The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-06-27
OPHELIA.
Maine Farmer.

Maine Farmer.
Now, remember, Lord Grayton,
said the doctor solemnly, "allItold you
You IRE very welcome to come to GU
ball, though as q rule, we only ask
certain set of wise men and maiden
who know our ways and their ways
Still, you + good-looking, humorou
and CHEEKY, and if you are sensible yo1
can enjoy yourself, and, maybe, do then
q world OF good. Ibelieye in electricit,
as a curative agent-not the quack non
sense Of belts and chains and musica.
boxes, that only shake the rerve cen.
tres, but the real electricity of ANNA,
spirits, the tonic of good health"
q shall do exactly as 1 am bid" sale
Lord Grayton, q handsome, ford, mus.
cular young man, strong as a horse,
bouyant rs a balloon, just back after q
seif-imposed exhile of five years in In
dia with the big game.
'Are you quite SURE Of that ~ saidthe
doctor. grimly; f'the rule is simple. Be
civil enddon't contradict. Hold Crack
ton asks you to play chess, play. Hes
q good player, and will beat you fairly
if he can if lie can't he'll make q false
move and call 'checkmate,' and you must
IGLLs LLG- -
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 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 fancies."
Sounds rather jumpy. And the
ladies 2"
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, I suppose. And
what am to talk about.
Everything save some one thing
the Empress Of Austria, or the stage,
or whiteroses, or MI. Mallock, OF black
stockings. I'll give you the cue-never
fear; only it may happen that n of
them will ask yon to dance, and then
you must steer as best yon can-.talk
society or art on chance. My own girls
and their friends get on famously with
the male patients, and You must be off
and dress; nine sharp, mind, Us they all
go to bed at midnight"
Gray 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 sid back a captured queen
on the board, and performed progidias
of yalor with her. He sympathized with
the gentleman who had swallowed a
crocodile, and he noticed the pale,
~cadayerous man who amused himself by
counting the lights on each side of the
room and singing softly to himself,
Sorry Ican't admi.it sorry ] can't adj
nit it!u He had been an acrostic editor
once upon a time. He noticed the fussv
little man with o pale-blue shaver face,
who wanted to stage manage the sixteen
Lancers, and who piteously entreated
the dancers togo back over all that
again, please, and try and get it crisp
en- !" 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 reason.
aThere's King Lear" whispered the
doctor. 3as a very foolish, fond old man,
fourscore and upwards" passed them
muttering of Brighton ASP; ayou
know who he wasp and he whispered
a 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 Gravton,
showing that he knew his Shakespeare as
we'll as the doctor.
eyes, but we keep their secrets. Now
60 and Dance and the doctor took
King Lear off for a eng of coffee.
So there were Ophelies here! More
like .Audreys, he thought, as he watched
some rather uncouth gamboling IN the
corne His eyes wandered round the
room, and at last rested on a face.
1t was an exquisite oval face,
what sad and wistful in expression, Of
that rare delicate olive color one sees
in the South, with skin OF so fine a
texture that the red flush springs up
through the y~ein-tracery at a moments
excitement; the large brown eyes were
soft and dreamy, the chiselled mouth
half-parted, and the dark brown
hair, looking black rs night, was worn
Greek fashion, close to the head, sweep
ing in undulating lines past the tiny rose
tipped ears. She was seated on a low sofa,
carelessly clasping one knee with both
hands. she wore q simple white frock,
just ~mysteriously frilled round the little
white column of a throat, and a great
rose nestled in her breast.
One little higharched foot, in peach-net-
ted silk, kept swinging to the music.
No one seemed to talk to her except the
doctor, who smiled pleasantly as he
passed her and said something to which
she answered with a nod.
aOpheia at last" said GRAFTON to
himself; and in melancholy vein he
wished he were Hamlet and could lie at
her feet and watch the play.
Poor Ophelial divided from herself
and her Acknowledgements (the quotation
was irresistiBle). II wonder what sent
her here-some brute of a man, or a
soldier lover killed at Kassassin. Gra-
cious! Ihope this terrible Meg Mer-
rides is not going to ask me to dance!"
ard he moved away, as he saw a Wild
eyed woman bearing down upon him, to
q seat somewhat nearer the pale girl