The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1876-09-21

ing OF the word explained.
"Gentlemen, are you ready ~
Ready both answered.
Still the old man moved not, nor
did 10 direct q single glance at his
adversary. His eyes were fixed in
front. His attitude was one of rapt
attention. He seemed like one list.
ening intently.
"Without changing the direction
OF his gage, or other movement than
that of his arm, which arose with the
precision OF a nicely adjusted ma
chine, the old man brought his pistol
to the level of his enomy's breast.
For an instant no held it there. Still
the same appearance of eager listen
ing.
The Major was in no hurry. Ho
could afford to take his time with q
man who held his pistol at random,
without looking whitherward. lie
was determined to mako sure work.
II his ball missed his adversary's
heart, even the fraction of an inch, he
would never make any pretension to
skill again.
The sharp report of the strangers
pistol was followed by q convulsive
jerk Of tho Majors arm, causing the
discharge Of his weapon far wide Of
its mark, while he, staggering few
PAGES backward, fell heavily to the
ground.
Conduct me to him. said tho old
man to his friend.
The latter took his principals arm
and led him to tho PROSTATE form of
the Major, whose second, kneeling
by his side, had torn open his gar
ments, exposing to view the fatal
wound in his breast, made by the
strangers bullet.
"is your friend seriously hurt 2"
inquired the latter, coolly.
You can SEQ for yourself, SIR"
the second answered.
"There you're in error replied
tho other. II am totally blind"
Tho wounded man, who by this
time revived little, and his second
looked at tho stranger in astonish-
ment. There was no visible defect
in his organs of vision, but there
was a fixity of look--that blending
of eyes on vacancy-which so un-
mistakably evinces the absence of
sight.
"Who are you. and what is your
motive in seeking this encounter I"
tho Major family murmured.
"First. are you in condition to
renew it 7" inquired the stranger.
"There is no ileed--l am dying"
"When l have told you who 1 am
the stranger resumed, "you will
scarce require my motive for what |
have done No wonder that you
have forgotten James Merton" he
continued, "forhe has greatly chang.
ed, no doubt"
The dying man started and groan.
cd bitterly.
"But I havo not forgotten you,
Richard Buford, nor the injuries
you have done me. A cherished
daughter, the pride of my eyes, and
the JOY OF her mothers heart, you
enticod from her home, deceived by
n sham marriage, and then abandon
ed her to die of broken heart. My
son, and only remaining child, in
rash attempt to avenge his sisters
wrongs, fell victim to your accurs-
ed skill. You even robbed him Of
the ordinary chances OF combat, un-
equal as they would have been, in.
casing your cowardly body in con-
cealed armor. The loss of both of
our children unsettled my wife 8 rea
son, and she died in q mad-house,
Could have found you then, |
would have given you no chance for
your life, but valient as you have
always professed to be, but coward
as youare, you evaded me.-Yet |
knew that We should one day meet
aud | registered a vow that when
we did l would offer you a sacrifice
to your internal art. TO this stud.
led to become an adept at it, and sue
ceeded.-And when at length blind
ness cast its shodow over mo, and
seemed to render hopeless the ful-
fillment OF my vow, instead Of aban-
doning it, ! betook myself to q new
species of practice. / sought to
make hearing take tho place OF
sight.--Again succeeded. l learn
ed to take aim with ear instead Of
eye. When I heard you say ready
to-day, knew tho exact direction in
which to point my pistol, as well as
II had seen you. Besides, I could
hear you breathing where you stood.
You lost your chance in delaying
POUR fire. You wished to make
sure work and over reached your
SELF"
Moro than once the Major looked
appealingly at the speakers free. but
in those remorseless, sightless syes,
there was no sympathy. As the Ia
bored breathing grew fainter, tho
old man resumed his listening atti-
tude. At last all was still.
"He is dead !" he said and its
wonted expression of sober melan-
sholy settled on the old mans face,
ls, taking his companions arm, he
turned and walked leisurely away.
A ~c,,no, MAJ, svoo frac,~ockI., <c,. L.