The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-07-12

anything worth stealing about the
house. He could be up the trelliswork
in half minute. Then the escaped
lunatic. too: it might have afforded
shelter to him if closely pursued. Thus
musing, | slipped off my things prepara-
tory to getting into bed, but before do
ing so there was duty had to per-
form and which always had done since
slept in the house.
There was a door leading from my
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 to
see that this door was properly locked
and the space under my bed untenanted
ere | settled down to slumber.
Taking up the candle. made my way
across the room to the door, but when
within a couple of yards or SO of it |
came to dead halt The paragraph |
had read in the paper seemed to whirl
through my brain. and for the moment
had hard work to keep myself from
collapsing on to the floor.
The lunatic at the time of his escape
was attired in a morning suit of black,
and wearing dancing pumps! 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 compOsure
gradually. and moved away back to-
ward the bed, but keeping my eye on
the curtain the whole time.
Who knew but that the lunatic might
have been watching me through PIN
hole in the curtain. 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 feet remained there mo-
tionless.
What was | to do? Here was in a
room by myself. within five yards of a
mailman, standing feet inches in his
socks, whom under ordinary circum-
stances it would take couple or three
men to tackle and satisfactorily dispose
of. shuddered as thought of it.
mentally measured whereabouts his
head would be behind the curtain. and
casting my eyes around the room. to my
Joy they rested on pair 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 were standing. and taking them
up commenced to occupy myself with
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 of 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 it up. Down came the curtain with
a run, and the brass rod with it. strik-
ing me on the head and completely stun
ming me.
1t must have been peculiar sight as
Benson saw it, when he came tunbling
down the stairs to see what all the row
was about. There was | on the floor
enveloped in the curtain, bleeding from
wound above the temple, knuckles cut
and bruised and a panel of the door at
the back smashed in by blow that
would have pulverized half dozen
Iunatics hadthey been there.
THE mad man - he's escapedr'
managed to gasp, sitting up among the
wreck.
'The 90, sir?" 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,"I jerked out spas
medically.
Saw is what?' cried Benson, drop
ping the sponge he was holding and re-
garding me with amazement.
His 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
mailman! Them was your moo uns as
came this morning. | puts 'em behind
the curtain there so as to keep out the
dust an muck. Oh. Lor'. sir. you hev
made a mistake"
! By Jove. and hadn't | just, and dis
figured myself for 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 by parcel post just as Car
son turned up.
/ Stanley. the cause of all the confusion.
had been captured that afternoon in
copse Il good many miles from my place
and is still an inmate at Bradley asy-
lum.
| If 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.
Bicycling for Girls.
DR.. Richardson in Young Woman
speaks highly of cycling for girls, and