, 1889-07-18
A Half BREADTH ESCAPE,

In 1870, a month or two before the
outbreak of the Franco-G German war, one
Of the most promising cadets, or, MS they
they are commonly styled, pupils" of
the military college Of st. Cyr was Gas
ton de Langeais. He was the last rep
resentative OF an ancient family in Brit
tany, whose traditional obstinacy and
impotence OF control he had inherited
to an extent which rendered him more
popular with his comrades than with the
presiding authorities.
Not that he was especially remarkable
for turbulence or characterization, or that
his infractions Of rules were more fire.
quent than those OF the majority of his
fellows. On one point alone he was in
~tractable, and exercised all his ingenuity
In repeated attempts to escape n regula-
ton which was inexpressibly repugnant
TO him. Gifted by nature with an album
dance oil luxuriantly curling hair, of
which 10 was inordinately vain. the pre-
scribed necessity Of having it cropped
short was a perpetual grievance + him;
and he looked a%nxiously forward to his
second year at ST. Cyr, and to his conse-
quent emancipation from the too close
scrutiny to which he had hitherto been
periodically subjected.
'In two months" he said e%xultingly
to one of his intimates, my time here
will be up, and nee named officer l shall
be free as air, and no longer ashamed to
show myself to my cousin Louise. For
you see" he added, lifting his cap, and
displaying a thick growth of short curls
carefully fattened down, ~ still have
some hair left"
Castles in the air, however, are apt to
collapse; and Gaston's visionary projects
were, to say the least, premature.
A few mornings later, at the usual
hour of parade, the corps of youngsters
were unexpectedly summoned to under
go the inspection OF the infantry lieuten-
ant. Bouchard, n lynx eyed martinez, by
no means favorably disposed toward pu-
pills destined for cavalry regiments,
whom he c~ontemptuously designated as
"coxcombs." De Langeais, as the recog-
nized leader of the band, was particularly
obnoxious to him; and his keen eyes
twinkled m~aliciously as he stopped short
before the young man. and examined
him curiously.
Take of your cap" he said.
CASTOR obeyed with an inward shiver
of apprehension.
81 thought as much," growled the
lieutenant. "If hat superfluous hair
has not disappeared by this time to-
morrow you viii pass the next four days
in the sale de police"
you are in for it now" whispered his
sympathizing comrade when the terrible
Bouchard had passed on.
mot n bit OF it" replied De Langeais,
struggling his shoulders unconcernedly.
why, what OF earth can you dog'
Il don't exactly know; but l intend to
put of the evil day as long as I possibly
can"
Next morning, with the aid of n couple
of brushes, well soaked in water, he sue
ceeded in l~eveling the rebellious locks SO
as to deceive even a p~racticed eye, and
appeared on parade with his wonted
jaunty air. although not a little nervous
as to the result of the coming ordeal.
Presently the lieutenant arrived with an
ominously slow step, and pausing as be.
foro exactly In front Of CASTOR. repeated
the order of the previous day.
Take off your caps"
For a moment Bouchard appeared puz.
zled by the apparently smooth surface OF
h pupils" head, but, bent on ascer,
tanning the real state of the case, he un.
~ceremoniously lifted a portion of the flat.
tened hair with his forefinger, thereby
disclosing a substratum of tiny curls
Then, turning to the adjutant who &C,
companied him, he briefly consigned the
offender for four days Il the 'salle dc
police" and continued his round of in
spection with q self satisfied grin.
During the last day of his seclusior
CASTOR practically employed his leisure
in decorating his knee, by a judicioui
mixture Of blue n green paint, with {
tolerably exact imitation of a bruise
which he showed to the ~regimental doc
tor, pretending that the confusion hac
been caused by his coming in contact
with a post in the riding school. Whether
he implicitly believed the statement Of
not, the good natured medico put hin
on the sick list, and thus twenty-foul
hours were gained. His r~eappearanc,
on parade, however, became at length
matter Of necessity, and this time hi
continued disobedience ~entailed on him
weeks further confinement, at the ex
piration Of which he was again consigned
to durance vile for an entire fortnight.
This will never do" thought De Ian
geais. THE earthenware pot must il
the long run be smashed by the iron one
and shall ave to give in at last. | hac
, better try old Grison once more"
Whereupon, having previously by way
of p~recaution added a few touches to tn,
/ pictorial establishment of his knee, h,
limped into the consulting room of DR.
Grison, who was fortunately too much
engaged with other patients to bestov
, Buckien's ArnIca saIve.