The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-10
A MELOMANIAC.
How Capt. Tavernier Was TRANS
ferred to the Thirteenth"

How Capt. Tavernier Was Trans
| ferred to the Thirteenth
The pupils of the Polytechnic school
| of France have Il queer way Of express
| ing the fact that one of their number
| has become deranged. They say of
| I he afflicted man that ne is Trans
| 1erred to the Thirteenth''-for it is
| tatiatically true that every thirteenth
| man succumbs to the severe mental
strain required for successful com
| pletion of the prescribed course.
| Rene Tavernier graduated at the
| head of his class, and was consequent
| ~ free to embrace the civil career To
| every ones surprise. he preferred to
| inter the artillery. In all scientific
s'equirements he ranked preeminent.
rut his records for military tactics and
iiorsemanship We're deplorab bic, as was
also his want of neatness and disci-
line He would appear on parade
Without collar or minus his buttons,
which usually only clung To him by
thread. lie would answer rOll-calI
long after the drum had ceased beat
ing, and then wonder why his appear
ance should create such disturbance.
In his opinion the captain had a
queer way of instructing the men
Mr. Tavernier, you will report for
two days under arrest. Return to the
line You do not know your lesson
Permit me to remark, captain, that
this is hardly the way to teach it to
me"
You may take four days more"
Delighted, captain, to see that You
appreciate the Justice of my remark -
Why this singular fellow had chosen
a military career was mystery to his
companions. who even then considered
MIN slightly OFF. -
Once assigned to regiment, matters
were infinitely worse. Arrests rained
upon his Indifferent head, for he
whiled away his hours of captivity by
solving intricate problems destined for
publication, works which gained for
him complimentary letters from the
leading mathematical lights of Paris.
When | met Tavernier, he was with
the Eighth artillery, stationed at Metz
| He seemed placid enough. but his vide
open eyes had a some what restless
! glance, and his eccentricities had al
ready become proverbial in the regi-
ment.
He occupied an apartment consisting
parlor, scantily furnished with grand
piano placed between two windows
and a round table in one corner This
arrangement OF things removed all
| useless obstacles which Tavernier
might have encountered in his endless
| walk up and down. On the table We're
| invariably placed a bottle of absinthe,
| one of sirup, Z decanter of water,
| glasses, and plates heaped with sweets
| and cake. His ord erly had instruc-
| tions to replenish these provisions
! every morning, for each afternoon they
were consumed by bevy of pretty
| actresses, chorus girls, and ballerinas,
| whom the crazy captain as they
called him, invited to a five o'clock
These ladies, in more or less start
| ling gowns, seemed to enjoy these
| gatherings, where they dissected their
| neighbors' regulations. chattered, nib
| bled cakes, and imbibed sweet wines,
| while their host, hands clasped behind
| his back. walked through the long
| tent of the room.
| In summer he wore a long coat of
| light, figured material; in winter, a
| wadded silk kimono. Turkish shoes
| curved up at the toes, and a smoking
zap, jauntily poised upon the back of
his head, completed his singular attire
| Passing by each group he had a
| word for each fair friend. Dear lady,
| why did you not come yesterday? l
| was SO uneasy about you. My dear,
| YOU are positively bewitching in that
hat" Couldn't persuade my charm
| ing friend to nibble just one more lit
| tie calc?" etc. Then, relapsing into
his habitual silence, he would continue
his walk, completely absorbed in
| thought.
Nothing ever occurred at these some
| what equivocal gatherings that would
| not have been considered perfectly cor
| rect in the best society. Only once the
usual calm was disturbed by little
variety actress who. in spirit of fun,
had brought a Turkish fez with her.
As the captain passed her, she whipped
off his cap, and. substituting the fez,
! exclaimed: Behold the pasha.'
A general laugh greeted this sally.
| Tavernier. at first surprised at this
| lack of respect, tore OFF the offending
| headdress. He grew pale; such ter
| ..ibIe expression crept into his eyes,
that the light-hearted culprit trembled
! in fear, and her companions no longer
| laughed.
| Tavernier Numbered forth these three
! words. which sounded like an anathe-
| ma from heaven:
| Leave my presence?
| At the stroke of five, Tayernier
brusquely stopped in his walk
| NV dears" " said he, lit breaks my
heart to interrupt your conversation,
| but am forced To leg for tive minutes
| .,ilence."
He opened the window, sat down be-
fore the piano, played for two or three
minutes. then leaned forward, anxious
ly listening to the sounds without
Evidently satisfied. he returned to
the instrument, and again executed
several bars, then closed the window,
and rapidly wrote something in his
| notebook.
Now. my dears, pray continue your
/ charming chatter"
| His feminine friends had not failed
to comment upon the apparent cold
ness of their host, whose friendship
they would have been willing enough
to rnaaf moro than half way He how.