Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-10

Eit4LlOa for AL snsr<f<islxA4 burglar, /
thoBght, Il IL were Known there was
anything worth stealing about the
house. lie could be up the trelliswork
Ia hAlf a minute. Then the escaped
lunatle. too, it msyht have afforded
shelter 70 hifn If closely pursued Thus
nlasing. | slipped 81 nay things prepare
try 70 getting into b.nd, bat before do
ing 50 there was a duty | had 10 per-
form ans which always had done since
slept Ia the house.
There Mas a door leading from nay
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 10
see that this door was properly locked
and the space under my bed nntenanted
ere settled down 10 siumber.
Taking up the candle. made my way
across tbe room To the door, but when
within compile Of yards on 80 Of II |
came 70 dead halt The paragraph
had read IA the paper seemed 10 whirl
through my brain, and Cor the moment
! had hard work 10 keep myself from
eoliapsing on To ie floor.
The lnnatic at tho time Of his escape
was attired IN a morning suit of black.
and wearing dancing punsps' ! was
startled. can tell you, but not without
reason-for peeping out below the cur
tain which covered the door were the
toes and half the feet of pair of patent
leather boots, regained my cofnposure
gradually. and moved away back to-
ward the bed. bat keeping my eye on
the curtain the whole time.
Who knew hit that the lunatic might
have been watching nie through PIN
hole in the cursain. and. conjecturing
the place OF his cOncealment had been
discovered, make rush at me! But no.
He evidently was ignorant of my dis
covery, for the fesst remained there mo-
tionless.
What was | 10 d.? Here l was in a
room by myself, within five yards OF a
mailman, standing 6 feet inches in his
socks, whom under ordinary circum-
stances IL would take a couple or three
men To tackle and satisfactorily dispose
OF. shuddered rs | thought of IL.
mentally measured whereabouts his
head would be behind the curtain, and
casting my eyes around the room, to my
Joy they rested ON pfur of Indian clubs
was in the habit Of exercising with in
the morning That was my surest
chance
moved casually across to where the
clubs We're standing. and taking them
up commenced TO occupy myself 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 brought it around, with the
other made for the door and directed
it with all my strength at where sup
posed the head If the mailman to be.
Crash. | fell forward against the cur
tain after the blow, and commenced
striking out savagely with my fist to fol-
low il mp Down came the curtain with
a run, and the brass rod with it, strik-
ing mo on the head and completely stun
ming me.
/ Ii must have been a peculiar sight as
, Benson saw il, when he came tumbling
/ down the stairs 10 see what all the row
| was about. There was i on the floor
enveloped in the curtain, bleeding from
! wound above the temple, knuckles cut
I and bruised and panel of the door at
/ the back smashed in by blow that
would have pulverized half a dozen
! lunatics had they been there.
/ "The mad man he's escapedw
/ managed to gasp, sitting up among tho
wreck
The 90. sirY' anxiously asked Ben
son, helping me up and leading me to-
ward the basin in order to battle my
injured head.
.Mad-man-behind the curtain. Got
in at the window-escaped from Brad
ley asylum last night during the ball.
Wearing patent leather boots-saw them
under the curtain" jerked out spas
medically.
.'Saw Is whatf" cried Benson, drop
ping the sponge he was holding and re-
garding me with amazement.
Ellis patent leather boots, man, peep
ing out from beneath the curtain"
Benson seemed to jump in the air at
that.
"Gor luminy, mister; them weren't q
f uliufntsn. lNtfu was your Hop uiis as
came this morning. puts 'em behind
the curtain there SO AZ to keep out the
dust an muck. Oh, Lor', sir, you hev
made mistake"
BY Jove. and hadn't l just, and dis
figured myself for "A month or SO in the
bargain.
There was no doubt about it, for from
the folds Of the curtain were shaken my
new pair of pumps. which had arrived
that morning 10y parcel post just as Car
son turned up.
Stanley. the cause of all the confusion,
had been captured that afternoon in a
eopse a good many miles from my place
and is still an inmate at Bradley asy
lum.
III Jim Carson had managed to get
more out Of me than that | got my scar
on the temple from falling off horse
this affair would have been in print
months ago. Benson knows the value
of sovereign and his masters service.
so I'm the first To let it all reach the
public.-True Flag.
Opporsnnstt~s for women Tesehers-