The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-06-25

nave lNlr AAAai AN AN@Al @
cause military etiquette left me no
other alternative but disgrace. and the
disgrace Of one oficer Of g regiment
IS the disgrace OF every ofacer Of the
regiment
He paused and considered the
phraseology. Yes. think that's
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 HauptStrasse. Ths
first seat on the left was occupied BY
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
Dummkopfl / muttered to the
man. Can't gou keep your blamed
legs to yourself?
He rose and struck me on the
mouth with the back OF his hand.
grasped the hilt or my sword. He
took. very deliberately. q card from
his pocketbook, and. handing II to me,
left the tram. I read the card-'Gen.
Won Ehrenberg- Achstein. had Ia
suited an officer Of superior rank! He
could not call me out. and accordingly
but one thing remained for man "a
honor. .eaye ii TO the regiment 70
decide whether I have acted In
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,Y and Il told tha
same story little less badly. Il can
add nothing to ether he said. IL
It had not been for these candles
the thing would have been settled By
now"
He turned In his chair, and for the
first time since he had blown ous the
candle noticed the window behind him.
He started in horror. He could have
declared solemnly that he bad pulled
down the blind, yet the square framed
patch Of deep blue sky mocked 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 darkHessi
Every detail OF the room stood cut
with a vividness which / 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 a 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.
1t was no use delaying. He must do
it, light or no light. he stretched out
his hand again for the revolver.
grasped It and held It to his temple.
As his foreflnger sought the trigger.
his eve caught the circular silver
frame OF a portrait on the table before
him.
Dear little girl" he murmured. 7
dare say she'll be sorry. II no one
else is.
He laid down the revolver and
picked up the envelope marked Frau
lein Kunerr Would she Be able 70
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 70 her He
owed her that He remembered that
she had once expressed to him her
belief that a man who took his own
life vas q coward They we're talking
Of some poor felon who had poisoned
himself IN prison. and he had agreed that
there vas 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 hlmsslfg
What would che think OF himg An.
but his circumstances were wholly
different. This was an affair Of
honor. and there was an accepted
code. He said these words over ana
over as Il to impress upon himself
their significance An inyiolable code
which nothing could possibly alter.
Nothing nothing nothing. But
would she understand A womaa
might not recognize the Laws -
which men bind themselves.
Women we're queer beings. She had
said TO him once, IN all earnestneaa.
that a womans heart might break He
prlded himself on being a man Of the
world. and he had accepted her state.
ment with unconscious condescenslon.
He had thought It a pretty idea Non
sense. OF course, but still a pretty Idea.
Yet was Il altogether nonsense? Sup.