The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-01-03
GA WITLESS THING"

ga WITLESS THING"
A document in madness; thoughts ana
remembranceS fitted. Hamlet, act 1v.,
scene 5.
Nov, remember, Lord Grayton,"
said the Doctor, solemnly, ''all 1 told
you. You are very welcome to come
to our ball, though, as a rule, we only
ask certain set of wise men and maid
ways. Still, you are good-looking,
humorous, and CHEEKY, and if you are
sensible you can enjoy yourself, and.
maybe, do them world of good. 1
believe in electricity 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"
Il shall do exactly as l am bid, =" said
Lord Grayton, a handsome, fiorid, mrs-
cular young man, strong as a horse,
buoyant as balloon, just back after
self-imposed exile of five years in India
with big game; ''but tell me of all
these confounded cautions again. 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
Corroboree and the Salonga; but 'pon
honor l never danced with lunatic
girl yet
''Are you quite sure of that?" said
the Doctor grimly; ''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 Crack
ton asks you to play chess, play. He's
a good player, and will beat you fairly
if he can; if he can't he'll make 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 one 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?n
'I'll see to that, and introduce you
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 aboutp"
Everything save some 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 on chance. Ny own
girls ard 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 mid
night
''Queer thing this. "soliloquized Gray
ton as he completed an elaborate dress
ing, beginning my first season after
five years by dancing with lot of lu-
natics. Hope they won't wear straw
in their hair; if they do shall bolt to
the CongletoDs' dance"
He had many strange adventures
that evening as he strolled about the
pretty ballroom at the Copswood pri-
vate asylum. He was duly defeated
at chess by the venerable Crackton,
who deliberately slid back captured
queen on the board, and performed
prodigies of valor with her. He SYM
pathized with the gentleman who had
swallowed a crocodile, and be noticed
the pale cadaverous man who amused
himself by counting the lights on each
side of the room and singing softly to
himself, Sorry | can't admit itr' He
had been an Acrostic Editor once upon
time. He noticed the fussy little
man, with a pale-blue shaven face, who
wanted to stage-manage the sixteen
Lancers, and who piteoasly entreated
the dancers to ''go back over all that
again, please, and try and get it crisp
err" and the erratic journalist who
wrote paragraphs on his shirt-cuffs,
and many other strange folks that
passed by in the motley pageant of un-
settled reasons
There's King Lear" whispered the
Doctor, as "a very foolish, fond old
man, four score and upward" passed
them muttering of brighton A's;''
''you know who he wasp and he whis-
pered name in Grayton's ear that
made that nobleman whistle softly.
'.And are there any Ophelias, whose
young maid wits should be as mortal
as an old mans life?'" asked Grayton,
showing that he knew his Shakespeare
as well as the Doctor.
''Yes, but we keep their secrets.
Now 90 and danee;;' and the Doctor
took King Lear off for cup of coffee
1t was a sad, weird sight altogether,
and as Grayton watched it, it 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 had both idealized and idol
lied; he had youth, brains, and posi-
ton, and with her he felt he could con-
quer the world. 1t was an old story;
she turned out to be as loveless as she
was lovely, and so he took to the tigers.
de had got over it all now, but he
shuddered as he remembered the fret
OF 1T all, and thought how near madness
he had been driven when he heard of
her ultimate fate, and where her life
had dr'fted. So there were Ophelias
here! More like Audreys, ne thought.
as he watched some rather uncouth
gamboling in a corner. His eyes wan
dered round the room, and rested at
last on q face.
1t was an exquisite oval face, some
what sad and wistful expression, of
that rare delicate olive color one sees
in the South, with the skin of SO fine
texture that the red flush springs up
through the vein-tracery at moments
excitement; the large brown eyes were