The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-09-03
A QUEER ADVENTURE.


'No, thanks, old chap; ] really can't
stop the night Ishould like 10 awfully,
but. you see, if didn't turn mp the wife
would be in funk and never go to bed
at all, thinking something had gone
wrong, Besides, I've got to let Jones
have three columns OF copy by o'clock
tomorrow, and | haven't started yet"
"Well, just as you like, only wish
you'd have said earlier you didn't mean
stopping, so we could have telegraphed
to say you wouldn't he back. It's after
half past now, and our nearest office is
five miles away, so it's too late"
II was no use; Jim Carson wouldn't
stop, so had to order the trap to drive
him to the station to catch the $40 back
to town.
After seeing him off went to the
station masters Office to inquire if some
things 1 was expecting had arrived, and
while there I noticed an evening paper
lying on the table. II just happened
that an intimate friend of mine had a
lawsuit on about some copyright bust
ness, and the first hearing of the case
was TO have taken place that day
Thinking the affair, as far as it had pro-
ceeded, might be reported, | asked the
station master if he would mind my
having look at the paper for a minute.
Certainly, sir" he said. "You may
as well take it back with you, as | have
finished with it, There's piece in it
about some fellow as is said to have es-
capped from Bradley asylum last night,
and about killed one of the warder
chaps. 1 expect it's just one of them
yarns as gets into evening papers now
and again. Well, good night, sir. I'll
send up your things as soon as they ar
rive"
l was a long time going the three
miles which lay between the station
and my lately acquired domicile,
Lighting a cigarette and leaving Tom
my to shamble on as best he liked,
started in to think.
Six months ago what was l? Well
what is generally called literary hack
getting about thirty-fve shillings a
week-sometimes more, generally less
Just because a crusty old uncle ON whom
was dependent had seen fit to chuck
me out neck and crop for the simple
reason that l didn't go in for what he
wanted me to-i. e., the bar.
Twas of literary turn of mind, and
thought l should never be a shining
light in the profession. l could at least
earn my bread and cheese. SO in fiji
of anger told the old gentleman l
wouldn't be lawyer, whereupon was
called an ungrateful, impudent puppy,
and told to do what l liked
mo" thought to myself; Robert
Grant, if you've got to prevaricate, doit
indirectly"
So l went in for journalisml And
now poor old uncle has gone the way of
all flesh, letting me in for all his estate.
real and personal, including Ashworth
lodge. Old uncles who quarrel with
their willful nephews and disinherit
them generally do come around at the
last. Mine did at any rate,
Jim Carson, the fellow whom l had
seen off, was an old chum of mine in
the scribbling days, and had just run
down to see my new abode and wish a
rich uncle had kicked him out some
years ago.
Tommy aroused me from my musings
by stumbling over something in the
road and nearly throwing me out. So
gathered up the reins, and he went the
rest of the journey at smart pace.
Benson" said to the man whom
had engaged as kind of valet groom
until was properly settled, "when
you've put the horse mp, just tell Mrs,
| Hewetson she can go home as soon as
she likes, as / shan't want anything
more tonight"
Mrs. Hewetson was the wife of the
gardener, who lived about half a mile
away, and was looking after the houst
and cooking for me.
1t was too fine n night and toe
early to turn in, 80 / settled myself
in my old uncle's favorite armchair
before the dining room window aUt
commenced to look over the paper had
got from the station master. looked
first for the lawsuit report, but evident
ly the case had not come on until late
as there was nothing in the paper
about it.
"Hello, this must be what the sta
ton master was talking about:'
Late last evening a lunatic named Jane
Stanley made good his escape from Bradle!
asylum under peculiar circumstances, whicl
win probably result in the death of one of til,
| attendants. 1t seems that last night the usua
annual ball took place at the asylum and sey
erai of the inmates suffering from the milde
| forms of insanity were allowed TO be presen
as ordinary guests, as had been usual on al
| past occasions. Stanley was one of these, ant
- l.. 4 T.. 4. A. -
room, and on a search being made he could no
be found. On proceeding outside to hunt TO
him, the body OF one OF the attendants wa
discovered lying on the ground, the unfortu
nate man having received a severe blow at til
back OF the head which knocked him senseless
II transpires that the missing man made hi
way TO the room where the coats and hats wer
kept in charge of man who had only beel
about the place few days and passed himsel
off as one Of the guests from outside. He man
aged to secure a hat and coat, in which b
must have been detected escaping by the poo
fellow whom he knocked over.
Stanley, at the time of his flight, was attircd
in addition to the things he secured, in an OF
dinary black morning suit, and was wearin
patent leather dancing shoes. He is a strong
tall fellow, standing over six feet two, darl
hair and slight mustache. Up to the pTesen
there is no news to hand of his Tecapture, not
withstanding vigorous search, which is bein
pursued in all directions.
A queer story, thought, when l ha,
finished reading the paragraph, ant
more so to me because Bradley asylum
was only about three miles distant from
my place, and had received an invita-
tion to be present at the ball in ques
ton.
Thinking it might result in my getting
TO know some of the residents round
about sooner than should do in ordi
nary everyday life, l had accepted tn
invitation and sent up to town for
new dress suit and pumps for the oc
casion.
Then Jim Carson telegraphed in tn
morning he was coming 70 see me bl
lhe first train next day to have
look around my estate, as he calle,
Il; SO l gave up the idea Of going, a
I should be too tired in the morning
: to show him around. Anyhow my tog
I gerry failed TO show up ia time, so wa
I boxed in any case.
: After reading few more hits Of new
/ in the paper l began to feel sleepy, so
got up to go to bcd-frst. however
[ going around the house 10 see that al
was locked up and secure, and that Ben
e son, who was sleeping for the time bein
in one Of the attics, had not forgotten t
put the kitchen lamp out, which some
5 times he did.
/ The window of my room was wild
{ open and a lovely fresh breeze cam
a blowing in. l sat down on the bed fo
a minute or two to enjoy it. A nice ii
r. vitation for an enterprising burglar,
S thought, if it We're known there wa
anything worth stealing about th
house He could be mp the trelliswor
in half a minute Then the escape
p lunatic. too: il might have afforde