The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-10-27
5elut MisfrllunlI.
The Captains Vices.
Translated from the French by Francois Cope
BY KATHARINE BAGG.

The name of this little city in Pro
vence does not matter-this place
where Captain Mercardier (thirty-six
years in the service, twenty-five CAM
paigns, six wounds), took up his abode
when he was placed upon the retired
list 1t was simply like all other towns
which never receive the branch road
for which they petition regularly, just
as though the natives chief diversion
in life did not lie in going to the Place
de la Fontaine every day at the same
hour to watch the arrival of the dill
gence, with its merry cracking of whips
and jingling of bells. The little city
numbered three thousand inhabi-
tants, whom the statistics ambitiously
termed souls, and it took great pride
in being the capital of the canton. 1t
also boasted Notifications, bordered
with trees; beautiful river bank for
fishing with line, and church of
that charming period of the Flamboy-
ant Gothic. On Mondays, red and
blue market umbrellas studded the
streets, and the country folk came
from all directions in coaches and carts,
but on other days the town sank
blissfully again into the serene quiet
which was so dear to its simple inhabi-
tants. From the street there were
endless glimpses Of hair pictures and
wedding bouquets under glass to be
had through the lower windows, and
of dimunutive Napoleons in shell-work
through the garden-gates. OF course
the principal hostelry was called the
"Arms of France" and the clerk there
of composed acrostics to great ladies
of fashion.
Captain Mercardier had chosen this
place of retirement for the very frivo-
lous reason that he had been born there
once upon time, and had, in u rather
active childhood, stolen signs and COW
cred bell buttons with plaster. Still,
for all this, he had neither relatives,
friends nor acquaintances, and the
memories of his youth failed to serve
him with anything more tangible than
the indignant faces OF shopkeepers,
shaking their fists at him from the
doorways; q catechism which threat
ened him with damnation; school in
which he heard predictions of the scat
fold, and, finally, his departure Tor the
amy, sped on by the paternal male
diction.
So, Of course, the captain WAS not
saint The record Of his punish
ments was black with days spent in
the rooms of the police for acts OF in
| subordination, absence ut roll-call, and
nocturnal revels in the quarters
Many time had his curporaI's or ser
geant's gold lace been taken from him,
and all the peril and consequent op
portun:tes of campaign life had been
required to gain his first cpaulette. a
stern and brave soldier, however, he
had passed most of his life in Algeria
| of ,,f
straight high caps and huge cartridge
belts. Lamoriciere had been his com
mantler; the due lie Nemours, hy whnSr
he had received his first wound, had
decorated him, and when he was SER
geant-lnajor, Bugeaud had called him
by name and pulled his car. He was
a prisoner at Abdel-k adar, and wore
the scar of yataghan in the back OF
his neck: 4 ball in his shoulder, and
another in his thigh; and, despite at,
sinthc, dueIs, gambling debts, and
almond-eyed Jewesses, he had at last
won the title of Captain of the First
Regiment Of Sharp-shooters at the
point of sword and bayonct.
Captain Mercarlier (thirty six years
in the service, twenty-five campaigns
six wounds), had at this time just re-
ceived his pension of two thousand
| francs, which, with two hundred and