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Page 69
"Oh, yes, you can," rejoined Napoleon, not relaxing his grip for an
instant. "Do you think I am going to run any risk of losing you?"
As she turned the key he swung her to one side, and, opening the door,
peered cautiously in. For a moment he stood like a statue staring in
wonder at David's a�roplane, then with a loud cry that froze the blood in
Grace's veins, he threw up his arms and rushed madly into the shed,
shouting, "We shall fly, fly, fly!"
With a sob of terror Grace slammed the door and turned the key. She was
not an instant too soon. Napoleon Bonaparte reached it with a bound and
threw himself against it, uttering blood-curdling shrieks. The frightful
sounds came to Grace's ears as she tore across the field in the direction
of Oakdale. Terror lent wings to her feet. Every second was precious. She
did not know how long the door would stand against the frantic assaults of
the maniac.
She had reached the road, when, to her joy and relief, she beheld half a
dozen men approaching. Stumbling blindly toward them, she panted out: "The
crazy man--I--locked--him--in--the Omnibus House. Here--is--the key." She
gave a long, shuddering sigh, and for the first time in her life sturdy
Grace Harlowe fainted.
The men picked her up tenderly.
"Here, Hampton," said one of them, "take this child over to the nearest
house. She is all in. By George, I wonder whether she has locked that
lunatic up? Something has certainly upset her. We'd better get over there
right away and see what we can find out."
The man addressed as Hampton picked Grace up as though she had been a
baby and carried her to a house a little further up the road.
Meanwhile the men hurried on, arriving at the Omnibus House just as
Napoleon succeeded in breaking down the door. Before he could elude them,
he was seized by five pairs of stalwart arms. He fought like a tiger,
making it difficult to bind him. This was finally accomplished though they
were obliged to carry him, for he had to be tied up like a papoose to keep
him from doing damage. He raved continually over the duplicity of
Josephine, threatening dire vengeance when he should find her.
When Grace came to herself she looked about her in wonder. She was lying
on a comfortable couch in a big, cheerful sitting room. A kindly faced
woman was bathing her temples, while a young girl chafed her hands.
"Where am I?" said Grace feebly. "Did Napoleon get out?"
"Lie still and rest, my dear," said Mrs. Forrest, "Don't try to exert
yourself."
Grace sat up and looked about her. "Oh, I know what happened. I fainted.
How silly of me. I never did that in my life before. I had a terrible
scare, but I'm all right now."
The man who had carried her to the house came forward.
"My name is Hampton, miss. I am a guard over at the asylum. Those other
men you saw are employed there, too. We were looking for one of our people
who escaped night before last. He nearly killed his keeper. He's the worst
patient we have out there. Thinks he's Napoleon. Judging from your fright,
I guess you must have met him. Did you really lock him in that old house?"
"Indeed I did," answered Grace, who was rapidly recovering from the
effects of her fright. "He took me for the Empress Josephine." She related
all that had happened, ending with the way she locked his emperorship in.
"Well, all I've got to say is that you're the pluckiest girl I ever came
across," said the man admiringly, when Grace had finished.
But she shook her head.
"I never was so frightened in my life before. I shall never forget his
screams."
It was after eight o'clock when Grace Harlowe arrived at her own door. The
man Hampton had insisted on calling a carriage, so Grace rode home in
state. As she neared the house she saw that the lawn and porch were full
of people.
"What on earth is the matter!" she asked herself. As she alighted from the
carriage her mother rushed forward and took her in her arms.
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