The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-07-14
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

she murmured in his ear; then stream
Of blood burst from her lips, she shud-
dered slightly, and was dead.
Colonel Lomond pressed his quivering
lips tenderly on her forehead then lift
ing her in his arms, he carried her to a
couch. "Lie there little while, sweet,
foolish darling" he said. "Perhaps l
may join thee on thy journey before
long"
Narrel, who was like q man half-craz-
cd, would have rung for help, but Col
onel Lomond, by a gesture, forbade him
to do 50. You and /, sir" said the
Colonel, "have still our little business
TO arrange"
"Great Heaven! what would you
more" exclaimed Sir Derwent.
"Rcvenge my daughters death ~ said
Lemond.
Her death was pure accident"
"Granted. She died to save my life,
and that life / now devote to avenging
her memory. What I said before | say
again-only one of us two shall quit this
room alive. Here are two pistols; one
of them is loaded and the other is un-
loaded. Choose one of them. In three
minutes that clock on the chimney-piece
will strike the hour. At the first stroke
we will fire across this table; and may
Heaven have mercy on the soul of one
of us"
at would be murder !" said Narrel,
in a low voice, while cold sweat broke
out on his ashen face.
"Call it by what name you WILL" said
LomOnd; "but as | have said, so it shall
he. Dare to refuse, and by the great
Ficnd of Darkness, whose true son you
are, will thrash you with yonder whip
within an inch of your life, and send
you forth into the world branded forever
as a coward and rogue"
Sir Derwent wiped the perspiration off
his forehead with his slace-bordcred hand
kerchicf, and his dry lips moved in faint
protest. His courage was beginning to
waver. The slow, patient ferocity Of
his enemy was not without its effect
upon him.
"Choosew said Colonel Lomond, as
he laid IA brace of pistols on the table.
Narrel hcsitatcd for Il moment which to
pick, and LOmond smiled grimly. No
fresh arrangement of position was ne
ccssary, they being already on opposite
sides of the table, on which poor Le-
nore's embroidery was still lying, as she
had cast it aside on the first tlutter of
hearing her lovers signal.
"Colonel Lomond, must make last
protest against this bloody business"
said Narrel.
Again the Colonel smiled. "In ten
seconds" he said, "the clock will strike.
Be ready"
There was n great contrast between
the two mon rs they stood thus, fronting
what for one of them must be inevitable
death. Colonel Lomond's 5 bronzcd cheek
looked even darker than usual, and his
eye seemed to burn with intense hate as
he stood gazing ut his antagonist from
under his lowering brows; but his eX-
tended arm was as firm as bar of steel.
NarrCl was evidently nervous. His lips
had faded to dull blush white; he
pressed one hand to his chest OCCASIONAL
ly, as if to still the throbbing heart be-
meath; while the other, which held the
pistol, trcmbled slightly in spite of him.
Four seconds-threes esecondS-twO sec
onds. The dcathly brooding stiffness
that prevailed the room was something
awful. One second. The silvery bell of
the little French clock had not complet-
ed its first stroke before the two triggers
were pulled. a flash, a report, and Il
gush of smoke from one of the weapons,
and Sir Derwent Narrel, shot through
the heart, fell back dead.
$50 perishcs Il thorough scoundrcl," d"
said Colonel LOmond, as he gazed into
the face of his dead enemy.
Suddenly door opened and showed a
very old lady, with white hair, and clad
in white dressing-robc, standing in the
entrance. From the movement of her
hands you understood that shewa blind,
or nearly so.
"IIcnry! Henry! whore are you?'
she cried. "Some one fired pistol just
now. Oh, tell me that you are not hurt y
and she advanced a step or two into the
room.
A spasm of anguish passed over tho
face of Colonel Lomond. 81 am here and
well, mother" he said. "Pray, return tt
your room. l am sorry to have disturb
ed YOU"
"And Lenorc," said the old lady
: plaintively, "why has not Lenore beer
, to kiss me, and say goodnight" Ha'
| the child gone to bed?"
"Lcnore is asleep, mother" said tn,
Colonel, in n whisper. ave must no
disturb her. She shall come to you il
| the morning"
l "Strange-strangc," murmured The
: old lady; "shcnevc forgot me before; :
S and with that she turned and went slow
ly away, CROPPING with her hands before
, her; and the Colonel, falling on hi
: knees, buried his face in the white dres'
Of his dead daughter. At which poin
, the whole machinery of my dream dis
+ solved away, and l awollC.
There was no more sleep for me that
: night SO lilclike and vivid was my
l extraordinary dream, so much did il
seem like part of my own personal eN
| perience, that the effect left by it on my
mind was not lightly to be shaken off