Middletown transcript., 1882-03-31

shall see me home tonight. "
L will kill the man who takes my
place Do you dare to speak that way
to me ?''
He had raised his voice, in his rage,
SO that some others heard it. There
was little pause of pressing people,
for that was chivalrous age as to the
manner of men to women. and the
young officer, just then returning,
availed himself Of pretty girls dI-
lemma to say:
MAY 1 assist you, miss Ipresume
you are not in very agreeable COM
pany."
"Thank you, sir,' answered Miss
Rideau. 81 would be obliged to have
some one find my aunt for me she is
here somewhere y
"Will you accept a strangers arm p
In this misfortune, I WILL"
Dibdo took off the pretty girl, and
one Of his naval companions, looking
after him, exclaimed, What genius
Dib. is with the ladies l' But the
companion, feeling trembling, un-
steady hand upon his arm, turned about
and met young Utie's desperate face.
81 want to know the name of that
fellow ~ said Ute.
"That is Charles Dibdo," said the
naval companion, lieutenant Of the
United States frigate Fox, and rec
ommend you, my boy, to address him
in civil tone. For me, I never mind
a drunken man,
Thoroughly demoniZed now, young
Robert Ute turned blindly about for
some implement of revenge. He found
it in Tiltock, a fellow-clerk, novitiate
and ninny, who was visible in the
crowd.
Tiltock, are you man of honor p
II hope SO, Bob.
"Can you carry challenge ?''
ooh yes I guess so, to 'blige a ole
friend"
Can you write it ~
"I'm afraid not. Y
"Then take it by word of mouth.
That scoundreI there, Lieutenant Dib-
do. has insulted lady, and me too. l
must have his blood. Follow him up,
and meet me at Gadsby's with his
answer
Full of self importance at this first
and safe opportunity to stand upon
what is known as the field Of honor, "
Tiltock kept the lieutenant in his eye,
and took him finally aside and demand
ed a meeting in the name of Ute. The
naval officer answered that he had
simply relieved lady from drunken
boy but Tiltock, in the dramatic way
common to halcyon old times, refused
to accept either drunken" or "boy''
as terms appropriate to "the code, "and
pressed for an answer. Infve minutes
the naval officer replied, through his
naval companion, that having ascer-
tained Mr.. Ute to be a gentleman's
son, and he as an United States officer
not being able to decline a challenge,
the latter was accepted. The weapons
were to be pistols, the place the usual
ground at Bladensburg, and the time
the afternoon of the next day.
There was a good deal of drinking
and boasting at the hotels that night,
Ute and Tiltock telling everybody, as
particular secret, that there was to be
s'an fab of honah, "otherwise "juel,"
at g Bladensburg, sab II The gin-drink
ing, cock-fghting, sporting element Of
the town was aroused, and Ute and
Tiltock were invited on all sides to
imbibe to the significant toast of g The
Field" Very noisy, very insolent.
nuisances indeed. these two mere lads
the offspring of vain and ignorant
social period of which some elements
yet remain-borrowed the money to hire
a carriage, and at midnight they set out
with some associates by the old, rutty,
clay road for the Maryland village of
Bladensburg. That night they ca
reused until Nature, despite her revolt,
put them to bed. In the morning,
with a swollen and sallow face, dry
hair, unsteady hands, aching eyes and
dim vision, Robert Ute awoke to the
recollection Of his folly and his rash
ness. and he realized the critical period
which he had provoked. His clerkship
lost, his self-pride poignant, ispockets
nearly empty, his respectable career II
re.rievably terminated, his sweetheart
insulted, and his life in danger There
was no escape either from despair or
fate. Tiltock was strutting about be-
low stairs with a drunken old doctor,
misnamed a surgeon, who deposited
behind the bar rusty case of surgical
instruments, and who took a deep po-
tation to the toast Of "The fawchuns
of waw." The Bladensburg people
we're well aware of the occasion, and
the old tavern was surrounded by loaf
ers and gossips, many Of whom were
bows who had walked out from the city
as we go to prize fights in our day. To
fill up the time dog fight and chick
en- fight were improvised by the enter
prising stable boys in the back yard, on
the green slopes of the running Branch.
While Tiltock strutted out of town at
an imposing pace to examine "The
Field, . Robert Ute retired to his room,
sought with an emetic to relieve his
stomach. and then sat down to write
some letters and an epitaph. The paper
was thin, and the pen and ink matched
If but the drunken boys eyes marred
more than all for suddenly the secret
fountains of his lost youth were touched
as by the prick of his pen, and the drops
L. rIev H., /, i