The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-29

ton, and he stroked his long white beard.
perhaps you are a eonnoisseur. 1t
pleases your palate, eh? said the Baron,
winking at the full-length portrait of one
of his ancestors.
Proper well," replied the pilgrim,
though it is a trlfle syrupy from too long
keeping. By the bouquet and the tint
should pronounce it of the vintage of 1904.
grown on the steep slope southwest OF
the castle, in the fork Of the two path
ways that lead to unde: the hill. The
suns rays reflected from the turret give
a peculiar excellence to the growth Of that
particular spot. But your rascally varlets
have shclved the bottle on the wrong side
of the cellar. It should have been put on
grandsire. Sigismund Won Welnstein, the
in preparation for fourth"
The Baron regarded his guest with q
look of amazement. Upon my life!"
said ne, ''but you appear to be familiar
with the ms and outs of this establish
ment."
"IfI do" rejoined the stranger, COM
posedly slipping his VINE, "'tis no more
than natural, for lived more than sixty
years under this roof, and know its every
leak. ! happen to be a Won Weinstein
myself"
The Baron crossed himself and pulled
his chair little further away from the
Lottles and the stranger.
80. no." said the pilgrim, laughing;
"quiet your fears. l am aware that every
well-regulated castle has an ancestral
ghost, but nv flesh and blood are honest.
| was lord of Weinstein till l went, twelve
years ago, to study metaphysics in the
Arabic schools. and the cursed scriveners
wrote me out of the estate. Why, know
this hall from infancy! Yonder is the fire.
place at which used to warm my baby
toes. There is the identical suit of armor
into which crawled when boy of six,
and hid till my sainted mother-heaven
rest her,-nigh died of fright. 1t seems
but yesterday. There on the wall hangs
the sharp two-handed sword of our ances-
tor, Franz, the One-eared. with which !
cut off the mustaches Of my tipsy sire as
he sat muddled over bis twentieth bottle.
There is the very casque-but perhaps
these "reminiscences weary you. You
must pardon the ganulity Of an old man
who has come to revisit the home of his
childhood and prime.
The baron pressed his hand to his fore
head.
81 have lived in this castle myself for
half century," said he, "and am toler-
ably familiar with the history of my i'm
mediate progemtors. But can t say that
ever had the pleasure Of your acquaint-
ance. However, permit me to fill your
glass;"
at is good wlne," said the pilgrim.
holding ont his glass. Except, perhaps,
the vintage of 1892" when the grapes"
The Baron stared at his guest. The
grapes Of 1892, said he drily, 'lack forty
years of ripening. You are aged, my
friend, and your mind wanders."
Excuse me, worthy host" calmly re-
piled the pilgrim. The vintage of 1892
has been forty years cellared. You have
no memory for dates"
hat call you this year, demanded
the Baron.
"By the almanacs, and the stars. and
precedent, and common consent, 1t is the
year of grace fourteen hundred, three and
thirty"
"By my soul and hope of salvation, :"
calculated the Baron, sit is the year of
glace thirteen hundred, two and fifty"
There is evidently misunderstanding
somewhere" remarked the venerable
stranger. 81 was born here in the year
1852, the year the Turks invaded Europe"
mo Turk has invaded Europe, thanks
be to heaven, replied Old Twenty Flasks,
recovering his self-control. "You are
either MAGICIAN or an imposter. In
either case, shall order you drawn and
quartered as soon as we have finished this
bottle. Pray proceed with your very in
teresting "reminiscences, and do not spare
the wine."
81 never practice magic" quietly re-
piled the pilgrim, "and as to being an i'm
poster, scan well my face. Don't you rec
generally colored? How about the three
lateral and two diagonal wrinkles on my
brow? l see them there on yours. Are
not my chaps Weinstein chaps? Look
closely. court investigation"
'You do look damnably like us, the
Baron admitted.
81 was the youngest. the stranger went
on, "of bankruptcies. My three brothers
were puny, sickly things, and did not long
survive their birth. As child l was the
idol of my poor father, who had some
traits worthy Of respectful mention. guz-
zling old topper and unconscionable thief
though he was"
The Baron WINGED.
They used to call him OLD Twenty
Flasks. 1t is my candid opinion. based on
memory, that Ok Forty Flasks would have
been nearer the TRUTH"
Its q lie!" shouted the Baron. 81
rarely exceed twenty bottles"
"And as for his standing in the COM
munity." the pilgrim went on, without
taking heed Of the interruption, 1T must
be confessed that nothing could be worse.
He was the terror Of honest folk for miles
around. Property rights were extremely
Insecure in this neighborhood, fer the "a
pacity Of my lamented parent knew no
bounds. Yet nobody dared to complain
aloud, for lives were not much safer than
sheep or ducats. How the people hated
his shadow. and roundiy cursed him be
hind his back: | remember veil that.
when was about fourteenth must have
been in IS. the year the Grand Turk &C.
cupied Adrianople-tall Hugo, the miller,
called me up to him, and said: Boy,
thou hast right pretty nose 1T is q
pretty nose, Hugo. said | Strengthening
up. is it on firm and strongT asked
Hugo, with q sheer. Firm enough. and
strong enough. dare say l answered;
but Why ask such fools question? 2
Well, well, boy, said Hugo. turning
away: look sharp with thine eyes after
thy nose when thy fsther is unoccupied,
for he has Just that conscience 10 steal the
nose OF his sons face in lack of better