Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-02-24

klhd OF fellow we should have called q
ml!ksop' at school; and yet, somehow
or other, felt | could not dislike the
fellow, 1nstinctivelv-I don't know
ho% It was-but took to him
" Max Oppenheim-for that was my
nelghbor's name-was pale faced, stu.
dlous looking young man, and perfect
model of student He was always
beng held up as a pattern to us. He
was never known to miss lecture was
never seen at the gasthaus; didn't
smoke, drink beer-did nothing wicked,
in fact. Max Oppenheim was our exact
opposite.
Outside the university he never
joined his fellow.students, and was
never known to invite them home
. torgot'to say that he lodged exact
! ly opposite where | was residing, so my
window commanded his.
One morning, as | was smoking a
cigarette on the balcony outside my sit
tlng-room, | saw, to my surprise, over
| the way, pretty, fair head peeping out
of Oppenheim's window The head
popped back Immediately | was de-
tected..
II laughed to myself, and thought
/ '''''e '' S0oo't OWL Notlt llldht oub VI
it for the benefit of my friends.
That evening, before | had an op-
portunty of doing this. happened to
meet Max, and began joking him about
the fair apparition that had seen.
He stopped me in an instant.
"'I am married. said he, rather
proudly. That was Madame Open
helm that you saw
" am afraid must have perpetrated
an incredulous whistle.
''' 1t was Madame Oppenheim, tell
you, sir, said the pale-faced Max, get
ting irritated; 'and | beg that her
name may be treated with respect
was half inclined to treat the mat
ter still as a Joke, and fully believe
should not have been inclined to let the
conversation drop SO suddenly with any
one else; but, as | told you Just now, in
my heart | esteemed Max thoroughly,
and knew him to be by no means Il bad
fellow. | can now confess that |
really liked him, only | did not like to
own it. We are all desperately weak
sometimes.
This little alteration of ours was
trivial enough; but it had its i'll effects,
notwithstanding.
Before it happened we were in the
habit of shaking hands and exchanging
few friendly words when we met.
This was all knocked on the head after
it, We bowed coldly to one another
when we met, and in time even the
bows became few and far between.
And then the months slipped away,
and the winter came, and with it-at
orI tba
nival.
ball, and in costume. | remember it
we'll it was Pierrot dress. [ danced
all night, and got back to my lodgings
at some unearthly hour in the morning.
! threw myself on the bed, dead
tired as | was; too sleepy, in fact, to
take off a scrap of my costume.
! had fallen asleep outside the bed,
but was awakened by a loud knocking
at my door. / had heard the knocking
for some minutes, aud it mixed itself
tantastically enough with my dreams.
"Still the knocking went on; but
when heard my name repeated two
or three times, | started up suddenly,
"'C Come income inr | cried, still
confused, and very sleepy.
The door opened, and a man walked
into my room.
at was Max Oppenheim.
"He seemed very much agitated, and
was as pale as death.
- Why, Oppenheim, what on earth
can You want with me at this hour of
tho morning?' said |, rubbing my eyes,
and looking comical enough, | should
think, in my tumhled Pierrot dress.
"' Mr. Tatham,' said he, hestitating
little, and with q broken voice, you
have shown me kindness before now;
have come to ask you to do me u very
great favor
"' BY all means. What can | dor
MAX Oppenheim took two or three
turns up and down my roonL hesitated
once or twice, but at last commanded
himself, and said, in a nervous, anxious
manner: You cannot conceive how
sorry | am to put you to any trouble or
annoyance, Mr.. latham; but, to deal
honestly with you. let me say that you
are the only man know how to appeal
to in my present unhappy condition. |
have heard, and | think am correct in
believing, that in affairs of honor, as
they ire called here, you are somewhat
expert
- NV dear fellow replied l, now
thoroughly surprised, you don't mean
to tel! me that duel is on the cards ?
I" Yes.
"'And you intend to fight?
He looked me steadily in the face.
There was flash Of something like
| pride in his eyes, and tone of dignity
in his voice, as he gave me the following
explanation
"Last night my wife was very anxious
to see the masqueraders go to the ball.
| didn't see much harm in this simple
wish, and said that had no objection
| to take her. We took up our position
under the trees, away from the crowd,
where imagined we should be able to
see everything without being in any
way disturbed. 1t may appear strange,
hut fanced some how that all would
not 90 we'll. One has these odd present
ments at times, you know; and, al
though it is impossible to account for
them, it is no use denying that they dc
occur.
"'A party of students, as ill.luck
would have it, passed by the very spot
where we were standing, and recognized
me. They surrounded us. suppose
they had been drinking freely. At any
rate, they insulted me grossly but this
| could have endured. They heapec
| thar insults unon her who was with me