The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-03-28

..v.y WOO eAhctiy us eAprt ,vu 10 .,..,.
It, Mrs. Portingdale had gone to the
summer house because Of the thunder
storm and had taken couple Of books
with her. The heaviness Of the mir
had given her headache, and she had
closed her eyes for awhile to rest
them. Presently slight sound had
disturbed her, and, looking up, she had
seen most terrifying sight.
1T was iunatic, sir" said Mary,
"sitting on the wall and looking around
the garden SO eager and fercelike it
made the poor lady's blood run cold to
see him. She knew at once that he
must have escaped from the Bessing
asylum, because his was O strange face.
and such things are happening contin-
ually. So she shut her eyes fast,
knowing that her only chance was to
pretend to be asleep. Then he got
down off the wall and came and stared
at her for ever SO long, she almost dy-
Ing OF fear. 1t must have been awful!
Then she peeped again between her
eyclashes, and there was the mad
man grinning. sillylikc, over her books.
After that he was still so long that
she expected every second that he
would spring ut her, but he didn't.
What do you think he did. sir?"
"Who kAows?" l gaspcd. falsely and
painfully.
"Wcll, sir, iic--he kissed her!' Mary
blushed at that point, even In her ex-
element. Fancy being kissed by
lunatic! 1t sent cold shivers all through
the poor woman, and indeed it must
have been a horrible feeling, but she
didn't stir q finger. Then there was
quiet SO long that she made bold to
peep again, and, 10 and behold, he was
clean gore! Then she tainted right
away and didn't come to until her hus-
band found her, and after she had told
them all about it she had another faint.
So Mr.. POrtingdale sent around for our
mistress to so there Mt once. And
that's oil l know about it, SIR"
1t was quite sufficient. l dismissed
Mary and sat down ;E Il state OF mind
which 1t is impossible to describe. A
married woman! pondered 1t hastily.
I had been lunatic indeed! Perhaps
at that very moment the poor woman
was giving full and accurate descrip-
tion Of my person to IN inspector Of
police and to my appalled, Aunt Es-
ther!
I sprang from the chair and rushed
to my room. have packed quickly on
various occasions, but never SO quickly
as did this time. An omnibus passed
the door once In every half hour, and
watched from my window for it's ap-
pearance at the head Of the road.
When it came in sight, l ran down
stairs with my bag In my hand.
Mary was the only one to see ME go.
I left her with confused impression
that an urgent telegram had come for
me and that strike had taken place
in my department ut the general post
office. Before she could utter q Qucs-
tion had passed the outer gates and
hailed the omnibus. Twenty minutes
later was ut the railway station.
AS have already said, there are peo-
pie at Bessing-on-Sea who have curious
ideas as to what is the best thing to do
in thunderstorm. It Is to their quaint
ness in this respect that owe the vivid
and painful experience related above.
aunt, but In a. few days received aote
zT0m iitT. the a1air had not devel-
oped to any great extent after all. AS
no patient had escaped from the local
asylum and rs Mrs. Portingdale had
only very vague ideas as to the stxaii-
gers appearance, people soon began to
believe that she had &c !!en asleep in
the summer house anG that her con-
stant dread OF lunatics had produced q
kind Of nightmare. In few days she
was persuaded to adopt the same i'm
preston herself. Curiously enough,
Aunt Esther was able to set her last
doubt at rest by secondhanG evidence.
Her dear nephew Harold. from Lon
don. who had only arrived the previous
evening and who had been called back
to town almost Immediately, had been
walking In the garden that morning
and had CHANGED to look over the
boundary wall. There he had seen
Mrs. Portingdale fast asleep and prob
ably at that very moment in the throes
OF her awful dream.
My aunt closed her letter with the
hope that the strike-=t;i..ch she would
read up In the daily paper as soon as
she could find the place-would soon
be over, so that might run down
again to complete my holiday.
have no intention of going. Though
may object to being called night
mare, l cannot help seeing that Mrs.
Portingdale's last impression of her
adventure is very satisfactory one.
She may revise it when she comes to
examine her album. but In the mean
time have no wish to disturb 1t by
introducing her to tie lunntic In per-
son.-Chambers' Journal.
An "Outs and Over" Drawer.
Regarding the humorous side Of his