Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-04


nignant expression IN bis face and eye
that al once attracted me. The IDOL
| Of his men, no doubt, ] said to myself
and Rupert in the field
| :. Who il the GeneraIY' | asked oil
John, Is he cleared away preparatory to
the next joint.
AL don't know, sir he comes every
| Saturday never misses.
".No other days'
"sNeycr knew him to come any
other day but Saturday since first he
dined bore, and that's FIVE years ago,
and he's never missed coming all that
time on q Saturday,
40 Why do they call him the Gene
ralg'
~ don't exactly know, sir; it's
name as was given him by gentleman
as sat at this next table--morc IN fun
than in esrnest--a long while back. and
we've called him General ever since.
It's the only name he goes by in this
| establishment. From the manager
downward he not known by no other.
".Do you mean TO say that that is
all you know Of him at the end oil hve
| years?' i said in wonderment.
"sThat's all except that he's easy
gentleman to attend on, and allus has
his sixpence ready when he's done. But
he's awful particular about his dinner
and his wine
." A gourmsnd? p I asked, in an I'M
dertone.
"sNeyer q smaller eater comes into
this establishment, and almost teeto-
taller; only drinks claret. and but 6
glass or two Of that. But he'll have
the best or mono. We knows his habits
as well as if he were pet guines-pig,
replied John, dropping his voice. Even
John felt the figure was slightly too
familiar for man with so distinguished
al air.
Somehow my eye was fascinated. l
couldn't help looking at the man who
had dined at that table every Saturday
for five years and had never once turned
up between times man whose real
name and title nobody knew, and who
vet gave one the unmistakable i'm
preston Of being somebody out OF the
common ruck. / found myselfstealthily
taking in his points. A tightly-ftting
frock-coat, a pretty high stock, linen,
so far as visible, spotless-no ring on
the finger, but a delicate hand, wide
forehead, q slightly peaked nose, .
clean-shsven face except for a cropped
moustache, and a somewhat weak chin
yes, the chin was the weak point of the
face; over all an expression Of fine re-
serve.
"Tbe next Saturday found myself
unconsciously awaiting the appearance
of the General He came in almost
as soon as had sat down. He walked
to his seat with a fine and easy car
rage, gave kindly condescending nod
to the waiter, and took five minutes
over his menu. Then he gave his Or
ders could just catch the tone OF
his yoice-it was we'll balanced and de-
liberatc.
"sOne who mixes in the 'higher
suckles of society, as some one says in
some book I've read, | whispered to
myself.
al sometimes wondered on these
Saturday nights what it was that i'm
PEELED me to take such profound in
terest in a stranger. had often made
surmises about the antecedents Of peo-
pie met in railway carriages, or at the
opera, or patients who came to my
consulting-rooms-although some of
their antecedents were professionally
patent to me. But this was curiosity
of different kind. 1t was fascina-
ton. If he stirred his little finger |
seemed to make a note Of it. If he
lifted his glass ! mentally jotted the
act down. The easy, well-bred way in
which he played with his gold tooth
pick-that also l never failed to make
q memorandum of. AS for him, he
seemed to observe nobody. If Curl
osity came under the pharmacopeia,
the apothecary would have made no
thing by him from years end to years
end. If he looked round it was in a
leisurely fashion, and with such
purely universal air that it seemed to
reprimand my own inquisitiveness. II
anything, he had a slightly bored look.
Five years, and nobody knows
what he is That was what stumped
me. had never heard of such thing
before.
60. Does he ever bring a friend with
him p ] once asked of John.
1.-THE General, do you mean?'
"Yes.'
"'Never once to my knowledge
sir; he never spoke to no one as
knows on in the room; ! and John wen
on sweeping up the crumbs at the mex
table.
"Which way does be come t
dine?'
".Sharp from the left on the othe
side the Star Theatre said John
YEARLY. His curiosity had long expired
(which way does he 60 after he'
dined?'
"Down by the Star Theatre, thel
sharp to the left said John, mechani
cally. 'I've my own business to do,
he condescended to explain, with an al
of superlative anxiety for the comfor
Of the habitues Of Guarini's restauran
in general, and myself in particular.
"'You mean he goes and comes ex
actly the same way?'
"'That's it, sir said John, blsndly
"'You've a roundabout way of say
ing it, / replied, somewhat irritatet
But it was the paucity of the informs
ton that provoked me. not Johns a.
sumption Of conscientiousness in tn
discharge of duty.
lone afternoon, l think it was
Monday, l was passing King Geore
) Parade at dark, just where the chi
block in the traffic comes, when sa
by the gas-jet in the centre Of the eros
roads q sight that curdled my blood.
tall gentleman with his wife and your
daughter, as suppose, were eros
ing the street amid rush of whee
: and stampede Of horses, when Il
little girl took fright at pair of ba!
in front, hesitated, and was instant
I knocked over from behind. Her p