Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-20
cadet ROUSELLE"
By TTIEO GIFT

towards resource, and even a cheat need
not be coward.
By 10 O'Clock the next morning | found
myself at the colonels lodgings, asking
for an interview. l had not been home.
nor had l taken any food; but in the
course OF my long wanderings had made
up my mind that the only thing could
DO, the only thing a man with any honor
left IN him could do, would be to make a
clean breast of it to my superior officer,
ana ABIDE by his decision as to the price
to be paid.
That l should not lose a day in re-
funding my last nights winnings, and
making good the losses of those who had
staked their money on me, went without
saying, even though to do it l must give
up my smart bachelor chambers, sell my
horses, dog-cart, furniture, jewelry, Dor
row from the Jews-even beg from my
uncle, if needful. That even then | should
be allowed to remain in the regiment
had disgraced l could not for a moment
expect; but did hope that, in considera-
ton OF my youth and otherwise good
character, l might be spared public scan
dal, and permitted to exchange into a line
regiment then under orders for the mala-
rious and generally detested Gold Coast
where l might have chance of retriev-
ing-if possible-the name | had dishon-
ored.
Il was passing along the corridor of
the colonePs private room when out came
one of our senior officers, a certain Mai
Wilde, whom / had seen at the club the
evening before, not playing, but chatting
with Smlthson and one or two others and
looking on. l saluted hurriedly, hoping
that he would not delay me to talk, or
comment on my haggard and dishevelled
appearance; but to my surprise he turned
his face away and passed me without
even returning my salute
Then | knew that he too had seen.
and that my confession had been fore
stalled
s y i y * =
"Well, l suppose the colonel dealt leni-
emily with me. He gave me, though I'M
willingly, the benefit of the doubt as to
my intention, and on condition that
sent in my papers within thirty six
hours, left the service resigned my mem
bership of the two clubs to which / be-
longed, and sent private apology in
writing to the men had wrOnged-Mai.
Wilde had of course assumed that what
he had seen was habitual trick of mine
I should be spared the disgrace of hav-
ing the affair made public, and of being
cashiered.
mo, don't pity me. please. The honor
of the service had to be maintained, and,
If l could not even account for my own
lapse, how could | expect others to do SO
or to believe that it was the first?
Before the day was over the coloneis
orders were complied with, and for the
rest l did what had proposed. l sold
up everything l possessed, except a few
clothes, presents, and relics; paid my
debts, all of them could not have done
it even then, if the racing event spoke
of had not come out right after aIi-and
went abroad directly afterwards.
MY uncle refused even to see me, or
to listen to my version of the story, de-
spite my entreaties, but he sent me word
through his lawyers that since l had re-
paid his kindness by discrediting the
name | bore and turning out a gambler
and cheat, he would have nothing more
to do with me, but would take prompt
measures for cutting off the entail on
any portions of the property that would
otherwise have come to me, and leave his
money elsewhere. In order to save me
from starving. his solicitors had instruc-
tions to pay me CPS a quarter during
his pleasure, but that would be all. What
ever else l wanted I must earn
AS for my mother, she happened to be
wintering in Torquay for her health that
year, the Grosvenm Square house being
shut up meanwhile, for the time only
it was said; but as a matter of fact she
and the squire had quarreled a short
time previously, and, though neither of
them told me what it was about, I
guessed pretty easily that money was
the cause. the fact that she habitually
lived beyond her means being no secret
among those who knew her. while she
wrote me herself that it was the pressure
of her own debts which took from her
the power of coming to my aid
Poor mother! Those letters of hers,
full of reproaches, lamentations, eng
NAUTICAL sef-accusatfons, and assurances
that whatever errors she might have com
mitted had been for my sake and mine
only, were among my keenest tortures
that winter. Alas for me, l never saw
her again! She died quite suddenly of
an overdose of mOrphia, and at her death
l came into about f120 a year-all she
had of her own except her pension, which
died with her.
"Since then I have lived on that
need not tell you that l never touched a
penny of the money my uncle offered me
and have eked it out by my winnings
on the race course and at the billiard
table. Whist could never play again.
you see, had always lived luxurious
ly. ! had not learned any trade. knew
absolutely nothing Of business. Eton had
not taught me enough to teach others,
even if any one would have trusted his
son to me as a pupil; but I did thorough
" understand horses, and ] was a good
billiard player. So thought it no shame
to use my knowledge of these things to
keep myself out of debt, so long as |
could do so honestly.
THAT have done. No matter how
low / may have falleIf on that one fatal
night. no man can ever accuse me of
having dealt otherwise than fairly and
hororablv with him, every dav of NV life