The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-05-27

Doctor came over in a corner with a cue
in his hand.
What's the row. Nissan 90
"Doctor, look at me. You've known
me seven or eight years. Am drivel-
ling idiot 2"
" Well, my boy" replies the doctor,
looking at him with some surprise.
III have to make a diagnosis. | never
suspected it till now"
No nonsense I'm serious. Tell me.
am | healthy man 90
es criminally healthy. You're a
sta: ding reproach to our profession.
Have got incipient insanity in my
blood %
"No."
"Or halucination?"
"No."
"Or monomania?"
sNo."
"Or sentimentalsm 90
"No."
"ive got fairly level head as heads
go?"
"Yes."
Crimson sat down and famed himself.
The doctor put his cue over his shoulder
and waited. "Well," said the patient,
that's what thought But we're both
dead wrong. Pm blazing, blooming ass.
I'm metal wreck. I'm bowling ma
MAC. l want
Medicine ?" asked the doctor.
NO." said Crimson, manacles, strait
jacket, keepers, solitary confinement"
I" In love-" remarked the doctor.
Swallowed up" rejoined Crimson.
Normal thing said the doctor.
" "You all do it. What is it =? Beautiful.
| know, but obtainable, l guess not"
Crimson rested his head on his hand a
moment, then he went on saw a figure.
1t haunted me. | let my mind dwell on
it. 1t got possession of me. 1t has
brown hair, blue eyes and black lashes !;
such lashes, doctor. | can't think of any
thing else. 1t breaks up my sleep. 1t in
terferes with my business. I've become
a mass of jelly"
g V~e, nnitn normal - said the doctor ::
"why don't you abduct her, buy her or
marry her. 1 want to finish my game"
Because" said Crimson, "she's a lay
figure"
"Most of 'em are," remarked the doc
tor, as he moved away.
"Wait moment; she's painted"
"Of course she is,' said the doctor.
"Hang it, man, she's lfeless"
"Then she's just in the fashion," said
the doctor.
"But, doctor, can't marry lay fig
ure."
"Why can't you? It's done every day
"She's on exhibition"
"I dare say most of EN- are Let me
finish this game
" But | don't own her.
"Certainly not that's what's the mat
ter with you. Why don't you? Look
here, my boy, this is not case of purga-
tives, it is case of pluck. There's only
one cure for your case; it's possession"
Crimson got to reading Byron and
Swinburne. He grew melancholy and
took to making rhymes. He found out
that Alice would rhyme with malice and
and chalice. 1t was fearful struggle at
times between his reason and his imagina-
tion He knew he was fool. But the
other half of him seemed TO gloat over
it. He tore his hair and swore and made
resolutions, and then he went down to
Sackson & Pendgett's and hung round
the window. Alice threw her appealing
blu. eyes upon him. "Here l am yet" )"
she seemed to say. "Your eyes look ten
derness at me, but you leave me here in
a window. Your heart is false. | wasn't
made for this" And he felt the pang go
through him. Then he fell into reckless
and dreamy habit He sat in corner of
the club and brooded. His friends be-
gan TO notice it and CIawson got hold of
him.
"Look here, old fel,' said he, "can't
we help you out any way?"
"No," said Crimson, I'm beyond hu-
man reach. think the best thing | can
do is to blow my brains out"
Clawson was practical. "Quite right,
old fel,'' he said But let's go to work
and develop some first, so that you will
not waste your powder on vacuum,
don't you know? Who's the girl?
"My boy" said Crimson, quite solemn
ly, "Pve fallen in love with lay figure
in a shop window"
"By George" said Clawson, Pm aw-
fully glad. Do you know was afraid it
was ballet or something"
"Now don't talk that way" pleaded
Crimson. 81 don't like your fippant
style. This is question of life and death
with me. know it's awfully inhuman,
but can't help it. There's no use in tel
ling me that it's madness. know it..
Pve got to have her, that's all there is
about 1t. Why, I'd rather get one glance
from her blue eyes set in black than have
nv pick of all the women on earth. Oh,
Alice, Alice see you now, the cynosure
of vulgar eyes. Your pensive, appealing
glances are burned into my memory.
My darling, my darling, l come to you!
l come, l come! !"
And then he rushed and went down to
Fourteenth street.
This is how that absurd story about
Crimson having softening of the brain
got around. Clawson rushed up to the
club and told it. But there never was a
more Infamous falsehood told 1t is quite
true that Crimson got worse and worse
But, as DR.. PiIlsbury said, it was on nor.
NAL lines. He was doing exactly what
every man does with his imagination.
The rest was q mere matter OF selection.
Nou oornoa tho moet remarkahle mart