The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-05
|. A wILTLESS THING
London World.

Now remember, Lord Grayfon. Sald ,he doctor. solemnly. all l told you. you are very welcome 10 come to our b,,l though. as a rule, we only ask eer- am SC, of wise men and maidens who know our ways and their ways Still YOU are good-looking. humorous and
 heery and If you are sensible you can .noy yourself. and, maybe. do them q worid of good. believe m electricity as curative agent-no, the qaack non sense of belts and chains and musical boNes. that only shake the nerve
 en,res. but the real electricity of animal ,pflts the tonic of good health.
 - shall do exactly as 1 am bid, said
 ,r.y,on. handsome. hond, muscular yoans man. strong as horse, ouoyant
 < balloon. just back after a seli-im- posed exile of i've years in India with the 5!g game {" but tell me of all those con-
 nsnded cautions again. l did lot of
 sancing of various kinds years ago, be- ore 1 sent after the tigers and he aughed as mingled memories of Mayfair and the Lotus club swam back to him
 and I've tried both the CorEoboree and he Salonga; bu, upon honor 1 never danced with lunatic girl yet.
 Are you quite sure of ,hai:" said the doctor, grimly they are to be met with outside Copswood, l car ,eil you. How ever. listen the rule IS simple. Be civil .nd don't contradict. If old Crackton asks you to play chess play. He's good payer, and will beat you fairly if he can :, i he can't he'll make you false move 4ad call checkmate. and you must re- aen fpoor Snobly thinks you are the nnce and Sirs you all over ,he place and throws out hints about being ssked ;o sardringham if you are asked to listen :o the chiming clock in Baker, Inter ors, or 10 avoid some one else. because ne's glass and might break. you must do your best 10 be courteous to them al.. and on nc account laugh l, ihcr .aacies
 Sounds rather jumpy. And the .Adles:"
 I'll see to that and introduce you to the incest, and tell you what to avoid speaking about; the men will make the :aiking for themselves. tie women don, ak much
 Sign Of insanity. l suppose. And waa. am l to talk about"
 Everything save some one thing-ihe empress of Aus,riz, or the stage. or white roses. or NIT. Mallock. or black stockings | give you the cue-never fear only II may happen that one ot them will ask you 10 dance, and then you mus, seer As best you can-talk society or ari on nance. My own girls and their friends se: on famously with the male patients. and you must do your best. Come. YOU 2'e going 10 be our best tonic tonight. and you must be of; and dress : nine :aarp, mind. as they all go to bed Il, m id alght.-
 "pueer thing this soliloquized Cray Ion as he completed an elaborate dress ng. beginning my first season after hve years by dancing with a lot of lunatics Hope they won't wear straw in their haii . i they do, shall bolt 10 the Congle,ons' lance"
 He had many strange adventures ,ha; evening as he strolled about the pretty ballroom al the Copswood private as, hum. He was duly defeated at chess by the Tenerable Crackton. who deliberately slid pack captured queen on the board, and reformed prodigIes of valor with her He sympathired with the gentleman who had swallowed a crocodile. and he no- 'lced the pale, cadaverous man who amused himself by counting the lights on each side of the room and sinring l softly to himself. '' Sorry can, admi, l. sorry can't adm, II ''' He had been an acrostic editor once upon time. He mo- aced the fussy little man. with pale oue shaven face, who wanted to stage manage the sixteen lsncers. and who Pteously entreated the dancers to go pack over all that again. please, and ny and get II crlsper :: and the cratic journalist who wrote paragraphs on his shirt-cuffs. and many other strange folks hat passed by in the motley pagean; of -nseitled reasons.
 There's King Lear" whispered the doctor, as a very foolish, fond old man iour-score and upward. passed them nut :ering of - Brighton A you know who ae was:" and he whispered name in 5rayton's ear tha, made tha; nobleman whistle softly.
 And are there any Ophelias, whose young maids wits should be as mortal as aa old mans life :" asked Gray,on, showing tha, he knew his Shakespeare as well as the doctor.
 "Yes. but we keep their secrets. Now go and and dance :" and the doctor took King Lear of for cup of coffee.
 twas a sad, weird sight altogether. and as Grayton watched it. II reminded him of Kaulbach's :. Dance of Death, and he felt oddly morbid as he thought of his own lonely life. He had once loved and given his heart to a woman whom he dad both idealized and idolized he had youth, brains and position, and ~ith her he felt he could conquer the world. It vas an old story: she turned out to be as loveless as she was lovely, and SO he look to the tigers. He had got over it all now, he shuddered as he remembered the fret of it all, and thought how near madness he had been driven when he heard of her ultimate fate. and where her sfe had drifted to. So there were Ophelias aere. More like Audreys. he thought as he watched some rather uncouth gam oolling in a corner. His eyes wandered round the room. and rested a, last or a