Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-03-16
A Duel Or a Wedding.

| Httle Drealn VI u NAVite
A Duel or a Wedding
/ am an ardent adnirer OF female
beauty. / aupht TO have beenan artist
er a sculptor but I am neither. l was
\ bookkeeper for Brown 4 Co., whole
sale dea lers in lides and tallow. Henry
Bower, young nan OF very lively
dis sposiCion, was employed in the same
office. We boarded and roomed TO-
gelher.
! One night Henry and attended one
\ ofthe lyceum lectures in W. We
had hardly been in the Lall five minutes
h, fore my attention was fixed upon one
OF the ladies upon the front seat. She
was little TO the right OF me, but as
she was talking very earnestly to the
lady next to her, her fee was turned
toward us; and susceptible as am,
could not but be impressed with the
beauty fit.
Iudeed, l couldn't withdraw my gaze
fom The beautiful young lady before
me. She had golden hair, and her
b'uest Of eyes swan full Of love and
sweetness. Her nose was small and
straight, and she bad just the prettest
dimple among the bushes on either
cheek. And then such a mouth What
red lips. teeth OF pearl, flashing be-
tween tie roses. Her forehead was
| white as alabaster, and smooth as maj
blo. 10 brief, did not hear word Of
tie lecture.
A month passed without my seeing
anything Of the beautiful stranger. Bul
about ,hat time received an invitation
to visit my friend Mrs. Segard in NJ
She is a widow OF forty, and is the
mcther Of a certain Miss Segard, flmi-
iarlv called Clara. l knew that Mrs.
Sesard had uied TO bling about marr-
age between Clara and myself, and l
believe l was not much opposed 10 the
match: Clara was a good girl, every
| body said q very pretty brunette, with
flashing black eyes and hair, but her
form was short, thick and dowdish. l
admire a handsome form quite as'lnuch
as handsome face. l might have
married her-I really thiuk l should.
bot for little affair which happened at
| u.
Tie morning I started for NJ.
I, wers accompanied me 10 tie depot.
Whfe was buying NY ticket noticed
another gentleman come into the
uailing.room. My first thought was
thai it was my shadow that saw be-
fore me. He was about my height. bad
d light complexion like mine, and eye
If Gr.zzley gray, aud one ofthem turned
IN. Just like mne. He bad ona tall
silk hat. tipped on one side OF his sandy
locks. and so cid and furthermore,
be CARED in his hand small carpet
BAG. with a tag marked u. Med. "
ted TO the straps, So did l.
I looked at him, andhe returned the
compliment.
4 ssy, SIR said the stranger, look
ling down at the carpet bag thatI held.
and examining the tag, are you john
Mcclellan, or am /"
:Iy name is McDougal. hope you
are an honest man, for YOU see if you
should happen 10 rob bank, forge a
note, pick pocket, or cut somebody's
iugular, might have TO suffer, perhaps
swing for H.
1 can give you reference as to my
character l answered. d"
Yes, that's very good. Bu', Mr..
MeDuugal, which way are you gong?
!. Down. l have bought my ticket
Then I'm going up. 1 don't think
| we'd best travel together. There's The
tra'n starting now. Goodbye, Mr..
McDougal. l wish you success, and'or
NV sake don'i spoil your character
To get 10 NJ. which, by the way
Ils rather out-of- lhe-way place, q
tsman. oue-horse town, with one tavern,
4 1.-Two ah urches and poorhouse. bad
to leave the cars att, and then
tt,ke piicate conveyance to NJ.
4 fveiniles distant. j could have gone
1hy the stage, but that only leaves
U--oDce a day, at five o'clock iu the
morning. .. .r. tsv.4tt
! So when the cars stopped at u
I took my catpet-bag in my hand, anC
got out upon the p'a,fofm. .os,"'"
4 There vas quite large number o
4 people q: the station, but l took nc
(, notice Of any OF them, except a tall
braapy man. in a brown overcoat an'
slouched hat, who started for me as
soon asI stepped OF The cars. h0
l WAS about 10 move away, when tp'
I slouched hat laid his hand heavily OIL
m} shoulder.
yI You're yillainv
II 'Sit?
= Ir.peaoitAJ Jou're aNillain' as'ae
II "A miserablv scampv said corpu'
{ tiens eentl,mAn, coming forward am nm
Iseoyipg ferce!y. ,.tr.ft fe. ~,
lNew, l lelt that was match fo
s1abe 'iatttr, bot as to the other one,
lldldn't doubt but what he might worl
me 4p inio hoe sirngs in less ipHl
/ ,...., q. i,rfsog