The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-10-21

nlmSGl ldtHlIAdI WALL tAAo
mond makers case, and seemed tnor-
oughly to understand his delusion.
"He is now In my ward ne SAID.
HE has been there six months; rain
er unusual case; harmless but nope
less. Can't rid himself OF the IDEA
that diamonds are banked up all
around him, and that all he mas TO 40
is to make one with his own hands to
possess the whole of that wealth IN
Jewels. He does his best to make 1t,
too Unfortunately the ingredients ne
demands include several dangerous
chemicals, and of course he cannot be
trusted to go pounding away with a
pestle and mortar when his brain is
so far gone that he is likely to TOR
get the combination"
The other medical men looked In
terested.
What do you do with him, doctor"
asked Fitch.
"Oh, l substitute harmless things
a little bismuth and sodium phosphate,
and a dash of French chalk, and he
thinks he has everything he needs.
All the stuff he wants that is not dan
gerous l let him have. He is happy
enough mixing and MASKING the paste
and mmering away all day long. He
rolls the mass into dirty little gray
balls, and thinks they are diamonds"
LET us have look at him. said
Fitch.
"Sure thing! You don't mind If |
don't go with you? I have an ampu-
tation on in about ten minutes, and as
there is a green nurse helping me, |
don't want to take any chances In let
ting her monkey with the ether cone.
So you won't mind, will you, If ask
you to run right along by yourself?
Stay as long as you like"
Britt and Fitch were glad enough Of
an opportunity to question the old
man without an auditor, and with a
brief, $50 long!" to his colleagues,
the doctor piloted the detective
through dreary stretches in that home
of hopelessness to the ward where the
curio dealer was found.
In sunny corner of the long, bleak
room, the barrenness of which was re-
lieved slightly by a few boxes and
pots of geraniums and fuchsias on the
window sill, seated at bench cover
ed with odd-looking lsaoather, was the
little old man the hasi clan and the
4 Headquarters sleuth sought.
4 In the patients face was rapt look
that told them he was as far away
from his present environment as If he
had been in the little dingy curio shop
where young DIR. Fitch first had seen
him. His plant hands had been
plunged many times into g dough-like
lump plastic as sculptors clay at
one end of the bench. A row of Jars
at the back Of the bench was flank
ed by phalanx of walls. An earthern
bowl half full of water stood at his
right hand. Directly IN front of him,
were several palette knives and mix.
ing brushes. Ceaselessly his fingers
plucked tiny pellets from the plastic
lump, rolled and patted them, dipped
them in the bowl of water, coated
them with the many-colored contents
of the walls and jars, then trundled
j, them upon the board with industry
purposeful Of performance, but pur
poseless of achievement
At times spectral smile seemed tt
, glow upon his cadaverous features
, faint CLEAN like the specter of {
/ corpse-light. The sunlight, reflected
!, from the rows of jars and bottles, play
! ed queer tricks with the countour o
: his face and gave his tireless hands ;
l ghost-like appearance. He was poo
: little shriveled remnant Of man, tn
: dried core of what had been a dab
y bier in the occult, and which alonl
: normal channels might have been
j. distinguished scientist. No one looh
f ing at him could ever have picture
d him as possessed Of the greed of gair
r Britt, though he made no pretense {
d being psychologist, comprehende
g at a glance the outer vision of tn
g former curiosity shop proprietor COZ
Il veyed little to his distraught scie1
l. tific mind. Beyond doubt, the oil
s man, as Fitch had said, had run th
: shop merely as a means to an ent
g Fitch and Britt stood rocking at hi
It for few moments before he becam
d aware Of their presence. When {
s. last he glanced up, shade of perple:
S ity fitted across his face, his finger
d halted, but they did not stop In the
e studious task, and he looked at the
l. inquiringly. With slight shake
t. his head he apparently gave up tt
attempt to puzzle out their identit
.e and once more bent his eyes on Il
1t bench he firmly regarded as the tire
is hold to Golconda.
e Guess you don't remember me, NJ
h Martini said the doctor. The old me-
N appeared not to hear. Britz and Fit
y exchanged glanees, and the detect,
took up the attempt to awaken a +
y Spouse from the aged inmates ment
vacuum.
q Pretty busy man, eh?"' said Bril-
a He had touched the right Choir
I'd Any reference to the industry that a
IA corhnd his 70 :