The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-31
AUGUSTUS BLTNKERMAN'S DUEL.

business lau s o III pdlTeu HIS nedlIu tlaG
he resolved to leave the charge OF his af-
fairs in the hands of his head clerk
while be went about for year or Two to
recruit his exhausted energies, and get
a knowledge Of the famous places OF the
world besiues.
He did 90 abroad, and was absent for
ne lrly two years, during which period
he enjoyed healthy and intellectual
good Llme. He opened his eyes, anu
stared with all his might at all the won
ders Of the European world, and even
gazed with great zeal upon portion Of
Western Asia, and took blink at Egypt
and the Red Sea; and when he reflected
upon the manner in which he had passed
The two years, during his return voyage,
he tiattered himself that he acted like a
true Christian as well as philosopher,
having acquired both strength and
knowledge; put alas! tnere was one sau
drawback.
He had grown near-sighted from some
cause. 1t might be that he had stared
too much at astonishing scenery or
works of art. 1t mlgut have been that
| he had been kept awake OF nights too
much In his travels, and had Wlnked his
| ewes weak. II might have been this,
| that, or tother. But whichever it was,
| he had become very dIsagreeably and
| Iiuconyenlentiy near-sgnted, and ne
meultated upon The policy of wearing
spectacles a, soon as he arrived home.
| But then, considering that they would
make him look olG--and he was only
| thirty five, and unmarrieu-he thought
that he would deler them.
Passing through the old, familiar
streets, ne was very glad to meet many
of his old friends and acquaInLances !;
but he offended many, whom, being near
sighted, he did not recognize. They
| thought him grown proud ana cold be-
| cause ne mad been abroad; and that he
wished 10 shirk their acquain ship.
| For they saw that he lUoke al them, but
| passed without speaking. He did see
| them; but having grown so uncomtOl t.
ably near-signteu, he was uncertain,
| ana so passed. 1t Was a very veXatious
deficiency 10 him, for ne WAS OF u frank,
cordial nature, and seldom aited for u
| friend TO speak nrsG.
| The apparent alteration in his feel
lings excited both angry attention and
| remalk. those who thought that he
mad turned the colo shoulder upon them,
| iooked back, and some saw tnat he did
sneak with others Wuom lie met and did
happen to recognizes; and they seVerally
| nut their own constructions upon his
| benaViof.
Ii he CHANGED to pass O poor man
and stopped TO chat with q rich one, the
Door man sneered, and declared that he
was ''giving himself airs because he
had made The grand tOurW
If, on the other haud, he had seemed
TO ignore some wealthy acquaintance,
and tnat person observed tnat he subse-
Quently showed great oordiality 10 u
| poor man, he was set down as ''fond of
| low company, and grown dtssipatedand
reckless OF appearances; probably from
being only admitted into inferior
company abroadH'
Thus poor Augustus Blinkerman, ow-
| ing to his snear-slghtedness, STOOD be-
| tween two fires, and deserved neither
| Ui tIem.
The story of his unintentional Of
| fenses reached his ears, and made him
leel very much diecOncerIed. 1t
wounded him very much to think that
he mad wounded others, and that they
had misconstrued him.
Il should say .blast my eyesp'
thought he, much agtLated; "but they
are already pretty essentially blasted
[ do think. But hereafter, eyes or nc
eyes, Pm determined 10 hail everybody
tnat think l know, and run the risk o
the PERSONS being stranger. l won
l.
friends. III nod or speak to every body
who seems to bear tue slightest resem.
bance to anybody l ever knew; anu
look sharp at that.
| In pursuance Of this amiable resolu
ton, Tue near-sighted man, Wnen he went
abroad again, found himself b0Wing Til
his neck was tired, got himself into
quite fever OF anxiety, and otter
lound that he had satuted utter
strangers, many OF whom were ill-bred
for most Of them returned no bow, and
all of Them stared as if wondering who
he could be. He knew very well, but
he wondered what kind OF people they
were.
"Tney might at least have the decency
to re urn a. civil bow" III ought lie, "eveI
lii 1t did come from Il stranger who haC
made q mistake. And how do they
know but wnat / am the Great MOgu
But there comes q man that l am sure
know. How are you, Bob? How du
you doT'
The person to whom he addressed b i'm
self thus familiarlN-eXtendIng his hand
with tue m0sL confident cordially at Tue
| same tlme-dreW himself up very
Inaughtlly, and replied:
| "Sir, my name is not Bob! And what
| is more, sir, l ,.oRt know youW
| "Aa, ha! THAT'S. a good joke, Bot
| Lodger. AT your old games, see. You
needn't think I've forgot you, if have
been away Two years. But no nonsense,
now. How's tue old lady? Aud how
nave you beenW
III you don't get out of my way, sir,
3Pll be hanged if | don't Knock you
uownr exclaimed the stranger, highly
lex ,speraLed. "You don't look drunk,
but you act so. You can't make u Iool
o. me, at any rate"
| "Nor you of me, Bob. Do youthink
Ii DON'T recognize that long nose OF
yours2 Do you mink don't remember
bhat pauuch2 Do you suppose | forget
the Time wnen we went to school TO-
gether, aud used to prompt each other
And do you remember the time when
" Uu got fogged Tor stealing an apple OF
tue ma, ters desk in jokeW
'GeJ out OF the way, you blackguard,
or I'll fog you i'll earnestW CRED the
excited man, showing him ASIDE and
| passing on. "Iou can't play any o.
your tricks upon me-"
wei, really" muttered Blinkermap,
II thought 1 knew him. Curse these
eyes! They'll be The death OF me YET.
But never saw sucA a striking resem-
Dlance in my lite. A blind man woail
have mistaken him for Bob L0dger! |!
W ell, we'll. Ha! But here Comes some
body that / know l know! PHI let MN
uass, to see ii he Will forget or remeln-