El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-12
F A I E
BY HENRY BARBUssE

THE two old friends were passing
the few remaining years of theil
lives together. They were sitting
| in the dark cool room, the windows OF
which were wide open, enjoying the
cool evening breezes, smoking and
chatting together in the slow monot-
onous manner of the very old.
You have no free will, everything
is ruled by fate said old Dominique
as the final argument Of some thought
he had uttered.
Il do not believe that" old Claude
replied, "for even fate is sometimes
fooled"
Dominique turned si1is head and
looked at his friend with an expression
Of mingled contempt and pity.
Claude did not notice this and went
on: There are things which seem
past all help, which are nevertheless
Dominique's reply was merely a
grunt.
81 married Bernardine many years
ago." Claude went on, so many years
ago that 1 hardly remember her any
more. but some time ago I saw a
young girl who resembled her, and
then the memory OF her came back
and I could think of nothing else. I
married her though two months be-
fore had sent a bullet through her
fathers head"
Dominique was seized with a sudden
fear that his old friend was dreaming
or delirious, and that he was thus in
a way alone In the room.
Hey, Claude. are you asleep" he
cried with a voice that trembled with
fear.
but just thinking aloud. / married
the girl. even though 1 did send
bullet through her fathers head. She
adored her father, who also thought
the world of her.
1T is a long time ago." said Domin-
ique, now listening with all the in
terest Of a child listening to a fairy
tale.
Yes; so long that 1T almost seems as
If 1 were talking of somebody else
and that 1t all happened long before
my time.
Father Barbeau was a stern, hard
working, honest man, and he did not
want me to marry his daughter be-
cause 1 was nothing but-a loafer. The
only thing I did was to love his
daughter but like everyone who does
only one thing, I did that well. Never
did man love a woman more than
loved that girl who since grew to be
an old woman and died long ago. Are
you listening, Dominique?'
Yes" said Dominique.
HE would have nothing to do with
me, though everybody tried to make
him change his mind. He refused to
listen to them, or made believe he did
not listen. People did not dare say
too much to him for he was hot
headed and strong, with arms like
and fists as hard as iron.
One day I picked up enough to speak
to him in half hearted way my
self, and he threw me out of the house
and sent Bernardine away to the
kitchen, where she sat crying her eyes
out / was mad with shame and the
feeling of my own weakness and made
up my mind to kill myself. What was
life to me when the man who stood
between me and happiness was as
strong as an OK and as mean as the
evil one himself? There seemed moth
ing to me butt to commit suicide.
'1 loaded my gun, and, like every
foolish lover would have done in my
case, 1 chose beautiful night and
fled into the country to die at the
heart of nature. I found beautiful
spot and sat down on bench near
the place where the main road turns
toward Briquet- AS raised my gun to
end my life, I heard the noise Of an
approaching wagon and a moment lat
er I saw that it was father Barbeau.
now rem ember too that this was the
evening when he was in the habit Of
taking bag Of money to Nine Tomp-
Ter, who deposited 1t for him in the
bank. The horse walking at snaiPs
pace, passed close by me and I saw
the man I hated sitting in the wagon
leaning forward as If resting his ell
bows on his knees, big and powerful
outlined against the clear sky. A fit
Of anger seized me at the sight of
this brute, who had driven me to the |
verge OF suicide. I jumped to my feet, |
raised my gun. aimed at his head and |
fired. Without a sound his heavy |
body fell forward across the dash |
board, soaring the horse that started
off in gallop. left the road and fell |
lbout SO PAGES from Loviot's farm.