St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-02-03
to the sky. 'Why indeed, thanghs
il was raining,"

it was ralnlng.
The man had look in his fac,
akin 10 pity. Perhaps you arr
right" he replied. gently. 1T may b<
raining. 1t is not always possible fol
me to tell except when 1 see people
carrying their umbrellas"
''Sensory nerves quite obtuse,
thought Helen. Il have heard that i,
is common with degenerates." The
man moved a little nearer, and Heller
ventured to go still further around the
lilac bush. He stopped still, and they
faced each other over the low shrub
berry. What an agreeable looking
creature he was with his soft brown
eyes, his long. delicate face, and his
high brow. He looked as if he might
have been intended for poet. Proba.
bly, he had been, but had gone one step
further. Helen had not read Lombros 0
for nothing.
do you ever write poetry?" sfe
asked, with genuine curiosity.
The man blushed. Helen had nc
dreamed a lunatic would blush.
when l find a fitting subject" he
confessed.
''Ah! And what should you consider
a fitting subject?"
''Why-you!" The words came out
explosively. They did not seem to BE-
meant for a compliment. The man
spoke pathetically. 1t seemed as il
there We're tears in his eyes. Helen an
/ swered as if he were a child.
do l seem so sad to you" she asked.
Does it make the tears come in your
eyes to look at me, poor man."
Indeed it does" he replied. quite
simply. Il think you are the saddest
thing l ever saw
| Il wouldn't die for anything" she ex-
planned. II like to live. / find plenty of
things to laugh at" And to convince
his wandering wits that this was the
truth she broke into merry laugh.
which astonished the melancholy spirit
of the place.
IF l give you my hand" said the
man. kindly, will you not walk bacl,
with me to the house?"
| To take his hand, to let him get hold
upon her! 1t was ghastly. He moved
| toward her. There seemed nothing for
| it but to run, and run she did, speed
ing over the soft lawn with rapidity
that astonished herself. She could hear
him calling to her. but she sped on, till,
finally, a hysterical impulse, born of her
| fright and fatigue. took hold of her.
She began to laugh again, and the
musical. half-weeping laughter f1oated
behind her as she fed. Then, breath
less. she stumbled in a ground mole's
tunnel and fell fiat. She buried her face
in the grass and waited. her heart pain
ing with the stress of its work. A sec
ond later two arms were about her and
she was lifted to her feet. She faced the
lunatic- They were of height and
they stood looking at each other, both
of them pale and trembling, his arm
still supporting her.
Poor child" he murmured, show
sorry l am thar frightened you. Per-
haps l ought not TO have run after you.
But l was afraid you would leave the
grounds and come to some harm.'
She would have liked to explain
to him that one need not come
to harm ouside of the grounds. but
perhaps it was as well that he thought
otherwise. She would tell him the
truth about herself. Perhaps he would
understand. All. what pity that such
an engaging face should hide ruined
mind!
You must try to understand" she
said. slowly, that I do not live here
in them the hospital. l am here for
the first time. l have not yet been up
TO the-the building, you know. /
came to visit a relative who is here.
II seems a pleasant place. Have you
been here long,
My dear young LADY," cried he, 81
also am visitor. / also came to visit
an acquaintance, with whom / wa.
walking a moment since. approached
you to ask if you knew when the next
train went to town. but when l ad
dressed you l judged from your reply
that you were one of the inmates"
Helen sank gently down on the
grass.
Il think l must rest moment" said
she. Il am much surprised" Her
tone indicated something more than
surprise. 1t confessed to a great relief
She paid her visit to the asylum and she
and Victor Law. her lunatic. went back
on the same train together. To both
of them the afternoon seemed the most
interesting of their nves.
why were there tears in your eyes"
she asked before they parted, when
you talked with me at first?'''
''Why. it seemed to me that / had
never encountered anything 50 sad as
shattered mind behind eyes So
please pardon me SO beautiful az
yours. l know l am rude. but must
speak the truth. If you had been mad,
should have remembered you with
sorrow all the days of my life
Being sane. suppose You viii for
get me?"
But she knew well that he would
not give himself the opportunity. She
was quite certain that she should see
him often. 1t would have been gro
tesque anti-climaN not to have met
again after that afternoon.-Chicago
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