Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

| ,dSLlCs in "0iSh w oOAhS D@~
live in the state, as the Royal blood
should? And then he took to the whisky
and called it Moselle, and / was glad
enough to get him to bed. It's break
ing my heart he is, and he that clever
and bright when the evil spirit isn't on
him"
/ tried TO comfort her as we'll as /
could, and this comforting led to some
tender passages, and l walked home
dreaming dreams that were so pleas
ant that I had forgotten al abou Ma
guire and his curious pranks until /
met Graves at h gate.
May 1 speak to you, sir, for a few
minutes?" said ne.
Eyes, Graves. What's the matter?'
It's about Mr.. Mcguire, sir" he said.
"a letter came for him this afternoon.
/ could see from the envelope that 1t
was from the publisher. Mr.. Mcguire
he's told the missis and me about his
writing, and so / took it to him at
once. Here's a letter for you, SIR l
says. For me?' says he, then / shall
find out my name at last. Mcguire.
says he, reading the address, James
NJ. Mcguire. Esq, the Dell, Enfield.
Here, my good man, this isn't for me-
and then he asked me to tell him ex-
| actly how he'd come here. Did he
walk, or did they bring him in a car-
riage? he wanted to know. / ook at
him close then, sir; and do o know"
and here his voice dropped to a whis-
| per, Il believe-I believe"
/ knew what he was going to say. /
felt a shudder run through me, and l
stood there shivering, In the warm, soft
air.
Il believe he's mad. sir; I've been
with patients before!"
The matter was clear to me now as
the daylight. The terrible trouble
through which he had passed had been
too much for my friends reason, and
now his mental balance was upset.
He was. in fact, a l~unatic, a victim of
the accused society, or whatever it
might be-in even worse plight than
the man I had seen lying stark in our
house in London. a victim in more des-
perate case than my friend Travers.
No actor, were he eve so cunning, could
have simulated the agony hat had
convulsed him on the previous day.
No man could have mourned for the
possible consequences to his friend in
such terms as he did had he not had a
keen appreciation of that friends dan
ger.
What further blight was this dia-
bolical conspiracy to bring upon my
life? Would it separate me from Nora?
Should / lose her?
1t was at dinner-time hat Mcguire
was generally most brilliant, and I told
Graves to see that nothing was want
ing in the way Of dishes or table dec
orations to make the meal as enticing
as possible. If my friends mind were
unhinged, it might only be a tenn
porary matter, and the impression pro-
duced by familiar objects might at
last Danish his weakness, and in that
case / should need all the help / could
get from the ~pleasantest possible sur
roundings to assist me in combating
the shock and consequent depression
that must ensue.
Put when dinner came on there was
no change in his symptoms, and long
before the meal was over it was borne
in Upon me with irresistible force that
he was, indeed, mad, and, as far as his
identity was concerned, James Muir
tagh Mcguire might as we'll have been
ia lis Si"NG. l. was IIOSl CIlGcI1ul
and amusing, but his jests cut me to
the heart.
Il must have a name of some sort"
he said, land o will have to adver-
tise me in the papers. Something like
this will do: Come astray. a middle
aged gentleman, answering to no name.
Height, so-and-so. StrilSingly hand
some, with a wart in the middle Of his
back, and q hunger and thirst that
meat and drink can hardly satisfy. If
not claimed in so many days, will be
sold to defray expenses That would
make a startling advertisement. and
o might show me, at so much per
head, and by that means I might pay
for lodgings"
WELL" said I, by way of humoring
him, "as neither of us know your name,
and as we can't go on calling you Mr..
Nobody, how do you like the sound of
Mcguire? Suppose we say that you are
Mr.. James Mcguire until you get over
u extraordinary lapse Of mamory?
There's a box Of u up stairs. We
might go through it together to-mor-
row, and perhaps we could come across
something that would establish your
identity. I ought to tell you that I
have noticed the initials, J. NJ. NJ. on
your collars and some handkerchiefs
up stairs. Well, now for the present,
shall your name be Maguire?"
Anything you like" said he. "And
now, sir, / have a serious question to
ask. Hoy did I come here?"
For the life of me, I can't tell you"
I said; and then, %inventing a story on
the spur of the moment, / went on:
1--WE have been expecting a friend of
mine for some days. He is a most err
ratio fellow, however. and comes and
goes when he pleases; and SO, I sup
pose found the room occupied, and con-
cluded you were he. How you got In
is a complete mystery to me, and 1t is
plain that something must have hap
pened to upset your mental balance
temporarily; IND the best way for you
to come to yourself is to worry no more
about the matter. You can take up
your quarters here until things get
straight, and If you feel inclined to be
grateful, please signify the same by
making yourself at home"
I could see the tears start to his eyes.
ssIItn vntI ta11 ~ ynYrr n of ~