The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-28
KENYON
An Incident of the Siege Of
Parsley Yates Olcott.

l went to Paris to study, but I fell in
with set of artists, among them Hal
stead-our Halstead, who painted La
Femme du Steele" that made such a stir
IN London-and Kenyon, of whom only
what L have here written will ever be
known.
He was about thirty-hve or thirty-eight
a big, blonde, genial fellow, with always
a pleasant word and joke that left one
feeling better. He was usually shabbily
dressed. The knees of his trousers were
shiny and baggy and his coat looked as
II somebody had had the good of it be-
lore 1t fell to him. Occasionally he re-
ceived money from America, through the
consulate-it was said-when he would ap-
pear in new hat or coat and with a lot
of toys and candy for Sylvester's chill
dren. Sylvester had a government ap-
pointment, and it was at his house that
first saw Kenyon.
Kenyon amused us with stories about
members of the legation, especially about
certain Col. Montague, a long, thin
elegant man, with long, thin nose, and
eyes set near together that look supercil-
ously through gold-rimmed glasses. He
wore his hair parted in the middle, had
red mustache and imperial, and a long
drawn-out way Of speaking that was very
English. Kenyon could take him off to
the life. Somehow Kenyon hated him
heartily, and nothing gave him greater
satisfaction than to tell a story at the
coloneIs expense. He had no end of an
cestors-the good colonel-actual ones
that would bear examining In the clear
light of day, and some who were to be
seen only in the mirror at midnight over
your left shoulder or picked up in junk
shop in the shape of an old painting that
could be safely labeled with a high-sound-
ing title.
One day the colonel came out with a
coat-of-arms. He bad it engraved on his
cards and his stationery, and Kenyon de-
clared that it was stitched upon all his
ainen. But just as suddenly as it came it
disappeared, and Kenyon vowed that he
had found the colonels blandchiSSeuse
picking 1t out of his linen with a pin.
When the colonel was questioned about
It, he merely waved his long, slim white
hand, saying it was only a slight mis-
take of his friend, the Lion-King- a--Al ms
as to the family, not being the family that
was supposed. One day the tailor sent a
package addressed to NJ. Montague. and
the colonel sent it back, saying that it
was not meant for him. When 1t was re-
turned to NJ. lie Colonel Montague he rec
Ognized it at once.
Kenyon had good natured way of tell
ing these spiteful little anecdotes, SEEM
ing to enjoy them so thoroughly himself
that you saw only the humor of them and
forgot to despise the colonel.
Kenyon came often to the sylvestcrs.
SylVeStec was sorry for him. Everybody
abuses him, and I'm not going to J.1l a
cold shoulder on him; let him come Ii ne
wants t., he once said to me, when We
something of himself; he is q clever fell
low, but he Doesn't seem to have a gain
of ambition l tried to make something
of him once, but there isn't any USE
Where does he live?"
SylVe-rer shrugged his shoulders If
you can find out, it's more than l have
been able TO do. I rather suspect he has
reason to keep himself out of the way.
Yet he seems a thoroughly good fellow
perhaps it 5 a whim of his. AT any rate,
l like lin"
He looked al me for a moment before
he answered. I'm sure l don't know. -
he sand. Il guess she likes him. Whv?"
Nothing only women don't always
, fancy their husbands friends" said l.
That's the advantage of being free; you
can p-eaSe yourself"
l gloried openly in my freedom, way
we bachelors have when we are with
married men; we act as if their lives
We're terrible bondage that needs all
our sympathy. Yet we are friends of their
wives. 1 liked Mrs. Sylvester, and / fiat
terel myself that she liked me. Il knew
you come today" she would say when
! dropped in to dinner. Il told Marie 20
lie sure to ave a tender gigot and caper
sauce and one of those absurd SOutflets.
ana Le-e You are Wen try that new case
of Bordeaux too, Ned" And 50 she al
ways made me feel as if l were the one
person in all the word that she cared to
sec.
What Kenyon seemed t. like best was
bu. ing toys for the imps, for they wSc
fond Il him; they shouted and diVed into
ms capaclouS pockets and clambered all
oVe- him. He had a big shock or light
curry hair, and they would pillow tner
hands through it. Sometimes he you'd
TO get 70 arrange it, and come to the
ia le with it standing on end then, with
ms big blonde mustache and big blue
eyes, ana ing so very b 6 a. together he
Would much resemble one of the old Vi
kings. Sylvester and l, VINO were dark
and rather small, ana little Mrs. Sylves-
ter toe, would feel like nothing at all be-
did not at first notice it, but soon dis
covered that Mrs. Sylvester never adj
dressed IL, Kenyon personally, and that
her, he would be looking, not at her but
at me or at Sylvester. Thinking l
might be mistaken, l watched them. l
Iancled once, when he came into the
room, that she grew pale, at another time
saw the color come flying into her face.
and once, when he suddenly leaned over
10 speak to her-perhaps it was the sud
SennesS and uncommonnesS of it-She
started, and her hand trembled so that
she dropped the cup she was holding at
which she laughed and called herself stu
k 'Pii anu complained OF " lameness IN her
It was about this time that the French
declared war against Prussia. 1t was
very unexpected, and before we realized
1t everyone who could had left Paris The
SyNesters Staid, and l too, though had
We known all we do now We might have
followed the good Col. Montague's ex-
ample and found the air of Paris bad for
our health. At first 1t was rather good
fun. Mrs. Sylvester declared it was like
a story. She was a dramatic, excitable
little person, and enjoyed the situation
1mlH enSely, so long as there was nothing
1rlghttul or even uncomfortable about it.
We had our three meals a day and our
paper regularly, and we were proud of
the knowledge that the whole world had
t If Eye on Paris and that we We're part
II wonder if Kenyon has decamped?"
asked one day. l was dining with the
S4yIE9 est as usual. 1T was rather
That's so. I haven't seen him since
the gates We're closed"
1t was Sylvester who spoke. I turned
90 Mrs, Sylvester but she had not heard,
apparently Kenyon appeared few DAYS
Batter merry as usual, with a pocket fun
81 sugar plums. and we made him right
y elcome. the children especially.
Time went on. Dinners grew less boun-
5ful. We came down to two meals a
pay and finally were thankful for one
We talked about the dinners of old. the
q gots and roasts and steaming soups
5ntn our mouths watered and we Won
had eaten.
Winter came on and we suffered from
SoIo as Wen as from hunger. 1t ceased
20 give us any satisfaction that the eye
OF the world was upon us. Sorties were
constantly being made The gates would
be opened the troops would march our
and later they would march in again
without having accomplished ANYTHING
smallpox broke out. and the terrible
hunger and fear made those davs TO he
remembered. indeed.