Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-15
THE STORY OF ADUEL
rempl. nnr.l

"as though it had happened Yesterday. l
wssa youngster then l am getting TO 90
an old man now, hnt Ishsll never iorges
it--never. Poor lad, poor lad
was about five aud twenty, ana on
nv travels for the first time. In ieisurely
fashion had trsyersed France and Bel
GUM, and, crossing the German frontier,
had reached and taken up my aboce Tor
twenty-four hours in small town with
river and bridge confused mass OF
red-rooied houses, sheltering forest-co.
yercd hills that favored and shut in its
remoteness from the common highway.
II vas one OF those places whore antique
air. inherited straight from the Middle
Ages, charms and invites the passer-by.
The inn charmed me also, q reDled house
on the old market.plsce, with fruitful
garden reaching down to the river ct the
back. Tho town was not unknown 10
tourists, but lying apart from the usual
track il was little frequcnted, and Tor
one reason or another the inn vhes ar
rived was almost empty. 1t depended
for its prosperity, however, less on tho
custom Of passing strangers than on Its
clientele OF commercial travellers and on
the excellent ordinary ii provided for tho
townspeople and the officers OF the town
garrison. The table d'hoto l found--for
my stay was prolonged from the one day
/ had proposed to four or fiye--was al
WAYS full. The guests came droppingin
one by one, hanging each his cloak and
hat on a peg by the door, and with q
friendly greeting TO one another took
each his accustomed seat al the liberal
board. Each tucked napkin under his
chin: men and maids few round the
the table a catter OF plates and tongues
began. The scene amused me | don't
know why through Its novelty L sup
pose.
On the evening OF the second day, re-
turning from some excursion IN the
neiehborhood too late for the public
meal, my supper was served In small
room adjoining tho satte-o-monger.
A door communicated between the two
apartments. 1t was closed, but sound
OF talking acquainted me that though
the tabic dhote might be over the guests
were not yet all dispersed. Some DIS
pute was apparently in progress.
could distinguish no words. The speak
ers. as Judged. were at the further end
of the long adjoining room, but the
raised and vehement voices sort OF an
CRY clamor, rising and falling, argued a
quarrel of some kind. Presently the
clamor fell the voices died away amid
q scraping OF chairs on the wooden floor;
silence succeeded. L bad nearly finish
ed my supper, coffee had been brought,
and I was preparing to light a cigar,
when the door between the rooms was
thrown open and young man entered.
Without noticing my presence he flung
himself into q chair against the wall and
sat motionless.
He was a mere Ind, not above twenty,
] decided, on considering him more at
iertively-a boy with Light, shining hair,
a fair complexion, and n girlish delicacy
offeature a faint yellow moustache alone
testified to bis manhood. He was dressed
in light-coored tourist suit there was
nothing remarkable in ms appearance
nothing to distinguish him especially
from yother fresh young fellow abroad
on his travels but something III his attl-
tude, as ne sat without movement III the
chair into which he had flung himself,
arrested my attention. He sat with his
legs stretched out, his hands thrust into
his pockets, his head dropped on bis
breast. His face. which should nat
urally, l imagined, wear the pink
and-white complexion proper to fair
haired youth, WIS empty of even tinge
of color; his brows were drawn to-
Pether be looked miserable, over
whelmed. desperate; l could not tell
how he looked. lie might, Iconlectured,
have been losing money in some bet or
game of chance-a man who has left his
fortune at a Cambling-table might wear
mst such an expression. Twice L
Thought of addressing him; but | Was
deferred by his complete unconscious
ness of my presence and by my igno-
rance of his nationality, for l had no
better skill in languages than an imper-
feet knowledge of French, and still more
stumbling acquaintance with German.
| finished my coffee, therefore, in silence,
and as lie still made no sign. took up my
hat and silently left the room.
On my way through the hall l accosted
the gray haired head-waiter, an old man,
grown old in the service Of the inn, and
asked him if he knew anything about the
Young fellow. Ne was an Englishman,
The man answered, and opened the visi
tors book TO show me bis name. His
name was there-Chsrles Holmes. OF
Foxholme, Surrey, England, and Magda-
len College, Oxford. lie had arrived the
previous night he had come from
frankfort; he was on his way to Brus-
sels-all this inscribed with boyish love
OF detail In round, boyish hand. lie
was fellow-countryman then, and alone
apparently for with the exception of
my own name none other OF English
nationality appeared on the list for
many days back. His pale look as he
dropped into his chair passed before my
ewes. Almost l turned back into the lit
tie parlor to speak TO him, and / wished
i had-I wish to Heaven / had. All
might have turned out differently. But
the indomitable stupidity and reserve OF
an Englishman stood in my way, and,
instead Of going back, addressed the
waiter again. Had there been any quar-
rel, inquired, among the guests at the
supper-table that evening :? he shrugged
his shoulders. POSSIBLY" he said.
lie had heard raised voices; he had
not been in the room. These gentle
men (meaning the oiiicersl often had
disputes among themselves. No one
thought much about it. 1t was no ones
concern bat their own.
/ left the man, and started on an eve
ming walk through the town, before re-
firing to rest. 1t was already dark, u
warm and starless August night the
eky. heavy with one cloud that spread
from hffl to hill, seemed to weigh upon
ones head now and then drop Of
rain fell could see the sultry splash
on the dusty pavingstones by the light
of an occasional oil-lanp Pickering here
and there. A street led from the old
market-place down to steep, one-arched
bridge that spanned the river and con-
nected the town with the opposite
heights crossed the bridge, then re-
turning on my steps, stood lean
ing on the parapet looking down
tpnn tha river revealed thrOuOh the