The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-05-12
DARBY MAC AND LUNATlC


relative, the Resident Medical Superin
tendent of the k Asylum.
The train dropped me at a small coun
try station. two miles or so from my des
tination. and about four from the neares
towr. There were several postcars wait
ing; 1 entered into satisfactory negotia
tons with a man named Darby Mac and
took my seat.
Where to, surr?'' inquired Darby.
THE asylum"
(which wan, SURF? Is it the ovid minis
or the deaf and dumb?'
mo, nor said I, neither The luna
lie asylum
''wisha now. ans is it there you're
goin' o.
1T is" said I.
GLORY be TO Godw he calculated,
thoughtfully and quite to himself. Pos
sibly he might be a recovered patient, j
surmised The idea awakened a special
interest in him.
.'You know the placer" I remarked,
tentatively.
sBedad, I do-know it well-and good
raison l have to know it. IT'S quare ex-
I perience some people gets when they'd
sooner be without it, if they had any
choice; an that's the way it was with
me, your honor. I'd as soon see the devil
as go near it; but sure a poor man has to
live whatever happens.
There's time TO turn back if you have
any objection. 1 can easily get another
car
The response was a ''Wha-up. Polly?
and three or four ficks of the whip.
which set the willing animal off at
brisk trot.
with the help O. God we'll keep the
Job this time anyhow" said Darby.
Were you put into the place against
your will?" I inquired.
no, SUR; druv UP of my own free
will
Strange. 1 thought.
And did they treat you badly when
they got you inside the walls?"
~ never was behind the doors, your
honor, thank Heaven. 1t was bad enough
without that
Clearly there was some hing wrong with
him-or had been. 1t would be better for
me not to rouse him or awaken old men,
cries. 1t would manifestIy be most incon-
venient if he went out of his mind before
] got to the end of my journey. l beat
about for something comforting TO say to
him
'Of course all I want you to do is to
drop me at the door, / said.
That's how 1 got let into it all once
before. SUR
But nobody expects you this timer?
They didn't expect me the time before
neither"
But you say you weren't locked up?"
81 wasn't; but L have no taste for mad
min. There's always a lot of EN- walking
about"
1 laughed.
You folish man. I cried Don't you
know very well that DR. M wouldn't let
them out and about if they were danger
ous?'
That's right enough, SUR, but wait till
] tell you what happened TO me, and may
be you won't wonder why Id he nervous.
This very day. three years ago, Heaven
between us and harm, l druv another
jntleman-it might be yourself-up to see
the doctor.
Wait for me- says he, jumpin' off the
safe before We got TO the dor an run
min up the steps. I won't be more than
half an hour
II pulled up. an settled the nose bag
on the mare, the way she's be attn a
bit: and then / sot up fair and aisy on the
safe There was some madmin scratchin'
the walks with rakes. an weedin' flower
beds, an diggin' here an there, but l
never took much notice of EN- till all of a
sudden they began TO gether up into one
clump, an to chatter, an threw down
the spades an ralIes an shovels an
had a regular setto wild fists-one man
strikin another that was the nearest to
hiin-an' so they kept peggin' away.
''Begor all at once, after a divl of a
big scrimmage between EN-. they scat
tered just while you'd he sayin' Jack
Robinson. LAWN one hairy ovid fellow
that forgot himself an seemed bothered a
bit after gettin struck on the side of the
head. Well your honor. I'm telling no lie
when / say l could see his eyes shinn' in
the distance. like you'd see the windeys
on a lonesome house about sunset
But. faith, he wasn't long coming
round; and when he did. he let a shout
out of him and made straight for me at
top speed. With that. spinin' myself
round on the gate. i took a jump right
side safe and sound.
''Thinkin to see what he's be at, look
ed round cautiously. but faith. he gev me
no time for contemplation. I.promise you
The heart riz up in me mouth when see
him full tilt skirt round after me, / gev
myself up for lost
Away with me, then. round and round
the mare and the car at top speed, and he |
after me- putin an BLOWN an shoutin-
the Lord save us-like srampus. an me
-shortwinded after the intlenza.
well. SURF. TO make long story short |
h was gainin' on me every minnit. His |
big fist was just within foot of me. !
when l made a last dive for a short cut. |
under the mares belly. thinkin I'd make |
straight for the hall door. The right foot /
went clane from under me, and down l 4
came head foremost dead bate With /
that he hit me kick that broke two of /
my ribs
I'm knit says l.
What matter?' says he. that's tig for 1
you, anyhow. and be -- to you. for all /
the trouble you gave me-
Away with him. then. as hard as he t
could lay egg to ground. and never set |
eyes on him from that day to this-the i
divil fly away with him. When the doctor /
came out he brought me to the hospital.
and I wasn't the better Of the kick ana
the fright for over three months. That's
the whole story. SURF
What did the fellow mean by shout
ing tig?' l inquired. when he had re
covered himself 4 bit
'Mane by it. is it? Shure. it's game
that boys do he always piayin' at school