The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-03-14
A Game Of Cards
y q y
How a Man Innocently Fell
Into Bad Habits.

gu wish to Know, said Baron MAI
ten, why refuse TO play cards with
you? Well. I'll tell you"
But first let ME describe the baron. He
Is q man who carries his so years well;
he is tall, of striking appearance, regu-
lar features. scrupulously neat in his ap-
parel, in manners colby polite, circum-
spect and always self possessed. He i'm
presses one as being the personifcation of
order. His comprehension Is as slow as
his tongue. He knows, but his mental
acquisition requires time to formulate it
self and to give itself expression. II
snails had the power of speech and were
holding a conference, / am convinced
they would talk la Malten. His Ian
guage Is correct and deliberate, his ges-
lures few and his smiles rare.
He was formerly captain of cavalry
In the Austrian army, but was obliged to
quit the service after the battle of Sa-
dowa, where he was wounded in the
knee. The wound healed in the course Of
time, but it resulted in a slight lameness
of the left leg, which, however, Is not
without compensation, for now when the
baron walks he has the measured swing
of a soldier on parade, his right hand
feeling by force of habit for his missing
saher-that beautiful saber, close COM
panion of the spurs, whose musical jingle
thrills the ear of the cavalryman the
world over. Every one knows that he is
poor and proud, but still he is often invit-
ed to the castle, more because he Is an
Austrian than on account of his title.
He accepts with dignity, and, being an
educated man and an attentive listener,
his company is eagerly sought. And,
now that we know something of the man,
let him tell his own story:
My story" said he, sis a short one,
quite commonplace and not of thrilling
interest. However, here it is: cheated
at cards"
At these words we all looked at one an
other with blank amazemcnt. Malten
noticed the look OF horror on our faces,
nodded his classic head in confirmation of
our establishment and, stroking his long.
gray mustache. said slowly, Eyes, /
Malten."
Then, seating himself In an armchair
and stretching out his Sadowa leg tender
ly, he related the following tale with
characteristic slowness:
TWENTY-FIVE years ago l was young
married man, very young sublieuten-
ant, and very young In many respects.
Since then l have grown older and wiser.
My poor young wife is dead, and since
her death l find my life well nigh intol-
cradle. l can scarcely call II living. i
simply exist. At the time of which ]
speak we resided in cozy little house in
a suburb Of Vienna. In the evening
when the weather was pleasant we used
to go out walking past the Elizabeth
bridge, and the eight statues on that
structure have looked down upon us more
than 100 times as we walked slowly past
arm In arm. We talked about mahy top
les. She dreaded war. I wished a call
to war. We more than once expressed
establishment that we two, holding views
SO opposed, should be married, but our
talks always wound up with plans for
the future. We even discussed how to
bring up our children before we had any.
when the weather was bad, we re-
manned at home In little world Of our
own, and after supper We found our
chief amusement In playing cards, usu-
ally ecarte. Though neither Of US was
expert at the game. we played earnestly
to win, and whenever l lost would rail
at my i'll luck, give blast or two on the
trumpet and raise a racket generally.
When she lost, she kept quiet, but /
could see by the trembling of her lips
that she suffered as much in her silence
as in my noisy demonstration.
AFTER awhile, to add spice to the
game, began to cheat. My wife did the
same. And, like two children, we pre-
tended to deceive each other. When !
managed to get the Eve trumps and
spread them out with a look of inno-
cence on my face. she would exclaim,
You are cheating. sir" And l would re-
ply. Yes. MY dear, | know 1t, but It's
the only way to win And so we passed
many pleasant evenings.
at was about that period of my exist
ence that | was invited for the first time
to visit General Mohr. With what Joy
accepted the homer. My wife began
about noon to spread my uniform OH the
bed. and with what care she helped me
dress, 1t was her hands that fastened
my Saber: it was she who gave me the
final inspection. and when she babe me
goodhy at tn. door, for she did not ac-
company ME. she had look of pride so
sweet that for n moment had 1t in my
heart to say: My dear. I'll not go to the
generals tonight. You are my wife-the
best little woman In ali the world-and
I'll stay at home with you and keep on
my uniform just for You alone Would
to heaven l had remained home that
night!
when arrived at the generals house.
! assure you | did not regret my visit.
Nothing is more beautiful than those re-
ceptinns in my country. and on that even
ing the affair was unusually brilliant.
There were all the corps commanders,
also a group of archdukes-and our arch
dukes are grant. There Is something
about their carriage. their dress. their
orle. SO majestic that they look as II
they had just dismounted from those
bronze horses which they will bestride
when after death their equestrian statues
shall be erected ON high, bearing large
military hats with spreading plumes.
"Of the ladies will only say that they
were there in great numbers. And such
beauties! Our Eiennese blends are SO
beautiful! Such milk white skin! Such
eyes of heavenly blue! No man could
help falling in love with them, singly
and collectively, especially If he saw
them dance. Really, your heart became
enthralled at once and was carried away
in the folds of the ladies' dresses. And
then there was Strauss. The great and
! only Strauss. who conducted like some di