The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-11-16
T b e NJ Y S t cry =.


ishing' university town: From the rich
commercial cities all around, the wealthy
burghers sent their SONS 10 acquire at least
a srnattering of polite literature at the sea,
Of learning; and many young noblemen
also frequented its colleges, contributing
% their prosperity, though they profted
little by the educational advantages offer
ed to them by sojourn at'the university
About one Of tie students there was at
that time a mystery, and it may be ina
Cined, the mysterious scholar soon became
an object Of interest and curiosity for his
companions the interest increasing in
proportion with the duration of tie mys
terious person in question, who acquired
the reputation of being connected with the
evil powers, and with holding converse
with familiar demons. Some there were
among the students who even undertook
to furnish proofs of his having dapbic1 in
the "black art,' and went so far TO as
sert that Adrian had made compact with
the Evil One himself The reader will nat
urally be anxious to know what it was that
procured for this student SO sinister and
unsatisfactory reputation. He owed it
simply to The two following reasons -
Adrian tloreut, the son of cloth worker
at Utrecht, had the marvellous power of
learning almost, as it appeared, by intui-
ton. Ills progress was wonderful. His
fellow students, far fom being able to
compete viii Linn, were left hopelessIy in
the. rear in the race for academic nob0rs,
and were soon content to strive for tie
victor's wreaths among themselves, leaving
Adrian to continue his course as he would,
far ahead of them This was the first
cause Of his unpopularity.
"How," said these causists of eighteen
or twenty years, scould the obscure cloth
workers son, who went abroad in shah
by jerkin and threadbare Lose, and had
never broad piece to spend at the wines
house-how could he surpass them all,
despite the advantages they had enjoyed
in the way of early training and compe-
tent teachers, without having recourse to
unhatluwed lreans 2
at was clearly impossible" said the
united wisdom of the student world of
Louvain.
The second circumstance was a more
mysterious ore still, and quite in accor !
ance with the superstilious ideas Of the
time. Every evening as twilight fell, when
the students were thinking of recreation
after Ihe fatigues Of the day, Adrian would
g,ile away from among them, and decIi
ming all offers of companionship with a
courteous but decided bearing, he would
take hIms"I r~cy &c 80 80 o., o,re-. r. ,cn or
eleven o'clock at night, most frequently
with hollow checks and iaded eyes, in
which, however, there burned an unnatu-
raj fire The object or direction of these
solitary walks he would never divulce,
parrying all implied hints, and positively
declining to answer the direct ,stons Of
some more eager among bis comrades -
Once, when closely pressed, he tu'lud
haughtily upon them, and in words Of
withering scorn denounced their manners
in endesvoring to pry into matter that
concerned himself alone, and which he de-
sired to keep hidden. His scorn, while it
made them ashamed Of themselves, reused
their anger ainst him who had so palpa-
bly, rlaced 1em in the wrong, and thus
the breach between Adrian FIorent and
his fellow-students was widened, and he
wandered amu 2 them-successful beyond
precedent in studies-but a stunned,
prescribed, suspected, and consequently
unhappy man. Still the mystery contin-
ued.
AT last they could bear uncertainty no
longer and forgetful of the reproof their
curiosity had already received, party Of
twelve betook themselves one night to the
task Of parading the city throughout its
length and breadth, in the hope Of finding
the mysterious student For two hours
they walked in vain; nowhere could they
find a trace Of the man they sought, and as
midnight approached, they were about TO
abandon their search in despair, when one
of them suggested that ST Peters Church
had not ye. been visited. The obssrva-
ton was, by the rest, received with scorn-
ful laugh
''St, Peters Church," cried one, "bv
St, James the young wizard will have not
chosen SO holy place for his incanta
| tons ~
way, Dut, lolSt0u Cuo III 81 sp6dhei, /,
" let US at any rate try if he be there for
every other spot in Louvain have we trag
ersed twice over
SO the students turned about and made
for the fnv 81, 81 u: a@-c. c.. Ts s7 ;,,at, cir
cult of the edifce and were abont to retire
with laugh at the companion, at whose
suggestion they had taken SO much useless
trouble, when laying his hand to his lips
the young man motioned them to advance
silently.
Unless | am strangely mistaken" he
whispered, "he whom we seek is sitting
yonder in the light of the lamp reading ="
Noiselessly they advanced tiptoe, and
there in secluded corner of the church
was the reputed necromancer, his eyes
bent on a Latin volume, which he was
studying so eager Y as to be utterl y uncon
sciOus of their approach. For some mo-
ments the iutruders stood abashed, unwi.l
ing to disturb the pale student, and fearing
to retire lest the noise should discover
them. Presently, however, be raised bis
head and saw that he had heen watched
4 scarlet flush mounted to the forehead o
Adrian Forent, but presently recovering
himself, be advanced with calm dignity to,
wards his comrades.
"You have taken some pains, my