The San Francisco call., 1897-11-21

| enhlad1ng walls; you "debouched" out of it.
| as you thought, and found yourself only be-
lore The walls; you "re-entered" it at every
possible angle; you did every ything apparently
but pass through it. You thought yourself
we'll out of it, and were stopped by bastion
Its c1rcumvallatlons haunted you until you
came to the next station. 1t had pressed even
the current of the river into its defensive
service. There were secrets OF its foundations
and mines that only the hig hest military des-
pots knew and kept TO themselves. In word
it was impregnable.
That such a place could not be trifed with
nor misunderstood in its right-and-acute-
angled seventies seemed pain to every one
But set on by his companions, who were
showing him its defensive foundations, or in
his own idle curiosity, Karl managed to fall
into the Rhine, and was ished out with diff
Guilty. The immersion may have chilled his
military ardor or soured his good humor, for
later the Consul heard that he had visited the
American consular agent at IN adjacent town
with the old story of his American citizenship.
che seemed" said the ConsuPs colleague. "to
be well posted about American railways and
American towns, but he had no papers. He
lounged around the Office for a while
and :"
Wrote letters h home ?" suggested the Consul
with flash of "reminiscences
barracks, and l reckon was overlooked or be-
deviled."
This was the last the Consul heard of Karl
Schwartz directly. For week or two later he
again fell into the Rhine, this time so fatally
and effectually that, in spite of the efforts of
his companions, he was swept away by the
rapid current, and thus ended his service to
his country. His body was never recovered.
few months before the Consul was trans
ferred from Schlachstadt to another post his
memory OF the departed Karl was revived by
a visit from Adlerkreutz. The general looked
grave.
"You remember Unser Karl?" he said.
''Yes."
"Do you think he was an impostor?"
CAS- regards his American citizenship, yesl
But could not say more"
'So!' said the general "a very singular
thing has happened" he added, twirling his
mustache. "The inspector of police has noti-
fed us of the arrival of Karl Schwartz in this
town. 1t appears that he is the real Karl
Schwartz, identified by his sister as the only
one. The other who was drowned, was an
impostor. Hein?''
"Then you have secured another recruit?'
said the Consul, smiling
"No. For this one has already served his
time in Elsass, where he went when he left
here as boy. But, donnerwetter why should
that dumb fool take his name?'
"By chance, fancy. Then he stupidly stuck
to it, and had to take the responsibilities with
it. Don't you see?' said the Consul, pleased
with his own cleverness.
"Zo-or' said the general slowly, in his deep
est voice. But the German exclamation has
a variety of significance, according to the in
flectiOn, and Adlerkreutz' ejaculation seemed
to contain them all.
1t was in Paris, where the Consul had lin
gered on his way to his new post. He was sit
ting in weli-known cafe, among whose hab-
itues were several military officers OF high
rank. A group of them were gathered around
table near him. He was idly watching them
with an odd recollection of Schlachstadt in
his mind, and as idly glancing from them to
the more attractive boulevard without. The
Consul was getting little tired OF soldiers.
Suddenly there was slight stir iC the ges-
ticulating group and cry OF greeting. The
Consul looked up mechanically, and then his
eyes remained fixed and staring at the new
coner, for it was the dead Kari; Karl, surely!
Karl, his plump figure belted in French Off