The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-02-14
ed only by It's common alteration for ID

we Q an unusually smooth sea duf1nI
the entire voyage, and iorthe greater por
ton OF the time the nights were moonlit
Such opportunities for quiet tae.d-tetes OF
deck, under the stars, were not to be neg
lected, and we had not been four days GU
before Kilgore and I learned how TO i'm
prove them. AS for Miss Bertrand, sht
bestowed herself upon both Of US witt
pretty equally divided attention, keeping
US In tow like q couple Of sculpins on .
double hooked line.
This would not last long, and | realized
that, at most, only eight days Of this hap
py, delicious existence was allotted to me
half OF which was already gone. Love
makes rapid strides when time pursues,
And so, one night, ! kissed her. / don't
know exactly how It came about. Miss
Bertrand had COM on deck for a little
fresh air before retiring TO bed. / had
been pacing the deck for an hour, hoping
for her appearance, and when at last she
appeared in the companionway, l was at
her side in an instant. The colonel, strange
to say, was nowhere to be seen. We
strolled forward, and stopped in the shad.
ow Of the great smokestack, and stood
looking over the rail at the heaving phos.
phorescent sea. What l said I know not,
but l tried to tell her OF my love for her.
AS / spoke, softly and tenderly as lovers
do, l felt, or thought felt, her little form
nestle closer to my side. l looked down
into the beautiful eyes, which met mine,
full OF a tender radiance. And them
could not help it'll bent suddenly and
pressed my burning lips upon her mouth.
With aquick scream!she sprang from me
and fled towards the cabin. Almost at the
same moment the stalwart form of kilgore
emerged from the shadows near by.
passed him without co~ndescending 10
speak to him, and followed Miss Bertrand,
but when l reached the saloon she had
disappeared, and there was nothing left
for me TO do but to seek my own room to
brood over my vexation and disappoint'
ment.
In about an hour l had so far succeeded
in calming my feelings as to commence
preparations for going to bed, when l was
startled by q sharp rap at the door.
The immediate and natural effect OF this
peremptory summons was the opening oil
the door and the entrance Of a tall, stout
individual, with a fierce, black mustache
and a very red face, which impaired to his
general appearance an aspect OF great fe-
rocity. This gentleman closed the door
behind him, and, drawing himself up I'M.
til he looked at least two inches taller
than before, exclaimed, in a voice like the
roar OF an African lion:
"Mr. Bangs, / believer"
"That Is my name, sir," l replied, mo.
tioning him to be seated.
"Ahem! My name, sor, is Gilhooly-
Captain Gilhooly, OF the British ARMY. ]
have the honor OF being the bearer OF q
communication from my friend, Colonel
Kilgore."
II think I have seen you in Colonel Xii.
cores company" l replied. "What is the
communication"
He drew from his pocket an envelope
and handed 1t to me in silence. 1 opened
it, and had the pleasure Of perusing the
following epistle:
"MR. B. BANos-Sir: Immediately upon
receiving this message you will please in.
form me, through my friend, Captain Gil.
hooly, at what time and place, upon this
ship, you will meet me for the purpose Of
giving me that satisfaction which, as a
gentleman, l have a right to demand.
"Sir, a cowardly apology or evasion will
not be entertained. Unless your answer
is prompt and to the purpose, / will no.
only cowhide you In public, but will
post you as as a poltroon in all parts OF
the ship.
81 beg further to inform you that there
will be no further necessity for you to
further intrude upon the society OF Miss
Bertrand, your attentions to that lady be-
ing as offensive in the eyes Of the other
passengers as you are contemplate.
WELLINGTON KILGoRE."
Concealing the inward agitation which
this bloodthirsty effusion naturally pro,
duced, I tossed the paper carelessly upon
the table, and assuming q ferocity Of man.
ner which entirely put Gilhooly's own in
the shade, l reared:
$50! This fellow wants me to fight him,
does he?"
"sir," returned the captain, "my friend
will make YOU fight him.
SNAKE mel" I exclaimed, striking the
table with my fist with such force as
would have knocked 1t down had it not
been fastened to the partition. "Afdke me
It is /, sir, who will compel him. l have
been thirsting for that red-nosed loafer's
blood aver since / came on board. Makt
me, indeed!"
Captain Gilhooly seemed somewhat i'm
pressed by this style Of talk, and l there,
lore continued II.
81 had resolved, sir. never again to fight
a duel. The last one in which l took part
was that unfortunate affair with General
Poppoff, OF which you have probably
heard. | had already killed his five broth
ers in as many different duels, and when
his Young widow became insane through
grief, and drowned herself and her two
Children, l vowed never again to cause
the death Of q fellow-creature upon the
field OF honor. Please excuse my emotion,
sir. | said, brushing away an imaginary
tear, "I have fought many other duels,in
ali OF which / have invariably erased my
man. but not one Of them caused me &c
much regret as the last. However, sir" !
resumed, "again kindling to wrath, ''since
this contemplate puppy has had the i'm,
pertinence to challenge me, and as a duel
on shipboard would be somewhat Of Q
novelty, l will meet him whenever and
wherever he likes" I'm
aThen, sir" said Captain Gilhooly, ~
Won will be kind enough to refer me tc
YOUR IEleuu We Nl1 acthe bAo pAoAAih
Il have no friend on board" 1 replied
"In such a small matter, why not deter
mine the details ourselves?"
"That will be quite satisfactory" re
piled the Captain %graciously. Suppose
then, we fix the time for tomorrow"
@Iwould prefer tonight" | said, with {
yawn. "That will give me tomorrow Il
attend to more important matters"
The captain looked at me in amazement
and said, quite ~deferentially: :,
every well, sir. Suppose we say mid
night. Now, as to the placer" -.
aThat is perfectly Indifferent to me-"
replied. II will meet the fellow any
where he chooses, between the boiler
room and the masthead" =.
II would, then, suggest the colonel
own stateroom. 1t is In a retired part 0
the ship, and quite large enough for on
purpose. The choice Of weapons, l be
Il .znkn 1,tNh ,Iau ~