The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-05-05

| E upon the sparkling obsects- reflected back 1 the light. and quite daxzled the eyes cf the bewildered ,ragcdian, stepping ost of the darkness into this briiiiancy. When he had recovered himself he found his guide to be no less curious than the apartment. He was little decrepid, old man. wi,h fearfully ugly and repulsive countenance. His garments were of an unusual form and texture. Indeed, the whole scene was so like transformation scene that the tragedian actually felt al his own clothing to assure himself that he was not then playing the part of clown in some pantomime.
 No wonder then that the poor ,ragedian became so agitated $ to make his teeth chatter in his head. and his body to feel a sudden chill all over. actually growing colder and colder. until ia an absence of mind the tragedian found himself blowing his fingers. when instantly the old figure exclaimed:
 Why do you do sop
 :. .Beeause-beeause they are cold, answered the tragedian, scarcely knowing wha, he said.
 The old man. or rather figure. for the ,ragedian had not yet determined whether Il was male or female. turned round and pouring something out of a jug insoa cup of eNouisiie ould. offered it to the trage- d an. saying:
 "Drink this and you'll soon be warm."
 Then it flashed across the great tra- gedian's mind that he might be acting the part of Rip Van Wrinkle" m reality. and that shortly he mi sh, awaken and ind himself wrinkled old man scarcely able to crawl along. and so he hesitated. and then in the most tragic manner firmly refused 10 taste the mysterious oom- pound as he called it.
 ~Ha, ha, so you don't want to be made warm," laughed the figure; well. well. will put i, back
 Now ii is on record that never before had the bold tragedian refused such an invite, and recollecting hlmselfhe faltered | out. Why, perhaps he had been some what hasty. and so craving my royal - he was about to say dukes pardon. hay
 ing still vague notion that he was acting some part" he would venture to-" Here the haggard old figure toddlcd across the
 floor and handed him again the cup.
 The tragedian tasted 1t but could not
 drink Il. il was so hot. and so he was
 blowing il.
 Why dc you blow i,:' asked the
 figure.
 To cool Il; i:'s so hot. answered the
 tragedian.
 Instantly the figure hurried to the door.
 and opening II. he sad. Come along 20
 out into the storm again. HI have no
 one with me who can blow he, and ceid
 with the same breath. But stay taking
 hold of the iragedian. who wa, strugg ling
 to gel his bundle on his back. not unwlll- ing to leave this mysterious person and abode, .. sit down and tell me who yor
 are."
 The tfagedan sa, down again. and
 made an effort 10 thunder out Tn accents l bold. bu, his heart failed him, for the thought of the anxious figure who was waiting in an attic in Chester, who was
 crouching before a low fire in the hope oi
 giving warmth to a poor child she held on her knee, and who was listening in- ten,ly with the endeavor to discern a we'll known footstep coming up the stair l bringing joy and giadness. All this he thought. and in a trembling voice told the figure he was only a poor actor or
 broken-down tragedian. whom the coun- try folks called ..Old Aleck," but whose real name was Alexander Jardine, and . whose only means of subsistence was such as could be picked up in a wretohed can- . vas booth during the fair time: that he , lived in Chester, he hoped in peace with all the world. Whilst rambling on in this manner the poor tragedian had un-
 fastened his bundle. and exhibited his faded royal gown as if to verify his state ment.
 show that rubbish to me" sand the [ figure with oon,emptuous laugh, dc ' you know who am. The tragedian was abou, to observe that he had no, the pleasure, bu, doubt ing whether il could be pleasure or no. . he simply said, " No, he-really he didn', know"
 "Well, then. come nearer, and I'll tell you
 The tragedian, who began to feel a little more at his ease, drew near, and. taking from the figure the cup again, quAffed draught of liquor the like he had not tasted before He then sat in an
 easy chair in the corner and listened to the strange figure.
 My name is Futuriey," it began. I . live here alone and unknown. Few have been the mortals who have had the honor .i of knowing the secrets which keep here [waving his hand round the apartment l, and still fewer have been those who have . lived to reveal them"
 This made the tragedian feel uneasy
 {" possess here all the destinies of all . human beings" holding up casket be- fore the astonished tragedian, " and here
 can be viewed the future of kingdoms, the fall of empires, the rise of unknown
 powers, the sudden evaporation Of past . mysteries, and the ever-changing yet con- stant gradz,ions which the world under . goes
 As the figure proceeded the ,ragedian
 perceived that the features became anil mated. and he thought the hard outline
 of the face were softened down into a
 more becoming attitude; bu, perhaps it vas only the mysterious liquor operating
 on the imagination of the actor.
 Here is one picture you may look at -