New-York tribune., 1922-10-15
AFTERMATH
OF VERDUN
Translased by William (. McPherson
BY BINET vALMER

his wooden leg.
Let him come in
The lawyer put in order the papers which
were spread upon his table, They We're all
confessions Of unfortunates who had been
heroes.
A man appeared iii the doorway. He was
very pale. his features taut with fear
Ferret introduced him:
"Dutreui, ex-corporai, Military Medal and
Croix de Guerre, card number 28,345
Lawyer Legendre Strengthened up.
"You, Dutreuil?"
"You lieutenant!o
Leave us alone, Ferrot. He was my liaiscn
man at Verdun"
The Office messenger shut the door gruml-
blingly
Your Legendre repeated. "You have been
stealing?"
'Yes. In order to live
"Sit down and tell me about it."
"We suffered together, lieutenant Do you
remember when found you in the rest camp?"
II remember"
What happened to you then happened to.
me little later"
''Your wife deserted you?'
eyes, also taking away all our savings"
EYES, we have suffered"
"The rascasp
81 don't know. But come, tell me what you
did"
II was bookkeeper."
"Then you were not starving"
sI had enough to eat, but that was all"
He began to groan.
"And you have the police on your trail?"
''They have been after me for three days.
Look out Of the window. They are on the side
walk. eIf they do not dare to enter, it is be-
cause Of the respect they have for our asso-
citation. They will arrest me when go away
"How did you steal?"
II ought not to have done it, / cannot tell
YOU"
Then, with bowed head:
II committed forgery. They had confidence
in me at the bank
He hesitated
"As had confidence in what they promised
u.s. committed forgery
And, pressing his fists against his forehead:
. "2 had known that you were the lawyer
here would not have come
"You did this-you, who always asked to
take the place"
"Of those who had families. / had my sus-
picions, lieutenant. My wife could not sun.
port my absence. If / had been killed down
there, my name would be inscribed on the mar
BILE tablet at the mayoralty: Died on the
field Of honor"
~ will help you"
"Will you save me?"
81 will help you. You must surrender YOUR.
self. | will plead for YOU"
"As you wish. But it is unjust
sIt is not unjust"
Listen, lieutenant. When you received the
letter which told you'
"Well?"
"You wept"
You had the right to weep when YOU re-
turned to your empty home"
i did not weep. l wanted to live"
AT Verdunlyou did not want to live. you
wanted to serve"
Ihat is true. But one cannot always be
IKE that-not for years, not after victory,
YES even after victory. Because the 9th.
ers who are down there count on us who have
won the war, and you have betrayed them.
Perhaps. 1t is useless to defend me before
the courts, lieutenant. They can sentence ma
to anything they wish. What you have inst
seia Is hafder sentence. Forgive me-"
1ou stole for woman?"
ITO forget, lieutenant. wish ,,
dead" were
Legendre covered his face, beautifp, throro,
Ahcii i'e iHteu MS head and there
was flame in his clear eyes.
When one has been with us he doesn,t die
that way
One dies as he can when he is t}jspustea
with life"
If one died that way, Dutreuil, he could
not be with them"
with th~-r.'
You know what / mean He would not
have the right to sleep in the same cemetery
1t is not for that that those who died down
there saved our lives for US Listen to me-
In the empty house took out my revolver I
made all my preparations. l said to myself.
What happiness! Everything is fnishedun
We said that down there on certain even.
ings."
"On certain early mornings.
Before the zero hour; when we heard whis
Ting by our ears the she'll which would relieve
us of the euty of quitting the trench"
When we felt cowardly, Dutreuil Listen.
was in the empty house and had had enough
OF suffering. looked q. my watch, as we used
to do on the days when we left the trench. /
said to myself: In four, in three, in two min
utes. And when only one minute remained
49,.