The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-10-04
A Lunatic
Lover
o0
By HELEN HAYES
Copyright 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa-
Per Syndicate.)

per Syndicate.)
In her way. there was no better
woman than Miss Bessie Randalls
Aunt Jane Plaster, spinster, having
her own farm and living according to
her own lights. She was full Of SYM
pathy and charity and good deeds,
but 'propriety" had been her motto
so long that even her best friends
thought she carried matters too far
when she withdrew from the church
because the minister called and found
her up cherry tree, picking fruit.
For primness and preciseness and pro-
priety Aunt Jane was without rival.
In after days, and not so very long
after, either Aunt Jane admitted to
herself that she must have been
crazy when she wrote up to the city
for her niece, Bessie, to spend July
with her. She hadn't seen the girl
for several years. As she remember
ed her, Bessie was long-legged child
with lonesome face and demure de-
meanor, who would sit and play with
a rag doll by the hour and ask few
questions. She had two real rag dolls
made before she wrote the letter Of
invitation. She also had decided In
her own mind that she would let the
child chase grasshoppers in the back
lot and climb fences, but she must not
chase or climb boisterously-only
properly.
"You dear, darling old thing OF an
aunt, but I cou4 Just stand on my
head for gladness !" was the greeting
the spinster received one day two
weeks later when a girl Of eighteen
was deposited at her gate by the
stage from Sherlockville. The aunt
felt chills Of horror creep up and
down her spine, but before she could
do more than utter a groan the girl
had seized her and waltzed her around
actually waltzed her up the path be-
tween the rows Of pinks and peonies
and hollyhocks, with the hired man
looking on
That evening, after Miss Bessie had
talked about rowing, swinging Indian
clubs, pitching quoits, bathing, climb
ing trees, and riding about in the cleo
trio runabout her father was to send
down to her-talked and never OBJ
served the pallor Of her aunt's face
after she had talked-and had gone tc
her room, Aunt Jane said to the hired
man:
"James, something has got to be
DONE"
"Yes'm, something has," he replied
"You saw my niece waltz me
around?"
II saw, ma'am."
sand was properly shocked?"
"very properly"
"And you may have caught some o.
her words about climbing trees
swinging clubs she bought Of an In
dian, bathing in the river and riding
about the country on a machine OF
some kind? You were also shocked
again?'
"Properly shocked, Miss Plaster"
'Then you must agree with me that
we must take certain steps to save my
niece from herself. She is dear girl
and sweet girl. and she must not be
allowed to fall into hoydenish ways
She must be reduced to a state Of pro
priety and that without offending her.
"She must, ma'am-she must,
solemnly answered James.
FORTUNATELY for u.s." continued Miss
Pila rs look of mingled hope ant
reli wed in her face, tive are sit
uated within two miles Of the insane
asylum. insane patients now and theI
escape and go roaming over the coun
try. IF my niece were to be told thai
a male lunatic had escaped from thu
place and was at liberty, and that HI
was a dangerous character, I dom
think she would want to go gallivant
Ing around in that what-do-you
call-it"
"She surely wouldn't, ma'am."
"Nor do any climbing of trees moi
clubbing of Indian clubs. If you have
heard of any male lunatics escaping
from the asylum within day or two
tand haven't said anything about it be
cause you feared to render me nerv
Gus and perturbed, it will be you
duty TO notify my niece early in thu
morning"
On the following morning James
found opportunity to say to the Wis
itor.
"Miss Randall, did your aunt men
ton the fact that we have large in
sane asylum not far distant?"
"Gecl place for crazy people =
she exclaimed. II want to go and SCI
them this very afternoon !"
"There are dangerous lunatic:
among them, miss. Sometimes on'
escapes"
"Oh, hope one will escape while
am here and come to the house!
shouldn't be a bit afraid. Don't yol
know that if you look lion or In
natic in the eye he win become al
timid as a rabbit? If you hear of any
one escaping-"
'sBut ! have heard Of one" desper
ately interrupted James. IF / were
in your place l shouldn't go far from
the house until we learn that he hal
been recaptured. Before you can lool
him In the eye he will murder you
This one who escaped the Othel