Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-02-17
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4 DUEL VR 4 WEDDING.

| am an ardent admirer of female
beauty. | ought to have been IN ar
list or IA sculptor but | am neither. !
was boykkeeper for Brown q Co.,
Wholesale dealer in hides and tallow
Henry Boyer, a young man of very
lively disposition, was employed in the
same Office We boarded and roomed
together.
One night Henry and | attended one
of the lyceum lectures in W. We
had hardly been in the hall five min
utes before my attention was fixed upon
one of the ladies upon the front seat.
She was little to the right of me, but
rs she was talking very earnestly to the
lady next to her, her face was turned
towards us; and susceptible as | am,
could not but be impressed with the
beauty Of it.
Indeed, | couldn't withdraw my
gaze from the beautiful young lady be-
fore me. She had golden hair, and
her blucst of eyes swan full of love
and sweetness. Her nose was small
and straight, and she had lust the
prettiest dimple among the bushes on
either cheek. And then such mouth!
What red lips. teeth of pearl, flashing
between the roses. Her forehead was
smooth and broad, and her neck,
saw, rs the fur cape dropped low on
her shoulders, was white as alabaster,
and smooth as marble. In brief, | did
not hear word of the lecture.
A month passed without my seeing
anything of the beautiful stranger
But about that time received an in
vtation To visit my friend Mrs. Segard
in M ~----. She is II widow Of forty,
and is the mother Of n certain Miss
Segard, familiarly called Clara knew
that Mrs. Segard had tried to bring
about n marriage between Clara and
myself and | believe | was not much
opposed to the match. Clara was II
good girl, everybody said; n very pretty
brunettee, with flashing black eyes and
hair, but her form was short, thick and
dowdish. | admire Il handsome form
quite as much Us n handsome face. |
might have married her-I really
think | should, but for little affair
which happened Mt u.
The morning | started for NJ, Bow
ers accompanied me to the depot
While | was buying my ticket noticed
waiting room. My first thought was
that it was my shadow that | saw be-
70, me. He was about my my height,
had light complexion like mine, and
eyes of grizzly gray, and one Of them
turned in, just like mine. He had ON
a tall silk hat tipped on one side of his
sandy locks, and SO did |; and further
more, he carried in his hand small
carpet bag, with q tag marked J.
Med tied to the straps. SO did |.
| looked mt him, and he returned the
compliment,
81 say, sir" said the stranger, look
ing down ut the carpet bag that | held,
and examining the tag, care you John
Mcclellan, or am 81
"My name is McDougal. | hope YOU
are an honest man, for YOU see if you
should happen Ia rob bank, forge a
note, pick pocket or cat somebody's
iugular, might have to suffer, per-
hapy swing for it,"
IL can give YOU reference rs to my
character" | answered.
eyes, that's very good But, Mr.
McDougal, which way are YOU going?"
"Down. | have bought my ticket"
'Then I'm going up. | don't think
we'd best travel together. There's the
train starting now. Goodbye, Mr.. Me
Dougal, | wish you success, and for my
sake don't spoil your character"
TO get to Nj, which by the way
is a rather out-of-the-way place, n
small. onc-horsc town, with one tavern,
two churches and poorhouse, | had
to leave the cars ut t, and then
take a private conveyance to Nj.
five miles distant. | could have gone
by the stage, but that only leaves u
once a day, At five o'clock in the morn
inc.
SO when the cars stopped at u
took my carpet bag in my hand and
got out upon the platform.
There was quite large number of
people 1T the station, but / took no no
tice of any of them, except Il tall,
brawny man. in n brown oyercoat and
slouched hat, who started for me rs
soon rs | stepped off the cars.
| was about to move away. when the
slouched hat laid his hand heavily on
my shoulder.
You're a william,
Sir"
49,, repeat it-you're william"
"A miserable scamp" said rorpu-
lent gentleman, coming forward and
scowling tiercely.
Now, | felt that ] was match for
the latter. hut A. to the other one.