Dr. George A. Zeller, superintendent of the asylum for the incurable
insane at South Bartonville, having fought for the care of Bertha in
his institution, purposes to make her a tractable patient and willing
to remain. He has the history of his institution back of him, from
whose doors and windows he has torn away $6,000 worth of steel netting
and steel bars.
In the first place, "Fainting Bertha" will have nothing to gain by
fainting at Bartonville; she is promised merely a drowning dash of
cold water when she falls. She can secure no keys by fainting, for the
reason that there are no keys to doors. A nurse, wideawake for her
eight-hour nursing duty, is always at hand and always watchful.
"Take away the show of restraint if you would have a patient cease
fighting against restraint," is the philosophy of Dr. Zeller. "Human
vigilance always was and always will be the greatest safeguard for the
insane."
If "Fainting Bertha" Lebecke were a grizzled amazon, even, she might
be a simpler proposition for the state. She is too pretty and plump,
however, to think of restraining by the harsher methods, if harsh
methods are employed. She can pass out of a storm of hysterical tears
in an instant and smile through them like a stream of sunshine. Or
as quickly she can throw off the pretty little witticism and airy
conceit of her baby hands and become a vixen fury with blazing blue
eyes that are a warning to her antagonist.
And at large, exercising her charms, she can become the "good fellow"
to the everlasting disappearance of half a dozen different valuables
in one's tie or pockets.