Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-10-23

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face became smudged with lampblack,
though l was unconscious of it, and l
spilled soup all over my dress. AS
soon as ! had cleared away the lunch
l busted myself doing everything |
could find to do, even to sweeping floors
that had been swept before. In this
way kept myself occupied till about
8 o'clock in the afternoon. when the
ak fell.
Looking out through the front win
dow. there was the ~lunatic, suit case.
umbrella and all. coming up the walk
to the house. l caught at a dresser to
save myself from falling and stood
there till | heard the doorbell ring.
Then ! was obliged to steady myself
by putting the other hand on the back
of a chair. Several minutes passed,
when the doorbell rang again. My
only hope was that the maniac would
become convinced that there was no
u In the house and would so away.
1t occurred to me to telephone the
authorities at the asylum that their
patient was at our house. but l dared
not make the slightest sound, for fear
of being heard by the man himself. So
l kept still. scarcely daring to breathe.
He rang the bell three times; then. in
stead of going away to murder some
n else, he deliberately sat down on
a bench on the porch. l could not see
him, but | could hear every motion he
made.
l could not remain where / was. l
must go downstairs on tiptoe to see If
l had left any weak spot In my forti-
ication. On turning l caugly a re-
lection of myself in the mirror of the
dresser. Agitated as l was. l could
not but notice my appearance. My
dress, a very old III that ! had put on
to do homework, was bedraggled with
soup and spotted with grease. Over
my right eye was a smudge, and on
the left side of my nose vas another.
AS to my hair, tousled is not strong
enough to describe It. But Of what
importance was this when a maniac
was sitting quietly on the porch wait
ing to effect an entrance to murder
me? | did not give my appearance a
thought, but went noiselessly down the
staircase. | had drawn every curtain
below its window sill. not leaving a
crack that would admit a streak of
sunlight so l could be seen.
| examined all points of ingress and,
finding everything as secure as l could
make 1t, thought what next l could do.
There was no telephone booth, the In
strument being in the dining room. 1t
occurred to me to go upstairs, bring
down blankets with which to owe it,
so as to deaden the sound, and inform
the asylum managers of the lunatic's
presence. Having got the blankets
and covered myself and the phone,
put the receiver to my ear. If | had
been obliged to ring l would not have
dared make the call.
What number?"
"Give me the East Arlington Lunatic
asylum ut once"
1.-THE line is busy"
That's all l got out of central" but
| heard two women bidding each other
goodby, and they spent half an hour
doing so, while | vas kept waiting
with a lunatic on the porch. When |
had heard the last goodby | called for
the asylum and gave my information.
l was told that a force of attendants
would be sent at nee
Throwing off the blankets, l went to
a window of the drawing room, near
which the maniac sat, and listened. l
heard nothing. but smelled tobacco.
The man while waiting to get at me
was quietly smoking. Then suddenly
he got up and walked to the steps,
and | heard an exclamation. Could
1t be that relief had come-that l was
saved?
There were steps without and a
babel Of voices, followed by a jerk at
the doorbell.
What should | do? l was not sure
what to do. l did nothing.
A loud rap at the door.
MY aunt's and my cousins voices
dncluding Tom's) outside.
'For heavens sakeT' cried my aunt,
What has happened to the grip
l unlocked and unclaimed the door.
There stood a number of persons. three
men from the asylum, my aunt and
cousins and the lunatc. Every eye
was turned with anxiety on me-
By this time / knew that | had made
a goose of myself. l gave a sickly
smile.
81 thought" I stammered. pointing
to the man with the suit case, that
he was an escaped lunatic."
There was a burst of laughter.
"He's M friend. Alan Irving" said
Tom. Hes not very bright, but l
wouldn't quite consider him a luna
TIC"
Good g~racious..' exclaimed my
Cousin Bess. What have you been
doing to YOURSELF"
-. ~ --1 - -A4IoI I,ore