The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-06-11
> CRATER d
nAna AVN rArInna

s. and failed. We have struggled Will
this nightmare even when our eye
wure open, and have not cast II OF. Il
varions shapes 1t haunts the shadow
Of this world. Mr. Drane, however
awoke; but before sending him our con
gratulations let us sec what no fount
waiting for him.
The first thing he saw on opening hi
eyes was a ragged GOAT which lay upoI
his arm. 1t was garment eminontl,
qualified TO be offensive 10 . gentle
man; shiny, soiled and raveled at II,
edges. Mr.. Drane blinked At II an In
slant and concluded that IL must bc I
part Of his recent troublesome fanoies
''Geto out, he muttered, sloepily, shalS
ing the garment 10 the floor; you're ,
fake. l dreamed you, sad I'm going tc
wake up In q minute"
No wonder he was deceived, for the
coat fitted the dream with tiabolical no.
ouracy. 1t had not been q vision Of
financial embarrassment alone; he had
seen himself walking on the uppcN OF
disgrace over tho rocky road Of despair.
His first waking impression had been
agreat thankfulness that he was him
self again, man Of wealth aud consid-
GRAFTON; gentleman by birth and
breeding. Then he had seen the ragged
coat and denied its reality.
He let his head fall upon tho pillow
again and sank for moment into
sleep. Then he awoke with start
"Queer notion about that coat" he
said, and glanced over the edge OF the
bed. The coat was there. None OF Its
fine points had got away. Tho summer
sunbeams round the odgcs Of tho our
tains giinted upon its greasy wrist
bands and CLASSY sleeves. Mr.. Drane
sat upon the bed and stared stupidity at
the strange garment The sight con-
fused him. .0..r
He tried to recall the events which
had preceded his sleep. He remembered
his journey eastward from his homo in
Kansas City; tho business interests
which he had in charge; the hot, dusty,
tiresome ride which had brought him 10
New York on his way TO Boston. He
recalled how he had found himself 80
tired that he had resolved 10 wait In
New York long enough to have q coed
nap In hotel; how he had entered the
first one he found, and had stumbled
sleepily along In the wake Of the hall
boy to the room wherein he lay. Thon
he had cast himself upon the bed after
removing only HIS outer clothing.
by the way" thought he, with sud-
den start, "where are my clothes
should like to know 4
How easy It is to ask questions, and
how eternally hard It is TO answer them.
Mr.. Dranes hasty but thorough search
OF the apartment revealed no reply TO
his very natural query. Ho did not find
his clothes because they were not thero,
but he did succeed in discovering q
and q pair Of pantaloons
which owned disgraceful kinship with
the coat.
"If we're drinking man" he NUT
tered, In dire perplexity. II think that I
should find the motive for great rsfor-
nation somewhere in this affair"
At this moment ho found himself con-
ironted by mirror, and as his own re-
lection mot his eyes ho couldn't help
being assailed by the idea thata change
had come over his oountenance which,
Il it were not equal in extent 10 that
which had overtaken his clothes, was
yet In the same unfortunate direction.
or course IL was one Of those crooked
hotel mirrors which SO shoclkingly wreck
tho features Of their victims. Accord
.ng to this veracious glass, Mr.. Drano
had swelling on his right cheek, and
vas afflicted with strabismus, erysipelas
md disordered nvor, complicated with
! three-days' beard. None Of these per-
'onal charms had any real existence ex-
opt the beard, and that wasn't so bad
IS 1t looked. In spite Of 1t, Mr.. Drane
vas q very good-looking young man; but
10 couldn't see 1t in that glass.
"Jingop ho exclaimed, as he gazed
lpoR this optical monstrosity. They've
itolen me along with my clothes. 1
INST have assistance"
he turned 10 the annunciator and con-
ulted the directions for Its use. First,
10 rang once for the halLboy, but thero
vas no response. Then he gave three
abs for ice-water, but 1t did not come.
'ix for hack and soven for the police
vere equally unproductiye; and whom
70 had tried eleven for the fire depart
mont and twelve for an ambulance he
ave II up,
''If they had given mo permission to
ing thirteen times for the coroner 1
hould feel that / had done my full
luty," groaned Lawrence; and then he
1t was all 90 absurd. He felt
p the pockets Of the deplorsble
lothes which had been left for him, but
10 did not find their late wearer's name
nd address, nor any other article OF
ralue. The loss ofhis money and watch
I'd not trouble him much, for no had
rever felt the pressing need Of . dollar,
nd did not know what its absence may
mply. As for his watch the police would
ecover that. Mr.. Drano had exaggerated
lotions about the metropolitan police.
ie did not know that before they would
Ind that watch in the ordinary course
4 their business he would be all done
nth time and large part Of eternity.
So he didn't worry about those things,
ut bestowed his regrot very sensibly
pom tho absence Of certain papers. He
new nobody In New York, and had now
o means Of establishing his Identity.
Evidently he would Asvo 70 make Ne