Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-08-21
4 HAIR BREADTH ESCAPE.

In 1870, month or two before the
outbreak of the Franco-German war,
ole OF the most promising cadets, or, as
they are commonly styled, ''Pupils'' OF
the military college of St. Cyr was Gas
ton de LangeaIs. He was the last rep
, resentative of All ancient family in Brit.
tany, whose traditional obstlnacy and
imIatience OF control he had inherited
10 an extent which rendered him more
popular with his comrades than with
the presiding authorities.
Not that he was especially remark
able FOR turbulence or insubordination
or that his infractlonS of rules were
| more frequent than those of the major
ity of his fellows On one point alone
lie was intractable, and exercised al
his ingenuity III repeated attempts to
/ escape a regulation which was mex
pressibly repugnant 10 him. Gifted by
nature with an abundance of luxu-
rianily curling hair, of which he was
inordiDately vain, the prescribed neces-
sity OF having it cropped short was a
perpetual grievance TO him; and he
, looked anxionsly forward TO his second
year at ST. Cyr, and to his consequent
emancipation from the too close scru-
tiny to which he had hitherto been
periodical ly subjected.
I'm two MONTHS" he said exultIngly
, 10 one of his intimates, my time here
VIII lie up, and once named officer i
shall be free as air, and no longer
ashamed 10 show myself TO my cousin
Louise. For you see," lie added, lift
ing his cap, and displaying a thick
growth of short curls carefully fiattened
down, 81 still have some hair left.''
CHstles in the air, however, are apt
TO collapse; and Gaston's visionary pro.
JectS were, to say the least, premature.
y few mornings later, at the usual
hour of parade, the corps of youngsters
were Unexpectedly summoned to under
90 the inspection OF the infantry lieu
tenant, Bouchard, a lynX-eyed martinez,
10y no means favorably disposed toward
pupils destined for cavalry regiments,
whom he contemptuously designated as
''coXcombs. De Langeais, as the
recognized leader of the band, was par
tlcularly obnoxious To him; and his keen
eyes twinkled maIlciously as LIE stopped
short before the young man, and ex.
amined him cuiously.
Take off your cap" he said.
CASTOR obeyed with an inward shiveI
of apprehension
81 thought as much" growled the
lieutenant. ''If that superfiuous hair
has not disappeared by this time to-
morrow you will pass the next four
days in the sale de police"
You are in for 1t now," whispered
his symathiZing comrade when the ter
rible Bouchard had passed on.
Not bit of it," replied De Lam
geais, Smuggling his shoulders uncon-
cernedly.
"Why, what Oh earth can YOU do?''
81 don't exactly know; but L intend
10 put off the evil day as long as pos
sibly can"
Next morning, with the aid of a cou-
pie of brushes, well soaked in water, he
succeeded in leyeling the rebellious
locks so as to deceive even a practiced
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 plus-
ing as before exactly in front of Gastsn,
repeated the order OF the previous day
Take off your cap"
For a moment Bouchard appeared
puzzled by the apparently smooth sur
face of the 'tpupil's'' head, but, bent on
ascertaining the real state of the case,
he unceremoniously lifted a portion of
the fattened hair with his forefinger,
thereby disclosing a substrAtum of tiny
curls. Then, turning to the adjutant
who accompanied him, he briefly con
signed the offender for four days to the
''salle de police" and continued his
round of inspection with self satisfied
grin.
During the last day of his seclusion
CASTOR practically employed his leisure
in decorating his knee, by 4 judicious
mixture of blue and green paint, with a
tolerably exact imitation of bruise,
which he showed to the regimental
doctor, pretending that the confusion
had been caused by his coming in con-
tact with post in the riding school
Whether he implicitly believed the
statement or not, the good natured
medico put him on the sick list, and
thus twenty-four hours were gained.
His temperance on parade, however.
became at length a matter OF necessity,
and this time his continued disobe-
dience entailed on him weeks further
confinement, at the expiration of which
he was again consigned to durance vile
for an entire fortnight.
This will never do" thought De
Langeais. 1.-THE earthenware pot must,
in the long run, be smashed by the iron
one, and shall have to give In at las.
1 had better try old Griscom once
more.n
Whereupon, having previously by
way of precaution added few touches
TO the pictorial establishment OF his
knee, he lImped into the consulting
room of DIR. Grison, who was fortu-
naiely too much engaged with other
patients to bestow more than a very
cursory glance at the bruise, and not
knowing precisely what to make of the
case, gave the newcomer an order of
admission to the infirmary, then under
the charge of half dozen Sisters Of
Charity presided over by a lady supe-
rior.
Castor had hardly changed his ordi-
nary attire for the regulation loose gray