Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-02-20
CHAPTER TX.
Old AdeIbert.


his position. No longer, a sausage in
his pocket for refreshment, did he
leave his little room daily for the
opera. A young man, who made ogling
eyes at Olga, of the garde-robe, and
who was not careful to keep the lenses
clean, had taken his place.
! He was hurt in his soldiers soul.
There was no longer a place in the
kingdom for those who had fought for
lit. The cry was for the young. And
| even in the first twenty-four hours d
subtle change went on in him. His
| loyalty, on which he had built his
creed of life, turned to bitterness.
The first day of his idleness he wan
dered into the back room of the cob
bler's shop near by, where the butter
| seller from the corner, the maker of
artificial flowers for graves, and the
cobbIer himself were gathered, and lis
tened without protest to such talk as
! would have reused him once to white
anger
! But the iron had not yet gone very
deep, and one thing he would not per-
nit. 1t was when, in the conversation,
one of them attacked the king. Then
| indeed he was reused to fury.
! Once upon time student named
Haeckel had occasionally backed him
up in his defense of the royal family.
But for some reason or other Haeckcl
came no more, and old Adelbert missed
him. He had inquired for him fire.
quently.
'Where is the boy Haeckel?" he had
asked one day. II have not seen him
lately"
No one had replied. But sort of
grim silence settled over the little
room. Old Adelbert, however, was not
| discerning.
But, that first day Of idleness, when
he had left the cobbler's, he resolved
mot to return. They had not been
unfriendly, but he had seen at once
there was difference. He was no
/ longer old Adelbert Of the opera. He
was an old man only, and out of work.
He spent hours that first free after
noon repairing his frayed linen and
his shabby uniform. with his wooden
leg stretched out before him and his
pipe clutched firmly in his teeth.
Then, freshly shaved and brushed, he
started on a painful search after work.
With no result. And, indeed. he was
hopeless before he began. He was old
land infirm. There was little THAT no
had even the courage to apply for.
1 True, he had his small pension, but
it came only twice year, and was
sent, intact, to take care of an Invalid
daughter in the country. That was
not his. He never used penny of
it. And he had saved trifie, by liz
ing on air, as the concierge declared.
Eut misfortunes come In threes, like
fires and other calamities. The after
moon of that very day brought let
ter, saying that the daughter was
worse and must have an operation.
Old Adelbert went to church and
burned candle for her recovery, and
from there to the bank to send By
registered mail the surgeons fee.
He was bankrupt in twenty-four
hours.
That evening in his extremity he did
a reckless thing. He wrote letter to
the king He spent hours over 1t, first
composing it In pencil and then copy
ing it with ink borrowed from the
concierge. 1t began "Sire," as he had
learned was the form, and went on to
remind his majesty, first, of the hos
pital incident, which, having been for
ty years ago, might have slipped the
royal memory. Then came the facts
Ibis lost position, his daughter, the
handicap of his wooden leg. 1t ended
with plea for reinstatement or, fail
ing that, for any sort OF work.
He sent it, unfolded, in large fiat
envelope, which also he had learned
was the correct thing with kings, who
for some reason or other do not like
folded communications. Then he
waited. He considered that few
hours should bring a return.
No answer came. No answer ever
came. For the king was Ill, and secre-
taries carefully sifted the royal mail.
That night, in the concierge's bu-
reau, he was treated to many Incl
dents. all alike. The government took,
! but gave nothing. As well expect
blood out of a stone. Instances were
given, heartlessness piled on heart.
lessness, one sordid story on an
other.
And as he listened there died in old
Adelbert's soul his flaming love for his
sovereign and his belief in him. His
eyes took on a hard and haunted look.
That night he walked past the palace
and shook his fist at it. He was
greatly ashamed Of that, however, and
never repeated 1t. But his soul was
now an open sore, ready for infec.
ton.
And Black Humbert bided his time.
On the day OF the excursion &c the
fortress old Adelbert decided to aDpeal
% his fellow ledger, Herman Spier,
Now and then, when he was affiuelt,
he had paid small tribute to Herman
BY means of the camp cookery on
which he prided himself