Grand Rapids herald., 1893-11-19

upon Ann
-1Ar~d. Enssnsr hs ssksa
"A hftie. ar
-Ah- can pndsrstsnd &C. net~o
your activity today. Voc have rnistAkra
your vocation. mon cher. You shoal
~ have come into the army. Yoc
should have ben . professional runner.
.Aa answer bnraed on my tongue
Bas ! kept m there. gave . shrug nne
sAAd nothing. What ne could furthei
wrsngiirig bss But the silenoe wzs ~
III move. Il only angered hmm further
and hs threw ~ ne an insult which Ma
msse than human nan could endure.
DO yoa think .ou viii syain feel IN
ciined 90 use those powers Of yoar
tomorrow. Eugen<i Or had l bette
have you hsndcufsd 70 some steady ole
soldiery
A dozen Of the other officers sprang tc
their feet at this ghastly tsunt. for when
sncn . thing - TINS was aid 20 one OF
their number IL touched all The old
major was their spokesman
Colonel. we make all allowances. bal
ron ere going too Gar with the young
ster.-
The colonel scowled round tight Tipped
for minute. and then:
81 am quite capable Of commandine
this regiment Of lost sheep without I'm
asked for advice from subordinates. ma
jor. Lieutenant Ramard. you heard my
question. ] presumed Please have the
civility TO answer"
During tbs minutes respite had been
thinking and acting-that is, writing.
got up and handed the colonel shp Of
paper. On IL were the words:
Iacknowledge that I. E RanArd. lieussnant
Of the Twenty-second -. arm coward
EroEsE RAnAkD
He read IL.
There. SIR" said, kindly add the
date. as have forgotten what it is, and
please leave that behind with the bag
gage when we march tomorrow. lido
not do better work for France than any
man in the regiment, IL is my wish that
this paper be published" The colonel
nodded griinly and then frowned.
"Have your permission now, sir. TO
withdraw from this roomT'
A refusal was framing ITSELF could
Zee it-but the lowering faces around
made him curb his passion. and he nod
ded again. but reluctantly.
In the dark. wet air outside, and not
before. did | realize fully what | had
done. The screed on the slip Of paper
had been the spasm Of the instant II
seemed TO me now the outcome OF mo
ment's insanity. had had no plan. no
trace Of scheme in my head while was
scribbling. The words and the pledge
were an empty boast, made In the wild
hope that could hold them good. But
how could such q thing be done? The
most furious. desperate courage by IL
self would avail nothing. There would
be q Thousand men around. each TO the
full as brave as for no one can march
farther than death-and TO do "better
work for France" than any of them
All. no, the thing was impossible! With
them | should fall. and among all Of
them ! alone would be branded infa
nous. The paper would be brought to
light, the curt, bald confession would
Re read. with no explanation Of how or
why il was written. and men would
form their own opinions-an hostile, al
against me.
To leave behind nothing but the name
OF self avowed cowardi Oh, agony
bitter agony!
Wandered wherever my blind feet led
me, wrenched by torments that God
alone knew the strength of. and from
which there seemed no human means Of
escape. The heavy rain squalls moaned
down the village streets The place.
with It's armed tenantry. slept. Only
the drippisG sentries were open eyed
These, taking me for an officer on lordi
nary rounds, saluted with silent res ,,ect.
No soul interfered with me. Not even a
dog barked.
The thonght came: You die only e.
gain . wreath Of craven plumea Why
not pass away from here-escape-de
sert-vanish-be known no more-and
yet live; No one withholds from you
new life and new country. France alone.
Of all the world. is utterly hopeless for
seo.
The thought gained. say il freely
now, for the dead. dull blackness Of my
prospect then showed no spot OF relief.
In my walkings to and fro gradually
verged nearer and nearer TO the outer
Gordon. A IN officer knew the words
for the nizht-sign and countersign both.
I could pass the pickets
Farther and farther toward the scat
tered outskirts Of the hamlet did my
doubling feet lead me. In one more pa
troll up and down think my mind would
have been made mp. and after that what
ever deluge the fates desired. But
sound fell on my ear. faint and not IN
musical wss duly conscious OF some
new scheme beginning 10 frame itself.
changed my path and walked faster.
Presently the cause Of the sound dis
closed itself. A field forge. an anvil
and couple Of Rrimy fsrrisr and half
. dozen troopers with horses. The cav
alrymen were resting on the ground.
watering bride In hand. awaiting their
turus. The smiths were shaving. sweat
ing. swearing. doing the work OF thrice
their number. II was queer enough
group. and gared at II for many min
utes. stil unable 10 frame the gauxy idea
that had terminated me. Then one of the
farmers who had bsen fitting hissing
shoe on % . hind hoof chilled the hot
iron in rain paddle and humped MP the
horses fetIock on TO his spron again
started.