The Portland daily press., 1892-10-19
A QUEER ADVENTURE.

"No. thanks, Old chap; really can't
stop the night Ishould like to awfully,
but, you see, if didn't turn up the wife
would be in q 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 l wish
you'd have said earlier you didn't mean
stopping so we could have telegraphed
to say you wouldn't be back. It's after
half past now, and our nearest Office is
live miles away, so it's too late"
1t 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 l went to the
station masters Office to inquire if some
things I was expecting had arrived, and
while there noticed an evening paper
lying on the table. 1t 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, asHed the
station master if he would mind my
having look at the paper for a minute.
'Certainly, sir" he said. "You may
as we'll take it back with you, as I 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 warde-
chaps. I 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 az
rive"
I was long time going the three
miles which lay between the station
and my lately acquired domicile.
Lighting cigarette and leaving Tom
my to shamble ON as best he liked,
started in to think.
Six months ago what was 1? 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
I was dependent had seen fit to chuck
me out neck and, crop for the simple
reason that didn't go in for what he
wanted me to-. e., the bar.
Twas of a literary turn of mind, and
thought 1 should never be a shining
light in the profession. I could at least
earn my bread and cheese. So in fit
of anger I told the old gentleman
wouldn't be a lawyer, whereupon was
called an ungratefrul, impudent puppy,
and told to do what l liked.
NNo,"I thought to myself; "Roberr
Grant, if you've got to prevaricate, doit
Indirectly
So l went in for journalism! And
now poor old uncle has gone the way of
all flesh, letting me in for all his estate.
real and personal, including Ashworth
their willful nerhews 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 ovec 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 I was properly settled, 'when
you've put the horse up, just tell Mrs.
Hewetson she can go home as soon as
she likes, as I 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 house
and cooking for me.
It was too finc night and too
early to turn in, so I settled myself
in my old uncleS favorite armchair
before the dining room window and
commenced to look over the paper I had
got from the station master. I 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 James
Stanley made good his escape from Bradley
asylum under peculiar circumstances, which
will probably result in the death of one of the
attendants. 1t seems that last night the usual
annual ball took place at the asylum, and sew
eral of the inmates suffering from the milder
! forms of insanity were allowed to be present
as ordinary guests, as had been usual on all
past occasions. Stanley was one of these, and
suddenly he was found to be missing from the
room. and on search being made he could not
be found. On proceeding outside to hunt for
him, tho body OF one Of the attendants was
discovered lying on the ground, the unfortu-
nate man having received a severe blow at the
back of the head which knocked him senseless.
1t tralispires that the missing man made his
way to the room where the coats and hats were
kept, in charge of q man who had only been
about the place a few days and passed himself
off as one OF the guests from outside. He man
aged to secure hat and coat, in which he
must have been detected escaping by the poor
fellow whom he knocked over.
Stanley, at the time of his flight, was attired,
in addition to the things he secured. in an Or