THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 8, 1937.
Prelude to the veteran of the
next
war by last war
who
had a
son
I
An Accident At Six O'clock
to Nobody longer. He went into the house going back. Marchand went t “And that is how we lived and was an accident. could imagine otherwise. At and washed himself carefully. Then America and became a business that is how seventeen years slipped six o'clock in the morning Andre, he put on a clean shirt and got out man. He used to paint flowers by. And the words that she spoke a wine merchant in a little village his military cap. It had a num- most beautifully. They were sensi- about peace and happiness and no near Tours, went hunting with his ber, 22, on the cloth, for this had tive and delicate and when I more war sounded so far away and seventeen year old son Philip. It been his regiment during the four asked him about it he shook his so false, oh! so false. Every day a The metal of the head and smiled. After four years new conflagration threatened and was their first time out this sum years of the war. mer. They hoped to bring back number was tarnished and he tried what
expect. And so every day I looked at my boy and some quail or woodcock or some to brighten it up by rubbing it with briefly this is one point I want you said, No! Not him. You won't thing nice, it was too early for a bit of cloth. Then he put it on to understand and write it down, get him!!
"And I married and settled ducks. Their dog Homer was with Also in the top drawer of the bur- them. There was an accident. eau he found the war-cross award- down with a little business. It for all boys who had reached the There were two strange things ed to him. This he pinned to the happened to be wine that I sold age of seventeen. They were to about this occurrence. The first lapel of his civilian jacket. Then but it might have been anything. get ready and report for training.
was that both barrels of the hunt- ing rifle exploded at one time. The second strange thing was that it all happened in a sand pit, a fairly deep hole. They had climbed down
can one
By Manuel Komroff
"Last week the notice arrived
That is the law of the land. And the rest you know. It was hard, a hard thing to do. And before I came here I put on the war cross for you to see. Seventeen years- ago I was supposed to be a very
into this pit for they thought this he left the house and walked down For what did it matter? Then the would be a good place. Well it the road until he came to the police child was on its way and I was brave fellow." He clutched the walked in without anxious that we have a girl. Then medal with his hand. "But that turned out to be a bad place indeed, station. He
everything would have been But there is always something besitation.
is not bravery. I tell you it îs strange about an accident and per-
"I have come to confess," he said alright. But it turned out to be nothing compared to what I went
a boy. haps the unreasonableness is what
They looked at him with pity for makes it real and unusual and con- they knew that a man who had lost I was unable to do so. He wormed
"I tried to hate the child but through before I did the deed.
In the sand pit. He was blame- vincing. At least that is how the his only son could be driven by his way into my heart until I loved
less. He was innocent. I loved story first came out.
grief to say most irrational things. him more than I ever thought I
him dearly. Oh! It took great His beloved boy, his only son, his And so they offered him a chair and would be capable of. But all the
I never knew I would courage! be able to go through with it. But pride, his joy was dead. Dead in they brought him a glass of water. time I looked at him I saw his in-
"Is it about the accident? You nocent face and I thought, "They. I could not bear to have him be--
I did and I saved him from what a sand pit in the little woods. He staggered through the woods hat- want to add something?"
will make out of you what they less and breathless and ran for
come. Oh, it took great courage. 2 No. It was no accident. I kill- made out of me. How can they You must believe me when I say short space then he stopped, caught ed him and I planned to do it." help it. France has enemies and
So. No matter what anyone his breath and bit his fingers-and The officers of the law looked at young men must defend her.
thinks glanced back. But there was noth- each other as though to say, "The Whose fault is it? And often as ing to see but trees and trees. "An poor man has lost his mind." I watched him play I would remark He paused for a minute and then accident!" he cried and ran on. But he continued, "It was not the to his mother, He is ours until he he said in a very matter-of-fact They telephoned for the police boy's fault but I had to do it. He is seventeen and then he must go manner, "Write it all out and I will and in about ten minutes four was the best boy in the world and to military service. That is the sign it. But add at the last that gendarmes arrived .on bicy- we loved him. But from the day first step. The others follow I say, it took all my strength and cles. Andre. was sitting on the he was born I knew that if he lived quickly."- grass. His head was unsteady and to be seventeen then he could live. rolled from side to side.
Cold no more. Write!" He pointed beads of perspiration hung on. his with his finger to the papers on the forehead and he bit his fingers and prefect's desk. "Write down what muttered some inaudible words. I tell you for when it is written It was an accident. A report was down I will sign it and then you made to the prefect of police. will have the truth."
Everything was clear except how He was quiet, composed, and his both barrels could go off at once words seemed rational He spoke and why they expected to scare up calmly and as he spoke a police birds from the bottom of a sand official made some notes on a large pit. But then an accident is an ac- sheet of paper. cident and its sudden violence link- ed with the unexpected excludes all logic and reason.
"First of all he was born ás soon as the war was over. I married while on a leave of absence during. the last year of the war. I served: The mother of the boy was al four years in the 22nd. We were most dead from grief. She wanted through the whole business from to kill herself. And in a voice.
start to finish. Very few remained trembling with emotion cried that of our original regiment but it was could not live. The boy, the always replenished from the out boy was the only thing she had in side. And of the class in the the world. She carried on all night Beaux Arts, we all joined at one, and all the next day. The doctor time, only two survived. Yes, I gave her a powder so she could was to be an compose herself and go to the fun- nothing of all
she
We knew
eral Her sister and mother arriv- you'd think inst.ness but
years one could
ed that morning from Tours and get used to it. Well, some do and the three women sat on the couch some never get used to it. I was and embraced and wept. And after a landscape painter and the sum- they dried their tears they emmer the war broke out I had a pic- braced again,
ture hung in the academy. Yes.
Later, after the funeral, she de my people kept it for me but when cided to go to Tours with her sis- I got back and had a look at it I ter and mother. She did not tell took out my knife and cut the her husband but he could see her canvas up into ribbons. The soft packing her satchel...
blues and the soft greens and the
Then she stood before him and little stream with Its water lilies cried, "You: You killed him -
only knew the truth! You I hate
you!" And she left the house
The poor man, stood with.
in my nature.. Four dng out of those trenches leous wasteland had thing. It killed it dead;
some of the wa before him and "Of all our
class
head down and his arms wide as though he recauzions to brace all blame and take it to sell Later in the day he went out archand and I remained into the garden and worked until it now we can go home and was dark
What do you think?
The Finally he could not endure it any world is different and there is no
all my courage."
Don't be vague -
ask for Haig
FOR THE HOME
NO FIND
OBS-INTO ANY: BOTLI
Obtainable at all Clubs, Hotels & Wine Stores
GANDE PRICE & CO. LTD.
Hong Kong.