New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-18
THE SHROUDED WATCHER.

1t is many wears since the following remarkable
incident in my life took place. For the ordinary
commonplace details of everyday experience my
memory is generally held To be indifferent, Du'
the circumstances in this case were such that
they have ndchy fixed themselves IN my recol-
lection. as though they had occurred yesterday.
At the time ! allude 10 | was a very raw young
ensign, scarcely done with the goose-Step' MY
regiment was uuartcrcd in the - harract.>, STU
atcd in a suburb of the capital OF that Well-knowi
island-orrcss which stands warden over me plut
waters of the Mediterranean highway, Withln sieh'
of Sican Etna, and almost of Northern Africa.
TO make my narrative clearer. | VIII beeln ny
presenting TO the reader the chief character LII H.
Ralph D. was a young fellow with an odd
history. WHAT brought him to Malta none OF us
been i'm one of =" John Companys' nSlments Dut
whether horse or foot | cannot remember ms
own account was that he had left the indian
service for unexplained reason, anu "a lhs
regiment of Austrian cavalry as not a ic" eA-
British officers MANAGED at that time to no. put
for reasons best known 10 himself ana 'hc at"
thoriicS. his stay in the kalSers scrN'e "ts 10,
of long duration and when joined my re1lhen'
in the island prncipaty sacred TO san fupIo
D. well-kn0wn chardcler anon ,L ho
English residents and garrison No, ' Iie fair
notoricty was altogethcr conducive TO nls ~.
fame: but D HAD X singular way OF worlning
himself into the good ences OF a paiIlcuini
set and passed for a gentleman OF ailaDt m'iIcls.
mIcL vii and especially certain bold diQbcre
that stuck at nothing. and cave nm kihu VI
popularity among the more daring Splits u,
society How well can cali up ms appcn'"iii.r
Dark brilliant eyes and black haii' ~ I,l ~
Gourc with a very peculiar but really DIV l'l-
inc smile on occasions when II Sultcu "t'h
nlcosc and n beautifully shaped contour OF he1'i
and nrollc He was known 20 he OF gO0d fanny.
and rs hc had been in the service, my I'-I''tt
had made him an h06OraIy member Oh OH No Li
and rather think anoll or corps Nv LIS al
rivcu him the same entrcc into 'h'iS. ~ AZ,
events he was on pretty good terms WIN sonit W
onr fellows though or colonel ana C'.c ", n"o
Of the older officers certainly dld nor rnuG iro6
him much. his example Was NV
beneficial to the juniors.
n was a wonderful billiard-playcr l. never
saw any one beat him Il " losing HAZARDS VI 'nS
"spot stroke IS 70 pool our n aNri mes in
norticnIor both the skill and the luck Of 're
man were extraordinary NIght after hiInU %ovc
seen him at play, and his WINNINGS mus ,hcr
almost sunccd to maintain HIM. As !" '' .a,,
TITS in his character. am sorry 10 say
rcvcr hoard of one single good or generous
ti,ucrt that could he traced 10 hlli'
talk nj the mcss-tane or IN ,lc cr nv LOT 10
hear: and though " dc moriuis MI hisi n' 1'1I
is an excellent and decent moral 10 apt Nv, ,I'
compcls me 10 add that some very suns IA ,,,
- II IS Influence over tie other scN hi' -"'
about At the time SPEAK o. ,t nono of
now come to be- d'enihcd WIN WV i'' Io,.
Lvnnotisn wa, unknown rs Such III 'h"N'' i"|'
L,,, bclic,n D. possessed some conspicuous
mower, in this direction. and am alI"i" ,, vas
not always Ovcr-ScrupulonS IN MS US, :, ,anJS
Even NJ this dist nee OF time ms poI p,n
ont clear to my minds eye. Win KIM 81 r'ln-
brandt ike sheen upon il. by reason ol me In'
tcriou, shadow in The hacksFo4nn WIZ" oC dark
loom IN and cover il with the piackheH> ID ''1. .
nos I ought pcrh fps To ada. lof '.' ,'''c'
understanding OF what Is 10 I"lI""' ul'' W. o
little while before the dcI"Hch'uI r'i'' hn,,,
nminoue whiSnrrincs got ailoat among Us " "r
b and the methods whereby 80 m''H So,
and cold was pcrrctuall- being tiui>rIlr., .,
whist and ccartc from other peoples P"'N.H
liz ov,r For IN my long experience ~ lh"N'
boIdinr Her Gracious Majesty commission not
,yitLsiandinc black sheep here ana tncIe II
-. ,,t ia lac denied that ScrupulouS honor anu l"iI
dealing have ever been in the forefront Oh '''''
traditions. 49,. o
| now come TO the memorable day of ia" DC,
currcucc of the strange incident, I" one pl"sr VI
which | and othcrs-most "t them gone """
cvc-Wtucsscs. =
Tho scasoi was Holy Week toward the end OF
\pril Is Music has always been Il ''S.oH WIN
me. and every afternoon Pir'ru'',5 "uLr 20,
IN That particular week. when ! couln Ge' ul
Inv from tho dust and glare of the whlte
par,dc-ground and the monotonous having VI 't ~,
drill sergeant, IT. Was my WON W. ,ha tb,t has
the Duomp Of san Giovanni. Ana "no lna' ilr'
cycr SAT i'm that stately cathedral church, sur,
rounded by its splendor of naid Mario an am
under the magnificent frescoes ot Mttteo IIt.i'
and i'm the dmly lighted atmosphere, odorouS WI"
incense listened 10 tine enhancing strains OF me
Onicr Of the "Icncbrac, could ever lorS', ~; ~
such c\uuislfc pathOS in the solos lneNpItSSlplS
,,,,.,ru,.I v,t sweet and then the moaning
Larmonies Of the AMI phonal choruSeS kc no "'heI
music / ever heard. or probably shHII ever n'S,
auliu-Wuc one 10y ore, al ih'rIN'i$' l.' -''.t
L-,r''i candies on the sihlc-dwpcd alta. ne
ro,,.. =. lcnuly c>ffngulshcd Ny thoughts VIZ!
wander rack 10 these impressions. 50 VIVA az
thry still We'll. tie eve OF bn'u iIlu,N .i''r',''
/ lad conc olcr 10 SEQ friend on The \eil'hl
side Of tine Grand IlarnHr. and on my return 1l'T
dark. what % night II wos-stlil, calm '"uni'S''
a star-speckcl vault overhead. NE AR " IS u"-
lcioIs'V SOFT: and a> | sat IN the Slrrn "l the
ndoia->hard galley while the dark u5dIS o.
tIc hoffman mouptonouSN and silently pllel HIS
L,i,, s,,r,us .clt euy mmparts ttoWncd on
every , , and lights twintlcd. flashing hdc( 'll
Walcr!u. duplicates from i"' ''I"N IpP''"-
water WAS soon alou-slHr the To" lr''n. oi.
'hc \alctta side. and. ascending 'llr t'"' ~ ~,
of ,icrp stone steps. presently luuhd mN>"H I'D
ti,, strait Ntrada i;cac. Here II was 10" easy
matter threading one way, lui the pi"''s'i,l
fine StqZiohc. representing the nam lhclIcnlS
of the ,Pa>son. WAS paNSne mp ihr street ~
1ll times tins pageant. Whlch some no H"u''
would rcyllc Us >uprIstitouN and p'p>tI-'' nus
.crmcd 10 mc iul' of aolrhhl'\' now, tS''u'ln-
. flat lie symbolic h-rrc> used are often som"
what iowdrv. and >'NorIng 900 murh oil sac
PROPERTIES. I'm the intense SieLcr u'iH' In'd Wy
! the multitude of spectators. 49, each SCENE -toNV
misses hv. i'm tie deep reverence cNthued: -
The wall of the direc-ikc muse SwcllS louder and
louder. hcrildine the approach of the grand cen
| tral fablcau the ciuciiiNion: M the sacred form
uprai,cd on a colossal cross. towering hi@h above
crosses: i'm the sudden barring of all heads, as
tIc shrou,lcd platform bearers with masked faces
| 20 by. aburine under their scli-lmposed burden
in all this one feels the great cardinal truth born"
i'm upou ono DESPITE all the concomitant iiummcry
| and gcweawS and cyancsccnt emotion of the scene
The echo of the sentry ,Su2rp chnllehGr
Halt! who comes there" aud. " Pass friend
ais well had hardly died down when | found
! myself al Mic door of my quarters. which faced
he officers mess -bl1ck. BY This time the P1,"ha
| moon all bat full was hlLh ~ IN" sky. and east
| a great shadow from the all BUILDINGS facing the
| range Of barracks across ihc parade. fhoneh on
! this night SupcriluouS. feeble ull-amp Nckercd
! here and thcr' for gas WAS luxury not then IN
| dulccd in and the department which was CHARGED
with these things loved darkness better than heh',
! because it cost less should here explain ina
! THURSDAYS were the guest" nights 81 nay lc-l-
mrn' al that time, and on this evening the re- l.
mental band had as usual been playing On the
! open space lust outside. fronting the me s-roon
| windows. H. must have been past II O'Clock
when | reached barracks: and although most Of
! the outsider, who we're allowed in 10 hear the
music on such occasions were gone. noticed Two
! or three still waiting about. one in part en- ar.
/ - remarkably tail man in n long lark cloak and