Daily globe., 1879-03-23
THE THREE CHERRY STONES.
An Old Mans "Reminiscences,

All Ulu Man RelnlnlScenCe.
When l was schOolboy, more than
fifty years ago, remember to have read
story which may have been fiction, but
was very naturally told, and made a deep
impression upon me then. [ will en-
deavOr to draw it forth from the lOCkef
OF memory, and relate it as near as | can
recnllect.
Three young gentlemen, who had fin
ished the most substantial part Of their
repast, were lingering over their fruit
and wine. at tavern in London, when a
man of middle age and middle stature
entered the public room where they were
sitting, seated himself at one end Of a
small unoccupled table, and calling the
waiter, ordered simple mutton-chop
and glass Of ale. His appearance, at
first view, was not likely to arrest the at.
tentiou of any one: His hair was begin
ming to be thin and gray; the expression
CT his countenance was sedate, with 8
slight touch, perhaps, of melancholy; and
he wore gray surtOut, with standing
collar, which manifestly had seen service,
ii the wearer mad not Just such thing
as an officer would bestow upon his serv-
ingman. He might be taken, plausibly
enough, for a country magistrate, or an
attorney Of limited practice, or a school
master.
He continued to masticatc his chop
ana sip his ale in silence, without lifting
his eyes from the table, until cherry
stone, sportively snapped from the thumb
and finger of one of the gentlemen at the
opposite table, struck him upon his right
ear His eye was instantly upon the ag-
gressor, and his ready intelligence gath
ered from the Unsurpassed merriment
OF the party that this petty impertine1ce
was Intentional.
The stranger stopped and picked up
the cherry-stone, and scarcely percep-
tible smile passed over his features
rs he carefully wrapped it up in piece
OF paper and placed it in his
pocket. This singular procedure, with
their preconceiyed impressions Of their
customer, somewhat elevated as
the young gentlemen were by the wine
they had partaken of, capsized their
gravity entirely, and burst of irresisti-
BILE laughter proceeded from the group.
Unmoved by this rudeness, the strang-
er continued to finish his frugal repast in
quiet, until another cherry stone, from
the same hand, struck him upon the
right elbow This also, to the Infinite
amusement of the other party, he picked
y from the floor and carefully deposited
with the first.
Amid shouts and laughter third cher
ry stone was soon after discharged, which
hit upon the left breast This also he
very deliberately took from the floor and
deposited with the other two.
As he rose, and was engaged in paying
for his repast, the gayety of these sporting
gentlemen became slightly subdued. It
was not easy to account for this. Lavater
would not have been able to detect the
slightest evidence of irritation or resent
ment upon the fetures of the stranger.
He seeme1 q little taller, to be sure, and
the carriage of his head might have ap-
peared to them rather more erect He
walked to the table at which they were
sitting, and with an air of dignifed calm
ness, which is y thousand times more ter
rible than wrath, drew a card from his
pocket, and presented it with perfect ci-
Witty to tue offender, who could do no
less than offer his own in return.
While the stranger unclosed his surtout
TO take the card from his pocket, they
had a glance at the undress coat of a
military man. The card disclosed his
rank, and brief inquiry at the bar was
sufficient Tor the rest. He was a captain,
whom i'll health and long service had en-
titled to half-pay- In early life he had
been engaged in several affairs of honor,
and, in the dialect of the fancy, was a
dead shot.
The next morning a note arrived at tie
aggressor's residence, containing chal-
lenge IN form, and one of the cherry.
stones. The truth then flashed before
the challenge party-it was the challeng.
er's intention to make three bites at this
cherry-three separate affairs out of this
unwarrantable frolic! The challenge was
accepted, and the challenged party, in de.
ference to the challeneer's reputed skill
with the pistol, had half decided upon
the small sword; but his friends, who were
on the alert, soon discovered that the
captain, who had risen by his merit. had
in the earlier days of his necessity, gained
his bread as an accomplished instructo,
lu thu use Of that weapon.
They met, and fired alternately, by lot
The young man had selected this mode
thinking he might win the first fire; h,
did-fred, and missed his opponent. The
captain levelled his pistol and fred-the
ball passed through the flap OF the righ
ear, and grazed the bone, and, as the
wounded man inveluntarily put his hant
to the place, he remembered that it wa
on the right ear OF his antagonist tha
the cherry stone had fallen. Here ende,
the first lesson. A month had passed
His friends cherisl ed the hope that h.
would hear nothing more from the cap
tain, when another note-a challenge O
course-and another of those accurse.
cherry stones arrived, with the captain
apology, on the score of ill-health, fo
not sending it before.
Again they met-fred simultaneously
and the captain, who was unhurt, shat
tered the right elbow of his antagonist
the very pvint upon which he had bee1
struck by the cherry stone: and her
ended the second lesson.
There was something awfully impres
sive in the modus operandS and exc uisit
skill Of his antagonist. The third cher
ry- stone was still in his possession. an,
the aggressor had not forgotten that i
had struck the unotfendlng gentleman
upon the left breast.
A month had passed-another- an
another, of terrible suspense: but moth
ing was heard from the captain Intelli
gence had been receiver that he was con
fined to his lodgings by Illness
At length the gentleman who had bee
his second il the former duels once NOR
presented himself, and rendered anothe
note, which, as the recipient perceived o