The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-09-15

Il
II knew him as Philip Grsi.
madame. He rave II me nearly tive
years ago--when me was dying"
'Then--he Ia deadr'
He made q grave plying rpovement
OF assent.
He was my friend, madame He
belonged to my company, He was not
string. and one day out In the desert
he gave way. He went mad, I think
mad with exhaust and thirst. He
disobeyed orders. and they gave him =
double burden. He broke down. and
they left him out therein the desert"
How long agoY'
AS | have said--neArly two years.
II was Colonel Destinn's great forced
march south--one hundred and Atty
kilometers In three days. Many OF Us
died on the road"
She laughed suddenly. She had the
odd feeling that there was a third per.
son In The room--a black faceless
shadow that had laughed with her, She
had TO make a great effort to regain
her composure.
"Yes--and them
"Afterward they allowed me TO 20
back and fetch his body. did not
know his real name. but he had given
me the locket. and II occurred to me
that II ever his people knew they
would be glad that he had not been
left out there--aione. He lies In the
Legion's cemetery-Philip Grey. No.
3Ii2."
sYes-~T reiuember--thank yen"
She did not see him 90. She dressed
quickly and went out into the court.
yard. A voice called her by name
with monotonous persistency. but she
didn't hear It. There was woman
with flowers to sell standing hesitanfly
in the passage. but she did not see her
She had grown deaf and blind TO tho
present She was looking back along
the road she had come, and she saw
the fate she had invoked stalking In
visible beside her.
sylvia! Sylvia"
The fiower-girl still stood In the
shadowy passage. lmperturbably. with
inscrutable eyes, she watched Sylvia
Arnaud's figure stand out for mo.
ment against the sunlit avenue and
disappear,
"Sylviar'
"Phllip Grey. No. 3ilo, Legion
Etrangere"
Sylvia knelt. with clasped hands. and
gazed at the roughlycut letters.
Around her and above her a sea OF
crosses lifted up their gnunt black
arms--hundreds upon hundreds. In the
voiceless identical suppllcation OF for
gotten things. She prayed softly, She
did not cry She felt herself surround
ed with a peace that was above tears.
Little by little the food was flowing
back on It's old course. She was think
Ing what she should say TO Destinn
when he came to claim her. She would
rise mp aud point 10 this plteous I'M
tended mound This lies between
us she would say TO him. She would
not curse him, In expiation she
would claim Richard Farquhars life.
She would go back to her husband. she
would take up the broken threads and
weave them to the perfect pattern. She
would carry with her the memory OF
that brief glimpse of her own soul. OF
her own love. The dead are not In
valn--it was a beautiful thought
Steps sounded on the gravel path
way, She looked up. but II was not
pestinn who came toward her. u was
the aower-seller. her basket crowded
with fresh hlessorns-
Roses. madamey Roses to offer to
the dear deady'
"Ah, yes, | thank you. Give me all
that you have"
she covered the low mound with gor-
seous red and gold The beauty OF II
of this chsnce--lifted her grief on
sof, wings 10 gentle, almost happy
resignation. She said. smilin-ly, Il
shall come every day. and every day
You must bring me all your towers
She wondered what II was--what
had come over her. Something had
happened There had been sharp.
insignificant little pain between her
shoulders--a mere nothing She caught
her breath II hurt her. and she turned
slowly. her eyes wide open with o
childish amaxement
What has hapTencd?'
The woman opposite her said moth.
ing. Her face, through the rising mist.
was blank unreadahle. Sylvia put her
fingers 10 her lips-~she did not know
why she had done SO; she saw now
that there was blood on her fingers
She remembered that she had kissed
one OF the roses. Perhap' II had blei.
She tried 10 turn back again. Her
limbs were curiousiy heavy almost
leaden. Then she dropped, face dowo
ward, amid the scattered roses.
orc RE CONTINUED
eAI.-st. r.~pna Go A{rix%sr