The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-01-04

might be offered me for the gratuitous
insults I received at the hands Of my fell
However, this morning,
almost at day break, received visit
from two of them. still in their fancy
dresses. They came to ask me if [ had
made any preparations. They assured
me that my adversary-lteaven knows
I bear him no malice-was determined
not to rest until he had obtained satisfac-
ton for the injuries inflicted on him.
'Poor Max. [ think / see him now,
as he stood talking to me in the cold,
gray morning light, so frankly, so earn
estly, and with such charming modesty.
But | was young fool then, and never
allowed my heart to be broke. How this
young, promising fellow stood at my
bedside. confding to my care his happy,
brilliant life and prospects, and all his
pretty wife's hope. and love and heart. !"
eff you knew the fellows as we'll as
do Oppenheim, and understood their
mad enthusiasm for dueling, and st ange
notions of honor, you would believe that
this man spoke the truth"
DO you know who it is 1 mean?" said
Max, neryously.
II know them all. What is his
name ?''
Ferdinand Kohler."
Almost experienced swordsman What
practice have you had p
IL am ashamed to say that have
hardly ever had sword in my hand
"You don't mean to say so?
CAT this time of which [ am speaking
[ don't believe that there could have ex-
listed two students at that, or, indeed al
in any university, who would have made
such confession"
eff you think, Mr.. latham, that it il
a point Of honor for me to fight this man
[ am prepared to meet him, come what
may"
ITO this courageous and plucky speech
without thinking of its consequences,
said, Bravo, Oppenheim That's spoken
like MANI
''He didn't quite look all the courage
of his word, so [ tried to encourage
him."
why, this will be splendid opening
for you," I said You will never be-
come a swordsman without practice; and
to be ignorant of the weapon, is to OWL
yourself no student, or indeed, gentle
men. according to the present idea
''There was another knock at the
door,
Here are the gentlemen, most proba-
bly," said he, 'Hoping-indeed know
ing, that you would not refuse your as
sistance. l begged them to await us in
the street. Shall I open the door?''
certainly. Let them i'm
There they stood, flushed with wine,
careless, and excited-German students
to the life. We al went out together -
There is a picture of German which
[ saw once In Paris, and of which see
photographs in the shopwindows of Lon
don, which makes me shudder again. II
is called lie Duel di Pierrot." On just
such a spot Max Oppenheim and Ferdi
nand Kohler met"
ct was just such a winters morning
just such bleak, dreary landscape, JUS
the same snow thickly strewed on the
ground.
Il never looked at the picture, or I'M
agine the scene, without seeing Max On
penheim' blood.
''We saw at once he was utterly ignor
ant Of the sword, and unanimously begged
Ferdinand to be gentle with him. Just
give him a Scratch" we said, land that
will do. | have no doubt, in my own
mind, that Ferdinand had no intention OF
acting otherwise Poor Max brought
about bis own deoth. He fought like a
young lion, and without an atom of heed.
Ferdinand gave a lunge to defend his own
life, and it was a fatal thrust for hIax
Oppenheim.'
''There he died, where he had fought
so despaartely. 1t was an awful thing
for all Of us and we would, one and all,
have cut off our right hand sooner than
it should have happened
"The last sad and painful duties con-
nected with Max's unfortunate death de-
volved upon myself The worst part was
yet to come; for, before he had brethed
his last, ne entrusted letter to my care
and whispered Gully one word-"M arie!"
81 had to meet the young widow face
to face"
"How blamed myself for my folly, as
L proceeded on my sad mission How far
was [ not accountable for the young
mans death? How easy it would have
been for me to take his part, and patch
the matter up! But, no! Because a
few headstrong fools, excited me with
wine, had insulted the woman he loved
more than any one else in the world
his wife, whom he was boung to protect
to the last-because he had resented
these insults, and an absurd quarrel en-
sued. had lent myself to a meeting be-
tween the principal offender, an old
and experienced swordsman, and poor
Max, who hardly knew one end of the
sword from the other"
AT last arrived at the house, but
went up the stairs very slowly, and after
much hesitation, Knocked
Marie herself came to the door"
Directly she saw me, she shrank back.
For some time she stood there immova-