Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-06-23
THE DUELIST.
THRILLING SOUTHWESTERN SKETCH

th. II Atmdnight, twenty -hve years ago. solitary il rth steered hs slender canoe across the Ar % ,osss river from the left towards the right h. Ck whence at least one pair of eyes, from a d, aster of flowing shrubs, watched intently all b, movements. Fornotwithstandingt the hour k, .rorythng was visible in the clear light of a 'E J,ndless May moon, which turned the wide el later into plane of the richest silver smooth
 mirror, save where t1e quick ripples
 S,,tIed at the touch of the rowers Aasbipg PT have called him youth but he was more lh ..,oerlv speaking boy of sixteen, with a al E5mipg beardless face, and a countenance e liant with child-like innocence, although his se n seemed manly, and his large blue eyes I that luminous piercing look which always
 .roals soul unaccustomed to both guile and 6.r Indeed, hls entire appearance would E t.ro delighted the gaze of true artist. That 2 -,,,ious white brow, environed with wreath
 of riossv brown curls, that strong yet stately
 cE with its aristocratic carriage, that form so
 mas.ive for its age, but still statuesque in a. symmetry, the beamiDg eyes, the blooming r;,age, and wlthai the buckskn dress so fine
 - is Indian ornaments--compoSed together as
 hir a human shape as ever the enamored moon ,,lracel since she stopped from Heaven to
 rss the sleeping Endymiod. But no words
 c,o reproduce the masculine graces of that
 }sarlless boy then the pride of central Arkap
 s Wade Thompson.
 What. Wade Thompson. that name so ter
 tle from the snows of Iowa to the fiery sands
 of the Mexican Gulf-from the Levee at New
 0lsans to the harbor of San Francisco? The
 saroe-not as he is now--not as he has been for
 years the wandering Jew of wild unrest and
 nriless passions-but as he was in the golden
 days of the morning of life, the light of that oil clerical fathers eyes, the elective magnet of a sardy mothers heart the admiration of
 all that knew him. And 1 am about to tell
 what changed him, what made him the merci
 less man h. is.
 As the canoe gIided through the middle of
 thestream, the youth paused, raised his paddle.
 dripping with liquid pearls, and scanning the
 shore eagerly, murmured with a sigh:
 'l must be too early-there is no one there"
 He glanced up with half reproachful ex- rression at the calm unsympathizing moon. and signing again, " It is the hour." dashed his paddle into the water, and shot to the shore like all arrow.
 Il Then drawing his canoe partly on the sand, he aScended the bank, peered among the clus- F terng vines, separated the wild flowers and called out in a soft voice trembling with all in finite tenderness of desire:
 "Thalia, dearest Thalia,' My own beautiful Wade' replied musi cal, laughing voice, as a tall dark eyed woman emerged from a natural bower of rosebushes, and east herself into his arms Then followed the tender embrace, the kiss with lips of fire, the brief question and answer of blended tongues and all the nameless bea- ttude of love that has never known sin. The joy of the woman revealed itself in smiles sweet as starlight, and bushes burning like the tnts of an evening cloud, while by a singular contrast the passion of youth found veut in l rain of delicious tears.
 The first ecstatic transport of the reunion be- ! ing allaYed, the young man murmured: Come, dear Thalia, let us % wonder and st down. l want to talk to you long | whjlc."
 Ie took her electric hand and led her few steps mp the river to a large heap of wood, | whcr the boats occasionally landed to take in fuel There he arranged as comfortable po- l ston Tor the cnarmer as possible and throwing himself on his knees at her feet so as to look fully into that bewitchng face, he gazed up into those dark eyes as if worshipping some inefahie divinity. It was, too a divinity we have all worshipped at some time or other in our cold, skeptcai lives, perhaps the first one ever adored at the sacrifice of the souls vir- gln puntv-bnt, ah mel for how many in vain. 4A '''tt' td.'tl I'etllbT NOulG nave remarked asn6lng, if not painful contrast between the lovers. As have already said, in all but form he WAS a mere boy; while she appeared the proud, showy, handsome woman of more than twenty summers. Her love seemed that of the half passionate coquette; but his was all IAme- homage as pure as ever glowed in the depths oi any human bosom. She was evi- Gehtly fond of him, and against the wishes of her parents, as this stolen interview sufficiently proved; but she was his all in fancy as in feel n2, the very life breadth of his being. as evinc- eG by his every glance, tone and gesture. She looked down upon him, while he looked up to her, and tms simple fact implies a differ ehce aS ""e as two distant worlds And hehce the mlthhest mastery of tyraunical pas sion ever developed in the vearuin5 heart is that of the boy for the full-blown woman.- For there can be no love without the madness of !0r9tiou.
 Sweet Thalia, let us fly at once. and never be parted more" entreated the vouth. in &C., cents earnest as the voice If prayer, while the moonlight streaming on his face gave him the aspect cf devotee kneeling before the statute ol asqut.
 A troubled. indefnabe expression passed over the fife features of the woman. as she sighed:
 " It cannot be yet; we must wait for the con seLl or my parents"
 Aud that will never be gjven,'' be answer ea' with a couuteuance of measurelcss de- srar.
 :" We must hope for the best'' she returned h tones as gloomy as those of the other.
 cannot endure it cried the boy. with conyusive shudder of the lips; your rich fa ther spurns me ike dog, and your brother in- suits me on every public occasion. People Io'nt at me as coward, and so I am, but it is for you'r
 You talk wildly tonight" murmured the woman, almost alarmed at the singular gleam- ltS iSht beginning .o dart as in ftful pulses, from the large blue eyes of her lover
 shall go mad if l lose you.' he exclaim- ed passionately srringing to his feet and kiss Ing the bright ringl~s of Der raven hair which hle tears soon spriukled with gems of crystal dew.
 Then falling as suddenly on his knees and cIa>lnI her throbbng bosom, he impored:
 Oh! my angel, l know that 1 am poor that cannot support you in the style to which you were born; it would break my heart to see those divine hands soiled by labor, to look on that dear form, thin with want, or clad like mine. Therefore I will never m re press you to fly with me. But why can you not love me as l love you?-more than all on earth more than all in Heaveu?"
 The intense passion, the fiery poetry of love, touched also the soul of the woman, as she glued her lips to his, murmurng: Dear Wade, Idol do."
 Then there is another way for us to enjoy an eternal union;" he said in voice milder than his words
 What mean you?'' she faltered, recoiling with gesture
 Loving hearts that are barred from beating together in life, may still sleep together in a common grave" was the startling reply, and the brow of the speaker turned pale as the moonlight that hOvered like some weird un- healthy thing around his head.
 :" M hntI M0nld vnn cnrnrnntt thn fri ,ht rnl sin