The Worthington advance., 1881-02-03
THE DUEL.

LII WIZ ySNA 4IOSS "AOu lAO fCtSSC VI
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 furlough, or were dis.
missed from the service for IL short
time, and life Of military danger
and activity gave place to habits of
idleness and dissipation.
In the early part of the summer,
several of the officers, having dined to.
gether and sacrificed rather freely at
the shrine of the jolly god, adjourned
toward evening to the Exchange cof.
fee house, the most noted hotel in the
city. They entered singing and shout
ing III a most tumultuons manner, set
ting at defiance the rules of propriety
and decorum. The youngest of the
Joyous band, the Baron de v, who
bore the commission of a lieutenant in
the army, was about 25 years of age,
wealthy, handsome and elegantly
formed. But his mind did not cores.
pond with his person; he was vain, in
sOlent, self-conceited. and presuming.
When they entered the public room.
they observed an individual of small
stature, in a dark suit, seated alone at
a table. He held III his left hand the
journal of the day, while his right
hand supported pipe. He tpaid but
little attention to the entrance of this
formidable host of blackguards scarce
ly deigning to raise his eyes from the
paper he was perusing. The young
baron, doubtless offended at al ap-
pearance of Indifference which he
thought bordered Oh contempt, ap.
preached the man in black and said,
with Il smile of bitter irony, ''Ah, my
friend, good evening. From your ap-
pearancc, should take you to be a
SchoOlmaster, or perhaps a tailor. Am
right! Where is your goose -
The citizen raised his eyes, and fix
ed them for moment OF the counte-
nance of his interrogation, and then re-.
sumed the persual of the journal.
God forgive me my sins,' contin.
ued the baron, ''he will not answer me.
Come, my little fellow, we must be
more sociable. Ah, I perceive the
reason of your silence; that pipe in-
commodes you. AS l must hear the
sound Of your voice, allow me to re.
]ieve YOU SO saying, lie snatched
the pi pc from the hands Of the stranger,
and dashed it to pieces OH the floor; !,
piece of wit which his companions ap-
plauded with shouts of laughter.
Without laying down the journal,
the insulted individual turend towards
the entrance of the inner room; and
coolly said: "Waiter, another pi pe.''
"Well done, resumed the young i'm.
pertinent. Il have gained something,
however,; made him open his mouth. .
The pipe was brought, filled and
lighted, and the citizen continued to
perlse the journal us if nothing had
happened.
My little man. said the baron,
"Where do you belong! III what village
do you exercise your talents! What,
10 answer! Have you resolved not to
enter into conversation with me1"
Here the insulted person again
raised his head and looked the young
officer in the face, at the same time
putting out an immense volume of
smoke; he then deliberately resumed
his former occupation.
''Perhaps I was mistaken in YOUR
character, interrupted the baron; :.yon
may be the quid n,tnc of a village, and
perhaps endeavoring to commit to
memory the news which that paper
contains, to impart it correctly to your
friends and neig ighbors. But you smoke
ike a Swiss. That pipe causes you
much Inconvenience. 1t was IL sec.
nod time broken.
Without evincing ny Il gesture, or
any visible sign Of co,mtellance. the
least appearance Of. anger, the man
in black coolly repeated the first dc.
mand, waiter another pipe.''
''What melOdious voice!" re-
sumed the baron. "Such patience
must be the attribute of All angel or a
devil. l would give II Thousand forms
to see you in a passion; it would be de-.
iciOus SPORT
An old ayor,whose embroidered coat
was decorated with military orders and
on whose German physiognomy was
depicted frankness, true courage and
loyalty, who entered the coffe-hOuse
with these hairbrained youths. now
addressed the baron in a low voice, but
which notwithstanding could be heard
in all parts of the room: MY young
friend, you are insulting stranger with
out provocation; you are foolishly
guilty of great imperticncc, and your
conduct, with that of your applauding
comrades, begins to disgust me. Ibeg
YOU will pursue this foolish joke no
farther.''
The baron, with his companions. ac-
cordingly adjourned to a neighboring
room, and commenced playing cards,
TO judge from their numerous jokes.
followed by loud peals of laughter, it
would seem that the young officers
folly and imprndence was already, for.
gotten. An hour passed away. all was
mirth and jollity, the baron had gained
considerable sum. and his Spirits
were proportionately buoyant, when
the little man in black entered
the room, and approached his chair:
and tapped him gently on his shoulder.
and requested to speak to hi1o in an.
other apartment. The baron regarded
him with Il look of disd:,in over his
shoulder, uttered an ill-time1 ipst and