The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-02-17
THE DUELiSTIs DOOM.

THE DtEEiST'S doom.
Moses Stevens came to Mississippi when
but youth ui eighteen tie then possessed
the miidlst manners and strictest puritsnic
morality, and was particularly noted Ior
that EarL-"oikiug practcabIlIty Of purpose
and pursuit 80 characteristic OF his county
men in general. Rapidly, by his .aG lsiry
and economy, he bad atnassed wealth IN land
and negroes, and rOS, - iuliuvnCc till lac
was run on the VIII. ticket tor seat IN tie
Lower House Of the Mississippi Legislature
And now the shameless srpcld.iaI.cs OF
SANDER set to work 90 b'achcn the hitherto
uuimpy achab,c reputation al! The ne" pol,H-
elan. Ills name filled the newspapers with
scandal ,noui.icd rs the plastic lend OF fan
cy for the OCCASION, and supplied the ioani-
ing stump.0rators with q theme for the most
bitter phlippics The tenn cr Of Stevens
became reused by the dcDuociatiOns hcaped
upon him; excited to a like fury with his
foes. he repaid them in kind for az ihelr
ssss " n Yssss 4; III asrssrnsrsa Il srtq
Simon, a noted dutlist, was selected by the
opposite party - "a proper person TO send
him chsiargc. and II he refused - ac-
ccpt il, IS matter ut course, he was de-
GRADED, aud he political contest would be
'"y'."y ., ~ ,.'','' 80 ),
tne challenge. His hand was i,Tm a5 his
aim was sure, aud lie shot his adversary
through the heart at the first fire I Other
personal encounters followed in close suc-
ccS.ion. and in all Of which Stevens dis
PLAYED the same cool courage, sud always
came off victorious. He soon became il.so-
leh', oFeibcailns an" eAHeoh'ne'y 4'n.iL O.,
soh'' Up 10 the year I''4' ~ "A' "'-'e'
ha,' uo"'i, h'o"'
~ the autumn u ''"' !'l'' ~ "@T ""'
gay ~ country s'''Ol; %'y'' 'eh mn
ifom NiehfGuTg' = h'A'a company % %""'
present, 70 ""oIn 'tc aesPtfA,' was '"''''''r'
/ o' 'he number 'i 'lc'',Hs II. han N,"H'' '''
counting WIN HlNaGe Ic'Snt se'1lH' c,'' "'l''
Stances OF hohof altchIiE me o'@'h o. e.''i'
ami spiclns tue "h9'c WIN 'l9 usual eA"g'
gersuohS supphed py 'hc Nsh''y oi o'aS'e's'
as lac went on t"u-, fecIl'ng Ihe most ch,
/ ornous Cruz """. ms quick eye Wahueren
I around the circle OF h!s eager audi'ors ior
sympathy, md the customary hpprooatoh
that was went to salute his ears, he eacoun'
tered the fixed gaze Of stranger, winch
rivitted his attention and made lin anlosj
start from bis seat as il thlillcd with mo
mentary dread.
The man, or rather youth, for 10 judge
from the extreme juyni'ity Of his appear
ance, he could not have seen more than nine
teen summers, was a stranger whom no one
present knew. or rccoected to have ever
seen before lie was tall but slender in
shape, almost to a defect His hand was
very small, white IS snow, and regular rs il
cut with a chiscl The face pale, almost
colorlcss, and swcctly sad There was
nothing in the strange youth TO excite alarm
unless it were perhaps that staadlast, pierre
NJ gaze of his strange, wild, blne eyes, i'm
moynbly fixed on the face Of stevens, as that
ierOciOus wretch painted, with words steep
cd in blood, his revolving story
Disconnected surprised, il not alarmed,
Stevens shrunh from that glance, and cast
his eyes on the floor but still made an ef-
fort TO proceed with his narrative. But he
felt that the gaze Of the stranger was upon
him, and he began to burn with shame and
indignation at the reflection that he had en-
countered one look OF mortal man which
had mastered his own spirit as with Inys-
terious spell. lie felt IN his heart that he
was coward. Again he raised his eyes to
the face Of the stranger and met the same
mysterious gaze-the same calm, uncarthv
look, that seemed to be n question from
Eternity, saying Murderer, where are thy
victimS:'
lie Observed now, also, that the hands OF
the youthful intruder no longer hung mo
tonlcss by his side, bat the lett was in his
coat pocket and the right thrust in his boz
som, graspcd something which cleaned
through the clasp his fingers Ike silver
The Desperate comprchended at glance
his peril. He was IN the power Of IN enc
my. Mastering, however, by great effort
of ScIl-oontrol, his fears, he took hjs rcsolu-
ton quick a. thought TO gain time, and ifpos
siblc, obtain the chance OF an equal combat.
This, or instant death was the only altcrna'
tive. For he was proicssed Judge of the
human character, ana knew that lac had 10
deai vain no common Zoe ana 'hat single
violent gesture Or movement 10 grasp Il
weapon, would be The signal Tor Stap at his
heart.
He therefore, assumed look Of careless
good humor and addressing the stranger in
friendly tone OF well ieigne familiarity, in
quired. "lou have listened to my idle sto-
=
young man; what do you think OF my pow
crS asa story tclIer:'
The stranger replied in low, soft voice,
81 was not thinking OF your powers as story
'c''cr ! ""S ~ "o'''''''B "' lo"' p'"V's "S
an assassin .-,.. .
c., ! WIZ ou' J0N'"s' "s>U'' !'"' s"''
stevens -
,ri ~ ou 'ie' was 'tc ca,'h ITSI,o'sg.
inc ueSPcra"" urn" l''' 40 nr"t''' ou'
sG,P'hg uoNh ms rIno'"", no p'o'.Nu'u'
no" 90 you N''IW ! '.v' ~" az, " NV
'o'al stranger 'l' i'"e'.Net! ''''i' '''"'
never .''yC Sa" you ot'oIc ~ my me
,.,oam r",, w. m ossass;n since | wo. FAN
,'ao.s 'T o,i anJ now VOW Won for d;s,orI'
l.. .",no oon.orj - ''', '''''
y! ..vt,a., v ,.oo ~ o,o,o;,oa ho ,,o,,o.,d,
, S's ou ,i 'a''''Vu ,'r m,i ''''
III ~ ,T"' s'.i ',v 90 90 .,,"la'i,r
oya a,,' VI, ~" ~ ,' IN W. ,a '''T U,
,,.ho. we ''',' ,.a,,n c,tL".,s ,,,,'o ~ ''''''
..Th". 49,, gi,nm ,a,nr L,o, ;rc,,ror.
lior and n3l,roon ,in I vI,isnsr il in Y onr
diving ear as A sieual to bind vour soul to
,i,rnol ,orturo Mon oc Mood your Ioet