The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-01-31
ga WITLESS THING"

ga WITLESS THING"
remembrances fitted. .''-Hamlet act iv.,
scene 5.
'Now, remember, Lord Grayton,"
said the Doctor, solemnly, ''all l told
you. You are very welcome to come
to our ball, though, as q rule, we only
ask a certain set of wise men and maid
ems who know our ways and their
ways. Still, you are good-looking,
humorous, and CHEEKY, and if you are
sensible you can enjoy yourself, and,
maybe, do them q world of good l
! 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 am bid" said
Lord Grayton, a handsome, flOrid, mus
cular young man, strong as a horse,
buoyant as balloon, just back after a
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 ne 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 | never danced with lunatic
girl yet
''Are you quite sure of that?' said
the Doctor grimiy; ''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
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 one else, because he's glass and
might break, you must do your best TO
be court eOus 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. | suppose. And
what am l 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 us 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
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 l shall bolt to
the Congletons' 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 q captured
| queen on the board, and performed
prodigies of valor with her He SYM
| pathized with the gentleman who had
swallowed crocodile, and he 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 pale~blue shaVen face, who
wanted to stage-manage the sixteen
Lancers, and who piteously entreated
the dancers to Ego 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 AS"
''you know who he wasp and he whis-
pered 4 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
rs well as the Doctor.
''Yes, but we keep their secrets.
Now 90 and dance;" and the Doctor
took King Lear Oft for a cup of coffee.
1t was a sad, weird sight altogether,
and as Grayton watched it, it reminded
him of Kaulbach' ''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.
He had got over it all now, but 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 life
had driftcd. So there were Ophelias
here! More like Audrcys, he thought,
as he watched some rather uncOuth
gamboling in 4 corner. His eyes wan
dered round the room, and rested at
last on 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 ut moments
excitement; the large brown eyes were
soft and dreamy, the chiseled mouth
vas half parted, and the dark-brOwn
Iii, looking black as night, was worn
Greek fashion close to the head, sweep
ing in undulating lines past the tiny
rosy-tipped ears. She was seated on
low sofa, carelessly clasping one knee
with both hands. She wore simple
white frock, just mysteriously frilled
round the little white column OF a
throat, and great black-red rose nes-
tied in her breast. One little high
r 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
passed and said something to which
she answered with nod.
"Ophelia at last" said Grayton to
Il