, 1888-11-21

SECONDS later ne was In the street lis
brain was vacant, without thought. he
walked with the automatic step of tho
drunkard whom will alone maintains upon
his indecisive legs.
Arrived nj his own house, he threw
himself upon n chair, leaned his elbows
upon his knees. his brow upon his hands,
and remained thus, astonished to find
himself almost calm, fearless, but still
unable to reflect. From time to time a
sharp pang traversing his heart moment.
arily recalled to him that he suffered; he
felt himself pale. He made an effort to
rouse himself, got up, opened the window
and regarded the heavens of a light,
tender blue, the blue of the early spring
morning that follows a night of rain.
TIL trees of the garden had begun to
blossom, rosy clouds foated above the
houses, lowered n moment upon the chin
ney tops like the wings of birds and then
sun their way. Before him, bathed
in a palid sunlight, yelled still by a VA
porous mist, the quadrangular bulk of
the quarters, its walls yellow and naked.
showed itself in an attitude stiff and mar
tial. For the first time he seemed to see
all these things, and more quickly than
ever, the impression Of external objects
acting upon a CALLED and tortured brain
Nevertheless, while in his lungs the fresh,
pure air of the morning circulated, and
he felt and he saw tho beauty of the
world about him, by a curious doubling
of personality he followed impassibly in
another self. the terrible and common
place history That had dishonored him
He, Capt. Random. accused of forgery,
was going to be brought before n court
martial. Tomorrow, ut latest, he would
be arrestcd-the colonel had given him
but tw~enty-four hours-had said. And
now, monsieur, you know. | think. what
you have to dol
He had but one passion-the horse-and
that passion had ruined him. To ride, TO
run them, to mount them at races, and to
nave n stable had been the fixed idea of
his life; the goal of all his desires and
efforts; the single thought of his soul. A
marvellous horseman, absolutely indis
mountablc, so they said in the regiment,
the men had surnamed him THE Jockey"
II name that was at once his ambition and
his pride. The maintenance of his stable,
however. had cost him his patrimony. He
had borrowed, and n pack of creditors
loosed at his heels tracked and harassed
him At last. at bay one day, mad with
worry and lost in one of those moments
when moral sense is obliterated and con
science uses sophistries to put to sleep
its srruples, he had drawn from the cash
buS of his squadron forged signatures to
The bills in it, and falsiied his accounts
in the hope OF hiding the deficit.
unskillfully done, the fault was
speedily discovered, and tomorrow no
was to be publicly branded, and the
cavaliers of the second class, who, in the
street, rode behind him, would then have
the right to refuse to salute him, the
right to scorn him.
How could 1 have done it," he cried
aloud, clutching the window frame in
agony, all in a sweat, his eyes dry and
staring straight before him in nm attitude
Of blank despair. He had a vision of the
ordeal awaiting him-tho five brother
officers united there to judge, condemn
and degrade him.
And now, monsieur. you know, | think,
what you have to dor
The phrase of the colonel returned TO
him suddenly in its implacable signif.
canoe. followed by that other one that
his brain conveyed to him like an echo
HE means you to kill YOURSELF"
He remained a moment bewildered,
stuPefed. Then a sob shook his breast,
tears rolled from his eyes, and like a
child who, feeble and without support,
has need to sustain and solace itself by
affection, he was seized with an infinite
gratitude, an instructive thankfulness to
the colonel who had been kind to him
his colonel, who had accorded him twenty
four hours of grace, who had opened t.
him a door of salvation in permitting hin
to evade a public dishonor.
He must kill himself-that liberty alon,
remained to him. Kill himself Finisl
it, and immediately DEATH No NOR
hubbub, no more uneasiness or disquiet
udel Indifference to the futurel For
getfulness of everything and of himself
So be it'll He had had enough of thi
needy. tormented e~xistencel
Meanwhile he had not stirred from hi
window, unable to tear his regard from
the spectacle of life that surrounded him
In the distance from tho gates of tn
quarters a platoon of riders were goinl
ont for their regular mRneuvers. Mol
and horses were like pigmies-small, bu
distinct. Mechanically he counted them
-Four, eight. twelve, sixteen, eighteen
Soon the platoon was lost from sight Il
one of the cross streets, and when tn
last Of the cavaliers had ~disappeare,
around the turning. a great emptiucs
filed the breast of Random. 1t SCENE
to him that henceforth he was alone i
the world. abandoned by every one. II
drew himself back, slowly reclosed tn
Sc md re-entered his chamber.
az linst the wall ON the right a panopl
II arms fsstidiously arranged caught hi
oye Ho reflected, quickly passing in re
view the divers means of suicide tina
were at his door, SUCCESSFULLY ~rejecLiu
them all-tho revolver. commonplace
the stroke of the poinard, thoatrlca.
poison, the method of a nervous duchess
drowning, fit only for n betrayed and
Suddenly he shivered-he had found II
He descended to the court and called hi
stableInan.
Saddle Ninichei" said he. And h
waited, promenading from sido to side
threshing the air with his riding whiT
whistling through his teeth When the
brought him his mount. a little mare
true bred. slender, yet sinewy, he wa
calm again, and settling himself slowly i
his stirrups, departed.
Erect upon his saddle. martially camped
his legs falling naturally along the flank
of his mare, the reins supple but perfect
carried, and trinity attired in a blue cay
airy coat. closely buttoned to his forr
Capt. Random advanced ct a slow ster
lei was pale, a little nervous, perhaps