The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-10-14

was standing.
"Is everything ready?" he asked, as
came up to him.
"Yes. Is there anything you want to
say?'
Nothing, except to thank you for
your kindness to me, and to ask of you
to see that my instructions of this morn
ing are carried out. Don't try to dis
cover what my real name is, for it would
be useless.
And without another word he took his
position. Phelps was already in his
place with his pistol in his hand. 1
handed Leslie the pistol selected for him,
and walked off few steps to his right.
A moments silence, and then Num-
fee. who was to give the word, cried out:
Gentlemen, are you ready?"
Ready" came from both.
"One |"
They both raised their pistols, and the
sharp, metallic "chck, click" of the
locks resounded upon the evening air.
"Two!"
1 looked at Leslie Barton. Not a
muscle moved. His face was hard and
stern, and there was that same light in
his handsome black eyes that had no.
ticed on the day that Phelps addressed
him in the hall of the college.
"Three |"
simultaneously the reports of both
pistols rang out-so near together were
they that it seemed that but one pistol
had fired. Ny eyes were fixed upon
Leslie, and at the crack of the pistols I
saw him stagger for moment, drop his
pistol and clasp both his hands over his
left breast, and, before I could reach
him, he had fallen backward to the
ground.
As I raised his head upon my knee he
| gave one or two gasps, convulslve shud-
| der passed over him, and he was still.
| Unclasping his hands from his breast, I
saw where the ball had entered, just
over his heart, and knew that the spirit
Of Leslie Barton had taken its fight
| from this world.
Laying his head gently back upon the
| ground, turned and saw Mumfee bend
ing over the PROSTATE form of Phelps.
Approaching, asked:
"Is he badly hurt?'
"Badly hurt the devil. Why, he
was dead before he touched the ground.
Look at that and he pointed to bull
let-hole Just between the eyes. Chow
about Barton ?"
"He is dead, too. Shot directly
through the heart"
| For time we were both silent. Num-
fee was first to speak
"Well," he said, rising, something
must be done-one of us must report
this at the college. Will you go?'
eyes," I replied. and, without mo-
ment's delay, hurried to the college. I
found Col. W in his room, and re-
| ported the affair to him. At first he
seemed to think I was drunk or crazy,
but when I told him that Cadets Barton
and Phelps were lying dead in the ce-
dar grove he sprang from his chair, ex-
claiming:
"And you assisted these two in muir
dering each other 2"
''I acted as Barton's second, sir" I
replied.
| Then go TO your room and consider
yourself under close arrest. You will
answer to higher court than college
court martial, and, seizing his hat, he
hurried from the room.
went up to my room, and threw my
self into chair. My state of mind can
more easily be imagined than described.
In a few minutes l heard footsteps as
cending the stairs, and then the key was
turned in my door, from the outside, and
the steady tramp of some one back and
forth before my door told me that SEN
tinel was on guard there.
The hours dragged YEARLY on, and,
just as the clock in the hall told the houl
OF 10, the door was opened1and cadet
came in with orders for me to report to
| 4n1, IL
me down the long hallway, down the
room. / entered, but the guard re.
mained on the outside. I found Col.
W excitedly walking the floor.
Turning to me, he asked, fercely:
"What did you know Of Leslie Bar
ton?"
"Nothing, Colonel, until to-day. whe1
he told me his name was not Leslie Bar
ton," replied.
ibid he tell you what his name
was ?"
"He did not, but he told me some
thing else." And I told him of the con
versation I had with Barton, and wha
he said in reference to injuries received
at the hands of Phelps, and that his onl,
object in attending the college was t.
seek out Phelps, and be revenged.
"Then 1 can tell you something tina
you did not know" he said. Lesli
, Barton aCGs q aU0naa7a. No one eve
dreamed of it until since her death.
have not the slightest idea who she was
or where she came from, for she decline
| to give any place of residence when sh
entered. But why L have sent for yo
, is this You will be arrested to-morro,
| Il 10
to leave o-night, and the further you al
, from this town tomorrow morning tn
safer you will be. There is trai
leaves in twenty minutes when it goe
out, be sure that you are among its pas
sengers. Don't bother about your bag
gage: you can write back and have
shipped to you"
The advice was too good not to be fo
lowed. went to my. room and change
my uniform for plain citizens clothes
l just as it was pulling out, and befor
daylight the next morning 1 was in al
other State.
A week afterward read an account {
the affair in a newspaper, but SO diffel
e ent was it from what really occurre
e that, had it not been for the names,
should have failed to recognize it as th
: same.
t The mystery was never cleared VI
and in the cedar grove where she tell al
y was buried there stands a marble shat
Y erected by the cadets of the co.leg,
with the name of Leslie Barton upon i
s and underneath tie Latin injunction
n N1L nlOrtuus nisi b0'.gep,.
y PRATTvILLE. Ala.