Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-08-01
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
resentative of an ancient family in
Brittany, whose traditional obstinacy
and impatience of control he had in
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 INSTRUMENTATION 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-
nately vain, the prescribed necessity
of having it cropped short was 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.
In two months" he said exultingly
to one of his intimates. my time here
viii be up, and once named officer l
shall be free as air, and no longer
ashamed TO show myself to my cousin
Louise. For you see he added, lift
ing his cap, and displaying a thick
growth of short curls carefully fattened
down. 81 still have some hair left"
Castles in the air. however, are apt
to collapse; and Gaston's visionary
projects were, to say the least, pre-
mature.
A few mornings later, at the usual
hour of parade, the corps of youngsters
were unexpectedly summoned to I'M
dergo the inspection of the infantry
lieutenant, Bouchard, lynx-eyed mar
tinet, by no means favorably disposed
toward pupils destined for cavalry
regiments, whom he contemptuously
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 obeyed with an inward SILVER
of apprehension.
Il thought as much" growled the
lieutenant IF 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 Bouchard had passed on.
'NOta bit of it, - replied de Langeais,
struggling his shoulders unconcernedly.
why, what on earth can you do?"
Il don't exactly know, but intend
to put off the evil day rs long as l
possibly can"
Next morning, with the aid of a
couple of brushes. well soaked in water,
he succeeded in leveling the rebellious
locks so as to deceive even a 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 ar
rived with an ominously slow step, and
pausing as before exactly in front of
CASTOR. repeated the order of the pre-
vious day.
Take off your cap"
For a 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 unceremoniously lifted por-
ton of the hattened hair with his fore
finger, thereby disclosing a substratum
OF tiny curis. Then, turning to the
adiutant 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-setisfied 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