New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-11

"CensI for the love of heaven come hack
But my daushters 1.-the young limbs were too
qulcK Tor me She turned deaf ear to my appeal.
and when reached the room which she occupied
at the top of the tower it was to find il sbut and
boIted in my face. drummed heIplesslv ON the
ge-blackened oak.
1t IS no use, mother" came back the clear
vibrant tones from within; Il am really not mad
and wish 10 be alone for a little while"
Without entering upon futile argument apdin,-
in recrminations that would have cut me to the
heart, 1 descended the winding stone steps and
made my way to the library. There 1 sat down in
the big chair by the fire and brooded over the
trouble had borne so long alone
1t was going TO burst upon at last l was as
sured. the storm had dreaded for years for the
first premonitions Of which I had waited in con-
tinuous since Celias birth; since in fact the
dreadful night when they came and took nv dear
husband to the asylum where. three years later he
had died-happy died, 1 have always felt justified
In thinking after all the terror that went before
have often wondered how survived that awful
second year of my married life beginning as 1t did,
with my Lancelots accident in the hunting field
continuing with his ever-growing homicidaI mania
directed for the part against myself and
ending, the day that should have made me a
happy mother, in his having to be placed under
stEaint.
But though I had lived through it all IT was
to become a sorrowful woman. weighed down with
the haunting fear that her fathers malady would
The thing had grown to be a nightmare with me
FROM morning to night, as the years passed. had
been watching for signs of mental REORGANIZATION
IN my daughters sweet face; her slightest actions
HsS fgs9 by me for the first trace OF
a, month be before the event narrating had
both quite unworthy of attention in any one not
1aRde 10 nePedtaTy faint but viewed by me in
FIRST observed strange brightness in her eyes
TO her usual placid demeanor, and utterly unac-
coqntaSie- -. Since my great trouble we had lived
but but our family physician Dr. Merriam I had
because OF my rooted conviction that Celia must
never marry. To hand down to unborn babes that
could never connve NV daughter. my beautiful trd1s
high spirited daughter should be isolated till. If
dimmed and her fair Cheeks faded '' "st eyes
aq1e mac bo ns11 no FFeis&ng OF my 1igd rule
of Celia beyond the confines of the park. and was
in her.
our regular life had been tendency Celia's part
e sonn rem my soGsg and spend o much Of
western turre Especially Sad this been 1O b OF cas
in the twilight hours between tea and dinner. On
reason for 50 shifting herself up sho had O given
And now she had thrown OF ali pretence Of self
restraint and had confirmed my suspicious by the
On my calling her back as she was leaving the
library after tea. she had flung back the impudent
What nonsense. motheri Are you afraid that
some one VIII come counting me at the top Of the
MAJ an1 sta 5an she had run with that in he.
lated, to be out distanced by her as she raced up
Well, on one thing at least could congratulate
myself The quick Intuition, which had led me 70
notice the alteration in my daughters manner and
for her safety. So far. thank God she had shown
but had feared that up there in the solitude Of
her room she might fa prey In 81, some PaToxys
ton 1t was even possible that she had taken to
I had Therefore given orders for the window IN
her turret chamber. from which my husband had
& ' 69 Il huP To had nS & o Seh
during our absence while strollng in the park
not know TIL the Sind was drawn n the morning
we hs aa 6e al so but I b
that be than for her fair young body to be found
wyn Chase abutted on the scarp OF a precipItoqs
drop of fifty feet from the foundations to the high
From the first had hated her using room
but I had been able to give her so few pleasures
that could not deny her this choice OF lofty eyre
TIL the last month had reason to regret the CON
cession. All through her colorless childhood and IN
the later years when she had been much TO me:
her occupation of the turret chamber had not
hers and the whim she had taken for staying up
there alone would not have asaqefd me no
I sat brooding IN the freight. Would she turn
athr had dn done or Would sSs medtate injury to
herself? Would the mania take an acutely violent
form, would she sink into morose apathy re-
lieved by outbreaks OF wild excitement3 Colonel
during that awful YEAR All mel that it should be
my lot to bear that cruel burden over again
Suddenly IL in answer to my questions,
sound fell my straining ears and caused me 10
rush out into the hall 1t the sound OF distant
laughter Celia's laughter. waited and magnifed as
by a speaking trumpet down the winding funnel
OF the turret stair. There II again. rising and
falling peal peal OF high pitched mirth that
turned my heart to stone.
It continued all the time I running up the
stairs but ceased as suddenly IL had begun
lust as 1 got TO Celias door. To my frantic knock,
10 nv fervent appeal for admission. there was no
reply. Behind the locked door there reigned a FL
lence more suggestive TO ms Of untold horror than
fhOSa
There a bell at the top OF the stairs. ane
nv first impulse was to pull IT. But this was mans
work and there only female servants IN the
house my butler being away on his holiday. 10
summon a pack OF silly maids would be futile, ana
moreover the shame of It stayed my hand II
INV daughter was mad, she must be II she
were still alive, the tragedy OF II had pest De
got over quickly without the mouthings and gestic-
ulations Of impotent women folk. God help mel
How impotent felt myself