The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1916-05-25
A Mad Woman
By ALAN HINSDALE

| SdIuch or roses. the next Il universe
! cemetery.
was ClcrhinC on $40 month whcr
/ / married her. and We went to live in
/ a cottage standing 10y itself on the out
/ skirts or the city. The nearest hou>,
| was half 4 mile away. or course W,
| couldn't afford 20 keep a servant. :,
| Lucy WAS cook ana houScmaid. Fortu
| natcly her mother had taught her how
| to prepare yiaudS for an ordinary meal
and | usually got home from business
III time 10 help her with the dinner.
Our only trouble was Lucy's loueli
ness while | was away, as | was all
day except Sunday. We had not
thought Of this when we engaged the
cottage. Indeed. We were too young
ana inexperienced Ia think Of most of
our necessities. Every morning when
| left my wife she would cling To- me
so that it was hard to get away from
her But in the evening when | re-.
turned the happy smile on her face and
light In her eyes were delicious.
Our cottage was two stories and a
half high. The half story was nothing
more than an open space under the
roof. IL was approached 10y a rude
staircase and entered 10y trapdoor in
its floor furnished with bolt under
meath. We would nave used it for a
StorcrUOm. which means place for
family accommodations. but nothing had
as yet accumulated. indet d, we hadn't
enough TO furnish the house.
One day on returning from business
| had reached wood through which !
usually made short cut to the house
and was passing through it when |
heard a shot, which seemed TO come
from the direction of my home ! ran
through the wood. but before emery
ing from il heard another shot, fol
lowed by the sound of the falling Of
shattered glass. Visions Of my little
wife being murdered lent me additional
speed, and, clearing the wood at a
bound, had a view Of my house
Under a window in the garrett stood
my wife with my fowling piece in her
hands. pointing it upward Her back
was toward me, 50 she did not see me-
You miserable, contemplate thing
she cried TO some invisible object. 81
just wish you'd give me half chance:
Id teach you how to break up my
china set that my mother gave me for
a wedding present"
For heavens sake. Lucy" cried.
whom are you talking to-"
She was SO angr- that either she
didn't see me or wouldn't notice me.
saw the frightened face of man for
n fraction of second at the window
in the garnet and heard a simultaneous
report from my shotgun followed by
more falling glass. | sprang to Lucy
and. Selling the gun. wrenched it out
Of her hands.
What does this all mean:" said
sharply.
THAT miserable thing up there has
broken all our best furniture: the din.
ner set Aunt Harriet gave me and the
tea set mother gave me-"
"Who is he? What is he? Where
does he come FROM"
HE came into the house pretending
he wanted something TO eat. but. find.
ing me alone. he demanded money. |
told him ! had none to give him, and
he began TO break things and threat. !
ened to kill me with long knife if !
didn't give him all the cash there |
was in the house. | told him he'd find |
ii all hidden under Il rafter i'm the |
storeroom. lie went up there. | fol, /
lowed him and bolted the door after
him. | ran downstairs, expecting to |
faint on the sofa, but. seeing the wreck |
Of our things, | began to get mad. The |
more ruined pieces found the madden |
| got. Seeing your gun standing in a
corner. took it and. going outside, saw
the man at the window. lie had made
4 rope of some stuff he'd found in the
garnet and was going to let himself
down when ! shot at him and drove
him back. Just think of that beautiful
tea set that my mother
| had heard enough. told Lucy 10
20 somewhere and telephone n police
station. while | relieved her of her
sentry duty. The mans face appeared
at the window again. and she tried to
snatch the gun from me to get another
rack ut him. told her to 90 at once.
md she went off. turning once or
vice to fire an angry look at the win
low.
After she had gone | spoke TO the
nan and told him ne might as well
make 10 effort to get AWAY. and be
Iuiet. This lie knew without my tell
ne him. and ! had no trouble with
lin till patrol wagon came with sew
raj policemen and Lucy. The rascal
vas let out of his trap and taken
way.
The excitement being over. Lucy was
quite ready for n good cry" on my
boulder, but | think this was not 50
much due to being let down as at the
oss Of our belongings, which could
lot be restored by Furnishing the man
Who had broken them, for he had
othing to ray with.
However, when our relations and |
riendS heard the story of Lucy's trap
ing the robber and her madness at
is having broken up her property,
hey duplicated everything he had
mashed. so that we were not only as
rell off as before. but | was relieved
( anxiety at leaving my wife unprO-