The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-01-01
Gbe Nee, q ]
Arabian, *
: ~; Nights /


AdAu' ne said at last, land that will
make it necessary for me to visit sew
eral more IRE bars before my great affair
Is concluded. This will take some
time, and if you are hungry a
The prince interrupted him with 4
polite gesture. = :~
my friend and l will accompans
you," he said, "for we have already a
deep interest in your very agreeable
mode of passing an evening. And now
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.
1T is delicious" said he.
II perceive you are a connoisseur,"
replied the young man.
Colonel Geraldine likewise did honor
to the pastry, and every one in that bar
having now either accepted or refused
his delicacies the young man with the
cream tarts led the way to another and
similar esta blishment. 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
up the rear, arm in arm, and smiling
to each other as they went In this
order the company visited two other
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. II am I'M
willing to delay your supper. l am
positively sure you must be hungry. I
feel that I owe you a special considera-
ton. And on this great day for me,
when l am closing a career of folly by
my most ccnspicuously 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
excuses. 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 a single movement
each; then, turning to the commission
naires, he gave them a couple of sover-
eigns.
II have to thank you," said he, ''for
your extra ordinary patience.''
And he dismissed them with a bow
apiece. For some seconds he stood look
ing at the purse from which he had
just paid his assistants; then, with a
laugh, he tossed it into the middle of
the street and signified his readiness
for supper.
In small French restaurant in Soho,
which had enjoyed an exaggerated rep
utation for some little while, but had
already begun to be forgotten, and in a
private room up two pairs of stairs the
three companions made 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
surprising infections, which seemed to
be independent of his will. The dessert
had been cleared away and all three
had lighted their cigars when the
prince addressed him in these words:
'You will, l am sure, pardon my Gu
riosity. What l have seen of you has
greatly pleased me, but even more puz-
zled me- and, though l should be loath
to seem indiscreet, must tell you that
worthy to be intrusted with secret. We
have many of our own, which we are
| continually revealing to improper ears,
and if, as suppose, your STORY is silly
one, you need have no delicacy with us,
who are two of the silliest men in Eng
land. My name is Godall-Theophilus
Godall; my friend is Major Alfred
name by which he chooses to be known.
We pass our lives entirely in the search
for extravagant adventures, and there
is no extravaganza with which we are
not capable of sympathy
II like you, Mr.. Godall," returned
the young man. "You inspire me with
natural confidence, and have not
the slightest objection to your friend
the major, whom take to be noble
man in masquerade; at least am sure
he is no soldier"
The colonel smiled at this compli-
ment to the perfection Of his art, and
the young man went on in a more ami
mated manner:
''There is every reason why should
not tell you my story. Perhaps that is
just the reason why l am going to do
so; at least, you seem so we'll pre-
pared to hear tale of Stiffness that l
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. ]
am descended from my ancestors by
ordinary generation, and from them