Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-07

ton in n certain eXpectant way. They
were constantly on the lookout for his |
latent singularities, and they talked |
much of him behind his back.
''He was always so." said Jameson.
IT knew him in college. He used to sit !
on the lowest bench at clinic, staring
into the demonstrators face In that |
cocksure way of his He fairly queered
the junior instructors"
"Peterman has the faculty of getting
himself talked about, at any rate"
said Renley. why, some Of those
ethical issues he brought up in the
medical journals caused more talk
than cholera scare"
HE has new fad now" said
Swainley, who once had roomed with
Peterman.
"What is it?" asked Baxter.
Idiots Talks Of ameliorating their
condition and oil that sort Of thing"
How can you ameliorate an idiotY"
asked Renley.
81 know Of one way that would ben
eft science, but am afraid the public
wouldn't stand for it. Now, in Ber-
lin"-
Good heavens, many' exclaimed
Jameson, with Mortified stare. you
do not really mean
"Well," replied Swainley, with
shrug, "the idiots couldn't be worse Off
than they are now. notice you don't
seem wildly glad to have your attend
ance week come around, especially
when there is quarantine on. That
time Central Park and Eddie Apple
had scarlet fever, and you thought you
had 1t, and we bundled you off togeth-
er in tent you got enough Of idiots
for awhile, guess"
| Curious idea of the superintendent
of charity naming them for the places
where they are found" observed Rem
ley.
"Oh, WE'LL" said Baxter, who was
Il gazing through the window at the
twinkling lights of sound steamer
coming out of He'll Gate, ut sometimes
leads to Identification when the spon-
sors want to identify. But let's change
the subject. Hanged If 1t doesn't sicken
me! / hate the thought Of the cursed
old shed. When first came here, I
used to de up my bell in rags regularly
every night 80 they couldn't summon
me over the
He was interrupted by knock on the
door and stopped talking as 1t opened
and man entered. He was one Of the
outside night watchmen.
"Docther Swainley," he said, nodding
to the rest, twas anything the mat
Their wi Docther Peterman, dunno2"
Not that know of. Patrick. Whyf,'
well, sor, before he left the institoo-
shun little while ago he"-
Whats that? Has Peterman gone
away? When did he go"
"About an hour ago. He wint on the
steamer
i "why, the steamer doesn't run at
night2"
well, yes, I know, but this was q
special ordher he had from the chart
ties department. 1t seems, sor, there
was some of the idjits wanted at the
Twenty -sixth street dock. He took
them away wild him"
"What?" It came with yell as the
men in the room bounded to their feet.
The Waterman, startled, stepped back
wnrd two or three PAGES.
"Took the idiots away with himl" ex-
claimed Swainley. "Great heavensl
What for"
81 dunno" replied the Waterman un-
easily. "But it was quite regular, sor.
He said 1T wasn't necessary to report II
to the captain Of the foorce, and he
gave me letther-that's why come
which he tould me to give to you in the
mornin'."
why, good God, man, why didn't
you give it to me ut onceT" He snatched
1t from the watchman's hand, tore Il
open and read aloud:
Dear DIR. Swainley-We have talked sc
many times of the necessity for ameliorat-
ing the condition of the idiot that YOU
will understand me perfectly when say
| an opportunity for carrying out one of my
projects has unexpectedly arrived. have
succeeded in conveying the greater por.
ton of our patients to the steamboat, and
by the time you get this they will be dis
posed of in what think is the only ra.
tional way Probably shall not escape
the consequences of the deed, 80 you will
not hear from me again. You will under.
etand-time Is very precious. I might ado
that neither the pilot nor the engineer
both Of whom ordinarily sleep on the boat
knows anything Of the Plan. I sent one t.
the city on an errand for me. The othel
and was away. Farewell. In the cause o,
humanity, HERMAN PETERMAN.
A tumble of EXPLANATIONS and whis
Ting broke forth from the group
Swainley was the most agitated.
III "Of all the crazy fools!' he exclaimed
'"And to implicate me in the business II
this dastardly way! But we must stol
him!" And he dashed from the room
pursued down the long stairs by the
voice of Jameson, who called sweetlJ
as they Nall followed:
81 soy, NSwain, old man, Petey seems
to be carrying out your ideas perfectly
doesn't he?r>
The idiot fpale" dormitory, known
locally as Pavilion r, doomed dark and
sinister against the half light of tht
early evening. 1t is an oblong, super
structured shed. with gallery piazzas
extending around It at every floor ant
outside stairways leading up at th.
corners. The floors are undivided. Pri
vacy is not necessary to the inmates
They would not appreciate It A nevel
ending bench extends completely
around the walls of the ground foo
room beneath the high windows. Two
railway stoves, encircled by q wiz,
screen, stand near each end of thu
room. These great stoves even In sum
mer are usually surrounded, almos
concealed, by mass Of swaying hu
mainly, but when Swainley burs
through the one door of the room ht
found only a few poor, detected. crea
lures = boys and men = sitting on tn,
benches and grouped about the stoves
Not an attendant was in sight He rar
out again and over to the neighborina
building to the female wards and found
with relief the usual complement Of
girls in the usual attitudes and condi
tons. The women attendants were
there too. Evidently Peterman had