The Mena weekly star., 1916-07-20

"You Win Be Shot, Unbound, at Day.
 break, by Your Comrades"
 Sower tried to be the honorable gen tleman; he tried even. strange as 1t may seem. to gain Farquhar's friend. ship He failed, and then-you re member that scene at the card tables That decided him. Blood and instinct were too strong He turned and used his power"
 Lowe stepped out on to the balcony and bent forward with his elbows on the rail. watching tie dense compan. of chausseurs force their way through tiia ras+iass sraua Tho e1ssh nr trs band was already fainter. The chaus- seurs rode now in silence, and once more the dull monotonous tread pre- dominated, strangely, consistently ominous. You know where Farquhar isY' Preston said imperatively. You know what has become of him7"
 "Perhaps-I am not sure"
 If you know remorse you must wish to atone" Preston said hoarsely.
 "A scoundrel. at the end of his days work, has much to atone for" was the abstracted answer. T have chosen my atonement. Mir Preston All atone ment is inadequate, but mine shall be made-for my greatest wrong, at what ever cost" He broke of, "The Le- gion,' he said quietly.
 Preston did not speak, silenced against his will by the scene beneath him. The dancers from the hotel had swarmed up to the long lines of hang. ing lanterns at the edge of the garden. A clown climbed upon the stone gate post and was beating wildly, hilarious | ly on the heads of the crowd with his bladder. shouting a witticism at each laughing victim. But beyond a thin dark stream flowed from the darkness into the light and from light back Into darkness. They were grotesque fig ures-hideous, pitiable. These also were figures of carnlyal-but different: They marched four deep--a hundred of them. Their heads were bowed Be meath the flare of lights each man seemed to shrink, to cower closer to his neighbor. like herded terrified animal. And many stumbled. Pres tons hands frightened on the rails in front of him. Poor devils!''
 A few yards behind the last line a spahi rode alone. A short rope was at tached to his saddle--and to a man who stumbled at his horses heels The rope was round bis neck; his hands were bound behind him, and the broken link of a chain clanked In the sudden stricken stiffness. His kepi had been knocked off. and every line in that gaunt quiet face was visible. As though blinded by the sudden light he reeled and was jerked brutally to his knees. A woman laughed hysterically Instantly he had recovered. And in that recovery, that quiet acceptance of a crowning humiliation there was a dignity, courage that held the crowd a moment longer in awestruck silence.
 God in heaven--FarquharI"
 Lowe nodded.
 You know now" he said. "You know that your atonement has come too late"
 The tragic figure passed on; an off, cer on horseback rode Into the light. and the crowd stirred in restless relief. But above that sudden wave of move ment, above the clowns half-ashamed burst of reconquered merriment there sounded cry-a muffied wall of incredulous agony. The officer turned in his saddle. Sylvia Arnaud, in the front row of the masques, wavss to him. He did not look at her, and she glanced impatiently at the boy -Mephistopheles beside her.
 What was that7 Didn't you hear?"
 He laughed.
 Someone tainted. That queer old fury with the white wig, believe. You're not frightened?"
 'Oh, no-no"
 "Of course not. One gets eccus- toned tc that sort of thing here does one not? A runaway legionaryl Who caresl" He offered her his arm with an elaborate bow. May we not go on dancing, CarmenY'