The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-01

seemed to make very shrewd guesses a
the object of our expedition; and through
l the silent streets we went for mile o.
so, until we reached the meeting place
| Laroquiere and Delaraie were there be
fore us, and my friend the surgeon ar
t rived Immediately afterward in his car
t rage, which waited near at hand. Tit
pistols were produced and loaded. Laro
quiere chose one, and l gave the othe
to Paul; and then the two men took VI
: positions at distance of twenty pace
7 from each other, ana waited for Delarait
to give the signal to fire.
: "Stay~ cried the bully, as his SECOND
stepped back; "let the young hounC
listen to this. am not trifing witt
him; shall shoot him only where he
wishes, for am generous, parbleu!"
If l do not kill you," said Paul
quietly, 81 prefer to die"
Then l shoot him through the heart,
coolly observed Laroquiere. cit will
teach others not to challenge me-"
There was something to me unspeaka'
bly, horrible in the way in which these
last words were pronounced. 1 shud.
dered and looked at Paul. He smiled at
me, and at the same instant Delaraie gave
the signal.
There was but one report, for Fer
rand's pistol flashed in the pan. The
poor fellow turned round toward me
with fixed eye and pale face, and with
the name of Alice on his lips, fell dead.
Laroquiere turned on his heel and de.
parted quickly in company with Dalaraie,
while aided the surgeon in his brief ex-
animation of Pauls body. Surely
enough, the bullet had passed through
his heart. He must have died almost in
simultaneously, for he did not move after
he fell, and the last smile with which he
had looked at me was still upon his face.
1t was melancholy business in every
respect. had to break the sad news to
Alice and her mother; and the two ladies
were so terribly overcome that I feared
the shock would have some permanent
effect upon their health. For my part, |
was obliged to hurry to England as soon
as possible, and Laroe uiere, heard, also
got away and remained out of France
until the affair had blown over.
kept up a correspondence with Mrs.
Rae, and was glad after time to hear
from her that Alice, though still terribly
upset, had learned to look with certain
amount of philosophy upon her misfor-
tune, and had to some extent recovered
her usual health, if not her usual spirits.
Meantime | settled down in London, and,
unable to forget my Partisan habits,
usually dined at one of the then much.
frequented taverns in Fleet street. The
Cheshire Cheese, which was then in
much the same state that it is now, was
my favorite haunt; and there, as months
passed by, | gradually picked up few
pleasant acquaintances, chief among
whom was an extremely well-mannered
young man named Barton, man of in
dependent means, good family and first
rate education.
One day, after he had been dining with
me, the conversation turned upon Con-
tlnental manners and particularly upon
dueling. AS an illustration of my alb
horrence of the system, told my com.
panion about poor Paul's death, a matter
In which Barton appeared much inter
ested. He asked me good many ques-
lions about the parties concerned, and |
opinion to the effect JnaU narOqdIere was
a BLACKBOARD, bid me good night. l
went home to my rooms in the Temple; |
and the next day, on visiting the |
Cheshire Cheese, found no Barton. He
had left word with one of the walters
that urgent business had called him
away, but that he hoped to see me on
his return. Weeks passed, and then
months, and still Barton did not come
back; and | confess that had begun to
forget him altogether, when one evening
he dropped in to dinner as though he had
not been absent for more than day or
two.
"Where have you been?" asked,
after l had heartily shaken hands with
him.
81 have been to Paris" he said. "On
arriving there found out little more
than you told me about Laroquiere, and
when had thoroughly convinced myself
that he was the BLACKBOARD you painted
him, l arranged for series of lessons at
pistol-gallery. Every day for month l
went and shot for an hour or two, until
l was so perfect as to be able to hit
small coin every time at a distance of
twenty PAGES. After satisfying myself
as to my proficiency, l took box at the
opera; it may have been the same box
that you used to have. Laroquiere was
pointed out to me. He sat in the stalls
Bnd between the acts he left his seat in
order to speak to lady in another part
of the house. descended as quickly as
possible and took his place. He returned
and asked me in an overbearing tone to
move. l refused. He persisted. struck
him. He sent me challenge, and we
met upon the same spot, curiously
enough, where he had killed your friend
Ferrand Before the signal was given
said: M. Laroquiere, listen to me. l
am not here to trifle with you; but am
as generous as you were with Paul Fer
rand. will shoot you only where you
wish He turned deadly pale. We
will see,' he said, whether | shall not
make you a second Fernando Then
will shoot you,' returned, as you shot
him-through the heart. 1t will teach
other DULLES not to challenge me.
Whether he was so upset as to be incap-
able of aiming or not, cannot say; but,
my dear fellow, l shot him as dead as a
| doc RIGHT through the heart and avenged