Year: 1868




| sure to be some on cogniZant of the trans
action whom we would rather had not
been. This happened to be the case on
this particular occasion with Archibald
Earle.


When the removal had been accom-
plished, loud and repeated ringings at his
| bell summoned me to his apartment, and
it was with feelings of anxiety that went
thither Arrived there, these were for the
moment entirely dispelled by the calm
even cheerful expression of his face, and
the hearty greeting he extended to me-


"Come in, old fellow; confounded row
you're having this morning. what's it all
abOut?"


had no sooner entered than he closed
and locked the door, put the key
into his pocket, and turned upon me with
an expression the very reverse of that he
had worn few moments before.


"Why, what's the matter, Archy ?"
asked.


"The matter" he replied; "I'll just
| show you what is the matter. Sit down
there p pointing to a chair; "and don't
get up till tell you" took the chair
indicated, thinking by so doing to concili-
ate him, but far from it; he was evidently
very much worked up about this same
| IOW 6pOAC anu l. was NcI y
desirous of soothing him, and, if possible,
allaying any suspicious he might have OF
| the true character of the institution.


"Now, then," said he after moments
pause, taking up position directly in
front of me, !" the matter is this-don't at
tempt to deny it-you keep an asylum for
the insane. That's what you do here, and
you know it, All that about water cure
| ia mere sham and rOncancaO -


! "You're mistaken, Archy," exclaimed.
| "Don't attempt to deny it, sir" he in
terrupted; "Tve found you out. You
have deceived me; so has my father; so
has old Bitterdrug; but I'll be even with
you all, and with you first" He had
fastened the door of his room, as I have
already said. We were at the far end of
the hall, his apartments being the last
| opening on long corridor running east
and west, his front windows looking to the
south, and those at the side to the west
| / might call, and call in vain in case no
one happened to be in that part of the
| house or grounds; besides l should only
betray fear of him by any such proceed
| ing, and so relinquish what advantage
might otherwise have


GIVE been roped into this" he said, and
his features began to assume settled vim
| dictive expression " and enticed out here
| to be domiciled with lunatics but, as
| said before, I'll be even with you, Fort
| Wayne and Erie to the contrary notwith-
standing here he laughed short laugh,
and drew from an inside pocket razor,
which he slowly and deliberately opened.
Great Heavens how the sight of that
sharp instrument caused the chills to run
I through me- 1t had never for moment
| occurred to me his possessing such a
weapon, for he had entirely neglected his
beard while in the institution.


With degree of GOODNESS and method
singularly out of keeping with his former
excited manner, he proceeded, with an
eye closely watching my movements the
while, to carefully sharpen the razor,
pausing every now and then to try its
edge by drawing it across hair, which he
got from his own head by running his
fingers once or twice each time through
his thick chestnut curls.


sat watching all this preparation with
mingled feelings it would be impossible for
me to describe, rapidly turning over in
my mind the chances of escape. Iconfess
that to jump through the window, with
fall Of about fifty feet into the courtyard
at the side of the house, where broken
leg and possibly broken neck, awaited
me, or to disarm my adversary were the
only two that offered themselves-the one
seeming equally practicable with the
other. Even if / had been my cousins
equal in size and strength normally, he
possessed in his then condition, if resisted,
certain abnormal power that would have
to be overcome, and this, taking no account
of the razor whatever.


"DOyOu always shave yourself, Archy?"
| asked with tremendous effort to appear
at ease, and hoping to divert his thoughts
into another channel, for had no doubt it
was his intention to kill me by cutting my
throat.


"Tve shaved myself for the last nine
years." he replied in rather surly tone,
!" but this morning I'm going to shave you,
Fred Eaton; excuse me, Doctor Eaton
Frederick Eaton, NJ D., first assistant to
DR.. Erastus Craniel, proprietor of an
asylum for the insane at Middleport, ha,
ha, ha! I'm going to shave your head,
sir, and have you put in a straight jacket;
you're lunatic of the first water; but if
you resist, sir, or move while I am per-
forming the operation I'll cut your throat
from ear to ear"


Well, here was an ordeal to 60 through.
It was some relief to know that it was not
his intention to cut my throat at once
without any If about it, but to have my
head shaved and to be taken for lunatic
myself by the visitors, to have to wear
wig, great Heavensl And then there was
ferocity in his eye which left no doubt of
his intention to carry out his threat in case
I resisted


"It will be necessary" ne observed,
first to lather you unless you prefer dry
shave this he said without moving q
muscle and with perfect seriousness.


ooh, not at ALL" I answered, sensa-
ton of faintness coming over me with the
words.


"Throw your head well bach" said he,
at the same time laying his razor aside
and taking up the brush. AS he advanced
toward me, cup and brush in hand, l made
a sudden spring at him out of the chair in
which sat. The suddenness of the at
tack, combined with the additional vigor
lent me by the desperate circumstances in
which found myself, served for the mo-
ment to overcome him, and with tre-
mendous crash, upsetting small table in
the centre of the room,. we both went roll
ling upon the floor; /, as luck would have
it, falling on top. It required all the
strength was capable of to maintain my
position and keep shouting for help; if as
sistance didn't arrive soon knew l must
be overpowered. Even as this thought
passed through my mind, I felt myself
being gradually overcome. had fast hold
of his necktie, which, in the absence of a
collar, he wore tied loosely about his
throat. His left arm was round my waist,
his right across my back, the fingers of his
right hand firmly grasping my shoulder,