Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-02-01
An important Law
Case
By CARL SARGENT CHASE
Association.

Driving laZily along country road,
l saw ahead of me an old man and
a girl running as for dear life. Has
tening my pace, came up with them.
They turned, with despair in their
faces The girl clasped her hands. as
Stunning a posture of entreaty, and be-
gan a number of incoherent sentences.
81 beseech you not to take him back.
He will really go mad if you shut him
up again in that terrible place. Let
US go on and say you couldn't find u.s."
The girl begging for the old mans
liberty was so beautifully feminine
that had she not also moved my SYM
pathies | might have let her go on beg
ging for some time longer. AS it was
l stopped her.
You are losing valuable time. l am
not your pursuer and if any one is
after you you'd better tell me about it
in few words. If you need help l will
help YOU"
The change on her countenance from
ming than her expression of supplica-
ton. She told me that her grand
father-the man who was with her
was very rich; that his nephew in or
der to secure possession of his prop
erty had secured his incarceration in
lunatic asylum; that she had been
admitted to see him and had surrep-
titiously taken him away. They were
sure when they heard the wheels Of
my buggy that l was coming to take
the old man back to the asylum.
had no doubt from the girls story
the old man was a lunatic who had
persuaded his granddaughter that he
was of sound mind and was being per-
secuted for his estate. There was GER
tainly nothing of the millionaire in his
appearance, and he had probably i'm
agined the story of her wrath-or. rath-
er. it was a part of his lunacy. Never
theless was so attracted to the girl
that resolved to get the couple away
from the asylum authorities long
| enough to look into the case
An exclamation of terror from the
girl attracted my attention. and. look
ing behind me. saw horse and bug
gy coming at brisk trot took tn,
couple into my wagon. but did not
make an attempt at flight. Jogging
along at quiet gait.
"Oh. heavens" exclaimed the girl.
"We will be taken. Do go faster"
"Not without my knowing just why
+, l replied. Il promise you to interest
myself in your case and if your grand
father is improperly confined to move
heaven and earth to accomplish his
release"
The pursuer. an official of the luna
tic asylum. soon overhauled us. He
told me that the old man was a pa
tient at the asylum and he wanted
him. l invited him to continue with
us into the city toward which we were
going, promising to hold the patient
for him in order that the asylum au-
thorities might substantiate their legal
claim to him. He could only accept
the terms. and I drove on, he follow
ing.
On reaching the city I pulled up at
the office of my attorney. and we all
went IN together. BY my action | had
won the confidence of not only the
runaways, but the asylum official and
a compromise was effected by which
the former should remain in my keep.
Ing while the lawyer investigated the
case. Since lived with my mother in
a house plenty large enough for all OF
us this was a very satisfactory ar
rangement, enabling me to be con
stantly with the girl, whose sweetness
and devotion to her grandfather won
me completely.
At the end of a week my lawyer told
me that he had unearthed what he be.
lieved 20 be one of the most nefarious
plots he had ever encountered The