The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-19
The Altenburg Case
By GEORGE DYRE ELDRIDGE
Copyright. 1909 By George Dyre EIdridge
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 Ing before the alarm Grimbleshaw's warning had aroused.
 ..No, not if your physician is within quick reach and understands the case. Yes, otherwise. Send whoever you se- feet to me-; there's too much hazard in taking time to make an independent study of the case"
 q certainly appreciate your kind ness, replied Reed "Your bill. if you can tell me what balance is due. :" and , he reached his hand for his pocket book
 ] 'T don't carry those things in my rnind,,' said Grimbleshaw. distantly. He never had felt the emptiness of his own pocke.book more keenly than at this moment. but whatever came he would not forget the dignity of the physician. T will mail it to you"
 So that was over. and like a thunder clap. What did 1t nseafa? He had certainly earned his place at theSbed- side of this woman. for he had known neither time nor rest in her service. It had npre- than once happened that to have admitted the claim of either would have turned the scale from life to death. Indeed he remembered al most with a smile even now at the ludicrousness pf. the affair. a winters night when he hurried to her. clad in his bedroom robe and night slipps CTS. over which he had thrown his buffalo coat He could feel the jingle of the cold on his ankles as he shot from the door to the waiting sleigh. That night he was certain he had saved her life. and now he was dismissed. and that without word of explanation or complaint
 As he came into his room the te1e- phone bell was ringing. ringing as it does when some one is prodding cen- traI from the other end, and she spends her irritation on the irrespon- lsive bell. Grimblesnaw stepped to the E instrument with sharp "4ello; who's s there?'
 s.Is that Dr. Grimbleshaw came the response. and the nearer gave a start, fn spite of his natural and culti- vated power of self-control.
 'sYes. What is it?"
 6 You recognize my voice?"
 s'Yes, Mr., Cal--''
 There's no need of names" came an almost angry interruption. rIt's enough that you know. Even tele- phones like walls. have ears"
 e'Well. then. I recognize you. Has anything happened? To your mother mean" ]. NO. 'Twasn't about her wanted to speak That man from down the river-you know?"
 Yes. yes! What of him?'
 Has he been to see you yet?"
 ssYes. to-day. But really Mr.-''
 Careful. know-hush! Here's some one coming. I'll have to call you again. Good-bye!"
 s'WeIl. I'll 'be-switched! Any one to have heard him would have thought we were thicker'n thieves! I wonder what the fool can be driving at? I thought something had happened to- Juditfl.''
 WitE that he thrust his hand into his pocket and discovered his letters. One was from an old college mate, and he recalled that he had thought him fool for accepting a subordinate nIace at the Hacklebury Insane Asy- lun. simply because it gave him fix ed income. Maybe, after all. that monthly salary, regularly paid by the stale, wasn't to be sneezed at. He tore open the envelope and read two pages of chaff and gossip. and then suddenly came to a bit of news that fitted as wonder of coincidence into the chain of recent events.
 sT must tell you of an escaped patti ent we have. or rather haven't inas- much as he has escaped. You'll find the tail end the interesting part. as the Irishman said of the wasp. He'd been here about ten years. and if you and I were as sane. under the same circumstances. we'd be in states prison.
 He stole a whole trust company, or national bank, or something of the kind and then used part of the money to hire somebody tp pronounce him in sane. He wasn't crazy enough. how ever. to give up the rest. so that. in the end. the bank had swapped off the money for a crazy prisoner. or what practically amounted to that.
 Why he stayed here so long beats me. They'd come to let him have all sorts of privileges. and he could have walked off any day within the last five years. He had come to be a sort of sbowpiece. for everybody round here knew something of his history and wanted to see him when they came to the asylum. Beyond that he wasn't of much trouble, or much use as far as that goes: but he was a gen. tleman, and I think he had something of sense of honor, because of the trust placed in him, and felt that h; would violate it by running away.
 He was always denouncing the au- thorities for sending him here instead of trying him, and always threatening to ask to be tried. but nobody paid any attention to him. which is one O fle advantages of being crazy. or be ing thought crazy; for you can threat ei1 all sorts of things which you don't want to happen and nobody will talk you at your word
 "But about week ago he just quiet ly walked off. and nobody has seer hide or hair of him since. We aren' making much fuss about it, and th' authorities say they are keeping i