American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-07-05
LAMBKIN's EsCAPADE.

How He Maintained the Honor of His
Country Against q Frenchman.
From the London TRUTH
Mr.. Sylvan Lambkin of Wadham hav-
ing passed his examination, not without
honor, and having repaired to Paris 10
take weeks repose after his arduous
labors, was mystiied one morning
when. on awaking in his room at the
Hotel du Louvre, he found on his night
table q card bearing these words:
Capt. de Tartarin, Sd Cuirassiers, and
Lieut.. de Flamberge-Auvent, 5th Horse
Cbasseurs, Will wait upon Monsieur Lamb
kin at o'clock tomorrow "wednesday.
1t is to be feared that Monsieur Lamb
night, for he could not recollect at all
under what circumstances he had made
tbs acquaintance of NM. de Tartarin
and De Flamberge. Nor could he i'm
agine why these warriors intended to
call upon him at so early an hour in the
morning. He sat up in his bed rubbing
his eyes, and trying to collect his rem
niscences of what had happened since
that hour on the previous night when
he had sailed forth in dress coat and
crush hat to attend masked ball at the
opera. He remembered having put on
a cardboard nose; having danced hav-
ing stood treats of bottles of champagne,
first to black domino, then to q pink
one. After that, it seemed to him that
he had gone off with the blue domino
to sup at the Cafe Apglais, but then he
could remember no mere. He glanced
round the room, and saw
his clothes so neatly folded
on q chair that it was evident that he
had not placed them there himself
Somebody must have undressed him;
and that somebody had removed his
boots, so it must have been a waiter.
Next Sylvan Lambkin looked at the
clock on the mantelshelf, and perceived
that it was about to strike 8. The fol-
lowing minute there was knock at the
door, and two splendid looking gentle
men of military bearing walked into the
room. The one was tall, stout and
dark, the other lighter of complexion
and build, but equally erect and strong;
each had waxed tips to his mustache,
and they could have been recognized for
cavalry officers anywhere, though they
wore civilian clothes.
"Bonjour, mon cher Monsieur, +" cried
the first jovially. "Not up YETI All,
well. We have half an hour to spare,
SO you have time to dress at your ease"
"Vous etes tray bong" said Lamb
kin, shaking the two hands that were
preferred him. Then it occurred to him
that he must have invited this pair of
strangers to breakfast. "I'n be ready
in ten minutes" said he, I" and I'll ring
up the waiter. Pray excuse me for hav-
ing oversight myself. What do you like
for breakfast-fr fish, gamer"
p "Oh, we shan't have time to break
fast, answered the dark and stout Of
fcer. "We1l do that by and by; be-
sides, copious eating mollifies the nerves
Wen just go down stairs and order
come black coffee, and you shall take a
cup before starting"
" Starting for whereP" echoed Lamb
kin. He had vague idea that he had
asked somebody to take him to see the
Catacombs, and he wondered whether
this might be the object of the project
ed expedition. "Excusay moa, Mes
sIeurs, but have entirely forgotten all |
that happened last night
"Aha!" said the stout officer with a |
laug h, in which the other joined. "WelI,
we'll, that can happen to all of us. But
we must introduce ourselves, then; am
Capt. de Partarin, and this is my friend,
Lieut.. de Flamberge-Auvent. We have
he honor to be your two seconds"