Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-08-26
CHAPTER XIII.
THE COUNTS RETURN PROMISED.

THE COUNTS RETURN PROMISED.
Borofsky had done well-indeed he
could scarcely have managed better.
Nevertheless the whole Of the story
his letter told us. though undoubtedly
q true story. rang. somehow. In false
key.
This picture of father was not like
nv dear old dad as l knew him. and
could not help feeling. though / said
nothing Of it to mother. that if Borof-
sky had exaggerated nothing in describ-
ing his violence and the eccentricity of
his behavior, then my poor father must
certainly be irresponsible, for the pres
ent. for his words and actions-in
word, something or some combination
Of circumstances had bereft him Of his
senses.
God grant Borofsky would succeed in
bringing the poor. dear old man safely
home with himl The soothing influence
of quiet home life and the loving at
tention of his wife would be more likely
to restore him to himself than any 9th
er treatment.
could see that mother felt much the
same as I about it. She looked at me
with tear laden eyes when had finished
the letter.
SIS that allH" she asked.
"That's all. mother" I said, and l
dared add nothing to this for fear of
betraying myself Neither did my
mother speak for some little while. and,
though I scarcely glanced at her. |
knew we'll that she cried quietly.
"Borofsky will bring him back in a
few days, dearest, said at length,
"and little quiet home life will soon
make him quite himself again. i"
"God grant itl'' she said. "God
grant it'll Obi" she added suddenly.
with burst of emotion. "What has
my poor Vladimir ever done to be visit
ed by 80 terrible an affliction. and what
manner of calamity could have occurred
to such a man that could be sufficiently
overwhelming to unhinge his mind?'
These were questions which I could
not answer, for they were the very ones
that were vexing my own soul as well
as hers
"We shall know all. mother. in God 8
good time" said "Let Us be patient
and face the trouble. When father comes,
we will make it our business to rid him
of these delusions and fears, as though
any one could possibly conspire against
dear old paterl He hasn't an enemy in
the world I'm sure of it. What can
possibly have put such ideas into his
headf He imagines he has written con-
stantly, you see, and that his letters
have been intercepted. He has not in
tentionally left Us without news even
in this terrible time of mind unhinged
and of many sad delusions. "
It comforted mother to talk, and we
conversed in this way for an hour and
more, but without coming to any other
conclusion than that father was un-
doubtedly out Of his mind temporarily,
and that the sooner our excellent little
Sherlock Holmes succeeded in bringing
him home the better.
How anxiously we awaited the next
letter or telegraml No words could
adequately describe the anguish Of sus-
pense we suffered What if Borofsky
should have failed, after all, to induce
the poor, dear, delusion haunted old man
to accompany him homer He might
take fright at any moment and mis-
trust Borofsky's good faith, or, worse
still, become violent and attack, per-
haps even murder, the man in par
oxysm Of madness. Merciful heaven
forbid 1t, what a terrible thing that
would bel I did not mention my fore
bodings to mother lest should frighten
her, but I spoke to Percy, who said he
had felt the very same fears