Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-23
THROUGH THE LABYRINTH OF RUINS.

THROUGH THE LABYRINTH OF RUINS.
think his pet illusion is that he is Sir
Harry Grahame, the hero Of the In
dian mutiny.'
'sAh, how sad; but 1 have met with
hundreds of such cases.
eyes, sad indeed, for the poor fellow
is still in the prime of life. And now,
let me warn you. We humor these
little tricks of the imagination"
''Of course-I understand"
$50 that it would be kind of you to
carry on the deception"
Certainly. Iwill'be discreet"
occasionally he breaks out, in
which case I have a reserve of brute
force in the shape of stout English
man, once a trooper in my regiment,
who has strength enough to manage
him.
s'You did not tell me the name of your
invalid, Capt Archer9''
mo! And for family reasons I do
not care to do so. With US he goes by
the name of the particular hero with
whom he for the time being is Identify
ing himself"
''As Sir Harry Grahame, for instance?'
Exactly. Now let me introduce you.
by WnaU name, by the Dye?
Arthur Dunbar dashed boldly at a
pseudonym.
'sArthur-John Arthur he said, with
out blush.
''One of the Arthurs Of Derbyshire?''
Exactly"
ssThen, by Jove, I know one of your
kinsmen-Piers Calverly Arthur, of the
Queens Bays-as gay a lad as ever
crossed horse or threw a main of
dice"
''Ah, poor Piers!' Dunbar sighed,
hypocritically.
eyes, poor beggar. he went to the
dogs-lock, stock and barrel, but he
was a good sort before he got into the
hands Of the Jews"
Then followed the introduction to the
baronet, who acknowledged the cere-
mony with a vacant stare, and betook
himself again to strokNg the dogs head,
which the loving creature had rested on
his knee, his brown eyes peering into
his masters face with an intensity
which was almost human in its mute
expression.
Dunbar gladly accepted Capt Archer's
| invitation to spend a few days under his
| hospitable roof, his host assuring him
| that there was an abundance of game
in the neighborhood, and that he would
eventually send him on his way towards
Colombo To tell the truth, Capt.
Archer was rather glad of the young
| mans visit; first because it relieved
the monotony of the dull life he led,
and secondly because it would be a
| good card to play to send young man
of high family back to civilization with
the report that the European gentle
man assuming to be Sir Harry Grahame
| was merely a harmless lunatic under
| the kind care of friends who sacrificed
their own comfort to give him the ben
eft of a residence IN climate peculiar
" adapted for his particular malady.
One glance at Joe Bradley, the re-
| served brute force, the power behind
| the throne, was enough to convince
! Dunbar that he was a villain of the
lowest type of human degradation,
/ whose only redeeming quality was a
| blind love of ardent spirits which he
drank morning. noon and night, and
which kept him in state of bemuddled
stupor. Two native servants completed
| the menage of this small establishment
One thing that had puzzled Dunbar
was the absence Of the hordes of Cinga-
lese who were said to infest this region
large villages of people living in a
state of semi-barbarism, stories OF
whose ferocity and lawlessness had
reached his ears In Colombo, where
every one was eager to add his share to
! the terrible tales of their misdoings.
He had seen no sign of them; the coun-
try appeared almost uninhabited, and
he came to the conclusion that the in
formation which had reached him had
been either exaggerated or was alto
| gether false. But, on the second day
after his arrival, this pleasant delusion
was dispelled; for just rs they were
| about to start on a hunting excursion
Capt Archer received a message by a
runner, which brought a cloud on his
brow and a torrent of strong words
from his lips
fro BE CONTINUED
-Architect-ssAnd on these panels
you wish, believe, the double convo.
!