The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
CHAPTER Ir.f
THE GENTLEMEN OF THE GUARD.

and live as mere representatives Of a line which
bears III common noble name. This prin-
ciple. which has something TO recommend it.
was adopted long ago into the system OF the
Guard OF NASSAU. the officers of which wer,
6rst gentlemen OF the guard and afterward
men In the private and ordinary sense of tho
term. There were nine OF them-a Cclonel-in-
Chief whose position became honorary after
his elevation to that rank: q Colonel. upon
whom devolNed the active command "A second
In command, whose title Of Over Captain may
be translated Major threoC autains aud as many
subalterns And every Individual was drawn
from the noblest blood Ia the country.
Thus 1t will be seen that Hollywood was
about to enter the best company in Revonde
On lofty cliff above the gorge from which
the Kofn issues to curve round the palace gar
dens. and exposed to the four winds Of heaven.
stands an i'm posing square block of gray
buildings. These contain the permanent
quarters Of the guard one whole side Of the
courtyard within is taken up by tho domed
messroom. with its necessary adjuncts and
offices.
Here on the day following Rallywood's In
terview with Selpdorf three men lounKed over
their lunch. Any one OF them. had he cared
to take the regimentalsrolls from their brass
bound Golfer in the anteroom. conld have read
his own name reueating itself down the col
umns rs generation after generation lived
through Is identical life in the same surround :
tnRs. and died most OF the m going to the devi!
with inherited pride and even gracefully.
Nearly every man who had crossed the page
OF the Maasaun annals had dined in that his
torio room. and each one of the men who now
held the right to dine there had hereditary
Interest. and in many cases hereditary char
acteristc. to maintain There was old wal
rus-faced Wallpnloun: the thin. dark reckless
Colehdorp; Adiron. whose great bulk behind
. cavalry sword was sight for the gods. and
80 on. the three lieutenants following closely
in the footsteps of the three Licuten ants who
had been before them: men who went to the
rendezvous.of a duel inn comfort. affecting &c
be infinitely more afraid of catching cold than
OF being killed; men who kissed the wife and
despatched the husband with eqna! skill and as
little noise as might be men who were feared
by n rough. swaggering. raucous soldery.
whom they only knew through the hard. faced
.Sergeants: men. in fact. who lived out their
deponair. picturesquely evil lives to the salts
faction OF themselves and OF few others.
On this occasion Col. Wallenloup. the COM
mandant. was not present OF him it was told
that while still a Lieutenant he had been Of
fered as reward for services rendered to tbs
crown. the command of any Maasaun regiment
he might choose to select. and he had replied
that he would rather be n Lieutenant of the
he remained to flavor the mess with his some
what blood d-iron jokes. The messroom
was q spacious hall. and though only three
men sat at table the place seemed full OF life
and color from the hlack polished nooring:to
the carved and vaulted ceiling from which
hung in tattered folds the old banners Of the
regiment. Red hanginEs partially draped the
dark walls and over all from the stained dome
tho light fell in rich tones OF color. while
bo IL, AZ ~ 4
sound that never ceased about those " lls. the
whimrering OF the wind.
Suddenly the door opened and young man.
small and thin. with fains down upon his
upper lip. entered quickly.
'Unziar has won" he cried.
Won what?" asked Adiron. the senior man
present. as he poured out another glass Of
vino.
Won his second match against Abenfeldt
with seven to spare"
Adiron stretched his legs and leaned back
his figure was well adapted for leaning back.
MY good Adolf, explain Yourself"
Hadn't you heard Of 1t? Why. they.ar-
ranged 1t last night ut Countess Sagan's."
"Abenfeldt fanc!es himself as shot. bat he
forgot he had to do with Unfair" laughed
Capt Adiron.
"Abenfeldt bet that he could shoot moro
swallows in half an'hour before breakfast thu
any man In Rsvonde. That was in September.
you know. and Unfair took him up-with ser
vice revolvers-and shot fifteen. W lnnin e:easily.
Abenfedt can't get over 1t and challenged him
TO q shooting match again last night. I say
Adolf broke off. and his face altered ha thrust
out little foot and surveyed the spurred boot
tina. covered it critically. I've just:ridden back
from Brale. That new charger of mine bolted
down the hill by the nhling. I went to see In
Bermann; they had no. been able to move him.
you know"
"We?" urged all three voices at once.
'Insermann's dead. He died last might at
dinner time"
The mems eyes shot for a second at 1nser-
nann's empty place. which he was never to
occupy again.
"Ah. told him that scoop!ng pass OF his
was mistake" commented Adiron And
the worst OF It Is that his death breaks the line
OF the Xanthal Insermanns. Poor old Inser
mann! He was the last Of good stock. and I.
for one don't like new blood. What have you
10 say about that pass now. Colendorp. II l
am not mistaken you defended it,"
"Insermann was by three inches too tall"
replied the individual addressed. For n
short man one would be hard put to 1t to dis
cover n more useful-hul!o"
The folding doors had been flung omen with
O crash aud q man OF 30 or whereabouts.
dressed in the gorgeous green and gold Of the
Guard. strobe in temUcstuOuSy. lie was
short and heavily built. with weather-red
face and n coarse. ovcrhanglng mustache.
which gave him rather the expression OF an
angry walrus SO angry, indeed. was he that
his words came vuleyinG out inartlculately.
In his hand lie held n crumped sheet OF parrh-
men.
head Of the table.
=, dead and SplpdOrf RnyE'--