River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-08-12

rival looked at me. / bowed TO him,
and received a courteous bend in re.
turn.
wet night" said /.
Wet night, said he.
"And cold, said I.
"And cold, " said he.
"Nice fire, said |.
Nice fire, p" said he.
He seemed to try to give his words
my exact information.
He was mocking met
Damn IL !" said I, and laughed.
damn it !" said he, and laughed
laughed so much like me that / could
not distinguish any difference, either
in quantity or quality he was right to
SINCE Ha!
took another pull at my toddy, and
so did he | smoked nay pipe serenely.
and made a very deliberate survey of
my friend. He became immediately
engaged in the same interesting occu-
patton with me. He was a man about
my own age, and evinced his taste by
adopting a style OF costume closely re-
sembling my own. | noticed particu-
| ly that his feet were encased in French
cloth boots, with narrow tips of patent
leather at the toes, like mine; in fact,
felt tempted TO offer him considerable
odds that could name the maker and
number of the lasts upon which they
we're made. His face. too, seemed to
be very near like my face; there
was the noble brow, the partial
! ly bald pate, the expressive
mouth, the magnificent teeth, the
chiselled nose-the--no, not the elo-
quent dark cyes--the same sort of eyes
though, differing only from mine in one
little particular feature His eyes had
a red ring round each, caused perhaps
by cold or grief; nor could he boast of
rosy fresh complexion such rs mine:
his was most decidedly choleric-b blue
as indigo. concluded at once that he
travelled for some dry-salter, and had
been fidgeting with his samples-per-
haps had received a parcel of blue stuff
in bulk to save carriage, which he had
been weighing out and packing with
his own hands into the required
quantities for his various customers in
the district. Then, having done his
work, II was not unreasonable to sup
pose he had made his toilet for the
commercial room, and had in moment
of forgetfulness used the indigo-bag
for a towel.
| am fond of harmless fun, and
confess | fcrvently wished for few
more arrivals to enjoy it with me. In
the space of a few minutes | invented
a dozen funny things to say the last
was so rich that | laughed outright.
And SO did he.
We sat and looked at each other. 1
noticed that when / took drink he
did the same. When pulled he pulled.
If | moved hand or foot, SO did he.
| could stand it no longer; / was
angry, and said to him
81 am not to be insulted with i'm
punity, sir. My names Brown.
represent the house of Rimmocks, sir
there's my card stand up like a
man, sir
My blood was up.
The cadaverous wretch repeated my
very words and actions, and handed me
card which was engraved, Ode
Tremens Il Co., Wine and Spirit Mer-
chants"
finished my teddy, took off my
coat, locked the door, and looked HIM
/ full in the face.
/ He finished his toddy, threw off his
coat, went 10 the door, and put the key
in his pocket But never for an in.
slant did he take his eyes off me. He
was quite ready for me. He waited
I fsNr 4
changed he looked iiendish.
The noble art of self defence formed
q feature in my education when at
school, could parry and counter cap
italy my blow was equal TO hundred
and thirty-seven pounds, aud could
give the upper cut beautifully but
somehow | felt afraid of this fellow,
and 1 looked NJ him as fiercely as |
could, IN the hope that he would make
me an apology. Nothing OF the kind I
On the contrary, his demoniacal scowl
grew iiercer and wilder every moment,
the redness round his eyes became
more strongly defined, and his orbs
shone with dazzle that seemed to
freeze my blood. | would have given
a months salary, and expenses to boot.
to have been safely anywhere else. 1
looked at the window as the thought
rose, and determined TO risk a limb by
jumping Though il into the street be-
low. But l must have passed him.
His eyes were npon me, ard / gave up
the idea ~ soon as formed.
had contrived, however, to have
the table between us, and thus We were
face TO face. l could not now look him
straight in the eye, as l had always
been accustomed to look at n man.
shrank from his terrible stare, and
! my blood seemed 20 galop as though
every drop in my body had entered
aud was running on a steeple-chase
through my veins, with a wind up leap
from my heart TO my brain.
To NV horror became sensible that
the table was moving with slow but
certain motion toward the side OF the
room. held il with all my strength,
but without avail My antagonist was
evidently much stronger man than