Connecticut western news., 1882-02-22
DUEL ABOUT MISS IMOGENE.

DUEL ABOUT MISS IMOGENE.
 Miss Imogene De Forest was eighteen years old, a beauty and belle. Girls of all kinds, if they live. can be eighteen years old; but to be beauty and belle needs concurrence of favorable circumstances. In Miss Imogene these favorable circumstances were of 8 de- cided order, She had lovely face, graceful figure, and sbe was the only child of the Hon. Lysander De Forest, an ex.Governor. an ex-Senator, and 8 probable foreign minister.
 Besides, she had very respectable private fortune, though young Jefferson Duval and Captain Milton Fontaine both averred that was the very least point in her charms, and not worthy to be named with her dark eyes and her be- witching smile. Girls of eighteen are not all wise, and perhaps Miss Imogene believed this at any rate she looked as if she believed it. When wandering in the moonlight under the orange-trees, or when whirling through the waltz in some splendid feast, they were both quite certain that nothing but Miss Imogene's pers onal loveliness entered into their dreams concerning her. Hitherto, though both pretenders to Imogene's favor, they had preserved the semblance of friendship. DuvaI rather wished to do so; it gave him an honor able opportunity of watching his rivals chances and Fontaine was of that order of men who like little opposi- tion, He intended at some favorable opportunity to make a coup q d'etat and at once and forever put poor Duval out of the painful uncertain:ie of love. For somehow he regarded his own suc- cess as certain, and if the confident heart wins the fair lady, and the faint his blissful security.
 One lovely evening in the charming May-for May is charming in centra Texas--Imogene was slowly riding across a prairie that was one billowy sea O. grass and flowers. Duval was by hel side, reciting Byron in very touching manner. Imogene had casually noticed that two horsemen had emerged from little wood, and were slowly following them; and she had also noticed tha they had passed, at rather closer guar ters than she liked, herd of cattle, feed ing. Whether the magnificent bul leading them was irritated by Duval' floating scarlet neck-tie, or by tn
 poetry, or by motives beyond human comprehension, is uncertain, but hi
 anger was positive enough. Bellowin
 and tearing up the ground, he cam
 furiously after the lovers. Poetry an
 sentiment collapsed, and the first law (
 nature promptly asserted itself.
 Both put their horses to their utmos
 speed, but the prospect was not ohee,
 ing. In fact the question was this
 Would the bull or the horses have tn
 best of it in a race over two miles (
 open prairie
 "He is gaining on us. Duval, and
 am turning sick and faint. Oh. whs
 shall do ?"
 "Let us separate. He can not folio
 both, and perhaps he will select me-"
 Suddenly the shouts of the men b,
 hind attracted their attention. Imoger glanced fearfnlly around. The tH
 horsemen she had noticed were comin
 on at 8 laundering pace; and before sf ! could check or turn her horse, one . them had risen in his stirrups, ar = thrown lasso around the furious an l nal. It was now evident that Govern, i De Forest was one of the horseme1 the other, who still held the rope, VI ( quiet unknown both to Duval and I'm f gene.
 :, The Governor quickly dispatched u e bull with his rifle, and then, as the he, n were evidently growing uneasy, u ;, whole party rode rapidly home. Than 7 aud introductions were practically q
 layed, although the stranger knew tn
 no thanks and no introduction wou d ever be more satisfactory to him tn }, the glance and smile he had receiv r. in the sWiftest moment from Imoger /, Duval was very unhappy. He VIC " dered if he had behaved in coward 1t manner. The whole affair had been r. sudden and rapid he could neitt analyze his feelings nor his actiol .s -s Imogene had only said that she ''qu ls excused him." Had there been a1 le thing to excuse? And then this strs
 ger! He was quite as inexplicab
 Gov. De Forest had simply introduc " him as "Mr. John Winthrop" ID was little man, with plain, posit 'at face. His skin was tanned, his h $1 light, and his eyes of that steely b
 which always annoys weak andncapa
 persons.
 'o' MT. Winthrop made very light of lls ls adventure. and gave all the credit tc' the rescue to the Governor, except p ,t'i haps for one moment, in which Imog'
 and he once more changed eyes.