San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-11-13
THE DUEL.

In the year loOf, wnen the peace Oh
Tilsit put a stop to the conquests OF
Napoleon in Germany, the king OF
Prussia, exhausted by his astonishing
efforts to maintain the war against
France, reduced his army to the peace
establishment Consequently many
officers who were stationed at Ham
burg received q furlough, or were dis
missed from the service for short
time, and a life of military danger and
activity gave place to habits Of idle
ness and dissipation.
In the early part of the summer,
several of these officers, having dined
together and sacrificed rather freely
at the shrine of the jollygod, adjourn
ed toward evening to the Exchange
Coffee house, the most noted hotel in
the city. They entered singing and
shouting in most tumultuous man
ner, setting at defiance the rules OF
and decorum. Theyoungest
of the joyous band, the Baron de
v, who bore the commission of
lieutenant in the army, was about 25
years of age, wealthy, handsome and
elegantly formed. But his mind did
not correspond with his person; he
was vain, insolent, self-conceited and
presuming. When they entered the
public room, they observed all indiv:-
dual of small stature, in dark suit,
seated alone at q table. He held in
his left hand the journal of the day,
while his right handsupported pipe.
He paid but little attention to the en-
trance of this formidable host OF black
guards, scarcely deigning to raise his
eyes from the paper he was perusing.
The young baron, doubtless offended
at an appearance of indifference which
he thought bordered OH contempt, ap-
preached the man in black and said,
with smile of bitter irony, "Ah, my
friend, good evening. From your ar-
pearance, I should take you to be a
schoolmaster, or perhapsa tailor. Am
I right! Where is your goose?
The citizen raised his eyes and fixed
them for moment on the countenance
of his interrogation. and then resumed
the perusal of the journal.
"God forgive me my sins" continu-
ed the baron, "he will not answer me.
Come. my little fellow, we must be
more sociable. All, I perceive the
reason of your silence; that pipe in.
commodes you, As 1 must hear the
sound of your voice, allow me to re.
Geve you" So saying, he snatched
the pipe from the hands of the stranger
and dashed it to pieces on the floor; a
piece of wit which his companions ap.
plauded with shouts of laughter.
Without laying down the journal,
the insulted individual turned towards
the entrance of the inner room, and
coolly said: waiter, another pipe"
"Well DONE" resumed the young
impertnent, Il have gained some.
thing, however; 1 made him open his
mouth.
The pipe was brought, filed and
lighted, and the citizen continued to
perlse the journal MS if nothing had
happened.
"My little man," said the baron,
..where do you belong? In what VII.
lage do you exercise your talentsl
What, no answer Have You resoiv
ed not TO enter into conversation with
me?'
Here the insulted person again rails
ed his head and looked the Young of,
ficer in the face, at the same time
putting out an immense volume o.
smoke; he then deliberately resumed
his former occupation.
perhaps I was mistaken in YOU
character, interrupted the baron
You may be the quill Ruae of q vii
lage, and perhaps endeavOring tooom
NIT to memory the news which tbs
paper contains, 10 inpart il corectl,
to your friends and neighbors. But
voa smoke Ike SEiss That pip'
causes Won much Inconvenience.
Ii was = second time broken
Without cvincing by a gesture, o.
any visible sign OF cOuntenAnce, tn
least appearance Of anger, the man II
black cooIlyrepeated the first demand
WAITER, smother piPe-
~Nhat a neiodiOus voice, resumed
the baron. -Slch patience nus b,
The attribute Of AZ sncsi OF devil
7-5aid give = t55u.aai aorins b 70
va N a psssiors II -ou'd b delirou