Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-22
THE ESCAPED LUNATIC.

maternal grandmother's long disused
room upstairs. In this Northern
home to which we had recently re-
moved, falling heirs to it through
that very ancestress' viii, the dwell
ers regarded November rather as
winter than an autumn month, aud
to-day the wind howled and the rain
pattered with a persistence marvel
Gus to hear.
And, as it happened, 1 was all
alone In the house. Father had gone
to take his russell apples to market
the apples that myself had helped to
harvest and pack in the barrels-and
was not expected home until to-mor-
row night at the earliest. Jack, my
brother, was in Montreal, fitting up
the law Office which was henceforth
TO be his abode. Jean, our hard
featured, cross-grained old servant,
had gone home with the 'rheumat-
les" as she termed it, to be treated
BY a certain ancient Indian herb doc
tor; and, Just at dusk-fall, Peter, our
'useful man." had thrust his shock
bead unceremoniously into the door.
81 say, Miss Ruth he had said,
''there's plenty Of wood, and every
things all snug for the night, and
Pm going over to Stephenson's. They
are in trouble there.
Trouble, Peter? What kind Of
trouble? Is the old man sick?."
But in answer to my query Peter
only uttered an indistinct remark and
went out, slamming the door behind
him.
/ stood in front Of the FIRE looking
down at the glowing embers, and
pondering within myself. The Steph-
ensons, who lived in an old gray
stone house on the other side of the
precipitous glen, had always been a
riddle TO me. The family was small,
consisting OF only Grabbed old man,
his portentously silent wife, and two
tall, ungainly sons; and what on
earth they did with all the big,
echoing rooms, or how they contrived
to live, perched like ca1elets on the
side of the rock, could hot form the
least idea
"City boarders," Peter had once
grunted out in answer to my persist
ent interrogatiOns.
But If they kept city boarders, why
did they not leave these dreary
mountain fastnesses when the leaves
fell and the dismal autumn fOgs gath
cred above the cliffs? Altogether.
there was a certain atmosphere of
mystery about these "Stephensons'
that aroused all the Eye-like instincts
IN my nature.
While / stood thinking, a soft tap
sounded at the door. opened it at
once, never once remembering that
Eas alone in the house.
"Ye never oughtcr do that, Miss
Ruth" said the well known accents
of Mrs. GIudge, Farmer Gludge's
buxom wife.
"Do what, Mrs. Gludge?"
"Open the door after dark, when
you're alone in the house, without
asking who's there"
".How did you know that was
alone in the hOuse?"
81 just met Peter goin' TO Stephen
sons"
'Ohm said L "But we don't have
tramps here"
'I'm not so certain O. that" said
the farmers wife. Your folks hain't
lived here as long as 1 have. We're
Just nigh enough to the Canada line
70 have queer characters prowlin'
about when We least expect 'em. And
then, there's Stephenson's.
"What of Stephensou's?" l cried
eagerly. "WhO is Stephenson, anY
way? Do tell me, Mrs. GIudge."
''Well, Ideclare." said Mrs Gludge
'rIs it possible, now, that they hain't
told you?"
"They have told me nothing"
"Well, it's likely they didn't want
TO scare you or make you nerv-
ous," said Mrs. Gludge. 'But all
the same, 1 think that you'd oughter
know"
Mrs Gludge," l cried, seizing her
arm, ''what is it? Do tell me-"
It's a private home," said Mrs.
Gludge, lowering her voice to a
whisper, as though the rain drops and
the rustling FIR boughS could over.
hear.
"a what?" l gasped,
"For people of feeble mind" ex-
planned the woman, land lunies, "
tapping her forehead as she spoke.
/ stared at her.
Then" cried l, "that's what
Peter meant when he said that
that"
zone OF the poor creatures has
somehow given 'em the slip" said
Mrs. Gludge; 'an English gentleman
from Montreal, as has only been there
few days. Nobody knows just how
1t happened, but happen 1t did. My
man has gone over with lantern to
help hunt for him, and so has Peter. "
''He might have told mel" I ex-
claimed Indignantly.
Anyway, l don't think he ought
70 have left you here alone, said
Mrs. Gludge, severely.
But you have come to stay with
me, Mrs. Gludge?"
BLESS your heart, Miss Ruth, no!
I'm on my way to carry a letter TO
Mr. Romney's up the road-a very
important letter, with in haste writ
on it" In addition to her duties as
n farmers wife, and mother of a
large family of little children, Mrs.
Gludge helped her husband iu the
care Of the obscure little country post
oficc milo down the road. "And-
By the way, I'd nearly forgot five
got letter for you, too. That's
what brought me hore."
"FOr me- Mrs. Gludge?"
InstinCtively put out my hand t
grasp the treasure, whilo the woman
fumbled first in one and then in an
other Of her pockets.
"Its very strange" said she. 81
made sure l had it. I did have 1t
when I started away from home; but
now l remember Just at the foot Of
Gibbs Gill I took out my handker-
cher to tie around my neck, the wind
came so keen around the rocks, and !
must > pulled it out with that, and
everything too pitch dark TO see. Oh,
Miss Faith, l am so sorry! Please
don't report me, there's a good young
lady, or [ shall lose my place"