The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1909-01-02
fiction
TWO LUNATICS.
By p. Y. BLACK.

sTt was q shameful trap, he said,
a0n the Part Of my people. The doc
.o-s were very careless In their dag
.osis II shut me up In a place like
tbIs was really too bad. In a very
sbort lime, however, expect to
leave"
ooh. DEAR" she thought, her eyes
5,mmirg they ali say that! To think
that tie poor man VIII never, never.
never leave! 1 am so glad-for you"
she said aloud. "You win be over
Joyed"
anitaTium is not 50 bad?"
~Do you mean" she said gently,
surprised, that you wfll-er-have
snv rngrets in leavingT
GNo." he said, mot exactly that, OF
eourse-not regrets 90 far as concerns
myself. for 1t is 80 humiliating to be
committed, you know" He paused.
But" be went on, "even In asylums
one makes friends, and-one regrets
for them"
He looked down with a tenderness
and a pity he could not hide, and she
blushed, and for a moment there was
silence. Then she said, with an obvi-
ously strained laugh:
I'VE are friends, of course, Mr.. st.
John. What an awful existence It
would be here If one had no sympa-
thetIc friends! But you must not re-
gret so much on my account. In a
very short time I think my friends
will take me home"
He choked a grOan before she could
hear It.
The poor little thingE' he thought.
They all say that. And that decent
young fellow, the doctor, assures me
her case Is very puEzling and her
friends fear incurable. I am so glad
for you" he said. Would It not be
jolly If we became friends in the
world as we have been when out Of
the worId?"
Then he blamed himself again.
IF she really likes me-" he thought,
"and think the unhappy child does,
should never had said that. 1t Is
cruel, brutal, to put such thoughts in
her head"
She was looking at him with the
fearful smile we essay when we en-
courage one who does not realize that
death is near.
at would be nice-very 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-
" Observant 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 policeman &C.
casionaIly escort a quiet prisoner with
a light touch on the captive's arm
above the elbow. The patient was a
little excited, but there was no dis
turbance at all. A visitor might never
have noticed It. The strange thing
was the unanimous backward with
drawal from the attendants path Of
the patients encountered. the look Of
right or dislike on their faces direct
ed not at the captive, but at the guard.
How they all dread him-instinc-
lively, 1t seems" said the young wom-
an who expected to leave soon" He
Il polite enough and not IN looking,
but
"A man Of great experience In his
peculiar work, I'm told" said st.
John musingly.
Its his eye and mouth that do It.
I fancy"
"a thoroughly III dispOsitioned man,
with a plausible exterior" said St
John. ct believe him capable Of q"
~Of murder? DO-oh, what are you
talking of, Mr.. st. JohnF
St. John looked very uncomfortable.
Miss Tracy looked vexedly embar-
raised.
Il heard some rumor Of a strange
death In the institution Just before
came. was thinking Of It. Were yOu
here? Have you heard anything Of
TT"
he was little eager.
How could I be here? We came on
the same day. Don't you rememberT
"Ah, truer'
So they watched the attendant out
. Of sight and turned to go inside them
salves.
They shook hands, although there
WIS no reason for It. They would
meet at the dinner table IN a few min
u1es, but-they shook hands. and that
h1geringly.
It's awfuIly sad" st. John pom
oered. $50 sweet a face. seemingly %
negligent IEish-Oh. pshawi WHAT'S
the use Of wishing7 These things are
nc to be remedied- I wonder if-she'd
gi-e me photograph"
ISIS Tracy went 70 her room slowly.
am shy to be 30 affected BY an
or nary case. There are thousands
nke him Butch. dear; Oh. dearl II
Fo Known I was to have this sad exc