The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
WITH A GNn SNlLL RE F1NED Hl5-MlNE AND ION

for now poor Captain Dodd' had to he taken to an insane asylhm-a private one, where the charges made big hole in Mrs Dodds limited income.
 Edward had confessed to his mother his love for Jane Hardle, but there seem ed little prospect for any happy issue Tor him out of the situation Jane was de- voted to her father, who regarded the Dodds as his enemies and Jane, while secretly loving Edward, convinced her self that she had a "calf' to live a sim gle life She threw herself, with more fervor and less judgment even than be- fore, into her missionary work.
 The morning after Captain Dodd had been taken unconscious to his home Noah Skinner demanded of his employer "whaekup" out of the fourteen thous- and pounds And how about the re- ceipt?' he asked. Hardie at once was greatly worried He called the maid who had cleaned up the office the night before. Yes, she had seen such a paper as they described lying on the floor and had thrown 1t into the wastebasket. The dust man had taken 1t away.
 They could not trace the receipt, and at last concluded that 1t had gone into some bonfire or dust heap. Hardie, under threats from Skinner, gave his clerk five thousand pounds. Then, when he saw that Alfred Hardie suspected him, Skinner went to London to try to make his for tune with the sum on the Stock FIX change. Then came the end of the Ox- ford term Alfred came of age and went home tc marry Julia. The day before the one fixed for the wedding. two doctors called on young Hardie at the lodging which he had taken temporarily. He con- sldered their visit puzzle and an intru- sion and their questions impertinent and ordered them out Early the next morn ing Alfred received a note signed by Peggy" Black, a girl who had been for some time in his fathers house, osten- sibly as a servant. The note said that Peggy was now employed at Slverton Grove House. not far from Silverton station. and if he would go there at once she could tell him "all about that four teen thousand pounds; for 1t is a sin that a young lady should be beguiled out of her own" Though despisng the writer Alfred considered that he had plenty of time to run over to Slverton before the time fixed for the wedding; and any possible chance to learn anything defiu- ite about the stolen hard cash could not be neglected.
 at the appointed time the church was crowded: the organ played the wedding march, and Julia, leaning on the arm of her brother and followed by her mother. appeared, a vision of loveliness. Then the organ played some more Then there came an awkward pause. There was no bridegroom present! The organ played again and MT Hurd. the rector. quickly realizing the situation and acting with rare tact, got Julia. half fainting, out of the church by the vestry door and into a carriage and SO home
 Naturally Barkington had a sensation All that MT. Hardie would say was that his son was travelling abroad. Edward Dodd longed to lay hands on the deserter and spoke of him always as "The Scoun- drel" Julia refused to believe him false and insisted that something terrible had happened to him. while Mrs. Dodd sor- rowed and was perplexed.
 Julia was right; something terrible had happened to her lover. The note from Peggy" was decoy, and Alfred Hardie was a prisoner in private insane asylum on the certificate of two quacks. the doctors who had visited him the day before that set for his wedding
 The private insane asylums of England at that time were a disgrace to civiliza- . tion sane man confined in one of those horrible places was so treated that he needed to have a strong and well balanced mind. indeed. if, after a while, his con- dition did not square with his commit ment The government supervision of these asylums was inadequate slack, per forma The machinery for getting a man into one of them was so ridicuously sim ple that any one with enemies mig Inf find himself any day in a mad house And the machinery for getting A man out was SO cumbersome that influence money. friends and admitted sanity