davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

without uttering 8 single protest or contradiction, until at length the Eu- ropean who was his judge suddenly gave a new turn to the proceedings by rising and walking nearer to the ac- cused.
 The interpreter ceased to chant forth, This man sayeth, o Excellen- ctes!" The Frenchmen looked at their colonel. The colonel looked at the prisoner.
 There followed moment of silence of stiffness after what suddenly seemed to have been ages of chatter. The sun dipped into the west; there was a circle of yellow over the pur- pie outline of the village; the stem of that one solitary palm suddenly cracked loudly.
 Edmond de KheyeTn went slowly gliding rather than moving up to the prisoner. The two, the man in the uniform and the man in the dirty Arab garments, stood almost touching, they were so close.
 The faded eyes looked into eyes that were bluer than they had ever been. The Frenchman's hand went to the hilt of his sword, grasped it convul- sively.
 Uncover" he commanded, not in Arabic. not in any local dialect, but in French.
 Tho words, hoarse as de Kheyern's voice was, seemed to sound as if 1t were bell tOlling where there were neither churches nor steeples.
 Maj. d'AisseccUrt-"Pe Louis" as he was Invariably cailed-heard it, started. looked sharply, inquiringly. at the man under whom, not an instant before, he had felt 1t an honor to serve. De Kheyern avoided the look; d d'AisSecOurt turned his head from right to left, rose. One by one the I7reu chman who served with him rose also, until each man stood erect, each man with his hand down by his sword.
 Uncover! It was the last command ever addressed to an African, the in- eult that even his most bitter enemy would spare him. But 1t WAS not the word cutraging all precedent that amazed the HSteuers-it was the lan- guage in which it was spoken. De Kheysrn had said 1t ia French
 The prisoner head and no man waiting doubted but that he under stood. He looked at the judge who could slay him or free him. and over the bronged features passed something like q darker shade.
 Grand CieI!" ground Petit Louis be- tween his teeth. Another man drew as do6p 0 breath, muttered as fervif protest. The two ejaculatiops seemed to decide the prisoner. He lifted his hand. removed the straw hat with it's ridiculous feather.
 He waited. The colonel waited; the circle Cf officers waited
 The prisoner put up his hand again; he removed his turhaa. It fell to tha gcound, and with 1t seemed to fall so much more than mere length Of soil ed muslin. The man, who with it OH had looked aD Oriental, stood up nei- ther Berber nor Arab, but European.
 With ap iupstuous movement he dragged his garments out of their bun ding. eastern folds; freed his arms, his chest.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

me-" the rising of emotion in his tone, that indeed we are at the evening now"
 There came another silence.
 we were young then" De Kheyern took up; life meant so much. It meant ambition, success. Ambition was my god-ambition and France"
 Not France-ambitton and Edmond de Kheyern," answered the other man mercilessly.
 The colonel took no notice of the correction.
 ''Yes." he went on, 'ffn that day one lived, one looked to be someone, one ina gined that there was sweetness in achievement, satisfaction in attain ment. Life was not an end long de- Iayed, it was a possibility, it vas"
 "But," thrust in the man before him; ''I stood in your way, Edmond de Khe- yerD. And wha5 did you Go with me?"
 No answer came. The darkness was almost on them, and this must be fn- ished while yet one man could look in-
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

"And-the other things" he added. 'T'he romantic beauty and the bliss fitness, you know"
 And suppose I found-when it was too iate--that I was wrong?" she Ce- murred.
 "You wouldn't" said the Widower, with emphasis. You would find that in your case-theory and practice would entirely coincide. To begin with, you-are not a vegetarian"
 Tut" protested Winnie, 'my hus- band might insist upon makir5 me become one"
 'I can answer for him. said the Widower decisiveIy. "Do you know, Wir,nie-by the way. you don't mind my calling you 'Winnie,' do you? You see, I have known you ever since you vera little baby-"
 "Tou have known me just six yeatTs," corrected Winnie sternly. Since I was 16."
 ''Reauy!" said the W!dower In as tonish ment. tI fancied-I imagined I was quite under the impression, in fact, that I had known you much longeri' i''
 We'll, you haven't" said Winnie. And I should think that's quite long
 "Qui1e," he agreed, flor the puT- pose. And Winnie has always struck me as being the very prettest name 8 girl could heve-Winnie."
 II didn't say you could!" she ex- claimed.
 'I have a wonderful way of taking things for granted" explained the Widower airiIy. "But, do you know, it just occurred to melville you were talking, s-d while you were showing me what a beautiful thing marriage might be with sweet girl (who wasn't a ~agetarlenl-it just occurred to me that l was most frightfully fond of you"
 Oh" said Winnie, rising, There's the next dance beginning, and I-"
 "Sft down" said the Widower. pleo- ing Q detaining hand on her arm, Never rniud the next dance, What do you think came here for tonight? didn't come to dance. came to see you. I have been waiting to see you for-for lnonthsi but they told me you were engaged, and I kept away"
 IT broke 1t off," she murmured, looking down.
 ~Wa-Tas he 8 vegetarian" '"
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

Carlo is. It's a most terribley wicked place"
 T should love to go there." she sighed.
 The Widower gazed at her with cold disapproval.
 "I am surprised to hear you express an inclination of that sort!" he said sternly. You have no tendencies that require artificial evaporation"
 "Of course not" said Winnie hasti- thing!"
 The suggestion was yours," he pointed out judicially. You i'm piled"
 T didn't" she interrupted, blush ing. "I merely meant I should love to see the scenery"
 "Oh,' said the Widower, looking re- lieved. the scenery, of course. The scenery. ! may say, is beautiful. The sea Is kind of greenish-blue tint, and there are, I believe, hills and things. and the Casino is quite a fine building-especially inside. The-the trees-".
 "Oh, never mind the treesl" inter rupted Winnie impatiently. 'I want ed to talk to you about something else. wanted to-to condole with you"
 Thanks" he murmured. q shall be pleased, I'm sure"
 "Pleased?" She regarded him se- verely.
 "I mean pleased to be condoIed with" he explained, "by you"
 'It must have been 8 great blow observed Winnie, in tone of de- tached commiseration.
 Tt was-she never expected it," he sighed
 T meant blow to you," corrected Winnie.
 "Oh-to me! I suppose 1t was; yes. no doubt it was-though I man aged somehow to bear up. Ne tu cede malis-you have read Virgil?" "No-I haven't" she declared with unnecessary vehemence.
 "I beg pardon" said the Widower humbly. ''Yes, I pulled through somehow"
 With the help of travel-and Monte Carlo" suggested Winnie lit tie maliciously.
 Precisely" he agreed. quite unof- tended. And if you have done con- SOliRs w@-"
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

shall suffer or go free"
 Why, why is this? Does it not seem to you that if one must go uR- der, our roles ought to have been re- versed?"
 De Kheyern made no answer. There were great round drops about his brow, his lips twitched, not quickly, but slowly, az if the spasms would come one by one, that they might each give him their full possibility of pain.
 ."But.' continued the accuser, you have not forgotten. you cannot have forgotten, what happened next. You laid your plans well. The devices were siTple-it Is always the simplici- ty of a strata gem that ensures it's sue cess.
 First, you declared t''2t your na- tive scouts had located robber miles away in a cave. Time pressed. Every minute nattered. You hurried on your second in command with a company to arrest this robber.
 They could not wait for the cool. They started in the ! aging sun, there were so many leagues to cover. The French sergeant fell dead in the heat It WAS stupid of him; he was not in your way. The second in command pressed on. There was no robber. nc cave-and he came back to tel you so.
 But you did not degist There was 9 mad Marabout in the camp the next night, preaching of Allah and wrath for the inndel. You said, let the poor fool go. Only you knew that he had bribed camp follower, that there was a drug in the water served out for you and me that night. You had fever, you stayed in your tent that night T drank of the cool draught," went on the accusing voice. T raised my cup to the sky and thought of what th5 morrow would bring me.
 When that morrow dawned the man who had been preferred before you was incapable. You rose, the hero | that you were. from your sick bed to take his place. The doctor with the force, young, inexperienced, gave his verdict What did he know of Arab | poison? You emerged with q medal, a l decoration, a step-your rival was dis missed from his regiment for being 1 drunk on active service. He disap- peared, you progpered; but, after all l these years, ne has come up with you ] again
 1 And" broke in de Kheyern, speak ! ing hastily, speaking eagerly for the i first time, have I done nothing? Have
 l ever forgotten? Have not burned 1 to atone?"
 'FTo atone?"
 The outcast brushed the easy phrase
 aside He raised his head, looked into the others eyes.
 Edmond de Kheyern," he summed ] up. ''I am what you have made me- 1 And" cried cut the colonel, q am what my sin has made me. Look al me. Is it contentment that you see on my face, satisfaction? Men jeer al
 me for what they call ny restless
 ness; you at least know what breeds it. I have neither home, nor wife, noI child. You know why. There is nC l one to continue my name after me You know why it must die. It is not
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

because Leonie no longer lives; 1t is not because no other woman can take her place, 1t is bcause you, Philippe de Frechville, are on earth, because 1 have always known that you lived, that must fcd you, that must speak with you once, that you must see me as I am now"
 The man who heard did not imme- diately reply. The night hid the two who had been comrades, who were enemies, one from the other.
 And I have sought you" arewered the outcast. Through the dessrt I have looked for you. I have ridden from the mountains to the coast, from Mogador to Tripoli. Again and agaiE I missed you. The expedition had started; the force had passed. At last my day came. Let those poor fellows who were taken with me go. They were but obeying me, meant to get into your tent, to say to you what have said now, and"
 And" put in De Kheyern-
 Were we not three to one?"
 Before God" swore the colonel. Before God, I wish that you had come"
 we have met" answered G1e other. The stars were beginning to appear. 0 little twinkling light came forth rom the dome of purple bIackness. A glim- mer showed here and there through the sits in the canvas of the tents; a gentry chanted monotonOusly as she paced his beat.
 Edmond de Kheyern stepped back The guard was in call, but it was few yards away. He turned his head measured the distance. Walk out" he said, past the we'll You will need more room" He drew his revoIver-he held it outs loaded, with the barrel turned on him self.
 The man in the Arabs robe drew | back his hands. De Kheyern neither l faltered nor lowered his arm. At | length the man who had been Phil- ] iippe de Frechvtlle spoke "No,' he decided, T will not kill you. Death would be easier for you than life, Edmond de kheyeTn. You l owe me what reparation I choose, 1 choose that you should ltve-that you
 should remember. that remorse should be your companion, that compunction
 should be your intimate. SWear,
 swear to me that. as far as you are 1 concerned, you will live
 De Kheyern heard His outstretch- ed hand dropped to his side. T swear 1 he answered.
 He stood erect, mottonIess. Like 8
 shadow that comes and goes, the man in the Arab robes disappeared into the ! darkness.
 But providence was more merciful
 to Edmond de Kheyern than the man he had wronged. The force marched at daybreak from the well by the palm. Before evening it was sur prised and it's colonel shot down as he led the charge.
 He vas buried the next morning;
 and Louis d'Aissecourt. as he looked for the last time into the face of the man whose fame was in everyone's mouth, remarked a smile on the worn
 face that lad never been there before.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

"O-oh!" ejaculated Winnie in a long-drawn gasp. And you-you were only 25 when you married her!"
 When she married me-" the Widower interposed mildly. "Yes; I couldn't help that, you know. It was three years ago now, so I became considerably older as We went along"
 "She was old enough to have been your grandmother" exclaimed Win nie indignantly.
 True; but she would never have consented to act in that relation toward me-though, Of course. should have preferred f, if it could have been arranged"
 ''I feel" declared Winnie severely, that we are treating the subject much too fippantly.'
 ''I feel that, too," he agreed.
 Marriage" she continued, ignor- ing his interruption, "even with an elderly lady, is 8 subject that should be discussed in 8 spirit of proper rev. erence. Marriage is g beautiful and romantic idea-"
 "Yes,'' he said. GO on"
 Tt is,' said Winnie, warming to her theme, ''the most blissfu1 state in which human beings can exist"
 Pardon me- interrupted the Wid- over, but do you think 'blissfuI is exactly the right word toto express your idea?"
 Certainly said Winnie. with as- perity.
 Cases have been known" he ob- served. tn an inpersonal tone, where there has been quite regrettable ab- seDoe of this particular ingredient. believe. For instance, If your wife Is 6 vegetarian-'
 Food has nothing to do with mar riage," retorted Winnie. The Widower shook his head sadly.
 You've not been married" he sighed, 'so you don't know" That's true" conceded Winnie meditatively. T don't know-at least not yet"
 "There's no reason why you shouldn't!" put in the widower, with sudden eagerness. "Oh, but ! am not sure that want to-" she objected.
 You would then enjoy the gdvant- age of being in a position to prove your assertion" he urged.
 About food?" she inquired inno- gently.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

God in heaven!" ejaculated d'Ais- secourt again.
 Bon Dieu! but is he not a French mani" finished of Raou1 Foebas.
 The man accused of theft, accused of murder, looked at the officers. Quietly, steadily, his glance worked from right to left, quite Ieisurely, quite without disturbance. Last of all it came back to De Kheyern. There 1t paused-wait- ed.
 The shadows were beginning to steal out on to the sand; there came that little puf1ng breath that is not freshness, but which is yet a flowing air after the stiffness of the monday in the desert Round the palm was the first faint outlining of purple; on the edge of the waste appeared that cloud which is neither gray nor blue, neither mist nor dust-but just the death of day.
 His subordiRates looked at de Khey- ern. The minutes to darkness were
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

I've not done" she interposed. to be condoled with 9 bit. Whats the good of a man pretending to be sorry when he isn't?"
 That's exactly what I say" re- marked the Widower. brightening. Whats the good?"
 Winnie drowned; she felt that her ethical sense was in some danger of outrage by this practical view of the matter.
 Well, then, don't pretend" she re- torted.
 "CertainIy not, if you wish it," he assented cheerfully. Let us talk about"
 ''No," put in Winnie firmly. mot yet. It'sit's hardly decent, think, to dismiss 6 melancholy subject in such an off-hand way"
 well, perhaps not" agreed the WidOwer, in a resigned tone. Only, if it's all the same to you, I-"
 "It isn't" she cut him short.
 The Widower spread out his hands deprecatingIy.
 "Of course," he admitted, with an amiabIe smile.
 Winnie was silent for a moment. Then she looked up suddenly, fixing her large blue, childish eyes on the WidoWer's abstracted countenance.
 "I can't think" she protested, what on earth ever made you marry her."
 The Widower withdrew his gaze slowly from vacancy and let it rest on her face with mild wonder.
 You didn't know my wife," he re- marked graphically.
 "I don't see that that would have helped to explain what made you marry her." persisted Winnie
 Tt would have helped immensely" he corrected. Tt would have afford ed a complete and satisfactory ex- planation, in fact"
 Winnie shook her head.
 T don't understand" she admitted. Tt has puzzled me ever since-espe- cially as-as-" She faltered and bIushed
 Exactly" said the Widower. "Es- pecially as that was tle case"
 Don't be absurd!" exclaimed Win nie wrathfully. All the same, should like to know she added, with true feminine pertinacity, what made raS zs4sw A4E3'
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

to the face Of the other.
 Edmond de Kheyern," he went on, T ask you, after all these years of waiting-after these years when I am what you have made me-what you did with me?"
 'I did uothing-''the colonel began.
 The man in the rags smiled. The smile seemed to break down De Khe- yern's defence His hand fell. his head dropped.
 You did nothing" the other man went on. True, you did not shoot ne or stab me. But l was in your way, and you made arrangements. There were but two men favored by her father as suitors for LeOpie Ia Ra- mee. To which did her heart incline to Edmond de Kheyern?"
 "No," whispered the prematurely gray-haired man iR the uniform, with the sword by his side.
 Where is she?" the other suddenly asked.
 Dead"
 ''Ycur-" Le Kheyern put up his hand as if to ward off blow. 'She died" he said hastily" six months after-after- you-you- disappeared And at the end, when the heart speaks, whose name was on her Ips-- yours or nfne?"
 Yours" answered De Kheyern.
 ''Then," commented the other, 9 flash in his eyes, my absence profted you noth1ng?"
 Nothing" groaned De Kheyern.
 The word echoed and died in the space; the shadow of the palm fell across the two men, patterning the sand as if 1t were 9 great scorpion. There were but two men," resum- ed the prisoner, s'seIected for the first expedition to the Um'meni mountains. Tho choice lay between them. It was the chance Of 9 lifetime. Whoever went on that expedition and came back from it was made man. As I said, the choice lay between two. It fell on one On whom, Edmond de Kheyern, did it fall?'' tOn you,'' answered the colonel, whose breast, when he was in full uni form, was covered with medals and l decorations.
 And who was the man passed over??" l T was" Which of us was the junior?''
 'fYou were"
 50, until I was detached for spe- ciaI duty, I was under your com mand?"
 You were"
 Bound to execute your orders or be l guilty Of insubordination?" That is sc."
 And you and I, with raw lad of Q doctor, were the only F'renchmer with rhe force?" Yes"
 50 that there was no man to check your proceedings, to grow suspicious of you, to return and ask whether such things ought to be?"
 'fNo."
 "Yet," resumed the outcast, 'tyou wear the uniform of French officer I the rags of Berber tribesnan. I am accused Of trying to raid your tent; you are the man set up to say whether
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

to the man who had set out to try him.
 The guard retired, hustling off the two other prisoners, the chief, and the witnesses. The man in the uniform, the man tn the rags stood mot ot.onless.
 At .last!" calculated De Kheyern.
 "Yes. at last" the other man an swered. Then you sought me-" he went on T have sought for you. It was my part to seek for you. What did you want with me? Had you not done your aII?"
 The colonel heard. Each word was an accusation. He lifted his coIorless eyes, looked into the face confront ing him, looked past it, into the midst of the sunset
 Ills mind hurried back, 10, 15 years
 "It is so long ago." he muttered.
 "Yes," answered the other man burnt with the sun. tanned with the lie Of q wanderer. "Yes, it is long ago. But the longest day ends. We are at the evening now. It seems to
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10

shall I tell you?" he asked calm

Shall tell you?" he asked calm Iy.
 Do, please" entreated Winnie.
 "She did" said the Widower.
 she did? What do you mean?"
 ''I mean that she made me marry her," explained the Widower patient
 Your wi7e?" demanded Winnie, opening wide eyes of amazement up- on him.
 "Yes. She was woman of the most extraordinary determination. She was very rich, too" He sighed Money Is such a power" he added.
 ''Then," said Winnie, with an air Of stern rebuke, it was not 8 love match at alI?"
 well, perhaps not exactly what you would describe as a love match, p he conceded, although she pretended to be very devoted to me. may add that she had rather 8 remarkable way Of showing her devotion at tImes"
 What Sort of a remarkable way7' incurred Winnie, becoming interested. Did she pet you too much?"
 Hardly too much" replied the Widower effectively. You see, the
 
 per. She was terribly entire ly, oh, quite entirely without cause, 9 he hastened to add. Nevertheless, she would not allow me on any con sideration to speak to woman under 45."
 That must have been a great hard ship" murmured Winnie.
 T could have supported 1t with equanimity," he sighed. "But she lat terly developed various uncomfortable eccentricities. Among other things she became 8 vegetaria1 and com pelled me to live on herbs, like her self She embraced the absurd theory @that two meals a day were enough for human beings to subsist upon, and from that moment I never knew what it was not to feel hungry. It was that practice, I believe, that eventually carried her off. "She-she was not very young?' hazarded Winnie. Poor g3rl-no! She-she had been, I believe. But she outgrew 1t l She was in her 64th year when shs expired"
 "Sixty-four!" exclaimed Winnie.
 ''siHsx- sstAAAs" bs corrected.