Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-24

| gO0u reason, as man WIN was pOV pVs
for every prize of life that does not to
by favor. Not q chap in the regimsitt
from the colonel to the piper, had wear
to say against him.
'Unluckily,' mused Capt. Bolton, ag
throwing his head back, perhaps
philosophy's sake this time, that "
just it. People liked him too much, #
pecially ladies. There was a whishn
that an ilustrious beauty, not far Va
from the reigning dynasty, had frett)e7
herself nearly crazy about him all
though even the Court officials agre,o
that he had behaved very we'll in my
terious business that it would not do I
talk about Rudy Elsenberg went to p'o
rade with face white as ghost afteu
a masked ball, where it was though
some scandal had taken place. | woul"
advise you never to. touch on this part 81
the story if you mean to make any stay
here. One thing only oozed out, and
this was that the love, if there. was love-
had been mutual and have heard that
Rudy got little wrongin the head aftet
it was all over. The doctors spoke OF
brain fever, and recommended change OF
air so the old Marshal, who knew moth
ing about money, gave his son about
enough to keep him for q week, and sent
him off to Homburg for the waters The
devils own play was going on at that
picturesque little hole in those days,
and young Elsenberg naturally found
himself tumble headlong into the set
who lived where it was hottest. There
was Bob Cheyke, of the Life Guards,
and Agincourt, who had just come into
his title !; with Ivry de Videsac, the
crack Ere nchman, who went such tre-
mendous smash two years later; and
Crichton and Mauleverer, with Jack
Nortiman, Birbantski Pasha, old Lord
Chowser, and l do not know how many
more Of the same lot. I fancy Rudy Ell.
senbarg did not know what to make of
them at first. Their ways were not his
ways, but he soon fell into them. AS
mischance would have it, too, he spoke
a little English, and that helped, l dare
say, for he had got many of the stolid,
honest ideas Of his countrymen about
improving himself, and very likely
thought at times that he might some
day have to act his part in Battle of
Dorking, 50 that it might be as well to
prepare for the emergencies that
would probably arise out Of such
situation, whether he was among
the conquerors or the conquered
For while, Cheyke and the rest Of
them used to always find him in his den
on the fifth hoor.of cheap hotel, por-
ing oyer books of tactics and working
out military problems with corks and
pins, or one of those wonderfully accu-
rate maps issued by his native wal
office. But they soon badgered him
out of that, and at last he was forever
with them when they were going fast
est. ...r
He rodea steep.e chase Oh Agiucourt's
horse and won it gallantly for him, but
he also held the bank against Ivry
de Videsac and Lord Chowser for three
nights running without going to bed
and be won nothing, as you may ex
pect, at that game. The Lord knows
what came next. 1t was never made
quite clear. Some fellows will have il
that Nortiman and Bob Cheyke, wht
had won whole pot of money from
him, insisted on having it at once, anc
it is certain that check bearing the
Field Marshal's signature, given IN pay
ment to Cheyke, was refused by the
Bilkendorfs, his bankers. But, by the
first express train afterwards, the ole
Count came to Homburg himself, stalk
ed into Bob's rooms at" the best hotel
laid down the money on his toilet table
and then stalkel out again without ;
word. hardly like to tell OH my Owl
responsibility what followed, but Lore
ChOwser says that he met the Marsha
upon the stairs leading to Rudy's room
and that he could not help hearin!
what passed between them through tn,
half-open door of young Eisenberg
apartment. 1t was very brief The oil,
soldier sternly confronted his son.
"'Ichc habc,' then said he, 'dGs schmoi
@es geld besahN. | have paid the fou
gold for which you have dishouored us
Now, do your part And as he cease,
speaking, he placed on the table be
tween them q DistOi he had brcuUh