Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-17
a moment. then was calm. stjll oa,,n,

me, he said in a choking voice:
"'Sh Is my mother
I'm a moment l realized tho hideous In.
suit l had offered him. l tingled with
shame. What could have possessed me
that morning l do not know. No officer
or gentleman would ever speak i'll of a
woman-least of all in public.
LET him go" | cried to the soldiers. !
rose, removed my cap, and, bowling, said
"'Sir, ] place myself at your DISPOSE
ton .
AT this ONE the whistle OF the APP.
preaching train was heard. My friend
grasped my arm and dragged me to the
station without, where we took the train
for Lille.
"As soon as l could do SO l FASTENED to
the general commanding our division.
told him all. As You may imagine, be
reprilhanded me severely.
What, said he, AN officer of your
rank to babble thus in public, like a raw
boy just u of the military school! 1t Ia
the fault Of the war department. They
should not promote men so young as you
to positions Of Importance
81 privately thought that If l had been
a general tho affair would have been the
same. But I so richly merited his severe
language that l did not reply.
"'Well, said he finally, what do you
propose to dor
"'There Is but one course open to me,
general I replied. 4 have grievously
offended this young man. I have there
fore placed myself at his disposition. We
must fight.
"'A duel! You are madl A major
cannot go upon the field with a private
soldier
General, you must allow me to say
that there are certain insults so grave that
military usage must yield to them. Grant
me permission to do this.
But l cannot. l have no right to do
So
'Then telegraph the minister of war
"'He will refuse
"'Well, If that be the case, l shall notify
George de Ferisset, and We will fight in
Belgium
"'Then you desertr
"'Yes, general, l will desert and then
return for my punishment. I have once
d%ishonored myself in publicly insulting a
woman. I shall not again do SO in refus-
ing satisfaction to her son.
"The generals perplexity and anger be-
gan to pass away. He seemed moved. He
strobe up and down the room for some
moments, and finally, turning to me, said:
Be it SO. Do as you will. Bear in
mind, though, that I know nothing of this
affair. This conversation has not taken
place
II thanked him and repaired to my
ryYArtaYa fN1ot orori,v NJ EHor;1c1A5o oa.
onds arrived. They were civilians, as were
also the two friends whom l named to ar
range matters with them. The weapon
chosen was the sword, the hour 8 O'Clock
the following morning, the place a little
village just within the Belgian frontier. I
put my affairs in order that night, for I
had determined to offer but slight defense.
SAT the appointed hour the next day we
were there. 1t was a raw, drizzly morn
Ing, and the mud was ankle deep. Dc
Ferisset appeared in uniform. One Of my
seconds remarked that he, like the rest Of
us, should have come as a civilian. He
replied that he had been insulted as man
and soldier, and that reparation was due
to him as such. l made a sign to my sec
ond, and he did not insist.
1--WE took our places. 1t was a curious
spectacle-a private soldier In his uniform
facing his superior officer in multi.
1.-The swords were crossed. The word
was given. / watched his face with q fe-
verish curiosity. In his eyes there was tho
same glare Of the day before, the same in.
decision. Suddenly a strange smile ap-
peared upon his lips-the smile Of a broken
heart--a smile I shall never forget though
! live a hundred years. Quick as a flash
he abandoned his guard. and, grasping my
sword with his left hand, be hurled him
self upon it. 1t ran him through the body.
Utrering a hoarse cry, he fell backward.
A bloody foam tinged his pale lips. A con-
vulsive shudder ran over his body, anoth-
er, then a groan. He was dead"
l listened with horror to his story, He
noticed my looks, but went doggedly on: |
OF course l had not killed him-I had
even resolved not to defend myself, and l
quilted the army. But still / feel like a
murderer; l feel as though l had commit
ted a crime. When I think of that poor
boy-loyal to his mother, bad though she
was-slain in the first flush of youth, 1
feel like an assassin. And think of that
Wretched mother! How she must mourn |
her brave boy s fall!'
1t was growing late; the people were
pouring out Of the cafes concerts. Now
and then a passerby would hum over the
latest comic song. Strange contrast! The
follies of the song mingled with the words
of the somber drama Just unrolled before
me. Gustave walked on by my side, with
bent head, crushed by the weight Of his
story.
And still the Champs Elysees swarmed
with people. Around us was the intense
life Of a summer night in frivolous Paris.
On the avenue were innumerable carriages
and all around gayly dressed loungers on
the iron chairs.
As my eye roamed carelessly over them
l saw one group, the center Of which was
a woman Of As, but still very beautiful.
She was dressed richly and tastefully and
bore In her hand a bouquet which a smirk-
Ing dandy had just presented to her.
could not repress an exclamation. Gustave
followed my eyes.
"What!' he cried, ut cannot be she?"
yes" I answered him, SIT is Mime. do
Ferisset. From the French For Argo.
naut.
The Paper William Morris Used.