The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-01-10
"A WITLESS THING. !"


a document in madness; thoughts and re-
membranes fitted. Hamlet, act w.. scene 5.
Nov remember, Lord Grayton,"
said the Doctor, solemnly, "all 1 told
you. You are vegy welcome to come to
our ball, though, as a rule, we only ask
a certain set of wise men and maidens
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 world of good. / believe i'll
electricity as curative agent-not the
quack nonsense of belts and chains and
music 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, handsome, hOrid, mus
cu1ar young man, strong as a horse,
buoyant as balloon, Just back after a
self-imposed exile of five years in India
with the big game; "but tell me of all
these COMPOUNDED cautions again. L did
lot of dancing of various kinds years
ago, before j went after the tigers
and he laughed as mingled memories of
MAYFAIR ami the Lotus club swan back
to him-"and I've tried both the Corro-
borec and the Salonga; but pom honor
/ never danced with q lunatic girl yet.
"Arc you quite sure of that" said
the Doctor, grimlv; they are TO be met
with outside Copswood, | eau 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 good player, and will beat You
fairly if he can; if he can't he'll make
false move and call 'checkmatc, and
then you must resign. II poor Snobby
thinks you are the Prince, and 'Sirs'
you all over the place, and throws out
hints about being asked to Sandring-
ham; if you are asked to listen 80 the
Ginning clock in Bakers interiors, or
70 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 account laugh at their fan
cies.
Sounds rather jumpy. And the Ia
dies 2"
"I'll see to that, and introduce YOU to
the incest, and tell you what to avoid
speaking about; and men will make the
talking for themselves. the women don't
talk much.
Sign of insanity, / suppose. And
what am j to talk about?"
"Eyerything save some one thing
the Empress OF Austria, or the stage,
or white roses, or Mr.. Mullock, or black
stockings. I'll give you the cue-never
fear: only it may happen that one of
aSl. N thnn
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
be of and dress 8 sharp. mind, as they
all go to bed at midnight. "
"Queer thing this" soliloquized
Grayton, as he completed an elaborate
dressing, beginning my first season
after five years by dancing with a lot
of lunotics. 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
ball room Mt the Copswood private
asylum. He was duly defeated at chess
by the venerable Crackton, who DELHI
erately slid back captured queen on
the board, and performed prodigies OF
valor with her. He sympathized with
the gentleman who had swallowed n
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
n 4 ax,'t
admit IL" He had been an acrostic
editor once upon time. He noticed
the fussy little man with the pale blue
shaver face, who wanted to stage-man-
age tho sixteen lancers, and who
piteously entreated the dancers ito go
that all over again, please, and try to
get il crispier:" and the erratic journal
list, who wrote paragraphs on his shirt
cuffs, and many other folks that passed
by in the most pageant of unsettled
reasons.
"There's King Lear" whispered the
Doctor, ns "a very foolish. fond old
man, four score and upward" passed
them, mutterng of Brighton AS
"vou know who he was? % and lac whis-
pered name in Graytons ear that
made the 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.
"Yes, but we keep their secret. Now
90 and dance" and the Doctor tool
King Lear off for cup of coffee.
It\was sad, weird sight altogether
and. Vas Grayton watched it, it remind
ed HIM of Kaulbach's Dance o