The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1909-01-06
Fiction
TWO LUNATICS.
ByP. v pLAek.

con the part Of my people. The doc
tors were very careless In their dag
nosis. TO shut me up In a place like
this was really too bad. In q very
short time, however. expect to
leave"
"oh, dear" she thought. her eyes
dimming. atheyl all say thatl 10 think
that the poor man VIII never. never.
never leayei lam 80 glad for you,'
she said aloud. "You win bO over
Joyed."
"oh. I-yes. But do you know this
Banitariup ls not 80 badT'
"Do you mean she said gently,
surprised. +that you Htlt-eF-2haye
any regrets inl Ieavingf''
mo" he said, snot exactly that. OF
course-not regrets 30 far az concerns
myself, for Il IL 80 humiliatlng to be
committed, you know" He paused,
"But." he went on, 'teven in aSyluma
one makes friends. and-one regrets
for them"
He looked down with tenderness
and pity ho could not hide. and sh9
biushed. and for moment there was
silence. Then she said. with an obyi-
ously stHairDd laugh;
we are friends, OF course. Mr.. st.
John. What an awful existence II
would be here II one had no Sympa-
thetic friends! But you must not re-
gret so much on my account In a
very short time think my friends
win take mo home.
He choked a groan before she could
hear 1t.
'SThe poor little thingr' ne thought.
+They all say that. And that decent
young fellow, the doctor. assures me
her case ~ very puz1ling and her
friends fear incurable. am so glad
for you" he said. would It not be
Jolly II we became friends in the
world as We have been when out Of
the woridf"
Then he blamed himself again.
"If she really likes me-" he thought.
+nnd think the unhappy child does.
I Should never had said that. It IA
cruel. brutal. to put such thoughts in
her head.f
She was looking at him with the
fearful smile we essay when We en-
courage one who does not realize that
death Is near.
"It would be nice-yery nice In
deed"
They were silent again. each sorrow-
Ing for the other.
There were many other patients
strolling on the lawns or sitting in the
summer houses. patients OF all kinds.
Miss Tracy and st. John stood to-
gether. silent now and unostentatious-
y ob0eryant. A sturdily built (ail
the attendants were that man was
taking a patient to the iron barred
house. He did not do It violently. He
did It as one may see a policeman oc-
caslonAlly escort a quiet prisoner with
light touch ON the captiye'S arm
above the elbow. The patient was n
little excited. but thero was no dig
turbancc Mt all. A visitor might never
have noticed It. Tho strange thing
was the unanimous backward with
drawai from the attendants path OF
the patients encountered, the look of
fright or dislike on their faces direct.
ed not at tho captive, but ut the guard.
+How they all dread him -instine.
tiyeiy, II seems" (" said the young WON,
an who Expected to leave soon" "He
70 polito enough and not III looking.
butt
"A man OF great experience in his
peculiar work, I'm told" said Ht.
John muSingiy.
'Its his eye and mouth that do It,
fancy"
"a thoroughly I'll dispositioned man.
with plausible exterior" said St.
John. II believe him capable Of IL"
"of murderf Do-oh. what arc you
talking Of, Mr. st. Johnf'
st. John looked very uncomfortable.
Miss Tracy looked vexedly embar.
raDsed.
II heard some rumof OF q strange
death Ii the institution Just before !
came. wat thinking Of It. Were you
here9 Have you heard anything Of
itf"
He was a little eager.
'FTow could I be here1 We came on
the same day. Don't you rememberf
.Ah, truer
30 they watched the attendant out
OF sight and turned to 60 inside thom-
selveg.
They shook hands. although there
was no reason for It. They would
meet at the dinner. table In few min
utes, but-they shook hands, and that
lingerinsly.
"Ifs awfuAy sad" st. John pom.
dered. $50 sweet face. seemingly 40
intelligent. IwiSh--oh, pshawi What's
the use of wishing1 These things are
not to be remedied. wonder if-she'd
give me q photograph"
Miss Tracy went to hor room slowly.
II am silly to be 30 affected by an
ordinary case. There are thousands
ike him. But-oh, dear; oh, dear! II
I'd known was to have this sad ex-
perience would never have consent
ed to eome-neveft'
They had no opportunity to meet
alone for several days. Perhaps they
might have made opportunities. but
they did not. Doubtless It occurred to
each OF these two lunAtics that It was
the wiser thing to stihe at once any
friendship which each thought likely
to cause useless pain in the future to
the other.
DIR. BELL found these two OF his resi-
dents particularly interesting in those
days. and 20 did the attendant. 1t was
strange that they both 10 markedly
preferred the company OF the santa
-. A. - A.NN