The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17

at Fiddles's door.
Bang! bang! went the hilt Of a
short sword on the panel. open In the
name of the law!'
"'what for?' I demanded. Getting
drunk was not a crime in Rosengarten,
especially when the offender had been
tucked away in bed.
"'For smashing the face OF a citizen
"a worthy cobbler-the night before
at the hour OF s, really-just as he
was closing his shutters The cobbler
lay insensible until he had been found
by the patrol. He had, however, rec
ognized Fuedels-Shimmer as the
"'But, gentlemen. Herr Riddles was
dead drunk at o'clock; he hasn't
stirred out of the room since. Here is
the key and unlocked the door and
we all stepped in, Gretchen and the
landlady close behind. They had told
the officers the same story downstairs.
but they would not believe it.
"At the intrusion Riddles rose to
sitting posture and stared wonderingly.
He was sober enough now. but his
heavy sleep still showed about his eyes.
"The production of the key, my posi-
tive statement, backed by the women,
and Fiddless wondering gaze brought
the gendarmes to a halt for a moment.
but his previous arrest was against
him, and 50 the boy was finally ordered
to put on his clothes and accompany
them to the lookup.
81 got into the rest of my buds now
and began waving the American flag
and ordering out gunboats. In insisted
the cobbler had lied before in accusing
F!ddles of shooting the rabbit as was
well known, and he would lie again.
Riddles was my friend. my servant
a youth of incorruptible character.
1T is true he had been intoxicated
| the night before and that | had in
consequence put him to bed but that
was entirely due to the effects of some
very rare wine which he had drunk
at a luncheon given in his honor and
mine by our very dear friend, the Bar
oness Morghenslitz, who had enter
tanned us at her princely home. This,
with the heat of the day, had been, &c.
THE mention of the distinguished
womans name caused another halt.
| Further consultation ensued, resulting
in the decision that we all adjourn to
the office of the Mayor. If, after hear
| ing our aHbi-one beyond dispute
and submitting our evidence exhibit
A, the key, which they must admit
exactly fitted the lock of Fiddless bed
room door, his Honor could still be
made to believe the perjured testimony
of the cobbler-Fiddless enemy, as had
been abundantly proved in the previous
| rabbit case when the same mendacous
half soler and heller had informed on
my friend-well and good, but IL not
why then the resources of my Govern
ont
young mans release.
THE Mayors first words were: 'Ah
you have come again, is it, Mein herr
Marry, and 1t is the same young man
too, Herr Fuddles. Well, well, II IL
much trouble that you have U'd Civ,
1t to you in German, old man, but you
wouldn't understand it-this to me IL
a sort Of an aside.)
Riddles never moved q muscle of hi,
face You would have thought tina
he was the least interested man II
the room. Only once did his features
relax and that was when the cobble
arrived with his head swathed in band
ages. Then a grim smile filckere,
about the corners of his mouth, as
fate had at last overtaken his enemy.
"Of course the Mayor dismissed tn
|
the landlady's positive statement o
helping put the dear young gentleman
to bed; the key and the use l ha
made of 1t; the reluctant testimony O
the officers, who had tried the kno
and could not get In until l had turne
the lock, together with the well know
animosity of the cobbler land all be
cause Riddles had ridiculed his work
manship on a pair of shoes the DO
had left with him to be half soled
turned the tide in the lads favor an
sent us all back to the inn rejoicing.
Some weeks later Riddles came int
my room, locked the door, pulled dow
the shades, looked under the bed, in III
closet and behind the curtains. and 50
down in front of me. q had to retur
to Munich the next day, and this woul
be our last night together.)
"'You have been very good to m
MASTER he said with a choke in h
voice. L love people who are good
me; I hate those who are not. hay
been that way all my life-it wou
have been better for me II hadn'
Then he leaned forward and took n