The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-27
TWO LUNATICS
BY p. Y. BLACK
wish-O, pshaw! What's the use of wishing?
These things are not to be remedied. l Won
der if-she'd give me photograph"

wish-o. pshaw! What's the use of wishing?
These things not to be remedied. l Won
der if-she'd give me a photograph.
Miss Tracy went to her room slowly.
II am silly to be so affected by ordinary
case. There are thousands like him. But
o, DEAR O. dear! If I'd known,I was to have
this sad experience, would never have con-
sented to come-neyer!''
They had no opportunity to meet alone for
several days. Perhaps they might have made
opportunities, but they did not. Doubtless it
occurred to each Of these two lunatics that it
was the wiser thing to stfie at once any
friendship which each thought likely to cause
| useless pain in the future to the other.
DR.. Bell found these two of his residents
particularly interesting in those days, and so
did the attendant. 1t was strange that they
both so markedly preferred the company OF
the sanatorium people to that of their fellow
unfortunates. The young house doctor thought
Miss Tracy charming and never was abrupt
with her when she sought him in his office,
as he was compelled to be for self-protection
with some who wanted to see him half a
| dozen times day.
Very puZZling case" he unused Nov,
why does she dwell so on that recent death
! 1t seems to excite her too. That's morbidity,
| I'm afraid; bad sign
The doctor liked st. John too. St. John s
| friends acted very nicely in sending him new
| books and boxes of cigars. The books were
well chosen; the cigars were uneXceptionable
| Like all these paretics," he pondered, Sin
! the first stages you would not think there was
| anything much wrong with the man, but ii
| is little singular that he should be SO in
terested in that unlucky death also.'
| AS for the attendants Miss Tracy had
flowers and little things and could teach the
women quite number of new fads in hair
4 ~ 1rb,,H c
cigar box and full pocketbook sufticed to
| make them extremely courteous. The man
| with the wicked eyes and mouth benefited
most, however. 1t was wonderful what q lot
OF little things he could do for Miss Tracy.
1t was strange that St. John should find any
thing in the man to talk about with common
interest.
Just once the two lunatcs met. 1t was just
before bedtime in the music room. He had
sung to her Accompaniment When she rose
| to say good night. he almost whispered to
| her:
Il expect to go to New York Tomorrow"
81 am glad for your sake" she said
"And-and you-you have made my stay
almost tolerable. Is there nothing you will
allow me to do for you?" -
! "Oh," she answered, with sprightliness, 81
| shall not be long in going myself" ...
| Poor, poor little dear" he said to his
pillow, 'it breaks me all up to think of heI
staying here incurable''
| Miss Tracy packed her trunk, and tears
dropped on silk and linen indifercntly.
'Oh,'' she murmured, Il do So wish ]
| had never come here. can never, never for
| get the sad, gentle way he used to look al
me-
| There was lively work next afternoon in
! the building of the Gazette. A young man
! sat at a desk apart in the reporters room
! and he scrubbed and he scrubbed. BY and
| by the managing editor came in and looked
over the busy writer's shoulder and toic
| him that he had only an hour to finish W
| in Then the great presses began to clatter
| and in a little while the first edition Of the
Gazette was ready for the street, with al
! enormous black scare head on the from
| page.
And in the office of the Morning Jury there
was also a very lively bustling, and teere
at retired desk, a young woman sat, ane
she scrubbed, and late at night the presse:
| hogan to rumble, and in a little while the
first edition Of The Jury was ready for the
| street, with an enormous black scare heao Oh
the front page.
! The Gazette and The Jury were within {
| few minutes CT each other In getting cut
copy Of each paper was hustled into lh'
| office of the other, for rival editors Watcs
| each others work with catlike lntentnesS
And the Gazette Office read with dismay tina
the great a>,un mystery Lad been soiVc'
hy the interchangeable efforts Of Jury IL
uorter. while The Jury night staff tore it
editorial lair over the faring boast Of thu
Gazette that it's especial commissioner haf
given to 4 waiting world the first and oni!
enlightenment of the famous crime. Ther'
had Ieen no time for one paper to lit lhf
news f1c11 the other. How had the expected
| scoop tern SPOILED? f.E
Tunultuous was the wrath in tho two
~, Vnl
managing editor, with tears in her Dyes
that she could not understand a. all, at all
| how the Gazette had got hold of 1t. In th'
| Gazette office Mr.. St. 1onn stormei ant
swore and said that for the nfa Of him IL
could not understand how the Jury had got al
most the same story. -.-.
Good heayens!" shouted St. John sud
| denly and he dashed out to the Jury Office
| There he found a friend, with whom ne con
ferred. The two unatics were introduced II
| each other and a minute or two afterwart
were alone together. go.
! They laughed a great deal at the Idea o
two reporters on the same strange assign
ment never suspecting each other, but incl
Laugh was not very loud The tender pity 10
each other of yesterday was still in mlnd.
."rhe attendant is arrested said st. John
you did not get it quite right The patien
he poisoned when nursing HIM was an OF
| enemy. It was not done through trouble
asring between them in the sanatorium
| ooh. bother!' she said. 1T doesn't mat
ter. We've done our appointed work. Let
talk of something mere pleasant. -
| So they did, and when he was about to g
away he said :,
.You said once we might be friends II
tho world as we'll as out OF the world. WI
we be friends dear Miss Tracy?
| She looked at him SO smilinsly, YET s.
trembltngly, that he rut his arm around her
| ..Will YOU be more than friend, darlins!'
he whispered.
| Yes she said. and it was quite NV
minutes after, when some ones feet "er
| heard approaching, that she Jumped ava!
and held up warning finger
III your friend came in. he'd think III
mad" said she.
Two ,lunatics!" nc answered, laughing, a
the door opened.