New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-24
HOW GOT MY OvERCOAT.
True.
BY GEORGE z. WARING, JR.

BY GEORGE E. wARING, JR.
The war was not quite over, but my regi
ment was old enough to have grown TOT
email for colonel, and ! eat, the dismales'
Of all men, "Imustered-out" officer, satet
with such good things as suddenly ar
rested income had allowed me, over al
after dinner table in little room at thu
Athen8um Club, My coffee was gone tt
it's dregs; the closing day was shutting
down gloomily in such a weary rain as only
New York back yard ever knows, and
was wondering what was to become OF &
man whom tonr years OF cavalry service
thing in life. The only career that Their
seemed worth running was run out for me
and, worst OF all. NY pay had finally
stopped.
The world was before me for a choice
but had no choice. The only thing could
do was to command mounted troops, and
commanders of mounted troops were not il
demand. Ages ego had known how to dc
other things, but the knowledge had gone
from me, and was not to be recalled SO long
as had enough money left with which to
be unhappy in idle foreboding. / had DO,
laid down my life in the war, but during it's
wonderful four years | had laid down so
completely the ways Of life OF sober and
Industrious citizen, and had soaked my
whole nature so full OF the subtle ether OF
idleness and vagabondism, that it seemed
az easy and as Datural TO become the Alad-
din might have dreamed myself to be. as
the deliver had really been. With heavy
heart, then, ard a full stomach, l sat in a
half discOnsolate, half reminiscent, not
wholly unhappy mood, relapsing with post
prandial ease into that befogged intellec-
tual condition in which even the drizzie
against the window panes can confuse it.
self with the patter Op a tent roof; and the
charm of the old wanderiDgs came over me
again, filling my table with the old com
rades, even elevating my cigar to brier-
wood, and recalling such fellowship as only
tent life ever knows.
Such dreaming is always interrupted,
else it would never end; mine was dis
tnrbed by small card on a small salver.
held meekly across the table by the meek
est of walters.
The card bore the name Adolf zu Dohna
SchlOden, and a counts oorOnet--a counts
coronet and "zu" Ia touch above .'von,I!
l remembered to have seen letter from
my aijutant to the prussiau consul in Phila-
delphia, asking him to obtain information
about handsome young musical "Graf
Zu" something. who WAS creating sensa-
ton in st. Louis society, and the "zu"
seemed to indicate this as the party in
question; he had spoken OF him as having
uOlSStISC tCSIus "ElCu sttiueu 10 De
pointing to the 'cclor and distinguishing
marks" known in Herd Book pcdigrees,
and human passports-a means Of identifi,
cation resolved to make use Of for nv
experience with the German nobility in
America had been rather wide than remu-
neratiye.
The Herr zu" had waited in the hall and
was standing under the full light of the
lamp. He was very tall, very slight, and
twenty, modestly dressed, and quiet in his
manner. He was not strikingly handsome,
though very well looking. His hands were
the NEST perfect ever saw, and the IN
gloved one showed careful ttentiop. There
was no defect noticeable in his front teeth.
lie bowed slightly, and handed me letter
IL was from Voisin, my former adjutant.
but it was not exactly a letter of introduc-
ton. AT least, it was less cordial than
Voisin's letters of introduction were won't
TO be. Yet it was kind.
Without commencing the count as a
bosom friend. he still said he was much
interested in him. had reason to believe in
him, was sorry for him, had given him
material aid. and was very DESTROYS that he
should pull through some pecuniary trou
bles, which he could do only by enlisting in
the regular army, and receiving his bounty.
From this he would give lle money to
release his baggage. which vas valuable,
from some Inconvenience that were then
attending it in st. Louis. Would get him
enlisted He said he would enlist, and
would prefer to be known under the name
of Adolph Danforth. The gentleman him
self took early occasion to express this |
preference.
l debated a little what to do. He was
not introduced as a friend-only as a per-
son in need of help; Yet Voisin believed in |
him, and he had asked a service that he |
would not have asked for an unworthy |
man. 1 engaged him in conversation, and |
got him to smile. II was very frank |
smile, but it displayed singular defect far
up on the front teeth. This decided me-
He was the same Graf IN whose position
haa been asked of the Prnssian consul, and
| knew he had learned that the Graf zu
Donna Schlodien, an officer in the Garde-
corps kurassier, as of the highest nobility
ana OF family ot great wealth. There
was evidently no technical reason why the !
poor fellow should not be received cordially
and we'll treated. So we went back to the
smoking room, and with fresh coffee and
5gars opened an acquaintance which re-
'ulted not altogether uneyentfully,
He was not obtrusive. His story was not
orced upon me; but as already had its
bread 1 was able TO draw it from him in a |
Natural way, and he told it very frankly.
hough hating little at its more MINOR
ant turnings, as if wondering how its
development would strike me. There was
ust enough of hesitancy over a narrowing
ale to throw on myself the responsibility
# learning it. ,
He had been brought up by the tenderest ,
# mothers at the castle OF Schlodien II I
hink in Silesial; had early joined the
lurassiers of the Body Guard, had fought /
fatal duel in which he had been the ag- {
ressor, and had been condemned to the
'ortrees of Spandan. Only his mothers I
reat influence Exercised without the t
nowledge Of his stern and much older
ather, who was then on his distant es-
itesl, had secured for him an opportunity
D escape. a
He had come directly to America, and t