Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-13
ONE SINGLE FAULT.

/ applied to q woman in the Rue Saint Doml-
! Ei9ue who kept furnished lodging house for
/ men Of that class and also carriages for hire.
! There was one, and only one, whom she could
recommend to the general, sort OF overseer
/ OF the rest, but it was precisely on account OF
his good qualities that she desired TO retain
/ him in her service. All the same, as the gen
/ eral insisted and was an excellent customer,
/ she finally concluded to yield.
There was nothing, however, unusual in
/ this mans appearance or manner when once
established in the generals household, unless
1t was an extreme politeness or polish Of de-
meanor, scrupuloUs care to keep himself
apart from the rest of the donlestics, and q
rare exactitude in the accomplishment OF his
duties that rendered him invaluable to ibis
master.
Two years passed in this way, Muller fol-
lowing the general wherever war conducted
Kim. This was in 1901.
In enc of these periodical wanderings they
found themselves at Raguse, in Dalmatia,
where the emperor had confded to Gen. c.
/ the care of the government. It was in this
lStle city that the adveUture-but stop; I am
ahead of my story.
One day when the governor general as
ANA-Si , CtHpLOt Was lLcfl "dS ~ re
crive at dinner large party of his own per-
sonal staff and number of the principal
officers of an Austrian corps stationed in the
neighborhood, he WAS obliged to call into
requisition the services of all the servants in
the house. Muller was, of course, included,
and when the hour arrived he was waiting in
the dining room, his napkin on his arm. The
crowded table and the requirements Of the
=. L.
any one in particular at first. Dinner was
nearly over, when suddenly, as he stopped to
remove dish for the beginning of the third
course, enc Of the Austrian officers, happen
ing TO turn little to give him room. uttered
sharp cry of surprise. Muller, not less dis
turbed and unnerved than the officer, be-
came as white as q ghost, the cover that he
was lifting fell from his hand, and he quilted
the salle-am anger in state of agitation re-
marked by all. Nevertheless the scene had
passed so rapidly that no one was able to say
whether it was the agitation that had caused
the awkwardness, or the awkwardness the
agitation, but dinner was finished without
Muller's reappearing.
In the meantime, however, the general was
not content. He, at least, had seen that the
Austrian officer and his coachman were not
strangers to each other; also, that the aston
ishment betrayed was not the establishment
Of master recognizing an old servant A
strange emotion, q profound alarm had
shown itself in the expression Of these two
men as they found themselves face to face
Moreover, the preoccupation of the Aus
TRANS manner during the remainder of the
meal had not escaped him. Had war been
going on between France and Austria Gen.
c. would have felt convinced that Muller was
playing the role of spa supposition I'M
der the existing state of things impossible 1t
was more reasonable to think that the coach
man had committed a crime the revelation
OF which he dreaded He must INQUIRE into
1t; and as soon as they left the table the
general sought the Austrian, intending to
question him, but he, too, had departed from
the salon, as Muller had departed from the
sallea-manger, and neither the one nor the
other reported again during the entire
evening
Gen. c., exceedingly annoyed by this
double disappearance, called up the servants
when the guests had gone, and learned from
them that. after his awkwartiness at table,
Muller, in great distress of mind, had fled to
the stable and locked himself in, and that,
after while, the Austrian officer who had
inquired his whereabouts, hurriedly Joined
him there, and remained with him a long
time conversing earnestly. Later in the
evening they had come out together, and to-
gether gone to the neighboring hotel, still
continuing the conversation.
The next morning, just as the general was
seating himself to dispatch note TO the Off
Ger requesting an explanation of the affair,
word was brought to him that the coachman
was at home again, busy with his horses.
at will be better 70 see him." said the gen.
eral to himself, laying aside the note he was
writing and starting for the stable. As soon
as Muller saw him coming, however, he ad-
vanced 70 meet him, and respectfully pre-
sented him letter, couched, as nearly as l
can recall it, in the following terms:
Upon my honor as gentleman and SOL
der, will answer for the fidelity and good
conduct of the coachman, Muller. Comte C.
will greatly oblige ne if he does not seek to
unveil the secret in the life OF this man.
'COMTE DE W
but If l wish to know it!n said the gen.
eral, gravely, turning to the coachman, qui-
city awaiting his decision.
Il should be forced to quit your service,
he answered. 81 should regret it. for have
1NNAh 'NAg happy WIN fOu, LlSf cI lutLeSS, !
should leave immediately"
The behavior of the man. as we'll as the !
of an officer as well known I
as the Comte de V, decided the general; he |
ceased TO question him; Muller remained in |
his stable, and at the end of few months the |
incident was forgotten.
In all probability it would have been eff /
laced from the generals memory, when ter /
rible accident recalled it.
One morning Muller, while conducting the |
horses to water, was thrown and cruelty /
.rampled by them. Carried 70 house near
by with fractured skull, his condition was
uch as to leave but little hope Of his recov-
Try, in fact he died before nightfall. uncon-
cious TO the last The day following the il
erment the general directed one Of his aides
le-camp TO enter the chamber of the coach
nan and make list Of its contents
Perhaps" he thought, reviewing the cir
umstances surrounding the man, @nerhaps
here are papers that will reveal his identity.
r money which, as a careful and economical
liver, he has laid aside, and which must be
ent to his family, should we discover it
| leave you TO imagine the surprise Of the
on entering TO carry out his in
tructions to find folded away st the bottom
t the coachnanS trunk an Aust- an uni !
orTn. the epaulets OF a colonel, the breret of
his grade, and diplomas Of various distin-
uished orders, the medals and decorations Of
ne same being in many caSes ornameated
18th uaEri Gceut diamonds
Naturally the aide-ie-camp, ignorant Of
10 dinner Incident. concluded that MuIer
al stolen them, but when lie reported his
iscoyery TO the general, and also his s,,soi-
ons. the general assured him that be vas
atirely mistaken, and ordered them for
aTded az once % Conlte de V. although be
"a not thing hur con ie..tIrrs arci IL e.