St. Tammany farmer., 1908-07-04

rather well put The repetition Of
the word regiment seems to add dig.
nifty and emphasis to it"
He read on.
These are the facts OF the case.
give them, so far as remember, ex-
actly as they occurred. To-day en-.
tered a tram on Haupt-Strasse. The
nrst seat on the left was occupied by
a stout fellow in civilian dress. His
legs extended slightly into the gang.
way. tripped on them, and fell al.
most into the lap of a lady opposite.
Dummkopf!' l muttered to the
man. Can't you keep your blamed
legs to yourself?'
HE rose and struck me on the
mouth with the back Of his hand.
grasped the hilt of my sword. He
took, very deliberately, card from
his pocketbook, and, handing it to me-
left the tram. l read the card-'Gen.
Won Ehrenberg-Achstein. I had ii.
suited an officer of superior rank! He
could not call me out, and accordingly
but one thing remained for a man Of
honor. leave it to the regiment to
decide whether I have acted in a
manner that is worthy of their tradi.
tions!"
He laid down the letter. BY it's
side was another. 1t was addressed to
"Fraulein Kuner," and it told the
same story little less badly. 'I can
add nothing to either he said. IF
it had not been for these candles
the thing would have 5eon settled by
now"
He turned in his chair, and for the
first time since he had blown out the
candle noticed the window behind him.
He started in horror He could have
declared solemnly that he had pulled
down the blind, yet the square framed
| patch of deep blue sky Knocked him
through the glass panes. He rose and
| jerked wildly at the blind It de.
scended a few inches and then
stopped. The roller had jammed. He
tugged frantically at the tasseled cord,
and it came away with his hand. In
desperation he sat down again at the
table. Drops of cold perspiration
stood out on his forehead, and he tried
to dash them away with his clenched
fist. He clutched at his hair, and NUT.
tered beneath his breath.
| II he could only have darkness!
| Every detail of the room stood cut
with vividness which it had never
before possessed. He could trace the
pattern of the carpet; the great curves
of the Secession" wall paper; the sin
uous grace of the frieze. The brightest
day of summer had never revealed to
| him SO much, and as one in weary
sickness he began to count the repe.
titions of the design. Up, down, across
and back. Up, down, across and
back. :.
The bell of a neighboring church
clock aroused him to a sense Of time
It was no use delaying. He must dc
it, light or no light. He stretched out
his hand again for the revolver
| grasped it and held it to his temple
AS his forefnger sought the trigger
his eye caught the circular silver
frame of portrait cn the table before
| him.
Dear little girl" he murmured. q
J dare say she'll be sorry, if nc one
else is"
He laid down the revolver and
picked up the envelope marked Frau
lein Kuner." Would she be able to
understand? he asked himself. Had
he told her everything as it should be
| told? A girl could not be expected
to see things in the same light as
a company of young officers. He ought
to make it quite clear to her. He
| owed her that. He remembered that
she had once expressed to him heI
belief that man who took his OWE
life was a coward. They were talking
of some poor felon who had poisoned
himself in prison, and he had agreed that
there was no excuse for one in such
a case. The man had done something
and was afraid to meet the conse
quences. Suicide there as obviously
rank cowardice.
But, then, how about himself
What would she think of him? An
but his circumstances were wholly
different This was an affair o
honor, and there was an accepted
code. He said these words over ant
over as if to impress upon himsel
their significance. An inviolable code
which nothing could possibly alter
Nothing - nothing - nothing. Blu
would she understand? A. Womaz
might not recognize the laws b
which men bind themselves.
Women were queer beings. She hac
said to him once, in all earnestness
that woman's heart might break. He
prided himself on being man of thu
world, and he had accepted her state
ment with unconscious condescensioE
He had thought it a pretty idea. Non
sense, of course, but still pretty idea
Yet was it altogether nonsense? Sup
pose it were not nonsense? Suppost
a woman's heart could break. A WON
an with broken heart must live ;
living death. A living death! Tha
was worse than real death. Far worse
Inconceivably worse.
Then Lieut.. Won W!enitz strucl
| a mafph