The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-15
A STORY FROM LIFE
AN INDIANsPOLITAN WHO wOR-,
SHIPPED LILLIAN RUSSELL.
He Lost His Mind-Efis Conduct To-
wards a Pretty Young Ste
nographer.

The recent engagement here of Lillian
Russell recalls the peculiar experience q
handsome young woman of this city had
with a youth seized with walking typhoid
fever. She was a stenographer in an as
sessment insurance office, which had suit
of rooms in a downtown block. In face.
form and bearing she was young girl
that would attract anybody's attention and
admiration. She dressed in taste, had
modest manner, and yet was frank and
pleasant to the male employees of the Of
flee, unconscious of any purpose to at
tract admiration other than by being polite
and agreeable. One day new clerk APP
peared at one of the desks. He was of
short stature. with a weakened face,
stopped shoulders and a broad, low for
head, with a cavernous eye His face was
pale and he looked weakened by disease
or suffering of some sort. His manner was
very quiet and he seemed to notice no one.
The young women employed in the
Office gave him no concern. and
they came to the conclusion that
he cared absolutely nothing for
their society. In the course of
week the opera singer who has turned
many sound heads by her dazzling
beauty, her magnificent voice and her dra-
matte art, began a three nights engage
ment in the city. Miss Ney this name is
merely assumed), the stenographer alluded
to- had occasion in the course of the morn
ing after the first nights performance to
walk up to the new clerks office TO deliver
some papers that should go to him. She
spoke politely in pleasant way, and said:
What did you think of Miss Russell last
nightT' she having seen MIN at the per-
torrance.
A CONFUSION of nervous excitement seemed
to seize the clerk at the sound of the young
lady,s voice. His sunkeH cheeks paipitated
md q nCR In nh IA fr~ cni1 ah nar rrY aud
She's beautiful. and she looks just like
YOU"
AS ne sat down again. trembling with emo
ton, Miss Ney turned and walked away much
frightened, but she controlled herself SO
as not to make scene. She was quite in-
experienced in life, and did not know whac
to make of the sudden unsetthng of the
young mans dignity. She studiousIy avoid
ed him after that incident, and only spoke
to him when business required it. She said
nothing to anyone for some days. From the
time OF the outbreak the new clerk did no
work and seemed to loll listleSSly about
his desk. The chief clerk noticed that he
seemd restless, but supposed that it was due
to his evident Illness of body, and said
nothing about the matter just then. Soon
Miss Ney began to be annoyed by the fell
low coming 10 the door of her room and
watching her. He would stand and gaze in
stolid admiration until the situation would
compel Miss Ney TO rise and go into an
other room. Then the other clerks began
ographer, and remarked about it with smiles
among themselves. If the strangely acting
disdain OF silence. Some emotion too strong
to be expressed was working within him.
In the course of week incidents in this
strange situation began to increase. One
afternoon, in the room adjoining the clerks
desk, there was heard loud laugh. 1t
was from the expressman. big, rough, but
honest fellow who always had a kind word
and a ready guffaw for the jokes that
f ae wae en wi'a about the nanrns re
mark his fye-year-old son had made at
dinner that day, saving; .,
with our meat, and what dye think
that kid of mine asked? He wanted to
Ha! ha! Thought I'd die o laughing
and the air rang with his amusement.
Suddenly the melancholy clerk burst In
from the other room and excitedly demand
ed:
laughing because / love Miss Ney?"
He shook the arm of the expressman who
looked around with intense establishment,
The chief clerk took the arm of the young
man and led him away into his own room.
notice, apparently, but in. the private room
of the chief clerk, the latter said:
Why are ,, you acting thu US, Don't you
have her. and if she were free she don't
The clerk went back to his desk with sad
face. His excitement had died away and
he was SO quiet that the business of the
for the day. a day. or two after in the
remote room, most of the clerks were gath
cred at the noon hour, ana the action OF
tempt to tease Miss Ney. She treated the
matter lightly and told of some of her
experiences lodging him, which caused one
of the male clerks in the crowd to burst out
in laughter. This again brought in the SUBJ
ject of their talk with still more excited
state of feeling than had been seen before.
He seized Miss Ney by the wrist and de-
manded that hal, she go with J him. son,.. -
4 Will kill your lover II you DOM ne
said.
She was thoroughly frightened and broke
frnf, 1~nfiF inO IN or
and shutting the door. After that incident
she did not venture to go near the young
man. but one day he suddenly came up to
her and said, pointing to a name IN the city
directory:
That's where you live, that's where you
live"
The affair was carried to her father at
this, and Miss Ney did not leave the Office
or go to work without escort One day the
door bell rang and her father happened to
who sent in his name and asked to see Miss
Ney. 1t was her tormentor, and her father
of course would not admit him to the house.
action and the father went to see
brother of the clerk, who worked in drug
store The latter said that he had noticed
and did not seem to be himself. but he
supposed it was due to some attack of ILL
ness. His father. prominent and able
minister of New England, was notified and
condition by a physician showed that he
was suffering from an unbalanced mind,
and that contributing II not the only
fever The disease soon completed it's sad
work of unseating his mind The youth
became raving maniac and required three
put him the train to take him to his
New England home. He came of good
family and received the best of care but
whether he ever recovered Is not KNOWN
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