The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-11-14
5 HYDE PARK, VT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER IA, 1871

Panl let the insult passl But no, it was
so public.
"You can only hope" said. 81
will see you in the morning; but now /
must go back 10 him and see that he gets
some sleep" "taa g..
"Tell him, 2 cried Alice, "that il he is
killed I shall die. Come here directly
it is over. Come even if he fails; you
must tell me about ii. 1 must hear
everything She buried her face in her
hands and I, escaping from the un-
happy, girl, hurried to Paul.
He was still writing, and his hair was
in disorder, and his face pale when he
turned towards me. "I am no coward, -
he said, "but / arr saying goodbye to
her, for 1 shall die tomorrow.
"My dear fellow" exclaimed, "you
will shoot Laroauiere, and be married
/ next month. ISsd s.EGt finish your writ
ing at once and go TO bed. will sleep
here tonight, for ] must see that you
turn out in time tomorrow morning SO
be as quick as possible" Ell.
He wrote for another half hour, ad-
dressed the document to Alice Rae,
placed lock Of his hair within it, and
after sealing it up gave it to me.
Give that to her." he said, s'if- La
roquiere kills me outright and I know
he will. If it were not for Alice 1 de-
clare that should be quite glad to meet
him. Now for bed"
He undressed, whilst I lay down on
the sofa in the next room and Lit cigar,
for could not afford to sleep myself.
Soon all was quiet, and 1 stole in to see
Paul, lying as quiet as a child, with a
smile on his face. Probably, nay, as
suredly, l passed more uncomfortable
night than he did. Only with the great
est possible difficulty could / keep
awake, and the hours seemed to linger
for ever. At last, however, daylight
dawned, and 1 called Fearand, who awoke
refreshed and in comparatively good
spirits. After hurried breakfast we
mufhed ourselves up, and sailed forth
i'll the cold morning air. Scarcely any
one was 'abroad, except a few sleepy
wtchmen, who seemed to make very
shrewed guesses at the object of our ex-
pedition and through the silent streets
we went for mile on SO, until we reached
the meeting place. B, sdI 5.. l#5. u.
Laroquiere and Delarie were there be-
fore us, and my friend, the surgeon, ar
rived Immediately afterwards in his car
riage, which waited near at hand. The
pistols were produced and loaded. La
roquiere chose one, and / gave the other
to Paul !; and then the two men took up
/ positions ;st atdisbanuc or twenty paces
from each other, and waited for Delaraie
to give the signal to fire.
"Stay p cried the bully, as his second
stepped back; "let the young hound
listen to this. / am not trifing with
him; / shall shoot him only where he
wishes, for I am generous, parbleu %
eff I do not kill you," said Paul
quietly, "I prefer to die"
"Then I shoot him through the
heart" coolly observed Laroquiere.
at 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. I shud-
dered, and looked at Paul. He smiled
at me, and at the same instant Delarie
gave the signal.
There was but one report for Fer
rends pistol flashed in the pan. The
poor fellow turned round towards 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 De-
laraie, while aided the surgeon in his
brief examination Of Pauls body. Sure
ly enough, the bullet had passed
through his heart. He must have died
instantaneously for he did not move
after he fell, and the last smile which he
had looked at nae was still upon his face.
1t was melancholy business in every re.
speet. ] had to break the sad news tc
Alice and her mother, and the two ladies
were so terribly overcome that 1 feared
the shock would have some permanent
effect upon their health. For my par
1 I was obliged to hurry to England al
soon as possible; and Laroquiere,
heard, also got away, and remained ou
of France until the affair had blown
over.
I kept up correspondence with Mrs
Rae, and was glad after time to hea
from her that Alice, though still terribl.
upset, had learned to look with certain
amount of philosophy upon her misfor
tune, and had to some extent recoveret
her usual health, il not her usual spirits
Meantime I settled down in London
and unable to forget my Partisan habits
usually dined at one of the then much
} frequented taverns in Fleet street. TIL
j Cheshire Cheese, which was then i
: much the same state as it is now, wa
Z my favorite haunt and there as month
passed by, I gradually picked up q fe'
pleasant acquaintanees, chief anon
whom was an extremely well, mannere
, young gentleman named Barton, a ma
Z of independent means, good family an
} first-rate education.
One day after he had been dining wit
/ me the conversation turned upon Cor
+ tinental manners and particularly upo
} duelling, AS an illustration of my al
: horrence OF the system I told my con
panion about Paul's death, matter
,,,b;ob portr,, o,1,,aayad yniYch interaatnf