The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-06-24

THROUGH TIE LABYRINTH OF RUINS
think his pet illusion is that he is Sir
Harry Grahame, the hero of the In
dian mutiny."
''Ah, how sad, but I have met with
hundreds of such cases."
''Yes, 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. 1 willrbe discreet"
occasionally he breaks out, in
which case l have a reserve of brute
force in the shape of stout English
man, once n trooper in my regiment,
who has strength enough to manage
him"
"You did not tell me the name of your
invalid, Capt. Archer9"
mo! And for family reasons 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 what name, by the bye?"
Arthur Dunbar dashed boldly at a
pseudonym.
''Arthur-John Arthur" he said, with
cut blush.
Zone of the Arthurs of Derbyshire?"
Exactly"
"Then, by Jove, 1 know one of your
lzinsmen-Piers Calverly Arthur, of the
Queens Bays-as gay lad as ever
crossed horse or threw main of
dice"
"Ah, poor Piersr' Dunbar sighed,
hypocritically.
"Yes, poor beggar, he went to the
dogs-lock, stock and barrel, but he
was good sort before he got into the
hands of the jews"
Then followed the introduction tothe
baronet, who acknowledged the cere-
mony with vacant stare, and betook
himself again to stroking 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 q
good card to play to send a 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 residence in climate peculiar
ly 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 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 q state of benuddled
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 q
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, ano
he came TO the conclusion that the III
formation which had reached him hac
been either exaggerated or was alto
gether false. Dut, on the second day
after his arrival, this pleasant delusior
was dispelled; for just as they were
about to start on hunting excursion
Capt Archer received message by {
runner, which brought cloud on hi!
brow and a torrent OF strong word:
from his lips
[To lie CONTINUED