The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-05
THE POWER OF
 THE IMAGINATION
foriginaLl

huNe you eceu uuy tniub ot sVuhi man about here who doesn't belong t' the placef" he asked.
 "NN. What does he look likef"
 Handsome: black hair and eyei with a glitter In them. He escaped las night"
 q haven't seen him. and don't wan to-"
 If he comes. win you please tele phone mer'
 "No. I'll hide In the attic"
 The keeper had scarcely gone when saw man in the distance coming uI the road. Great heavens! Could it b' the Insane manp l stood my ground brayely to see If he answered the de scription till he came within discrim mating distance. He was walking rap Idly and carried a suit case. To my horror he walked straight to the gat' and entered. I peered with all my strength of vision at his hair. IL wal black as night. looked at his eyes They. too. were black and scintillatet like pin wheels on the Fourth of July.
 "I beg pardon" he said, raising hl' hat 'Is this old oaksr"
 "No." gasped. lied. would hay' lied 10 an angel from heaven.
 Singular" he said. looking abou him. "I surely can't have mistaken th' place. I followed the main road-th' only road In fact-and the gateway l' Of stone. a round ball on each column
 "You will and old Oaks a mile dowr the road"
 He looked about him. every moment more bewildered.
 Are there two such gatewaysi' hC asked presently.
 "A dozen"
 My heart was beating wildly. My strained imagination showed me only q madman who would murder me if lid not succeed in turning him away.
 These are the asylum grounds" cried. "Go away at once! They arc looking for you. The keeper was here this morning. He has been gone only an hour. He told me if you came tc telephone him. but I won't. hope you will get away"
 By this time had become hysterical and began to laugh and cry by turns The young man looked as badly fright ened as |. He cast quick glance about him. as lf for some one to take me fin charge.
 His action rcassured me. Had made mistake? looked again at his hair. this time through eyes unterri' ded. It was auburn | remarked bis eyes. They were blue and. Instead Of sclntlllating. were very mild. Mean while the man was studying me. Grad ually he came 10 look upon me as sane ifter all. for he said:
 "I am Arthur Andrews. I vas tc come to old Oaks for over Sunday with my friend Tom winslow. have evidently got into the wrong place"
 Oh. my stars. have mistaken Toms friend for a lunatic. I would rather suffer any torture than confess my CT TOT. I must get rid of him before he discovers who am.
 "Old Oaks Is the next place 10 ours, said. Doubtless you will easily find it if you keep right on down the road. !" "The Gatewayr
 "JuSt like ours-a ball on each post.
 "Arc the columns brownstone or granite? Yours. see. are granite"
 Theirs are granite too"
 Square or roundT
 To this made no reply. Somehow didn't like hls tone. Besides, there was no necessity In being SO minute.
 Thanks" he said. 'I will doubtless ind the place. am sorry 10 have dis' turbed you"
 He departed. I arose. went to the house and shut myself up fin my room. In the afternoon heard Tom talking with some one on the piazza. looked through the blinds and saw the-the lunatlcl
 I rang for the maid and when she came told her to tell my brother that bad one of my sick headaches and would not be well till Monday-after the train had gone.
 Tom came to me and found me with a wet cloth on my brow.
 Awful sorry. Lucy; have brought Arthur Andrews up purposely to meet you"
 "oh, go away. Toml You don't knew how I suffer"
 The next Saturday Tom brought "the lunatic." as I called him. for another Sunday. Before met either of them overheard a conversation which indi' cated they had explained my action to their own satisfaction. I went down stairs and walked out on the piazza as cool as an Iced cucumber.
 My friend. Arthur Andrews" said Tom. "of whom you have often heard me speak"
 'Think have had the pleasure of meeting you before" said the guest, milling
 "wbenY' I asked. with we'll felgned wonder.
 "A week ago today"
 You must be mistaken. Last Satur' day 1 was confined to my room with a sick headache"
 
 Arthur Andrews made frequent visits to old Oaks. and we took many stroll through the grounds always dreaded to pass the gateway. for Arthur would invariably ask me about that counter part which stood at the entrance Of that other old Oaks a short distance