Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-12-08
a DUEL OR A WEDDING.

''"7''H '''
A DUEL OR A WEDDING.
! am an ardent admireT Of femu
beauty, and ought TO have been an art.
ist or sculptor, but | am neither. |
was boOk.keeper for Brown & Co.,
wholesale dealers in hides and tallOw.
Henry Bower, 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 minutes be-
fore my attention was fixed upon one
of the ladies in the front seat. She
was Il little to the right of me, but us
she was talking very earnestly to the
lady next to her, her face was turned
toward us; and, susceptible as | am, |
could not but be impressed by the bcau-
ty of it.
Indeed, | could not withdraw my
gaze from the beautiful young lady be-
fore me. She had golden hair and
her bluest Of eyes swan full of love
and sweetness. Her nose was small
and straight, and she had just the
prettiest dimple among the bushes on
either cheek. And then, such q
mouth What red lips, teeth Of Iearl,
flashing between the roses. Her fore
head was smooth and broad, and her
neck, | saw, us the fur cape dropped
low on her shoulders, was white
as alabastcr and smooth rs marble,
In brief, | did not hear a word Of the
lecture.
A month passed without my seeing
anything of the beautiful stranger
But about that time l received an in
yitation to visit my friend, Mrs, Segard,
in NJ. She is a widow Of forty, and is
the mother of Il certain Miss Segard,
familiarly called Clara. | knew that
Mrs. Segard had tried TO bring about Il
marriage between Cara and myself,
and believe | was not much opposed
to the match. Clara was good girl
everybody said; a very pretty brunette,
with flashing black hair and eyes, but
her form was short, thick and dOwdy-
ish. | admire handsome form quite
as much as a handsome face, | might
have married her-I really think
should but for a little affair that hap.
pened at u.
The morning | started for NJ, Bow.
ers accompanied me TO the depot.
While was buying my ticket noticed
another gentleman come into the wait.
ing-room. My first thought was that
it was my shadow that saw before
me. He was about my height, had a
light complexion like mine, and eyes OF
grizzly gray, and one OF them turned in
Just like mine. lie had on a tall silk
hat, tipped OH one side of his sandy
locks, and so did |; and, furthermore
he carried in his hand Il carpet bag
with a tag marked 81, McD." tied Ia
the straps. So did |.
looked at him, and he returned the
compliment.
81 say, sir" said the stranger, look
ing down at the carpet-bag held, and
examining the tag, care you John Nc.
DOugal, or am I?'
"My name is McDougal, hope yOl
are an honest man, for, you see, if you
should happen to rob bank, forge {
note, pick a pocket, or cut somebody's
jugular,I might have to suffer, perhaps
swing for it. | can give you reference
as to my character" | answered.
Eyes that's very good. But, Mr.
McDougal, which way are you goinl
to go to?"
"Down. l have just bought m.
ticket
"Then Pm going up, don't thinl
we'd best travel together. There's tn
train starting now. Goodbye, Mr.. Nc
Dougal, l wish you success, and for m
sake don't spoil your character"
To get to NJ, by the way, a small
, one.horse town, with one tavern, tw
, churches and a poor.house, had t
J leave the cars at T., and then take
, private conveyance to NJ, five mile
| distant. l could have gone by tn
, stage, but that only leaves U. once
, day, at five o'clock in the morning.
| So when the cars stopped at u,
, took my carpet-bag in my hand, an
7 got out upon the platform.
I There was quite large number q
: people at the station, but 1 took no NJ
{ tice of any of them, except a tai
!, brawny man, in brown overcoat an
slouched hat, who started for me q
i. soon as l stepped off the cars.
| was about to move away when Ill
Z slouohed hat laid his hand heavily 0
my shoulder.
"You are o villaln~
nSir9"
~ repeat 1t. YOURS a villain"
A "a miserable scamp" said q corp
( lent gentleman, coming forward an
0 scowling dercely.
J. Now, l felt that l was q match fl
1 the latter, but as to the other one, l di
9 not doubt but he might work me Il
t into shoe-strings in less than three mil
utes.
s "Will you please explain yourselve
: gentlemen" asked, trying to smile.
n eyes, will" answered the big on
e putting great stress on tho "will."
5 Certainly" growled tho corpule,
gentleman, with q smile.
!, "Come this way, you rascal" sa
l. the tall one, drawing me along vii
him,