Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-03-12
HIS MOTIVE
az CHARLES GENIAUX.

AAWLAiB an the colonial AitlAiSiN
Ar7gaana de Fontell was sitting as ac-
x.nse-i before the court-martial. This
Ezle.nsae. pale, timid man, with the slen-
ger. 1elIkept hands and the wel-cut
4arss0rm. looked like a son Of q noble
uEnx yasncated by a clerical teacher in
b. samily chateau, and still he was &c
aesnel Of having killed the captain 81
n,ls Ut the French Oriental liners
ahs3e on his way home.
Tas colonel presiding asked the Of
egcew 10 tell the motives of his crime.
nj. lie Fontelle rested his slender
zaanas on the bar which separated him
Frora the jury. and began with a soft,
ase~1 voice:
yoG know, colonel, that | was gar
Yfscred at Tananarivo. Before ! LETT
Ma-ssilles ! had married and | was
uver 3oyed when a son was born to me
I'm Madagascar. Unfortunately, my
haRsy in his second year was seized
vsffp an attack on enteric fever, which
1ass so severe that the doctors told
zss 1nat there was only n way to
zaye his Iife-to return to France.
I'VE left the island with our dying
@h3lf and the propellers Of Saint Den
bore as quickly homeward. We
rwere sitting on the bridge, my wife
ard ; watching our little boy, whose
exe looked as II they would never
nyen again.
When the twilight came ] stood up
ard stood at the stern OF the vessel
a. aa1en meters above the surface OF
1be ocean. Mechanically | had taken
Aem Of the halyard, which held the
xrfeot,r that told other vessels that a
OF France was floating on the
ocean. The sky was the color OF dull
ssoT1sar. and when ! looked up ] sould
see my wife STOPPING over our poor
little child.
- cooked at the flag and prayed in
Alleuee. oh. flag that fioated over
tne guals of Toilette, who waved so
.,fsen before the breezes of Providence
TAargy my sick little boy homewards.
Their ne shall be saved
The next morning, leaning over the
rallfmg, l saw the sea whipped to foam
by Al immense steel gray spindle.
vWnea une of the crew threw over
sssara q er of plank. the body turned
st1rl ! saw a white belly and jaws
~hicn opened wide.
That is a shark a passenger
said
The plank disappeared within the
5a~xs end was gone,
Tnere is another one said the
sailor.
And over th.re! Look at the non
stegs cried q female passenger.
Saint Denis is escorted by hec
aso45na OF submarines said an officer
esF the boat. These tigers OF the sea
gscss the scent of hunting dogs.
VIZ have a ram that died below and
.fkssy cave scented it already. You
snail soon see a proof of their vorac-
zfy -
THE passengers crowded around.
The ram. that had not been skinned,
qsass brown overheard, and had no
SCORER touched the water than 1t was
orr y TWO by two rival sharks.
They always follow US said the
Nicer. Perhaps they have a present
RIlEaJ of a better feast at breakfast
sof nr-nan flesh tomorrow
% asked this officer if he really
ShOggnt fhe sharks had a PRESENT.
EvseuI ~ death.
? really can't say he laughed.
bmf at any rate those fellows have 4
a memory and remember that We
always throw dead bodies overheard
@Wnen 7 came back to my wife, !
Spf nry baby. whom he suspected of suf-
ering from a contagious disease. but
of whom ne had grown really fond.
SIX months ago he was a strong.
l.Fea1c1y boy, heavy for his age and
vs5fh q splendid appetite said his poor
ranothsr as if to apologize for his pres
cent debility.
All hat night we cried. When the
e-%Ses Of our baby, which grew fainter
Ak TIE time, until they now sounded
nc spader than the cries of a kitten.
Sire Larew herself into my arms and
sobbed.
oh, Armand, ne must not die on
his boat
None OF us dared to speak OF the
HarTible fear that was haunting our
souls.
"AfteT eight days of torture our
dear little boy passed away quietly,
but there was a joyful nope in our
hearts. The doctor came, looked at
the poor little badly. and said gently:
nave you noticed that your little
i aarIing-"
We covered the body with our
arms and cried: He sleeps. doctor;
AAe sleeps
The big steamer was speeding on
every hour bringing us nearer to the
shnTes of France.
Toward evening the captain of the
AoGt sen for me.
Oar rules he said, say that We
tNDu<r hury the dead In the sea Within