The San Francisco call., 1897-11-21

Consul for his signature. Once, in the case of
very young madchen, that signature was
botted by the sweep of flaxen braid upon it
as the child turned to go, but generally there
was q grave, serious business instinct and
sense of responsibility in these girls OF ordi-
nary peasant origin which, equally with their
sisters of France were unknown to the Eng
lish or American woman of any class.
That morning, however, there was sligh
stir among those who, with their knitting,
were waiting their turn in the outer Office as
the Vlce-Consul ushered the police inspector
into the Ccnsurs private Office. He was in
uniform, OF course, and it took him q moment
TO recover from his abitual stiff, military
salute-a little sitter than tn of the actual
soldier.
1t was a matter of importancel stranger
had that morning been arrested in the town
and identified as q military deserter. He
claimed to be an American Citizen he was
now in the outer office waiting the ConsuPs
Interrogation
The Consul knew, however, that the ominous
accusation had only a mild significance here.
The term military deserter" included any
one who had in youth emigrated to a foreign
country without first fulfilling his military
duty 10 his fatherland. His first experiences
OF these cases had been tedious and difficult
involving a reference to his Minister at Ber-
lin, correspondence with the American State
Department, condition of unpleasant ten
sion, and finally the prolonged detention OF
some innocent German-natur ralized-Ameri-
can citizen, who had forgotten to bring his
papers with him in revlsiting his own native
country.
1t so CHANGED, however, that the Consul en-
joyed the friendship and confidence of General
AdlerkreutZ, who commanded the Twentieth
Division, and it further CHANGED that the
same Adlerkreutz was as gallant soldier as
ever cried "VorwartsI" at the head of his men,
as profound m ilitary strategist and organ
izer as ever carried his own and his enemy's
plans in his iron head and spiked helmet, and
yet with simple and unaffected a soul
breathing under his gray mustache as ever
issued from the lips of a child So this grim
but gentle veteran had arranged with the
Consul that in cases where the presumption OF
nationality was strong, although the evidence
was not present, he would take the ConsuPs
parole for the appearance OF the "deserter or
his papers, without the aid of prolonged
diplomacy. In this way the Consul had saved
to Milwaukee a wealthy but imprudent
brewer, and TO New York an excellent sausage
butcher and possible Alderman; but had
turned to martial duty one or two tramps or
journeymen who had never seen America,
except from the decks of the ships in which
they were "stowaway" and on which they
were returned. And thus the temper and
peace of two great nations were preserved.
''He says" said the inspector, severely,
9TH he is an American citizen, but he lost
his naturalization papers. Yet he has made
the damaging admission to others that he
lived several years in Romel And" con-
tinued the inspector, looking over his shoul-
der at the closed door as he paced his finger
beside his nose, "he says he has relations liv-
ing at Palmyra, whom he frequently visited
Achl Observe this unheaId aId-of-and-not- TITO be-
trusted statementr
The Consu III, however, smiled with a slight
flash OF intelligence. LET me see him. he
said.
They passed into the outer ofice-another
policeman and corporal of infantry saluted
and rose. In the center of an admiring and
sympathetic crowd OF Dienstmadchen sat the
culprit, the least concerned of the party; a
stripl1ng-a boy-scarcely out of his teens
Indeed, it was i'm possible to conceive a more
innocent, bucolic and almost angelic-looking
derelict With a skin that had the peculiar
white and rosiness of fresh pork, he had blue
eyes, celestially wide open and staring. and
the thick, focculent yellow curls OF the sun
god! He might have been an overgrown and
badly dressed Cupid. who had innocently
wandered from Paphian shores. He smiled as
the Consul entered. and wiped from his full
red lips with the back of his hand the traces
OF a sausage he was eating. The Consul re-
COSulZtu the uhNOE al OUCe-Ue ndQ SI0elle q IL
before in Leibschen's little hand basket
You say you lived at Rome?" began the
Consul pleasantly. "Dd you take out your
first declaration of your intention of becom-
ing American citizen thereT'
The inspector cast an approving glance at
the Consul, fixed stern eye on the cherubic
prisoner, and leaned back in his chair to hear
the reply to this terrible question.
II don't remember" said the culprit knit
~
either there or at Madrid or Syracuse"
The inspector was about to rise; this WAS
really trifling with the dignity OF the munich
pality. But the Consul laid his hand on the
officials sleeve, and, opening an American
atlas to map of the State of New York. said
to the prisoner as he placed the inspe ctor's
finger on the sheet, 'T see you know the
names of the towns on the Erie and New York
Central Railroad, but"
II can tell you he mum Der of people in each
town and what ere the manufactures" inter |
rupted the young fellow with youthful
va nifty. Madrid has 5000, and there are |
over GO, 900 in"
THAT will do," said the Consul as a muir |
mur of "Wundershon !" went round the group |
of listening servant-girls, while glances of ad-
miration we're shot at the beaming accused |
"But you ought TO remem Der the name of the |
town where your naturalization papers were |
afterward sent"
"But was citizen from the moment made !
my declarauon," said the stranger smiling |
and looking triumphantly at his admirers, |
"and l could voteP'
The inspector, since he had come to grief |
over American geographical nome lature.
was grimlY taciturn. The Consul however. !
was by means certain of his victory. His |
alleged fellow-ci:izen was too encyclopaedia in |
his knowledge; clever youth might have
for this textbook information-but |
then he did not look at all clever; indeed he
had rather the stupidity of the NEUROLOGICAL
subject he represented. leave him with me-"
said the Consul The inspector handed him
precis of the case. The cherub's name was
Karl Schwartz, an orphan, missing from
Schlachstadt since the age of IL. Relations
not living in emigration. Identity estab-
lished by prisoners admission and record.
"Now, Kari" said the Consul cbeerfully, as
the door OF his private Office closed upon
them, what is your little game? Have you
ever had any papers? And If you were clever
enough TO study the map of New York State,
why weren't you clever enough to see that it
wouldn't stand you in place of your papers?"
dots joost it, said Karl in English; "but
you See dot If l haf deciarit mine intention of
b gomming citizen, it's all the same, don't