Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-07-17

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at was a shameful trap" he said
"on the part of my people. The doctors
were very careless in their diagnosis
TO shut me up in place like this was
really too bad. In 4 very short time
however, l expect TO leave"
"Oh. dear" she thought, her eyes
dimming, they all say thatl To think
that the poor II an will never, never
never leave. Il am so glad-for you,
she said aloud. You will be over
joyed."
"oh, I-yes But do you know this
saritarium is not so bad"
'.Do you mean," she said gently, sur
prised. that you will-er-have any re-
grets in leaving"
NO" he said. mot exactly that, OF
course-not regrets, so far as concerns
myself. for it is so humiliating to be
committed, you know" He paused
But" he went on, ''even in asylums
one makes friends, and-one regrets
for them"
He looked down with a tenderness
and pity he could not hide, and she
blushed. and for moment there was
silence, Then she said. with an OBJ
viously strained laugh:
1--WE are friends, Of course, Mr.. St
John. What an awful existence II
would be here II one had no sympa-
thetic friendsi But you must not regret
so much on my account. In a very
short time think my friends will take
me home"
He cholied a groan before she could
hear it,
"The poor little thing" he thought.
'They all say that. And that decent
Young fellow. the doctor, assures me
her case is very puzzling and her
friends fear incurab BILE. / am SO glad
for YOU" he said Would 1t not be
Jolly If we became friends in the world
as we have been when out of the
worldt"
Then he blamed himself again.
IF she really likes me-" he thought,
"and think the unhappy child does. ]
should never had said that. 1t is cruel,
brutal. to put such thoughts in her
head"
She was looking at him with the
fearful smile we essay when we en-
courage one who does not realize that
death is near.
at would be nice-very nice indeed y
They were silent again, each sorrow
ing for the other.
There were many other patients
strollIng on the lawns or sitting in the
summer houses. patients of all kinds,
from the shaky narcomaniac to the op.
timistically cheerful paretic. Attend
ants male and female, moved unobtru-
sively among them.
Miss Tracy and St John stood to-
gether silent now and unostentatiously
observant A sturdily built (all the at
tendants were that man was taking a
patient to the iron barred house. He
did not do 1t violently. He did 1t as one
may see a policeman occasionally es-
cort quiet prisoner with light touch
on the captiye's arm above the elbow.
The patient was a little excited, but
there was no disturbance at all. A Wis
itor might never have noticed 1t. The
strange thing was the unanimous back
ward withdrawal from the attendants
path OF the patients encountered, the
look Of fright or dislike on their faces
directed not at the captive, but at the
guard.
How they all dread him-instinctive-
ly, 1t seems" said the young woman
who expected to leave soon." HE Is
polite enough and not i'll looking
but
"a man of great experience in his
peculiar work, I'm told" said st. John
musingly.
"Tts his eye and mouth that do 1T,
fancy"
"a thoroughly Ill dispositioned man,
with a plausible exterior" said St
John. II believe him capable of it."
"Of murder? Do-oh, what are you
talking of, Mr.. st. JohnY
st. John looked very uncomfortable.
Miss Tracy looked vexedly embar-
rassed
81 heard some rumor OF a strange
death in the institution just before |
came. I was thinking of 1t. Were you
here? Have you heard anything OF
it?"
He was a little eager.
How could be here? We came on
the same day. don't you remember
"Ah, truer'
So they watched the attendant out OF
sight and turned to go inside them
Selves.
they shook hands, although there
was no reason for 1t. They would meet
ut the dinner table In a few minutes.
but-they shook hands and that lin
geringly.
"Its awfully sad" st. John ponder
ed. $50 sweet face. seemingly 80 In.
telligent. ! wish-oh, pshaw! What's
the use of wishing? These things are
not to be remedled. l wonder if-she'd
give me photograph"
Miss Tracy went to her room slowly.
81 am silly to be so affected by an
ordinary case. There are thousands
like him. Butch, dear, oh, dear! IL
I'd known | was to have this sad ex-
perience, | would never have consented
TO come-neverp'
They had no opportunity to meet
alone for several days. Perhaps they
might have made opportunities, but
they did not. Doubtless 1t occurred TO
each Of these two lunatics that II was
the wiser thing to stifie at once any
friendship which each thought likely
TO cause useless pain In the future to
the other.
DIR. Bell found these two OF his resi-.
dents particularly interesting in th:es
days, and 80 did the attendant. II wa5
Strange that they both so markedly pre-
ferred the company Of the sanitarium
people to that OF their fellow unfortu-
mates. 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 n
day.
Every puZzling case" he mused.
"Now, why does she dwell SO on that
rece% death? 1t seems to excite her
too. mats morbidity, I'm afraid; bad
sign
The doctor liked st. John too. st.
Johns friends acted very nicely in
sending him new books and boxes Of