The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-05-05

UTSl year, dl Tue emu OI the second ne
was a sergeant. Now, when he met
them, the privates were the first to
raise their hands in salute.
A single night of drunkenness, of
folly, and all that he had gained was
lost He had just been appointed ser
geant-maior. One day; when he had
the company's pay in his pocket, three
glasses of absinthe, taken one after
another in spirit of bravado and a
girl with cruel eyes, had made of him
thief, a criminal
From that time on his life was hor-
rible once more. Bitterly he remem-
bered his shamed attitude before the
epaulettes and crosses of the council
of war
Then came the interminable years
OF service in the African battalion,
crushing stones for the roadways be-
meath a burning sun, tortured by
thirst. Out of this furnace and infamy
ne came forth at last with heritage
of eternal burning thirst and spirit
gangrened to the very core.
There was no further luck for him
after that, no chance to redeem him
self. No one had thrown him a saw
ing rope, no one had lent hand to
pull him from the mire.
Seeking a days work here and there,
wherever he could, he had trodden the
country roads an outcast shadowed by
his past When his hunger -ecame too
keen he committed petty thefts, swip-
ing his way as in Algiers. The rude
hand of justice had more than once
fallen heavily upon his shoulder.
Two years ago where was he? In
prison. And last winter? Prison again.
Now for three days he had walked in
the full harvest and not days work
could he get. His last sou was gone,
he had eaten his last crust What was
he to do? What was to become Of
him?
Presently the tramp paused at a
meeting of the roads. Before him was
a cross with an image of the Christ
roughly carved.
Struggling his shoulders, the tramp
turned to the left.
Two hundred yards farther on he
saw rich country house separated
by hedge and a lawn of beautiful
green grass from the road AS he ap-
preached lady, in cool summer
dress, came out on the terrace and
called to little boy playing on the
grass with large Newfoundland dog.
The child turned back at her call,
and the dog, grown suddenly angry.
ran to the hedge and barked furiouSly
at the sinister stranger.
The tramp shook his fist at the great
villa, and, overcome with bitter de-
spair, turned sharply to follow a mar
row footpath across the fields. 1t was
then that he found himself among the
cornfields. his legs aching with weari-
ness, weak from lack Of food, alone,
lost. desperate.
Suddenly a cock crowded loudly be-
fore him. A house was near. The
man looked UP defiantly. So be it,
then. He would go there and beg.
Ii they would give him nothing he
would steal He would even kill.
Running his finger along the edge Of
his knife, he tightened his belt and.
following a curve in the path, found
himself in a narrow farmyard. With
frightened cries the hens fed beneath
his feet as he strode across to the door
of the thatched cabin
"Hello!" cried the tramp and after
seconds waiting. "Hello!"
There was no reply. Doubtless the
peasants were all at work in the fields.
With a strong thrust the man
pushed open the door and entered the
cabin. The room, the only one in the
house, was low, and in one corner
stood the bed In the center stood a
table, on which was spread loaf of
bread and package of tobacco Oppo-
site the wide fireplace was the heavy
his stocking of silver and sometimes
gold pieces.
For the first time in his life. the
tramp had been a housebreaker. Well,
he would carry the game through to
the end.
Grasping his knife, he went over to
the chest to force it open. But paper
hanging near it attracted his atten-
tion. Mechanically he lifted his eyes
and re2d: "Seventy-fifth regiment,
infantry"
The man stopped short.
1t was certificate of honorable dis
charge made out to Jule-Mathieu Du-
bois, corporal in the Second company,
Third battalion.
So he was about to steal from q
man of his old regiment! Not of his
time. no; the date of the paper was
stil recent Rlit no mafferi