Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-03-17
A Hair-Breadth Escape. 5
BY CHARLES HERvEY.
IN 1870, month or two before the
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CASTOR de Langeais. He was the last
representative of an ancient family in
Brittany, whose traditional obstinacy
and impotence of control he had in
herited to an extent which rendered
him more popular with his comrades
than with the 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 major
ity of his fellows, On one point alone
he was intractablc, and exercised all
his ingenuity in repeated attempts to
escape 4 regulation which was ineXpres-
sibly rcpugnant to him. Gifted by
nature with an abundance of luXuriant-
ly-curling hair, of which The was inordi-
nately vain, the prescribed necessity of
having 1t cropped short was a perpetual
grievance to him, and he looked anxious
ly forward to his second year at st.
Cyr, and his consequent emancipation
from the too close scrutiny to which
he had hitherto been periodically sub
jccted.
"In two months" he said, eNultingly,
to one of his intimates, my time there
will 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, lifting
his cap, and displaying thick growth
Of short curls carefully hattened down,
81 have still some hair left"
Castles in the air, however, are apt to
collapse; and Gaston's visionary prof.
Gets were, to say the least, premature.
A few mornings later, at the usual
hour of parade, the corps ofyoungsters
were unexpectedly summoned to IN
dergo the inspection of the infantry
lieutenant, Bouchard, lynX-eyed mar
tent, by no means favorably disposed
toward pupils destined for cavalry regi-
ments, whom he contemptuously des-
ignated as "coxcombs." De Langeais,
as the recognized leader of the band,
was particularly obnoxious to him, and
his keen eyes twinkled maliciously as
he stopped short before the young man
and examined him curiously.
Take off your cap" he said,
CASTOR obeyed with an inward shiver
Of apprehension.
''I thought as much!" growled the
lieutenant. eff that superfluous hair
has not disappeared by this time to-
morrow you will pass theneXt fourdays
in the sale de police
"You are in for it now," whispered
his sympa thizing comrade, when the
terrible Bouchard had passed on.
Not a bit of it," replied de Ian
geais,
"Why, what on earth can YOU do?"
81 don't exactly know; but intend to
put off the evil day as long as 1 possibly
can"
Next morning, with the aid OF
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 iaunty air, although not little
nervous as TO the result Of his 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-
vous day.
Take of YOUR cap!"
For a moment Bouchard seemed puz-
lied by the apparently smooth surface
of the ''pupil's" head; but, bent on as
certaining the real state of the case, he
unceremoniously lifted a portion of
the hattened hair with his foreGnger,
thereby disclosing a substratum Of tiny
curis. Then, turning to the adiutant
who accompanied him, he briefly con-
signed the offender for four days to the
"salle de police" 2nd continued his
round of inspection with a self-satis-
fled grin.
During the last day of his enforced
seclusion CASTOR practically employed
lis leisure in decoratinghis knee, by
judcious mixture Of blue and green
paint, and with tolerably exact imita-
ton of a bruise, which he showed to the
regimental doctor, pretending that the
confusion had been caused by his com
Jag in contact with post in the riding
school. Whether he implicitly believed
the statement or not, the gOod-natured
medco put him on the sick list, and
thus 81 hours were gained. His reap
pearance on parade, however, became
at length a matter of necessity; and
this time his continued disobedience
entailed on him weeks further con-
finement, at the expiration of which he
was again consigned TO durance vile for
an entire fortnight.
"This will never do" thought de Ian
geais. "The carthenware pot must, in
the long run, be smashed by the iron
one, and I shall have to give in at last.
had better try old Grison once more"
Whereupon, having previously, by
way Of precaution, added few artistic
touches 10 the pictorial establishment
ofhisknee, helimped into the consulting
room of DR.. Grison, who was fortunate
ly too much engaged with other pa
y
sorry glance at the bruise; and, not
knowing precisely what to make of the
case, gave the newcomer an order Of
admission to the infrmary, then under
the charge Of half a dozen sisters of
charity, presided over by lady superb
or.
CASTOR had hardly exchanged his or
binary attire for the regulation loose,
grey coat and cotton night-cap when
Pitrot, the barber of the establishment,
was announced, bearing an enormous
pair Of scissors and laconic note,
which ran as follows:
1.-THE pupil de Langeais' hair IS to be cut
eff Immediately. BOUCHARD."
The poor coiffeur, unwilling to lose so
excellent customer for pomades and
Your friends may smile
d. AI4 4,,.o1 foo1;~o.