Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-05-25

Vows.
Before I had finished the peg,
O'Flaherty's friend made his appear
lnce. He was unknown to me. We
both bowed.
"Mr. Morley, / behave"
Upon my life, another Irishman
and my hopes of a peaceable termi-
nation to the affair took fight at the
very sound of his voice.
"Allow me to introjuice meself-
Doolan, -th Regiment.
come from Mr.. O'Flaherty."
"Oh, yes" said I, affecting to
have been momentarily forgetful of /
that little matter. "Very happy to
make your acquaintance, though l
could wish it had been under pleas |
anter conditions"
"Not at ALL" said Mr.. DOolan, in |
a tone of the most perfect content
ment; "not at all. It's not meself |
that's going to quarrel with the con-
ditions."
"This might be only politeness
towards me, but thought itsounded |
much more like satisfaction at his
mission.
"Mr. O'Flaherty has, no doubt,
instructed you fully as to how the
matter between himself and Mr..
O'Dowd stands"
"Quite so, quite So" said the
Lieutenant.
tThen I feel certain, Mr.. DoOlan,
that you must agree with me that
this affair cannot be allowed to pro-
ceed."
Doolan simply stared.
"YOu can scarcely avoid feeling"
! continued, ''that the cause of quar-
rel is too slight for us to permit our
friends to peril their lives about such
a trifie."
'.Thrifer' calculated Doolan.
"Now, can't we hit upon some
method for bringing to a peaceable
issue a business which, if proceeded
with to the end at present proposed,
must, as Pm sure you perceive,
bring nothing but ridicule upon all
engaged in it."
"Faith, them" said Mr.. DOolan,
warmly, 81 perceive nothing OF the
kind. Hank We, Mr.. Morley; | came
here to arrange peaceably the time
and place for this meeting, and not
to dispute about the rights and
wrongs of the matter, or to question
the good sense which no doubt in
juiced both the gentlemen to take
the fair and honorable course which
they have taken. May | beg, sir,
that you will enter, as soon as you
conveniently can, upon the rale bus
mess for which | am here"
There was nothing for it but to
pocket the olive, and do as the
Lieutenant wished. Time and
place We greed upon, and DOOlan
rose to take his leave. AS we were
shaking hands in the most friendly
manner, l said, "By the way, Mr..
Doolan, / must not forget to tell
you that have nothing at all in
the shape of a duelling pistol per-
haps you are better provided"
"Make yourself perfectly easy
about that, Mr.. Morley, said DOOlan,
who would no more have been
without hair triggers than hair
brushes; 81 never travel without
the pace-makers. An reUOir."
And Mr.. DOOlan took his depart
ure, after receiving my assurance
that would call upon the surgeon,
and make sure Of his attendance up
on the ground.
cheerfully undertook to do this,
as | was determined that, at any
rate, the surgeon should not be an
Irishman, and | had some hopes
that he might be able to suggest
some way out of the difficulty. Ac
cordingly, after writing a compile of
lines to O'DOwd to say that | had
arranged everything, and to inform
him of the time and place, l set off
at once to look up the surgeon. His
name was Hale, a thoroughly scien-
tific man, devoted to his profession,
and as little likely as anybody to
have any sympathy with the ro-
mantle folly of the duel and found
him at home, in remarkably good
spirits, as doctors generally are, and
engaged upon paper for the Clan
cet," upon the subject of gunShOt
wounds.
'"HOw are you, Hale !" said l.
""How do, Morley ?" said he.
"What's the matter? Anything
wrong with you? You look rather
out of sorts. Digestion wrong, or
what is it ?''
""Oh! there's nothing the matter
with me-" | said; "don't fiatter
yourself. I want your help, GER
tainly, but not for myself. You'll
be wanted about half-past five this
afternoon At
""EhH ~ said Hale. "You don't
mean to say that Mis-"
emo, no." said 1, nothing of
the kind-quite the reverse, indeed.
No, the state of the case is this =
O'DOwd has taken umbrageat some
thing O'Flaherty has said, and has
insisted upon calling him out"
"Ah, that's it, is it," said Hale,
his eyes Frightening; "and you'll
want me upon the ground in case
of accident. Certainly, with all my
heart. Pistols, of course"-with a
glance at his misunderstanding
like pistols. You may depend upon
me, Morley. You may be quite
certain that l shall be there"
THE villain was evidently in
want of an illustration to prove
some COMPOUNDED theory of his own
with regard to bullet wounds. His
glance at the manuscript betrayed
him.
emo, but look here, Hale" l
said, "the affair ought not to be al
lowed to go on"
'"You think not" said he, as if
entertaining the very gravest doubts
as to the wisdom of my opinion.
Certainly think not; and you'll
think so, too, when you hear the
case. Last night O'Flaherty, when
slightly screwed, charged O'Dowd
with having tubercle of the lung"
'"And a most insolent thing to
say, too, though it's a positive fact
all the same. In UiHO UeTitdS, and
no mistake. But still a man with
any respect for himself, can't allow
his lungs to be thrown in his face in
that way without taking notice of
it. And so O'Dowd demands an
apology or a meeting, eh?"
'"JuSt so. He insists upon an
apology, and-it's really too absurd
IA declaration from O'Flaherty that
the charge brought against his lungs
was unfOunded."
'"Quite correct" said Hale, "and
this declaration O'Flaherty is, of
course, unable to make. His state
ment was a perfectly true one, and
he can't unmake it without telling
a falsehOOd. Upon my word, if you