The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-13

she smiled to me. Her eyes arc full
Of tears now. Etienne. goodby." A
sigh and he was gone.
l will not paint my grief to you; IT
was terrible. And when Georges was
buried in the midst Of the beating OF
drums and the shouts Of victory,
wept bitter tears, for 1 felt that my
youth was lying in the coffin by my
friends side. Georges strange fare
we'll had impressed me profoundly. AT
night hideous visions haunted my
sleep. Tor six months was as nervous
as g woman, and, if you will believe
me, major, 1 was positively afraid to
be alone in the dark.
But one year, two years passed.
Georges memory, indelibly craven on
my heart, yielded, without becoming
effaced. to the preoccupations Of the
war to my anxieties about my future.
NV puerile fears, positive disease,
vanished. Yes, the more / look back
the surer l am Of it. l had quite be-
come myself once more, my mind and
brain were clear, when the event am
about to tell you Of struck me with
stupor. had just been made captain
en- second.
After rough and, I may add. glorious
campaigns, I returned with my regi-
ment to ,Algiers. Young, impetuous.
with ardent, almost virginia.. senses,
rich with the gold of our first capture,
flung myself headlong into the midst
of all the pleasures Of garrison life
day, evening, night, all were one long
orgy. 1 sambled madly, frantically,
as one does st the first go. I won at
the outset, and then suddenly my luck
turned. One night in cafe Of Bah
Azoun street I lost $4,000 francs-all
my own private funds, as well as my
share Of the booty money. The sum
was large one, and its loss was COM
mented upon in Algfers.
Toward 10 o'clock in the morning I
was requested to call upon the colonel.
Pale and restless, hardly knowing why,
entered the coloners room. I found
him paler and more nervous than I
myself.
Captain" he began, in a deep. de-
spairing voice, "my regiments strong
box was broken into this morning.
Fourteen thousand francs were taken
14,OO0 francs, do you hear, sir?" And
the old officer stepped toward me, with
his arms crossed and his eyes lowering
under their bushy brows. felt my
temples humping and my head split
ting. I drew back With cry of In
dignation. "Here is handkerchief
lost by the thief ard found under the
treasurer's chair. Look, sir, 1t is mark
ed with your initials, e. W" took
the handkerchief mechanically. 1t was
mine without a doubt. My knees
quaked, tears sprang to my eyes, !
could not speak. "And now, sir" the
colonel wound up, ego and blow your
brains out"
1 left the room without word, as
crushed, as abject as if lad been the
thief. did not try to justify myself
nor to claim an investigation. No! l
went back to the officers cramped
quarters, l took loaded pistol out Of
my saddle case, cooked it. at this
point l stopped. Thick sobs choked
me. had rapid vision Of my happy
childhood, my first martial exploits,
my mother and Georges-Georges
above all! ITO diew 1 murmured. ITO
die dishonoredw "You must not die"
said a sonorous, vibrating voice, metal.
lie and yet soft, with nothing human
about it. The pistol dropped from my
fingers. Georges was standing before
me. His eyes were fixed. They glow
ed with an unknown light Illuminating
his face, as white and translucent as
alabaster.
Explain this, major. AS tell you
this terrible occurrence feel my hair
standing on end, my teeth chatter, my
voice shakes, whereas in Georges pres
ence l experienced only serene joy,
ideal calm. unalloyed happiness. My
youth, my fair dreams Of love and Of
glory surrounded me in all their radi-
ance. Only the moment before crushed
under the weight of an inconceiyable
fatality, l now felt myself under pow
erful. almost divine, protection. Shall
l say more? Georges presence did not
astonish me. accepted it as simple,
natural fact. We talked like brothers.
like friends long separated.
"Etienne, what were you about to
do?" he asked me gently. "My poor
boy! I've come to save, you. Your
servant is the offender. He stole the
14,OOO francs, as he stole the handker-
chief found by the colonel. You have
trusted the fellow. He used to be hon
est. But he has mistress, q Moorish
girl who sells her favors high. 1t was
for her that he took the money. Two
thousand francs will be found in his
mattress and L., 900 on the girls person.
Hurry to the colonel. have told you
what had to say. Goodby." Georges
vanished, and found myself alone.
The sentiment Of reality came back
to me. I dashed my head against the
window panes. The glass. splintering,
cut my brow and made the blood flow.
In the courtyard, between the daz-
zling, whitewashed walls, below the
torrid sky, luminously blue, soldiers
were nonchalantly smoking. The white
minarets Of the Casbah rose above the
peaceful, silent scene. Far in the dis
tance the waters Of the blue Mediter-
ranean glittered like gems. was ac-