Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-18
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CHOW remember. Lord Graytop,"
said the Doctor, solemnly, "all 1 told
you. You are very welcome to come to
our ball, though, as a rule, we only
ask a certain set of wise men and maid
ems who know II ways and their ways.
Still, you are g~ood-looking, humorous,
end CHEEKY, and if you are sensible you
can enjoy yourself, and, may be, do
them a world of good. I believe in cleo
tricity as a curative agent-not the
quack nonsense of belts and chains and
musical boxes, that only shake the
nerve-centers, but the real electricity of
animal spirits, the tonic of good health"
II shall do exactly as l am bid" said
Lord Grayton, a handsome, forid, mus
cular young man, strong as a horse,
buoyant as a balloon, just back after a
self-imposed exile of five years in India
with the big game; ''but tell me of all
those ~confounded cautions again. 1 did
lot of dancing of various kinds years
ago, before went after the tigers
and he laughed as mingled memories of
Mayfair and the Lotus Club swan back
to him-''and I've tried both the Corro-
boree and the Salonga; but pom honor |
never danced with a lunatic girl vet"
care you quite sure of that?" said
the Doctor, grimlv; ''they are to be met
with outside 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 q good player, and will beat YOU
fairly if he can: if he can't he'll make a
false move and call 'checkmate,' and
you must resign. If poor Snobly thinks
you are the Prince, and .sirs' YOU all
over the place, and throws out hints
about being asked to Sandringham; if
you are asked to listen to the Ginning
clock in Bakers interiors, or to avoid
some n else, because he's glass and
might break. you must do your best to
be courteous to them all. and on no ac-
count laugh at their fancies."
Sounds rather jumpy. And the
ladies?"
'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, l suppose. And
what mi l to talk.about?"
Everything save one thing-the
Empress of Austria, or the stage or
white roses, or Mr.. Mallock, or black
stockings. I'll give you the cue-never
fear; only it may happen that one of
them will ask you to dance, and then
you must steer as best you can-talk
society or art or chance. My own girls
and their friends get on famously with
the male patients, and you must
do your best. Come, you are going to
be our best tonic tonight, and you must
be off and dress; nine sharp, mind, as
they all go to bed at midnight
Queer thing this" s%oliloquized Gray
ton, as he completed an elaborate dress
ing, ''beginning my first season after
five years by dancing with a lot of luna
ties. Hope they won't wear straw in
their hair; if they do [ shall bolt to the
Congletons' dance"
He had many strange adventures that
evening as he strolled about the pretty
ballroom at the Copswood private
asylum. He was duly defeated at
chess by the venerable Crackton, who
deliberately slid back a captured queen
on the board, and performed prodigies
of valor with her. He sympathizcd With
the gentlemen who had swallowed a
crockodile, and he noticed the pale ca
daverous man who amused himself by
counting the lights on each side of the
Q and singing softly to himself,
'Sorry l can't admit it sir, sorry I can't
admit it," He had been an Acrostic
Editor ones upon a time. He noticed
the fuzzy little man. with a pale-blue
shaver face, who wanted to stage-man-
age the sixteen Lancers, and who pit
eously entreated the dancers to $50 back
over all that again, please, and try and
get il crisper;" and the erratic journal
list who wrote paragraphs on his shirt
cuffs, and many other strange folks that
passed by in the motley pageant of I'M
settled reasons.
"There's King Lear" whispered the
Doctor, az ga very foolish fond old
man, fourscore and upwards" passed
them muttering of brighton AS"
'.you know who he WASP" and he whis-
pered a name in G~rayton's ear that
made that noblemau whistle softly.
"And are there any Ophelias, whose
young maids wits should be as mortal
as an old mans lAep'" asked Grayton.
showing that he knew his Shakespeare
- well as the Doctor