The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-04-22
aalistEtlaug,
From tho GentleInRn's Magazine.
ATERRIBLE ENCOUNTER.
Love. Jealousy, Mistaken Identity
and "a Tragey.

2 y
self. 1 was without wife or child to EN-
cumber my departure; and, armed on
/ ly with q pOrtmanteau, made mos
! delightful Journey of it tOthe charming
, town of V.
/ Shortly after my arrival, whilst sit
| ting at the window of my hotel, man
! passed by so very much like myself
! that, struck with the resemblance,
rose, and, leaning forward, followed
him with my eyes. His dress bespoke
him an EngIishman. He was tall; SC
was I. Slim I was slim. His eyes
were blue, his skin fair, his hair deer
auburn, his nose aquiline. All this
was my portrait. When he had reach
eel the bottom of the street, he paused
looked round, then slowly returned,
crossing the road, however, and taking
the opposite pavement; This enabled
me to get a clearer view of the man. ]
confess I was much impressed with the
resemblance, and hardly liked it. The
Psychologist, / thought, may delight as
much as he pleases in such a cOinci-
dence; for my part l object to being
made portion of any sort of phGnOme-
non. / had read of very unpleasant
consequences following personal re-
semblances, aad earnestly hoped that
/ this individual, whom nature, short OF
moulds at the time, had undoubtedly
cast in mine, would speedily clear the
neighborhood of his presence,
y week or two after this, in taking Il
walk across a 1ScIafiful bit of adjacent
country, l sUCs,.5niy encountered my
likeness, seated on a rustic bench, be
meath a tree, with his arm encircling
the waist of a very beautiful peasant
girl. Her skin, of Il pure ard cream
like tint, finely cOntrastcd with the
splendid luXuTiance of black hair Her
eyes flashed upon me as / passed, and
| noticed her draw herself erect with
rapid hauteur, as if indignant OF impa-
tient of detection. The man hy her
side, who would have passed very well
for me other person but my mo-
ther and myself, still maintained his
carressing attitude. He did not conde-
scend to raise his eyes to me as / pass
ed, but kept them fixed upon the face
of the giT!, who, l could see, watched
me with a species of sulleu eagerness,
as ifWishing me we'll out of sight.
As passed them, must confess of
having experienced mOmentary SEN
satiOn of envy of the man. Since ma
ture had put him in my skin, | thought
it seems only fair that ! should put
myself in his shoes. For all l know, l
reflected, that beautiful peasant girl
might have been originally destined
for me; but the intention of nature has
been defeated by her love of COinci-
dence. laughed at my thoughts as l
walked on, and turning a corner, lost
sight Of the lovers.
On reaching the bottom of the lane,
/ found that l had fallen upon a cui-IC
sac. The passage terminated in a Sc
ries of fields, across which / could dis
cover no foOt-path. 1 had no wish to
be arrested for trespassing, sol decided
OH returning the way l had come,
On sighting the bench, found it was
deserted. I was not sorry. l would
by no means have disliked another
peep at the beautiful brunette; but, at
the same time, l had no ambition to
inspire the couple with the notion that
l was watching them.
had got to the top of the hill, and L
was passing between a row of thick
bushes, making a sort of natural hedge
for a broad area of trees, like q gigantic
park, when l was suddenly startled by
a a report of pistol discharged to my
left. At the same moment heard the
hollow sound of ball striking my hat,
and that article of dress rolled on the
ground.
l looked around with pale face
The attack was horribly sudden. Who
in the name of heaven, wanted my
life? For what crime was my blood
demanded? What had / done? / saw
the blue smoke curling up from the
densest portion of the bushes, and
heard the cracking of the furze and
twigs caused by the hasty fight of
some one.
[ picked up my hat The ball had
passed clean through'it. Had it struck
two inches lower, it would have enter
ed my skull.
FASTENED toward the town, possess
sed with much the same sort of envia-
ble feelings as you might imagine
Tipperary landlord or agent would feel
who sees threats of his life carved on
every other tree. Bravery in a situa-
ton of this sort was quite out of the
question. Of what use is pluck when
you have to deal with invisible foes >
/ might also confess to having broken
ipto downright fight as j neared the
town, SO extremely anxious was / to
escape every sheltering bush, tree or
hedge in the neighbOrhOOd.
On gaining my hotel ] began to re
feet on my narrow escape. l had been
too much excited TO attach to it the
significance it demanded. But the
hole in my hat conveyed the most
shudding information on my narrow
escape BevOnd all reasonable doubt
my life within that hour had only been
worth two paltry inches.
I repeated the question: To myself:
Who wants my life? And, if any
body wants it, what are the claims :?
What have Idone to merit assassina-
ton ?" Being wholly unable to an
swer these queries, | resolved to make
a cOnfidant of my host, the hotel-keep-
er. I called him into my room and
told him of what had happened. He
shrugged his shoulders "a he eXclaim-
ed:
Monsieur, like the rest of mankind,
must pay the penalty of love-"
" But said l, shocked at his sang
frOid, :" have not made love. Since l
have been here / am not conscious of
even having looked at Il woman, much
less spoken to one
Then it is an enigma he replied.
The only solution | can offer you is,
that you have been mistaken for some
one else"
=" Bon Dieu!'' ! exclaimed. "You
have undoubtedly hit the mark. ]
have been mistaken, and / know fol
whom. Have you not seen a man in
this town bearing a striking resem.
blance to me?'
" Yes" was the answer.
" Well, my friend, have. The mo-
ment saw him, felt uncomfortable
I had a presentimento of evil. You viii
I Oblige me by letting me have my bill
/ shall 90 t0 Paris to~night. If 1 stoT
here another day, my life, which / left
| England to fortifF, viii hc -nuffed ou1
| like a candle"
The seeing matters come
| to point that affected his interests
| endEaV0rcd 10 laugh down my doubts
! He argued that the ball / had received
head. The man crossed over again tC