The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-05-09

"A WITLEss THING =
!, "A =. a! dooumsat in madness; = tacush.. andre

. WIYLESS TIlNe.,'
"a document in madness; Thoughts and re-
membranes fitted p Hamist, Cd h. 10. &
Now remember, Lord Grayton, = said
the doctor solemnly, call I told you,
Yon are very welcome to come to our
ball, though, as . rule, We only ask q
certain set Of wise men, and maidensi
Who know our ways and their ways.
Still, you are good Hooking, humorous
and choefy, and if you are sensible you
con enjoy yourself, and, maybe, do them
world Of good. I belive in electricity
as curative agent-not the quack nom
sense of belts and chains and musical
boxes, that only shakes the nerve-cen-
ters, but the real electricity of animal
spirits, the tonic ofgood health"
II shall do exactly as am bid, said
Lord Grayton, u handsome, florid, mus
cular young man, strong as q horse,
'uOyant rs Q balloon, Just back after q
self imposed exile of five years in India
with the big game: "but tell me of all
those confounded cautions again. did
q lot Of dancing Of various kinds years
ago, before went after the tigers
he laughetl ~ mingled memories of May
fair and the Lotus Club swan back to
him" -"and I've tried both the Corrobo
rec and the Salonga; but 'pon honor I
never danced with a lunatic girl vet"
Are you quite sure of that?" said the
Doctor, grinly; "they are to be met
with outside Copswood, can tell you.
However. listen: the rule is simple. Be
civil and don't contradict. If old
Crackston asks You to play chess, play.
He's good player, aud will beat you
fairly if lle can; if lie can't he'll make a
false move and call 'checkmate, and you
must resign. If poor Snobly thinks
you are the Prince, and sSirs' 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 one else because he's glass and
might break, You must do your best to
he courteous to them all, and ON no &C.
count laugh at their fancies."
Sounds rather jumpy. And the To-
dies?"
"I'll see to that, and introduce you to
the incest, aud tell you what to avoid
speaking about; the men will make the
talking for themselves, the women don't
talk much"
"Sign Of insanity, I suppose. And
what am to talk about?"
Everything save one tlling-the EN-
press of Austria, OF the stage, OF white
roses, or Mr.. Mallock, or black stock
ings 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 on 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 he our
best tonic tonight, and you must he off
and dress; nine sharp, mind, as they all
go TO bed Mt midnight"
"Queer thirg this, soliloquized Gray
ton as he completed an elaborate dress
ing, beginning my first season after
five years by dancing with lot of luna
tics. Hope they won't wear straw in
their hair; il they do ] shall bolt to the
Congletons' dance.
He had many strange adventures that
evening as he strolled about the pretty
ballroom ct the Copswood private asy-
lum. He was duly defeated ut chess by
the venerable Crackton, who deliberate.
ly slid back captured queen on the
board and performed pro&gies of valor
with her. He had sympathized with
the gentleman who had swallowed q
crocodile, and he noticed the pale ca
daverous man who amused himse + by
counting the lights on each side of the
room and singing softly to himself: !:
Sorry can't admit it, sorry can't I'D
nit i'll" He had been an Acrostic edi-
tor once upon time. He noticed the
fussy little man with pale blue shaven
face. who wanted to stage manage the
sixteen Lancers and who piteously en-
treated the dancers to Ego back over all
that again, please, and try to get it
crisper;;" and the erratic journalist who
wrote paragraphs on his shirt cuffs, and
many other strange folks that passed by
in the motley pageant of unsettled rea-
sons.
"There's King Lear" whispered the
doctor, as % very foolish fond old man,
fourscore and upwards" passed them
muttering of brighton Ass" "yon
know who he was?" and he whispered
o name in Grayton's ear that made that
nobleman whistle softly.
"And are there any Ophelias, whose
young maids wits should be as mortal
as an old mans life" asked Grayton,
showing that he knew his Shakespeare
as we'll as the Doctor.
eyes; but we keep their secrets. Now
go and dance:" and the Doctor took
King Lear off for cup of coffee.
It was sad, weird sight altogether,
and as Grayton watched it, it reminded
him of Kaulbacll's Dance of Death, :"
and lie 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 idealized and idol
lied he had youth, brains and position
and with her lie felt he could conquer
the world. It was an old story; she
turned out to be as loveless as she was
lovely, and SO he took to the tigers.
He had got over it all now, but he shud-
dered 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 life had
drifted to. So there were Ophelias
here! More like Audreys, he thought,
as he watched some rather uncouth
gamboling in corner. His eyes wan
dered round the room, and rested at
last on face.
It was an exquisite oval face, some
what sad and wistful in expression, of
that rare delicate olive color one sees
in the south, with the skin CT SO fine o
texture that the red flush springs up
through the vein-tracery at moments
excitement; the large brown eyes were
soft and dreamy, the chiselled mouth
was half-parted, and the dark brown
hair, looking black at night, was worn
Greek fashion close to the head, sweep
ing in nndulating line past the tiny
rose-tipped ears. She was seated on
low sofa, 'casclessly clasping one knee
with both hands. She wore simple
white frock, just mysteriously frilled
round the little white column of
throat, and great black-red rose
nestled in her breast. One little high
arched foot, in peach colored netted
silk, kept swinging to the music. No
one seemed to talk to her except the
Doctor, who smiled pleasantly as he