Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16


which with apparent apathy had seen
the straps torn from young officers
shoulders for what seemed to me no
grave breach of discipline merely
because he had hurried away to a
foreign country without asking leave
when his fancee lay dying. Jumping
/ volubly expressed my opinion of the
me with grave good humor from be-
meath his heavy white eyebrows. His
very trimness and placidity aggra-
waited me. How he, the most famous
veteran of the French army, a soldier
who had been famous as one of the
Captains Three, could sit there in the
face of such injustice was beyond my
comprehension.
"Well?" l questioned, coming to
halt before him, Haven't you any
thing to say about it! What do you
think of it,"
Without rising from the window
ledge of my studio, where he had
perched like some weather-beaten
eagle, he leaned over and pointed at
the heading of the journal l had
thrown on the floor.
For the good of the service" /
read; but it did not relieve my in
dignation. / should have said some
thing to this effect had not his attitude
of introspection assured me that
whatever my vaporings, or however
vehement, they would be audible to
none but unsympathetic ears. l
stared out the window into the depths
of Rue Bonaparte in a huff. He
waited for moment and then spoke.
Doubtless it seems harsh judg-
ment to you, he said; but in SO vast
an organization as a nations army
discipline must be preserved and SEN
timent can have no place. learned
that lesson many years ago. 1t was
taught me in half-hour of unforget-
table bitterness by that splendid old
General, long dead, LIE Fargo. Had
my delinquency been as open to the
public-and to the army-as was this
mans, doubtless l too should have
paid the penalty as he did. Hearts I
between a soldier and his duty. All,
cooling down. Perhaps, if / were to tie
you would be less quick to condemn tt
instance where an officer has been h
know that from the time of the grea
now men have suffered when they ERE
Slowly my anger cooled in the onsl;
est; for that this great veteran had ev,
ger of disgrace had not occurred to I
with some better grace and listened
voice. like the chime of some ancient
Dunois told his story and the dusk set,
the far sweeping Seine and the song
waned to a contented drone now tina
done.
ONCE" he said, many years ago, af
Algerian campaign, there was a
restless soldiers, accustomed to the feel
in war, cursed the inactivities of ba1
discipline was threatened by thous
subordinat' ons. Disorders grew, until
more serious infractions compelled a
splendid army, which in field had
ficiently, was threatened with disinte
entire company was mustered out ft
mutiny, another was sent to the worst
and examples were made of every indi
I'VE officers were shocked one fine n
knowledge that a Lieutenant of Hussar
a young man of most excellent fami
previously good reputation, had ru
through while in deserted street lead
racks, left him for dead, and fled.
Captain, whose name was Miquelin, ,
the hospital and worked over for n
which life wavered uncertainty. At
four hours elapsed before he could Civ
his assailant, and in that time, by mea
to himself, Lieutenant Boin had m
escape.
II don't remember anv similar caSe