Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-04-24
ber to have known, which is saying an


immense deal, / can assure you.
Handsome is as handsome does,'
remarks the proverb, and it must be ac-
knowledged that Kitty Wilson's conduct
added nothing to the general apprecia-
tion of her beauty. She was a wild,
eccentric, reckless young thing, whose
depraved taste was exhibited in manner
which almost ran her good-natured uncle
mad. For, n1irabile dictu, Kitty fell in
love, of all persons in the world, with
John Gillis.
"Though widower and middle-aged,
he was good-looking, and had certainly
acquired not few of the externals of a
gentleman but still the young lady's
guardian could not entertain for mo-
ment the idea of such match. It was
opposed to every rule of les conUe,aaraces,
a circumstance which only strengthened
Kitty's perverse determination to carry
out her own blood in the matter.
elbow she had made the acquaintance
of Mr.. Gillis, where and when they had
first encountered each other and been
smitten with a mutual flame, remained
a mystery but there is little doubt that
Kitty would have married her cavalier if
she had had only her kind and somewhat
yielding uncle to contend with.
"But Mrs. Wilson, host in herself,
now rushed to the rescue. She had
been absent from home during the ini-
tial stages of the courtship, or it would
never have been allowed to go SO far.
"s No, indeed 7 as she viciously ex-
claimed, would have nipped it in the
bud = Whether her authority could be
rightly stretched to that extent, whether
in truth she had any legal authority in
this case, the fiery little woman did not
pause to consider.
"She only yearned to show her hand,
to begin hostile operations with ven
geance. The chance she looked for
speedily arrived.
Gillis called at her house, request
ing to see Miss Kitty. He was admitted
to the presence of the indignant matron
instead. What she said to him pre-
cisely, did not transpire but her lam
guage and bearing must have been Bit
terly insulting, for Gillis left the house
in white rage, and in less than an
hours time had revenged himself upon
the wife by subjecting the husband to
the grossest of indignities.
'sBut one course remained open to
our good-natured friend. He must meet
Gillis Immediately, and in a fight q
poItra1ace.
"In this delimma he replied to me:
said I, replying to his somewhat woe
begone appeal but how about your
shooting? Are you in fair practice 2
"tPractice he echoed, dolefully
Il never shot a pistol but once. Then
the id thing burst, and carried away
the tip of my ear-look 7 And, throw
ing buck his gray, but still luxuriant
locks, he showed me where the organ in
question had been slightly marred of its
| Just proportions.
"fThere's not a moment to be lost,
then,' I exclaimed. 'Come, I'll let you
have my own weapons they are perfect
beauties, and baby almost could man
| age them.
elf that were SO, it speedily became
evident that Arthur Wilson was less
skillful than the suppositious baby.
"When I had arranged all preimina-
ries for meeting with Gillis on the fol
lowing morning, took my man into the
yard and drilled him. Good heavens
what a raw, awkward recruit for the
noble army of duelists he turned out
to be
"Instead of reducing his huge persor
to its least practicable size, he insisted
upon squaring his body toward the
mark, and taking his shots in that mos
heterodox position.
!" And such shots as they were Ou
of dozen trials, he lodged only tive
bullets within a space of ten feet IL
height and six in breadth. The other
were pumped into the ground, with th'
exception of one widely -erring piece o
lead, which flew over the outbuildins
that sustained the target, and, smashin,
a kitchen-window opposite, elicitet
shrieks long and loud from the cook.
"Luckily that responsible domesti
was not hurt, but her fright was extreme
"'N No use, no use It's only a vast
of ammunition 7 cried Wilson, after tn
twelfth shot, which grazed his own boot
but cheer up, F., L may do bette
on the ground, you know
Really it was extraordinary. Th
wilder his shooting, the more confden
my fat principal became. All his fol
mer despondency had vanished. H
was as cool as usual, and even in highe
in him, but, to confess the truth,
looked upon the poor fellow as doomed
Why, Gillis could cut tape-line, hit
quarter-piece, or snuff a candle, 6
twenty PAGES, and was hard and stead
, as the rock of Gibraltar. We coul
only trust to the chapter of accidents.
"Contrary to my advice and entreatie
Wilson insisted upon having a sma
party of friends to sup with him tn,
) night.
"s IF I'm to be killed tomorrow, b
said, 'as I know you think I will b.
for heavens sake let me enjoy the s,
ciety of my comrades for the last tim'
!, Nothing can make my shooting a0or'
! than it is therefore, what matter p
"We sat up until after eleven, drinl
ing and playing whist. AS the cloc
struck the half hour to midnight, I toe
: our friends arm and mildly compelle
:, him to retire.
s "sTake care,' I whispered on ii
!. threshold of his chamber, don't owe
o sleep yourself in the morning
g Pshaw, man 7 he replied, 'yc
= needn't be SO cautious /; my wife know
j. all about this quarrel, and she'll see
T. it that I'm up in good time !; never feal
a ''He spoke little bitterly, as if b
o consort's tender care for hisohonor was
t characteristic which, under the circur
b stances, he would have preferred to di
e pense with.
i "To-morrow dawned through dri
b Fly, cold, uncomfortable mist. New
e in life had I felt SO savage and gloon
= feeling by no means softened whe
l. standing on the appointed ground, whi'