Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-04-01

The road from B.. past the old
chateau. is very beautiful Strangers
travelling through the country take the
drive and exclaim al the fairness Of
open field and massive wood. but there
is one spot where silence comes in
voluntarily. a long. Swallowed stretch
where the forest rises darldy on both
sides. and twilight reigns az high noon
Here the wood Goo the right extends but
a few rods. ending abruptly in the high
cliff that follows the road for miles
and far below. I'm the silence of the for
est. comes the subdued rush and muir
muir of the deep river. swirling against
the rocks i'm its bed.
In the day 60 is beautiful but at night
IL rs awcsome and none travel past
them but those whose way leads them
there of necessity.
on the NIGHT that Jules D'Arblay rode
20 B.. the deep forest lay quiet and
still. knowing that the one sound that
would awaken its echoes would be the
gallop OF a returning horse Jules
D'Arblay always returned late. and
alone. He was later than usual to-
night. for he wos making ARRANGEMENTS
90 leave indefinitely AS a rule he On
ioyed spending his summers in the fine
old chateau. hut this summer ne pre-
ferred 20 leave.
The trees rose high and met in thick
arches over the road. shutting out the
light of the stars The trees and the
little bushes were the only things OF
the forest not asleep in the vastness
OF the night and they stirred and whis-
pered. ncdding wisely 20 one another
and shivering awesomely IN the silence
Down the hard road came the whole
some reality OF steady hoof-beats. and
the Quivering bushes held themselves TO
listen as horse and rider came nearer
through the black shadows. At one
side the low grass rustled. and two rest
less eyes cleaned az the dark outline
approaching The slim. straight shadow
sat fearlessly erect and unconscious OF
danger.
From out az tho roadside something
rose and struck ,iciously az the head
OF the rider. kissing angrily. After
20 years. Jules D'Arblayi" something
fell heavily. without n cry. and then
was backed through the blackness by
commanding hand. still back. toward
the steep elm for a riderless horse is a
betrayal. and II drunken man rides
over a clin in returning from town It
Is no ones fault but his own. The air
quivered with the human scream OF a
terrified beast and the deep river
splashed sOlemnly as Il received its bur
den
The timid bushes shivered and cow
cred again. bending fearsomely TO one
side as the man returned. and a still
warm thing was carried heavily through
them. its nerveless limbs Imply brush
ing them in its progress.
The wind stopped 70 hear his heavy
breathing as the bearer OF the burden
strobe on. Then IL fed up swiftly.
affrighted. 10 tell the tree-tops what II
had seen. ana the good old trees tossed
their long arms In sorrow over the
treachery of man TO man. and let the
stars peep wouderingly through. so that
their clear light shone fair and steadily
IN the still face.
AS one who does so against his will
the one who bore him glanced down In
stern aversion at the dead man. The
limp thing half slipped from his loos-
ened grasp; the distant stars quivered
and shrank. as great cry rang out and
up 10 them. lingering and sobbing in the
tree-tops like the wall OF a stricken
woman
rob. my God, My God,"
The little bushes rustled pitifuIly. and
through the parted arms of the solemn
trees the stars shone tenderly. even on
this one who knelt shivering on the
ground. staring dumbly into the face
OF the dead.
On the following day a passing tray
aIer found two bodies In the wood BY
the cliff. young Theon Chevreau.
stretched carefully out on the tender
grass with his cloak wrapped smoothly
about him, and the strange old man.
his father with a bullet In his temple.
ying face downward as he had died
his head on his sons breast-Good
Literature.