me, you see. Work, however, is
very slack. have only some twenty in
mates at present, so come out and spend
few days with me, and We'll try to
have good time together. BY the way,
/ have my old Irish servant, Mike Brady,
with me still. / have installed him as
head warden, and barring an occasional
mistake or two he accomplishes his du-
after my welfare as of yore at the same
time We might put up an old time
joke upon him. 1t would be fun. Twill
meet you in the gig at Inch station to-
morrow evening at Z. Don't fail. You
need not reply to this, but just come.
Yours as in the old days, Alec"
OF course / wouldn't fail, and it was
too late to reply anyway, for here it was
o'clock in the afternoon and he ex-
pected me by Z. The letter of course
was written the day before, and ito
morrow" meant today.
Mike Brady was a great, brawny Irish
man, devoted to Alec, who had found
him poor, starving waif, had taken
him in, fed and clothed him and made
, him his body servant, valet, secretary
and general factotum. The great heart
of the Irishman had warmed to his bene-
factor, and he loved Alec as a dog loves
his master. He had grown so with
, Alec's life that neither could do without
{ the other. Besides, there were two very
! strong bonds which united these mer
more closely even than gratitude and af
lection. They both loved horses and
dogs.
When jumped out of the car at Inch
station my dear old chum Disney was
waiting for me on the platform. A boy
, was holding his horse outside. We die
not waste a great deal of time over con
. gratulations, for it was cold, darl
night, and we had a drive of five mile
to make. We were soon in the coy ole
fashioned gig, which all country doctor
= in Great Britain are so fond of, wrappet
9 up in our rugs, the boy had left TIN
;, horses head and we were trotting fas
along the frozen country road.
Now about the joke we are to put NJ
on Mike" ! said, when lie had gon
f some distance. "What are we to dor
+ Then Alec, the COMPOUNDED rascal, un
folded simple little plan. When Mix
came down to the door to meet us tn
: doctor would tell him in a quiet tone t.
: show me the house and take me to IN
q room Mike would never recognize me
for had grown healthy beard whic
completely disguised me, and he woul
9 take me for a new patient. The jok
: would be immense when he discovere
his mistake. The scheme seemed q glori
GUS one and l entered into it with avid
ity.
What fool ] was not to smell raj
Why, knew that Alec Disney was tn
biggest practical joker of our class.
1 Well, all turned out as we anticipated
a Mike came to the door and assisted u
out of our wraps and into the grateful
! warmth of the big hail. He was in nc
wise altered, but as Alec had said h
did not recognize me.
9 mike" said Disney-and l did no
notice the wink of his sinister optic a
q he said it-"talke this gentleman owe
the house first, show him every polite
ness and then to his room; by that tim
0 dinner will be ready. We are hungry
: dare say he may like bath"
s'Yis, SOFT, will attend to him." an,
he did attend to me.
We went all over the building, up on
staircase and down another, along cor
ridors, peeping into rooms and visiting
the billiard room, recreation hall, read
ing room, dining hall and everywhere.
/ noticed peculiar action on the par
| Of Mike, but l put it down merely to hi
ordinary precautionary habits. He close
every door behind us. And he never al
lowed me to get cut of his reach. Ill
also seemed to keep very careful ey
/ upon my every movement. But this
put down to the habit he had got int'
y, from being so long among lunatics
Then began to notice another some
what strange thing. Whenever we me
t patient Mike spoke kindly and gently
/ to him, but when we met warder o.
+, nurse Mike seemed to throw out hin
to be more than ordinarily watchful
l and | saw two or three times that thu
/ keepers took a close look at me, as j
. sizing me up. / stand nearly six fee
and am fairly strong man, an ugly Gus