The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-03-13
A Tyrclean Hon Juan.

Some OF the pleasant little scandals ina
come to us from Austria are really very in
structive. We are toldin a village in tlN
italian Tyrol an incident has occurre'
that created considerable sensation. Th
proprietor ola large tavern was blessed
with a son who grew mp to be avery hand
some and fascinating specimen Of TIL
Tyrolese mountaineer. Before he wa
twenty years Of age he was adored, o
course, by the ladies Of the neighborhood
and was fattered and petted into such ;
hero among the best families Of the coun
try, and bis admirers became SO numer
Gus, that he must have required to ust
considerable discretion in the distribution
Of his favors. The father was good ma
| tured old fellow and overlooked the youth
escapades. untilhe found that the frequent
recurrence Of theinevitable scandals began
to give his house bad repute, and t.
cause fcertain falling off in the business
He therefore ordered his son to marry.
Bernhard raised several objections, but
was overruled by the stern progenitor
and at last took to himsclfa wife. He re-
solved at the same time to abandon his evil
ways and become correct member Of mar.
ried society All went on we'll for some
time; but after two Or three years he found
that tourjours perdrir was monotonous
and unpahtable. He therefore began to
indulge secretly and moderately in his cid
variations. His wife vaguely suspected him
bat wisely held her tongue and reproach
ed him not, though she herself was a
model of constancy and truth.
One day travelling carriage drove up,
and lady ahghted at the hotel and asked
for room Tor the night. The son con-
Quoted her up stairs, probably because she
was young and good looking. But strange
to say, he didn't come down again as soon
as he might have done. and the wife woa-
dered what could detain him. She waited
patiently few minutes, and then became
suspicious that something was wrong. She
paced up and down the room with srowing
Impotence, looked at the clock two or
three times minute. and at length could
restrain herimpatience no longer and rush
ed up stairs. Imagine her Indignation at
finding che door bolted from the inside
She listened all was quiet-and then
pushed aud knocked at the door, and rails
ed hue and cry that caused all the SER
wants in the house to come running to the
disturbance, ard then there rose "a tren-
endous screaming and shreking inside the
room that aetned to deafen almost the cries
Of the wife and the noise Of the attendants
At last the door was brokon open. The
lady traveller demanded that the police
guard should be sent for, declaring, amid
hysteric sobs and groans, that she had been
insulted and ruined by the innkeeper' $
son. lie endavored to protest his inno-
cence of the charge, but in vain. Amid
the lamentations of the injured visitor and
the reproaches Of the yet more injured
wife, not a word that be had uttered
could be heard. He was hurried off the
guardhouse, and closely imprisoned A
fortnight afterward, the case was brought
before the judge Of the commune. Wit
nesses were called who proved the prison
er's guilt to eyerybody's satisfaction, ez-
ceptiDg perhaps, that Of the prisoner hin.-
self.
Ills antecedents were fully laid before
the court, of course with due regard to
feelings Of absent personages, Bernhard
seeing the turn affairs were taking, adop-
ted a sullen, defiant demeanor, and refus.
ted to say word in defense. He was de-
clarcd guilty, and hejudge, who had mani
tested great asperity toward the prisoner,
asked him several times whether he had
anything to urge before sentence was pas
sed. Having been greatly pressed tospeak,
the prisoner expressed his willingness to
say something, but told the judge chat it
would be better for his honor if he did not
speak. Thercupon the Judge, somewhat
nettled, urged him to say what he eonld
well, then" said Bernhard, Il am
innocent Of the charge, but am willing
to accept the shame Of this trial, and the
sentence about to be inflicted upon me, as
a punishment far the evil life | have led.
Yes, it is true that Lam guilty Of all the
liasons Of which [ have been accused and
many more; and Imay say, Mr.. Judge,
that the woman who first led me astray
WIS yssae wife. !"
The confusion Of the Judge, aud the hi
larity in court, may be imagined Bern
hard was at once informed that he would
be prosecuted for SANDER. Nothing how
ever, was heard afterward, either Of the
transported Bernhard OF of the theatened
trial tor SANDER, The judge was shortly
after promoted to better post.