The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-03
ASHES OF EMPIRE.
~ ROBERT W. CHAMBERS.
.o.,,, ,oat. 1925. By Robert ". cnnms'r')
CHAPTER XX.-CoSTINuED.

ihs".d an invitation and sat down on tho
y eeo WV ,,i,b his bit OF bread and morsel of
rl,sr steps WI" NV
~ beef ,ho connaro e,,o-.d
" N. stained glass; the sombre depths of
pUu % were tinged with violet and Grim
sn,tv clustered columns g%littcrcd purple;
-Na.Iov was bathed in shadow. save where
-,s.,. trembling beam Of light, red as blood,
M. an open wound across the pierced side Of
a. dying Lord.
q, looked up into the vaulted roof, stone
49, black with the shadows OF centuries.
=. hsard the roar of the campfres the crackle
sa.mp logs. the scrape and stamp and stir OF
-. borses. the deep breathing OF sleeping
I'M. He rose nolselessly and crept out into
,,oct The fog huns thick on the heavy fly
Nv mattresses, on feche and gargoyle, and on
n =. suted robes of saints and martyrs, pcering
- from their inches into the fire glow, where,
sO.,b.d in their cloaks. lay tho martyrs to be,
-, saints, but men, sick, freezing, starving
.hr,g,, called the l2sth OF the line.
Thcv Law there like Jumps on the church steps
,.aoorvnys-thcy nestled in thegutter. they hud.
It.I against doorposts. these clods OF breathing
sl.v-soddcn aud ragged and filthy. sinful, lust
All and human. sleeping their brief sleep till
~ white dawn reused and summoned them
home forever.
Faint cries from tho %sentries, fainter re.
,ronses, the cracklC and snap of logs aflre, and
The tall shadows wavering, these were all that
n. Jaw and heard. The carved stone gargoyles
dripped water from every fantastic snout, tho
reflected flames played over pillar and column,
nint and martyr, cross and crown.
All day he had driven thoughts of Hide from
him but now, at midnight. when the lamp of
liz burns lowest ana the eyes close, and death
,,ems very ncar-hc thought Of her, and lying
down in the street beside the fire, he questioned
hls soul. At night, too, the soul, stirring in the
hody-pcrhaps at the nearness of G~od-awakens
conscience.
He had never before thought seriously of
death. Its arrival to himself he had never pic
tured in concrete form. In the abstract he had
often risked it, never fearing 1t. because men
tally too inert, too la2y,:.to apply such a contin-
Sency to his own familiar body. Now, for the
first time in his life, he closed his eyes and saw
himself. just as he lay, but still, wet, muddy,
and horribly silent. He opened his eyes and
looked soberly ut the fire. After a little he
closed his eyes again, and again he saw him.
self lying as he lay, wet, muddy, motionless.
ss only the dead can lie. He had known fear,
but never before the dull foreboding that now
crept into his heart. To open his eyes and see
InU uo Woo w hNSt ~ Shub hNo Cy 90 wac W ~
hect the image of death upon his closed lids.
At first he disdaincd to shake 1t off-this mental
shadow that passed across his senses. What il
1t were truel He had lived. 1t was the old
~selfshnsss sitting the sense of responsibility
his responsibility to the world. to himself, Ito
Hide. To Hildei
He sat up in his blanket and stared into the
fire. Slowly the comprehension of his response.
bility came to him, his duty, all that was due to
her from him. all that he owed her, all that she
should claim, one day, claim in life.or in the lite
10 come. DIET He couldn't die-yet. There
was something to do first! Who spoke of DEATH
There was too much to do, there were matters
Of honor to arrange first, there was a debt TO
pay that neither death nor nell nor hope.of para
disc could cancel. Was death about to prevent
him from paying that debit
He was walking, now, moving aimlessly to
and fro under tho porch of the church. A SEN
try, huddled against a column, regarded him
alphabetically as he passed ont into the street.
And always his thoughts ran on:
"If l have this debt to pay, what am l doing
hercl What right have I to risk death until it
|, paidl And if l die II die"
His thoughts carried him no further. Hides
pale face rose before him. He read terrible
accusation in her eyes. And he repeated aloud,
again and again, Il must go back" For he
understood now that his life was no longer his
own to risk hat it belonged to Hide. Nor
would he ever again have the right to imperil
his life until they had risen together from their
knees. before the altar, as man and wife. He
looked out into the mist, ruddy with the camp
fire glow. Would morning ever comet Why
should he wait for morningl At the Thought
ne caught up his pouch and blanket, rolled.
BtTAnDpd and nd iuStnd thnm md sto1o o,. ;...
the darkness.
Almost at once he heard somebody following
him but at first he scarcely noticed it. Down
the main street he passed. over the slipperv
cooo!e5tones, eyes fixed on a distant fre.that
marked the last bivouac in the village before the
Street ends at the ruined bridge across the
MoIlette. 1t was rs he approached this campfire
mat he realized somebody had been following
NM. lie paused II moment in the circle of fire
ngAt and turnei around. Nothing stirred in
me darKness beyond. lie waited, then started
on again, crossing the Lille highway to the line
Vi ohShes that marked the waters edge. No
sentinel challenged him; he waded the ford
poio" the wrecked stone bridge, climbed the
~"N opposite and started across a wet
meauow' Beyond which lay the muddy road to
rArls' Half way through the meadow he halted
again TO listen. The unseen person was wading
inc lord he could hear him in the water: now
nc was climbing the bank the bushes cracked;
q tootstep fell on the gravel.
hardwood waited, peering through the gloom.
ne could see nothing; the silence was absolute.
"noeVer was following him had stopped out
'ncre in the darkness.
Allttle unnerved, Hardwood turned again and
TCs'eneu through the meadow to the high way.
"neh ne reached the road he could scarcely see
\. out he felt the mud and gravel beneath his
ttSo'' ana started on. In a moment he heard
bm nv '1o'steps OF his follower, not behind. now
Stonrma lfohl between MIN and Paris. He
nnITppeu abruptly and drew his revol yer. A
Iof, tn = ~ ssei in silence. Then there came IA
Monsieur" S ''N''
TN mo ere your said IIarewood sharply.
IIv mouse. monsieur"
I from " establishment the revolver almost fell
Won m% a~narewood's hand. What the devil arc
devru olns horei' he demanded. "and why Tho
SWsr ae you sncakIng about like thisI An.
Tbc " NJ TOOL nearly shot you Just now!"
vicioU j.. "Uuse crcut up.to Hardwood as a sulkv,
"In,r"r comes 10 his punishment.
'o"9w!ng mef" why "ro Sc"
Mouse. '''"'' IL was you,' muttered the
,Haott Why did you como TO Le Bourpet1r
Ham KNOW, said the Mouse sullcnlv.
"Yor""ppou > Arrangement turned to iupulicnce.
tainiv Gdi%d G,'lrr answer me, he said won Ger.