Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-24
CHAPTER III.
The Gentlemen of the Guard.

ties. They willfully sink all identity of their
own IN the traditions handed down to them
and live as mere representatives of line
which bears in common noble name. This
principle. which has something to recon-
mend it. was adopted long ago into the
system of the guard of Nassau. the Off
GERS of which were first gentlemen of the
guard and afterward men in the private
and ordinary sense of the term. There
We're nine of them-a colonel-in-chief
whose position became honorary after his
elevation TO that rank; colonel upon
whom dcvolved the active command; a
second in command. whose title of over
captain may be translated major; three
captains and as many subalterns. And
every individual was drawn from the
noblest blood in the country.
Thus it will be seen that Hollywood was
about to enter the best company in Re
Yonde.
On lofty cliff above the gorge from which
the Kofn issues TO curve round the palace
gardens, and exposed 10 the four winds of
heaven, stands an imposing square block of
gray buildings. These contain the perma-
merit quarters of the guard. One whole
side Of the courtyard within Is taken up
by the domed mess room, with its neces-
sary adtuncts and Offices
Here on the day following Rallywood'S
interview with SelpdOrf three men lounged
over their lunch. Any one of them. had
he cared to take the regimental rolls from
their brass-bound coffee in the anteroom,
could have read his own name repeating
itself down the columns as generation after
generation lived through its identical life
In the same surroundings. and died, most
of them going to the devil with a fine in
herited pride and even gracefully.
Nearly every man who had crossed the
page of the Maasaun annals had dined in
that historic room. and each one of the
men who now held the right to dine there
had q hereditary interest. and in many
cases hereditary characteristic, to main
tain. There was old walrus-faced Wallen-
loup; the thin, dark. reckless Colendorp;
A1iron, whose great bulk behind calvary
sword was a sight for the gods. and so on
the three Heutenants following closely in
the footsteps of the three lieutenantS who
had been before them: men who went to
the rendezvous of a duel in all comfort.
affecting to he infinitely more afraid of
catching cold than of being killed; men
who kissed the wife and dispatched the
husband with equal skill and little noise
as might be: men who were feared by
rough. staggering, raucous soldiery. whom
they only knew through the hard-faced
sergeants; men. In fact who lived out their
debonair. picturesquely evil lives to the
satisfaction of themselves and Of few
others
On this occasion Col. Wallenloup. the
commandant, was not present. OF him it
was told that while still lieutenant he had
been offered. as a reward for services rem
Maasaun regiment he might choose TO Sc
lect. and he had replied that he would
rather be n lieutenant of the guard than
field marshal elsewhere And so he re-
n1aired to flavor the mess with his some
what blood-aud-trou jokes. The messroom
was a spacious hall. and though only three
men sat at table the place seemed full of
life and color from the black polished
flooring to the carved and vaulted ceiling.
from which hung in tattered folds the old
hammers of the regiment. Red hangings
partially draped the dark walls. and over
all from the stained dome the light fell In
rich tones of color while through the talk
Of the men ran the one weird sound that
never ceased about those walls. the whim-
pering of the wind
Suddenly the door opened, and a young
man. small and thin. with a faint down
upon his upper liz. entered quickly.
''T-nziar has won" he cried.
Won WHAT" asked Adtron the senior
man present. as he poured out another
glass of wine.
Won his second match against Aben-
feldt with seven to spare
Adiron stretched his legs and leant back:
HIS figure was well adapted for leaning
back.
MY good Adolf. explain yourself
Hadn't you heard of it7 WHY. they ar
ranged X last night at Countess Sagan's."
"Abenfeldt fancies himself a shot. but
he forgot he had TO do with Unfair"
laughed CAPTAIN Adiron.
"AbenfeIdt bet that he could shoot more
swallows in half an hour before breakfast
than any man IN Revonde. That was in
September. you know. and Unfair took him
up-with service revolvers-and shot fifteen,
winning easily. Abenfeldt can't get over
H. and challenged him to a shooting match
again last night. I say. Adolf broke of.
and his face altered: he thrust out a little
foot and surveyed the spurred boot that
covered II critically. i've lust ridden back
from Prale. That new charger of mine
bolted down the hill ny the paling. / went
to see Insermann: they had not been able
to move him. you know"
'Well7' urged all three voices at once
''Tnsermann's dead. He died last night at
dinner time"
The ner's eyes shot for a second at In
Sermann's empty place, which he was never
TO occupy again.
"Ah told him that scooping pass of his
was a mistake" commented Adiron. And
the worst OF It Is that his death breaks the
Insermann, he was the last of good stock.
and 7. for one. don't Ike new blood What
have you 10 say about that pass now. Col
endnrp? If / am not mistaken. you de-
Tended it,"
'Insermaun was by three inches too tall
replied the individual addressed. For a
short man one would be hard put to II to
discover a more useful-Hullo,''
The folding doors had been flung open
with crash and a man OF about fifty or
thereabOuts dressed in the gorgeous green
and gold Of the guard STROBE in tempestu-
ously. He was short and heavily built.
with weather-red face and a coarse, over
hanging mustache, which gave him rather
the expression of an angry walrus. So
Rrgry. indeed. was he that his words came
volleyirS out inarticulately. In his hand
he held crumpied sheet OF parchment.
The men rose as he took his place at the
head Of the table.
''iusermann's dead and SeipdOrf says
The colonels choked CALCULATIONS broke. his
voice failed him, and he sent the paper
futterluE from his hand across the silver
and glass TIL little Adolf picked It up. In
another moment Colonel Wallenloup was
more coherent
IT am afraid I must have walked up the
hill rather too quickly" he said apologet-
3cally. after draining a great goblet of beer
However. il Is not to be denied that NJ
EelpdOrf begins to take too much upon him.
self The entire administration Of the state
is In his hands. and yet he is not satisfied
with that position! No. he aims even high
er: he desires to nominate the officers OF
his hichaess' guard"'
Every man present had his own peculiar
fty. The eolonel's reputation would not
have stood SO high as II actually did but
for his insensate temper. Perhaps the an
ecdote told of him. that when discussing
the point of having been ruled out Of ac-
ton during certain army rnaneuvers he be
came so enraged that he pursued the um-
pire IN question with . wooden tent ham