The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-10-27

servltors.
The return to his native city was
wholly unostentatious. He arrived
one morning on top OF the diligence,
munching an unlighted cigar, and al
! ready firm friends with the conductor,
to whom he had related the passage Of
the Portes de Fer on the journey, and
full Of indulgence. among other things
for the abstraction Of his listener, who
interrupted him frequently with an
oath or the epithet carcon hurled at
the mare on the right. AS the vehicle
stopped. he threw to the sidewalk his
old vallse decorated with railroad cour-
tesies as numerous as the changes Of
garrison of its owner, and the by
ISLANDERS were stupitied to see a per-
son with decorations, thing as yet
rare in Provence, offering a glass of
white wine to the driver at the bar of
Lile nearest I'ulltiC hoHSt.
He installed himself Immediately.
| There was furnished room to let in a
house on the outskirts of the town,
where two captive COWS beloved, and
| the chickens and ducks passed in and
out through the wagon door. Pre-
ceded by stern and angular creature,
| the captain mounted a flight Of stairs
with heavy wooden balustrade, and
entered a large room, with tiled
floor, which was payored with infinite
repetitions of Josef Poniatowski on
horseback in the act of plunging into
the Elster, printed in blne on white
ground This decoration, monotonous
in spite of the fact that it recalled mil
itary glories, doubtless moved
| the captain, for without satisfying
himself as to the comfort of the straw
chairs or the walnut furniture or the
tiny yellow curtained bed, he decided
upon the spot. \ quarter of an hour
trunk, hang up his clothes, arrange his
boots in a corner and adorn the walls
with a trophy consisting Of three pipes,
a sabre and pair of pistols. After
visiting the grocer opposite, of whom
he bought a pound of candles and a
bottle of rum, he returned, placed his
purchase upon the mantle, and looked
about him with an air of a man thor
oughly satisfied. Then, with the dis
patch Of campaign life, he shaved with
ont mirror, brushed his frock coat,
poised his hat upon one ear, and went
out for stroll in search Of a good
cafe.
The frequenting of public houses
was deep-rooted habit of the captain s,
for thus he could indulge at once his
three weaknesses, tobacco, cards, and
absinthe His whole life had been
spent in the same way and he could
have drawn map of all the cities in
which he had been stationed, by their
suffers stores, tobacco shops, cafes,
and other military rendezvous. He
was never quite at home until be was
seated on velvet-cushioned bench be-
fore table covered with green cloth,
upon which were scattered saucers
and beer mugs. His cigar evner tast-
ed quite right unless the match had
been scratched on the under side of a
piece of marble, and he never failed,
after hanging his sword and cap on a
peg, to unfasted several buttons of his
coat and heave a great sigh of relief
as he exclaimed in a loud tone: "That
is better!'
His first care, then, had been to go
in search Of 4 cafe and at length, after
making tour of the city without find
ing anything to his liking, he
fixed his knowing eye upon the Cafe
Prosper, situated at the corner of the
market-place and the Rue de la Pa
roisse.
This was not exactly his ideal how
ever Some of its exterior features
were rather provincial For instance,
the boy wore black apron, and there
were little yew trees planted in green
boxes, and stools and wo,nlen tables
| covered with oil-cloth in front.
But it was the interior that was pleas
ing to the captains eye. He was cx-
! hIlarated at the very moment Of his
entrance by the sound of the bell ma
nipulated by the rosy and and obese
person at the desk, who wore light
gown and a poppy red ribbon in her
we!l-o'lcd hair. He bowed ceremon-
ionsly to the the lady and decided
t,at her triumphant position between
Two towers OF pnnch-bowlS, each fifty
crowned with Il billiard-halI, was filled
with Sufficient dignity of demeanor
| He ascertaincd ut n glance that the
room was cheerful, neat, and nicely
| sprinkled with yellow sand. He walk
ed around, surveying himself in the
mirror as he passed, and counting the
! panels whereon nushete.rs and anna
IONS were gulpiny champagne in the
midst of Il holl yhock landscape Then
he gave his order, smoked q cigar,
found the seat soft and the absinthe
agreeable, and was indulgent enough
not to compllin cf the flies, who, with
campaign familiarity, took bath in
the remains of his feast.
Within a week he had become one