The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-08-03
SAVED BY VANITY.
Literally Hairbreadth Escape Of a
French Lieutenant.

In 1870, month or two before the
outbreak of the Franco-German war,
one 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
rcsentative of an ancient family in
Brittany. whose traditional obstinacy
herited to an extent which rendered
him more popular with his comrades
than with the presiding authorities.
Not that he was especially remarka-
BILE for turbulence or insubordination or
that his infractions of rules were more
frequent than those of the majority of
his fellows. On one point alone he
was intractable, and exercised all his
ingenuity in repeated attempts to es-
cape a regulation which was ineXpress-
IDLY repugnant to him. Gifted by ma
ture with an abundance of luxuriantly
curling hair, of which he was inordi-
zately vain, the prescribed necessity
of having it cropped short was a per-
petual grievance to him; and he looked
anXiously forward to his second year
at st. Cyr, and TO his consequent eman-
Cipation from the too close scrutiny to
which he had hitherto been periodic
ally subjected.
"ln two months" he said eXultingly
TO one of his intimatcs, ''my time here
will be up, and once named officer /
shall be free as air, and no longer
ashamed TO show myself to my cousin
Louise. For you see.' ne added, lift
ing his cap, and displaying thick
growth of short curls carefully hattened
down, a still have some hair left"
Castles in the air. however, are apt
to collapse; and Gaston's visionary
projects we're, to say the least, pre-
mature.
A few mornings later at the usual
hour of parade, the corps of youngsters
We're unexpectedly summoned to un-
dergo the inspection of the infantry
lieutenant, Bouchard, a lynx-eyed mar
tinet, by no means favorably disposed
toward pupils destined for cavalry
regiments, whom he contemptuougly
designated as 'coXcombs." De Lam
geais, as the recognized leader of the
band, was particularly obnoxious to
him; and his keen eyes twinkled ma
liciously as he stopped short before the
young man, and examined him curl
ously.
Take off your cap" be said.
Castor ,beyed with an inward shiver
OF apprehension
II thought as much" growled the
lieutenant. "lf that superfuous 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 it now," whispered
his sympathizing comrade when the
terrible Buuchard had passed on.
''NOta bit of it, replied de Langeais,
Struggling his shoulders unconcernedly.
''Why, what on earth can you do?'
81 don't exactly know, but | intend
to put off the evil day as long as
possibly can"
Next morning, with the aid of
couple of brushes, well soaked in water,
he succeeded in leveling the rebellious
locks so as to deceive even practiced
eye, and appeared on parade with his
wonted jaunty air, although not little
nervous as to the result of the coming
ordeal. Presently the lieutenant al
rived with an ominously slow step, and
pnusing as before exactly in front Of
CASTOR. repeated the order of the pre-
.ious day.
Take OFF your cap"
For n moment Bouchard appeared
puzzled by the apparently smooth sur
ace OF the pupils" head, but. bent
on ascertaining the real state OF the
case, he uncsremoniously lifted por-
tion OF the nattencd hair with his fore
finger thereby disclosing substratum
of tiny curls. Then, turning to the |
adjutant who accompanied him, he
briefly consigned the offender for four
days TO the "salle de police" and con-
tinued his round OF inspection with a
self-satished grin.
During the last day OF his seclusion
CASTOR practically employed his leisure
in decorating his knee, by judicious
mixture of blue and green paint, with
a tolerably exact imitation OF "a bruise,
which he showed TO the regimental