The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-01-26
A Ride to Death.

A Ride to Death.
And now, monsieur, You know, l think,
what YOU have to dol" The colonel ceased.
Capt, Random wheeled like a manikin
turned by brutal hand. Two seconds
later he was in the street. His brain was
vacant, without thought; he walked with
the automatic step of the drunkard whom
will alone maintains upon his iudecisive
legs.
Arrived at his own house, he threw him
self upon chair, leaned his elbows upon
his knees, his brow upon his hand, and re-
mained thus, astonshed to find himself
almost calm, fearless. but still unable TO
reflect. From time to time d sharp pang
traversing his heart momentarily 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 CT light, tender blue, the
blue of an early spring morning that fol-
lows night Of rain.
The trees of the garden had begun to
blossom, rosy clouds floated above the
houses, lowered a moment upon the chirl-
ney tops like the wings of birds, and then
resumed their way. Before him, bathed in
palid sunlight, veiled still by Yaporous
mist, the 9hadrapgnlarbulk of the quarters,
its walls yellow and naked, showed itself
in an attitude stiff and martial. For the
hrst time be seemed to see ali these things,
ard more quickly than eyer, the impress
on of external objects acting upon
galled and tortured brain. Nevertheless,
while in his lungs the fresh, pure air of the
morning circulated, and he felt and he
saw the beauty of the world about him, by
a curious doubling of personality he fol-
lowed lmpassibly in another self, the ter
rible and common place history that had
dishonored him.
he, Captain Random, accused of forgery,
was going to be brought before a court
martial. Tomorrow, at latest, he would
be arrested-the colonel had given him
twenty-four hours-had said "And now,
monsieur you know, | think. what you
have to do"
He had but one passion--the horse-and
that passion had ruined him. To ride. to
run them, to mount them a: races, and to
have a stable had been the fixed idea Of
mis- life, the goal of all his desires and sf-
forts, the single thought of his soul. A
marvellous horseman, absolutely indis
mountable, so they said in the regiment
the men had surnamed him 1.-THE Jockey,
name that was once his ambition and
pride. The maintenance of his stable,
however, had cost him his patrmony. He
had borrowed, and a pack of creditors
loosed at his heels tracked and harrassed
him. AT last, at bay one day. mad with
woIryyand lost in one of those moments
when moral sense is obliterated and con.
science uses sophistries to rut to sleep its
scruples, he had drawn from the cash box
of his squadron forged signatures to the
bills il il, and falsiied his accounts in the
hope of- hiding the deficit.
Unskillfully done, the fault was speedily
discovered, and tomorrow he was to be
publicly branded, and the cavaliers of the
second class, who, in the street, rode be-
hind him, would then have the right to re-
t use TO salute lin, the light 10 scorn him
"How could have done it?' he eric d
aloud, clutching the window frame in
agony, all in sweat. his eyes dry and
staring straight before him in an attitude
of blank despair, lie had vision of the
ordeal awaiting him-the five brother off.
GERS united there to judge, condemn and
| degrade him.
"And now, monsiellr,Y you know. think,
what you have to do.'
The phrase of the colonel returned tC
him suddenly in it's implacabe sgnif
canoe, followed BY that other one that hi:
brain conveyed to him like an echo: "Ht
means you to kill Yourself"
He remained a moment bewildered
stupefed. Then sob shook his breast
tears rolled from his eyes, and like chile
| who, feeble and without support, has meet
10 sustain and solace itself by affection, b,
was seized with an infinite gratitude, al
instructive thankfuiness to the colonel, ,wht
had been kind to him-his colonel, VIII,
had accorded him twenty-four hours o
grace, who had opened to him a door o
salvation in permitting him to evade
public dishonor.
He must kill himself-that liberty alou
remained to him. Kill himself! Finish il
and Immediately No more hubbub, n
more uneasiness Or disquietude IndiffeI
ance to the future. Forgetfulness of every
thing and of himself.
So be il! He had had enough of thi
needy, tormented existence.
Meanwhile he had not stirred from tn
window, unable TO tear his regard from tn
spectacle Of life that surrounded him. l
he dis'ance from the gates of the quarter
platoon Of riders were going out for the
regular maneuYers. Men and horses wei
alike plgmles7small, but distinct, Nj
chanically he counted them. Four, eigh
twelve, sixteen, eighteen. Soon the pl
Iooh was loSI slght OF III one OF the Gro
streets, and when the last of the cavalie
had disappeared around the turning,
great emptiness filled the breast OF Rando
1t seemed to HIM that henceforth he VI
alone in the world, abandoned by eve
one. He drew himself back, slowly I
closed the sash and re entered his chambs
Against the wall on the right a panop'
of arms fastidiousiy arranged caught /
eye. He reflected quickly passing in
view the divers means of suicide that we
1t his door, excessively rejecting them
the revolver commonplace; the stroke
'he poinaTd, theatrical; poison, the meth
Of nervous duchess; drowning, Ct oI
/ for betrayed and
~ He suddenly shiYered-he had found