Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-07
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] that the preliminaries of peace are set
 tied, allow me to sign the treaty for both"
 And the prince swallowed the tart with the best grace imaginable. Tt Is delicious" said he.
 T perceive you are a connoisseur." replied the young man.
 Colonel Geraldine likewise did honor 1 to the pastry, and every one in that bar l having now either accepted or refused his delicacies the young man with the
 cream tarts led the way to another and similar establishment. The two com missionaries, who seemed to have grown accustomed to their absurd en- ployment, followed immediately after,
 and the prince and the colonel brought l up the rear, arm in arm, and smiling to each other as they went. Tn this
 order the company visited two other 1 taverns, where scenes were enacted of
 a like nature to that already described
 some refusing, some accepting, the favors of this vagabond hospitality. and the young man himself eating
 each rejected tart.
 On leaving the third saloon the young man counted his store. There were but nine remaining, three in one tray and six in the other.
 "Gentlemen," said he, addressing
 himself to his two followers, T am un- willing to delay your supper. I am positively sure you must be hungry. I feel that owe you a special considera-
 tion. And on this great day for me, when am closing career of folly by
 my most censpicuously silly action, I wish to behave handsomely to all who give me countenance. Gentlemen, you
 shall wait no longer. Although my
 constitution is shattered by previous
 excesses. at the risk of my life I liqui-
 date the suspensory condition" With these words he crushed the nine remaining tarts into his mouth and swallowed them at single movement
 each; then, turning to the commission ! naires, he gave them a couple of soveF- eigns.
 T have to thank you" said he, "for l your extraordinary patience."
 And he dismissed them with q bow apiece. For some seconds he stood look ing at the purse from which he had l just paid his assistants; then, with a laugh, he tossed it into the middle of the street and signified his readiness for supper.
 Tn small French restaurant in Soho, which had enjoyed an exaggerated rep litation for some little while, but had already begun to be forgotten, and in a
 ate room up two pairs of stairs the ls {. companions made a very elegant supper and drank three or four bottles
 of champagne, talking the while upon indifferent subjects. The young man
 was fluent and gay, but he laughed
 louder than was natural in person of polite breeding, his hands .trembled vio- lently, and his voice took sudden and 1 surprising Indications, which seemed to l be independent of his will. The dessert had been cleared away and all three
 had lighted their cigars when the 1 prince addressed him in these words: "You will. am sure, pardon my cu- riosity. What I have seen of you has l greatly pleased me, but even more pug zled me. and, though should be loath l to seem fndisereet, must tell you that my friend and I are persons very well worthy to be intrusted with secret. We 1 have many of our own, which we are continually revealing to improper ears,
 and if, as suppose, your story is q silly l one, you need have no delicacy with us, who are two of the silliest men in Eng land. My name is Godall- Theophilus l GodaIl; my friend is Major Alfred Hammersmith, or at least such is the l name by which he chooses to be known We pass our lives entirely in the search for extravagant adventures, and there is no extravagance with which we are
 not capable of sympathy"
 "T like you, Mir. Godall," returned l the young man. "You inspire me with a natural confidence, and I have not ! the slightest objection to your friend ] the major, whom Ittake to be noble man in masquerade; at least am sure ! he is no soldier"
 1 The colonel smiled at this compli-
 ment to the perfection of his art, and the young man went on in a more anil
 mated manner:
 sThere is every reason why I should l not tell you my story. Perhaps that Is 1 just the reason why I am going to do 1 so; at least, you seem so we'll pre- l pared to hear tale of stiffness that
 cannot find it in my heart to disap- point you. My name, in spite of your
 example, shall keep to myself. My
 age is not essential to the narrative. l
 am descended from my ancestors by ] ordinary generation, and from them
 inherited a very eligible human tene. ment, which still occupy, and a for tune of f300 a year. I suppose they also handed on to me a harebrain hu-
 nor, which it has been my chief de- light to indulge. received good edu-
 car1on. can play the violin nearly well enough to earn money in cheap
 orchestra, but not quite. The same re- mark applies to the flute and the
 French horn. learned enough of whist l to lose about hundred year at that
 scientific game. My acquaintance with French was sufficient to enable me to
 squander money in Paris with almost
 the same facility as in London. In short, I am person full of manly ac- complishments have had every sort ! of adventure, including a duel about l nothing. Only two months ago I met q young lady exactly suited to my faSfe in mind and body. FoI1nd my