The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-11-04
Written FOR Tho Chicago Ledger.]
TAE MYSTERIOUS CADET.
A College "Reminiscences.
BY CARL.

41uo CSCuluE, Us WIS StdC*ou OH Tie
veranda. with my feet elevated upon
the railing and leaning back in an arm
chair: Gstlessly watching the passers.by
on the street, one of them attracted my
attention and caused my thoughts to
drift back down the long corridors of
time, and bring up wildly to mind
scenes and faces long buried in the past.
He was only boy, this individual
who had thus suddenly stirred up old
memories, and a casual observer would
have noticed nothing peculiar about him
except that he was dressed in a suit Of
cadet gray, heavily bespangled with gilt
tering buttons, and wore upon his head
a cap of the same color-the uniform of
some military college. But US he turned
his head for moment toward me Isaw
the letters "a. G. c." on his cap, sur
rounded by glittering wreath. In an
instant knew that he was cadet of the
University of .-.
Some of my readers may remember
that in the catalogue of that university
for the year of 18- the name of Leslie
Barton appears as a student, and oppo-
site the name there was blank where
the residence Of the cadet should have
been. As I have the time at my disposal,
will crafty the morbid curiosity that
any may have upon the subject.
It was at the age of IS that I entered
the university, and it was upon the day
of my arrival that I first met Leslie Bar
ton. was standing near the entrance
of the college, watching the groups of
cadets out upon the parade ground, and,
being unacquainted with any one, I was
feeling decidedly homesick and lone
some.
I had been standing there some time,
trying to devise some plan of getting
acquainted with the boys, when my at
tention was directed to youth who was
standing few yards from me, leaning
against the corner of the building. MY
attention was called to him by an excla-
nation which he had, seemingly, un-
consciously let fall from his lips, and as
I turned toward him heard him mutter
eyes, it is he. It is impossible for
me to be mistaken in that face"
And as I followed the direction of his
eyes I saw that he was mtentlv watching
cadet who was approaching the college
from the direction of the entrance to the
grounds. As he came nearer I saw that,
though rather small of stature, he was q
man Of at least 25 years of age. Had it
not been for his smoothly-shaven face
and the badge cf the Clantonian Society
which he wore upon his breast, I should
have supposed him one of the professors.
As he passed I looked into his face and
met q pair of as wicked, devilish eyes as
it is possible to conceive of. 1t had al
ways been customary with me to read a
persons character by the eyes, and I had
found that during my brief experience l
had'seldom been mistaken in my esti-
mate and as this man passed into the
building decided that he was one cadet
whom Ibid not care to become intimately
acquainted with.
As J. turned from watching him,
found that the boy I had first noticed
had moved up quite close to me, and,
seeing that was observing him, he
raised his cap from the cluster of crisp,
black curls that covered his head. and
asked, in a voice that struck me as being
uncommonly low and soft:
"Do you know the gentleman that has
just passed?"
MOL replied, II am strange,
here ; this is my first day, and I am not
acquainted with any one."
"Then we two should become &C.
quainted by all means, for we are in the
same fix. Ny name is Leslie Barton, u
he said, holding out his hand, which, I
noticed, was white, soft and shapely.
"And mine is Carl -," said, as ]
took the proffered hand.
Just then the cadet had before OBJ
served entering the college came out
and brushed against Leslie Barker in
passing. Such look of mingled hate
and disgust as came over his face hope
never again to see on human counte.
nance. I saw his small. white hands
clnch till the nails were buried in the
flesh. He stepped back AZ suddenly as
though some loathsome reptile had
touched him, and I heard him mutte1
between his clenched teeth:
"Curse him, he does not recognize
me, and it is well for him that he doel
not" But, remembering that I va.
standing near and must have heard biz