The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-12-12

Ing MS arms TOuud III hfcS' t~~f,>S
fashion and singing in shrill voice:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising the Saviour all the day long.
Over and over again the man sang
the couplet. sandwiching it with strings
of oaths which sent chills chasing each
other I'D and down Mr.. Inch's spinal coll
umn. He attempted to talk with the
man, but he might as well have tried TO
converse with log of wood. Others
with whom he started conversations
looked at him so blankly that he soon
realized it was a hopeless task, and, set
Ting down in his seat, he resolved to
say no more.
when we get to Parlor City," he fig
ured to himself, "I'll just wait until |
they get this crew out of the car, and |
then I'll go out myself and go home"
Mr.. Incl's resolution was the result of |
little speculation as to what would
happen to him if the keepers discovered
that he had entered the car and mingled
with this crew of violent and irresponsi- |
BILE men.
AZ the station in Parlor City on the
same morning that Mr.. Inch boarded
the train 20 miles away stood Is keepers
from the state asylum waiting for the
consignment of lunatics from New
York. With them was young DR.. Blank.
| on whose shoulders rested the respon-
sibility for the safe transportation of
the lunatics from the station to the
asylum. DR.. Blank was worried. 1t
was the first expedition of the kind he
had commanded, and he was nightly
afraid that something would go wrong.
Only month before he had received his
appointment to the asylum, and an es-
cape or revolt due to lack of proper pre-
cautions would, he knew mean the loss
of his place. He was relieved when the
train rolled in and a keeper jumped
from the steps of car, touched his hat
and announced that all was well.
"a hundred, altogether, l believer"
the doctor remarked.
"Yes, sir; so in each car" said the
keeper.
"Well, march them out as soon as you
lcan," said DIR. Blank, and he hauled out
notebook and prepared to check off
the men as they were handed over to
his keeping.
They took the last car first, and DR..
Blank drew a deep breath of relief
when the fiftieth man stepped to the
platform.
''Now for the other car" he said,
cheerily. and the keepers commenced
to hustle the unfortunates out.
Mr.. Inch crouched low in his seat and
was passed by. DIR. Blank, notebook in
hand, sang out: ''Forty-nine," just rs
the keeper escorted man to the plat
form and called: "That's ALL"
"There must be another" said the
doctor, nervously.
"You counted wrong" said the
keeper.
mo, I'm sure I'm right, but I'll count
them again." said DR.. Blank, and he Gid
so, with the result that his first figuring
was correct.
One man was missing. There could
: be no doubt about that. The car had
only yielded 40 men.
Search the car" called out the dec
tor, and the keeper proceeded to 10 so
The first man he encountered was Mr.
: Inch, who, having made up his -Eind
that sufficient time had elapsed to rem
der it safe for him to leave the car, bat
risen and was making for the door.
, Hello" exclaimed the keeper, 'hov
did you get hereT
:, ST lust walked in from the other car,
replied Mr.. Inch, with dignity.
: didn't see man hide himself around
this ear anywhere, did your"
!. Now it happened that some minutes
: before the train reached Parlor Cit.
!. the red-beaded man who sat next 10 Mr.
= Inch had slid to the floor and cuddlet
himself up under the seat. Mr.. Incl
had seen him do it, and had marvelcd a
!, the mans ability to stay in one posi-
: ton so long. To tell of this incident
: however, was to admit that he had beef
!, in the car for some time, which woul'
" scarcely do, so he simply said in ton
II of mild establishment:
"See a man hide himself? How
: ridiculous" and the keeper, impressed
i by his tone, passed by and starte'
searching at the upper end of the car.
). Mr.. Inch continued toward the dool
4 reached the platform, and steppe
i slowly down. Mr.. Inch's personal 81
pearance was not what it usually was
A night in country hotel. with neithe
hair brush nor comb in the morning
showed on him. Contact with til
elbow of a lunatic behind him had pu
most disreputable looking dent III Ii
derby. His appearance was altogethe
bad enough to justify DIR. Blanks es
clamation of:
"Ah, here he is. This way, m
FRIEND" which he made when he sa'
: Mr.. Inch descended to the platform.
Mr.. Inch heard the remark, but pal
no attention to it. Instead of obeyini
he ou;clered his mace toward the otle