Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-01-18
AN ODD MISTAKE.

brances fitted n-HIHitct act Nv. sc. b.
NOW remember, Lord GraytOn, :"
said the Doctor solemnly, "all l told
YOU. You are very welcome to come
TO our ball, though, as a rule, we only
ask set of wise men and maldens
who know our. ways and their ways.
Still. you are good looking, humorous,
and CHEEKY, and if you are sensible
you can enjoy yourself, and, maybe,
do them a world of good. / believe IN
electricity as curative agent--not the
uuack nonsense of belts and chains
and musical boxes, that only shake
the nerve centres, but the real cleo
tricity of animal spirits, the tonic of
good health.
81 shall do exactly as | am told, "
said Lord Grayton, a handsome, horid,
muscular young man, strong as
horse, buoyant rs balloon, Just back
after sclf-imposed exile of five years
in India with the big game; but tell
me Of all those COMPOUNDED cautions
again. / did lot Of dancing of varl-
Gus kinds years ago, before ! went
after the tigers" he laughed as
mingled memories of Mayfair and the
Lotus Club swan back to him-"and
I've tried both CorrObOree and the
.SoiOagu; but pom honor | never
danced with lunatic girl yet. "
Are you quite sure of that2" said
the Doctor, grimly; they are to be
met with outside of Copswood, L can
tell you. However listen the rule is
simple. Be civil and don't contradict,
If old Crackton asks you TO play chess,
play He's a good player and will beat
you fairly if he can; if he can't he
make n false move and call check
mate, and you must resign. III poor
Snobby thinks you ave the Prince, and
'Sirs' you ell over the place, and throws
out hints about being asked to listen
to the Ginning clock in Bakers in
terror, or to avoid some one else, be-
cause he's glass and might break, you
must do your best to be courteous to
them all, and on no account laugh at
their fancles."
Sounds rather jumpy. And the la
dics2"
'I'll see to that, and introduce you
to the incest, and tell you what to
avoid speaking about; the men will
make the talking for themselves, the
women don't talk much"
Sign Of insanity, suppose. And
what am To talk aboutf'
"Evcry thing save some one thing -
the Empress of Austria, or the stage,
or white roses, on Mr.. Mallock, or
black stockings. I'll give you the
cue never fear; only IL may happen
that one of them will ask you to dance
and then you must steer as best you
can talk society or art on chance.
NV own girls and their friends get on
famously with the male patients, and
You must do your best Come, you
are gong to be our best tonic to night,
and YOU must be off and dress; nine
sharp, mind, as they all go to bed at
midnight"
Queer thing this" soliloquized
Grayton, rs he completed an elaborate
dressing, beginning nav first season
after five years by dancing with lot
of lunatics. Hope they won't wear
straw in their hair; if they do | shall
bolt to the Congleton's dance"
lie had many strange adventures
that evening as he strobe about the
pretty ballroom Mt the Copswood prl-
waite asylum He was duly defeated
ut chess by the venerable Crackton,
who deliberately slid back a captured
queen on the board, and performed
prodgies of valor with her. lie sym
pathzed with the gentleman who had
swallowed Il crocodile, and he noticed
the cadaverous man who amused him
self by counting the lights on each
side of the room and singing softly to
himself, Sorry can't admit it, sorry
can't admit itI He had been an
ACroStic Editor once upon Il time. he
noticed the fusSy little man with a
pale blue Shaven face, who wanted to
stage-manage the sixteen Lancers,
and who piteously entreated the dane
ers to 'go back over all that again,
please, and try and get it crisper;"
ana the erratic journalist who wrote
paragraphs on his shirt-Cutfs, and
many other strange folks that passed
by III motley pageant of unsettled
reasons.
There's King Lear, whispered the
Doctor rs "a very foolish fond old
man, four score and upwards, " passed
them muttering of Brighton AS" ::
you know who he was2" and he
whispered name i'll Grayton's ear
that made that nobleman whistle soft
ly.
And are there any OpheliaS.
whose Young maids wits should be
rs mortal as an old nam life ~ asked
Grayton, showing that he knew
Shakespeare rs we'll rs the Doctor.
Yes, but we keep their secrets
Now go and dance" and the Doc
tor ,took King Lear off for cup of
coffee.
1t was sad, weird night altogeth-
er, and as Grayton watched it, 1t re
minded him of Eaulback's Dance of
Death,H and he felt oddly morbid as
he thought of his own lonely life. He
had once loved and given his heart TO
woman whom he had both localized
and idolized; he had youth, brains
and position, and with her he felt he
could conquer the world 1t was an
old story; she turned oxt to be as
loveleSS as she was lovely, and so he
took to the tigers. lie had got over
il all now, but he shudderd as he re
membered the fret of it all. and
thought how near madness he had
been driven when he heard of her
ultimate fate, and where her life had
drifted to. So there were Ophelias
here More like Audreys. he thought,
us he watched some rather uacouth
gambolling i'll corner. His eyes
wandered round the room, and rested
at last en- face.
1t was an exquisite oval face,
somewhat sad and wistful in expires
sion, of tina: rare delicate olive color
one sees in the south, with the skin of
so fine a texture that the red flush
springs up through the veintracery at
moments excitement; the large
brown eyes were soft and dreamy,
the chiseled mouth was half-parted.
and the dark brown hair, looking
black as night, was worR Greek fash
ion close to the head, sweeping in
undulatiug lines past the tiny rose,
tipped ears. She was seated on low
sofa, carelessly clasping one knee
with both hands. She wore a simple
white frock, just mysteriously frilled
round the little white column of a
throat, and great black-red rose
nestled in her breast One little high
arched foot, in peach colored Melted
silk, kept swinging TO the music. No
one seemed to talk TO her except the
Doctor who smiled nleasantlv nc he