The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-18

believe / felt my hair standing erect my head.
PRECISELY he added, and it is my turn to fire.
have come to discharge my debt. Are you ready"
81 could see a pistol peeping from his side
pocket / stepped twelve PAGES, and stood there,
in that corner praying him to make haste and
fire before my wife came back. He was in no
hurry, he said, and he asked for lights. They
brought in some wax candles. | shut the door,
ordered the servants to let nobody enter, and
again called on him TO fire. He raised his pistol
and took aim at me. / counted the seconds.
thought of her. This lasted one awful minute.
Silvio lowered his weapon.
Il am very much annoyed he said, that my
pistol is not charged with-cherry-stO \ bull
let is hard. But have another idea. This busi-
ness is more like a murder than duel. am not
accustomed to pull trigger on an unarmed man.
Let us begin it all over again, and draw lots for
the first fire.
''AIy head turned. At first, I imagine refused
but finally we loaded another pistol We rolled
two scraps of paper, and he put them into the
very cap he had worn when ! sent a bullet whiZ-
Zing through it. Idipped into the cap, and drew
the paper marked number one.
"'Y0u have the DEVILS luck, CoUnto he said
with q gTir ] shall never forFet
''I cannot understand what power tOOK posses
sion of me, or how he succeeded in constlainlng
me- but did fire, and my bullet lodged in that
picture
The Count pointed with his finger to the canvas
traversed by the pistol-shot. His face was as red
as hot iron. The Countess was whittier than her
lace handkerchief As for me, could hardly re-
press cry.
Count, "and, thanks be 10 God, l had missed
Then SilviO-hOw demOniac visage he had at
that moment deliberately adjusted his weapon
and leveed the deadly barrel straight between my
eyes. Suddenly the door flew open. Macha burst
into the room and clasped herself round my neck
Her presence restored me to firmness.
"'My dear, | said, can you not see that are
joking? What tremOr you are in Co. 90 !;
drink glass of water and return and | will in
troduce you to an old friend and comrade.'
"NIacha mistrusted me.
"'Tell me, is this that my husband says true -
she impored of the terrible SilviO. Is il true
that you are joking"
"'He is always joking, Countess replied Silvio.
'Once out of pure jest he gave box on the ear;
out of pure Jest he planted bullet in my cap out
of pure jest while ago he missed me with his pis-
toll Now it is my turn to have my little laugh
"At these words he covered me anew under the
eyes of my wife. Macha fell at his feet
% ''Rise, Macha! Are you not ashamed Of your
sef@ / shouted with rage. And you, sir do you
wish to drive an unfortunate woman delirOus
Will you fire? Yes or no.
" Il do not care to now, thank you. | am salts
fled. | have enjoyed your suffering and your
weakness. | have compelled you To fire upon me.
You will recollect me. l leave you to your con-
science
"He made step toward the door, and halting
at the threshold, he threw quick glance at the
perforated picture, and, almost without troubling
to take aim, he fired doubled my bullet, and
walked out Ny wife swOoned. My dOmestics
did not dare 10 bar his passage but retreated be-
fore him appalled, He reached the entrance steps
called his pOstillion, and before | had time TO re-
cover my presence of mind, he had disappeared"
The Count had told his story.
Thus / learned the end of episode the OPEN
ing of which had puzzled me. ! never saw the
hero Of il again. They say that Silvio joined the
insurrectiOn of Alexandra psilanti, and was slain
at the head OF a band of partisans at the disaster
of Skouliani.-TiRsleys Magazine.