Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-01-22
odeP" she Immediately

Finding that | could not finish fro
sentence as had intended | dropped
it; and catching up handful of little
nothings, discussed them. While wa
were talking, footstep aroused Jassa-
mine, and | fancied she changed color
She went to the door and said good
evening" ina cordial voice. A man
entered. She introduced him as DR.
Gray did not like him. ! thought
that he rather overdid the work of
smiling. Every time Jassamine said A
word he would turn to her and smile.
He did not smile at me but two or three
times, for l frowned at him. After
this he grinned at me in a cold, merci-
less way
Have you been here long?n he
asked of me when Jassamine had left
| the room.
"No.n
"Sort of lawyer, eh?'
81 am a student of the law"
Il am kind OF doctor, said he.
eff YOU ever need my services, call on
me.
II hope that | shall never need YOU"
Probably not, but in a country like
] IIlo Il SIDdlt cha y lNfNA hiiN0o INV NOOQ
he may need a physician.
"Sirn said |, arising.
"Be seated. Supper is not ready. No,
he doesn't know how soon he may need
doctor Such peculiar atmosphere
in this country and turning his
face full upon me he grinned Ike a
/ 'possum.
"The other day." he continued, Il
had to fill a smart young man full of
stitches. Lawyer, too, | believe. Kept
foolin around a knife. Yes, sir, they
need doctor every now and then.
Don't forgetme; sir, in case you should
/ get hurt. "
/ ''Sir, l am not a rutfian.
ooh, no, of course not The ruflians
4 don't get hurt. Only the smart young
men-lawyers, mainly. Strange, isn't
| it?''
81 do not care to talk to you sir. 2
''It's only through politeness that /
am taking to you. The physician s bus
! mess is to carve rather than TO court a
fool.
sprang to my feet in rage. just
! then Jassamne entered.
'What is the matter, gentlemen" she
exclaimed.
ooh, nothing" replied the doctor.
This young Bacon wants to fight. |
\ have not thought much OF the subject,
but | will consider it. Chancellor, "
turning to me, my friend will call on
you"
For what purposeP'
TO make suitable arrangements, my
dear chancellor.
40 fight a duel?"
Yes to arrange mild encounter, "
Il will not accept | exclaimed. Il
am no shot, while you doubtless are. y
Il viii give you time to practiee-or,
perhaps you prefer the sword. The
choice of weapons, you know, my dear
chief justice, will be left entirely with
F.! yourself y
81 will not accept. | was taught to
look upon the code as an arrangement
of murder.
"Then it will be my painful duty to
/ post you as a coward,
you are right 1t win be pain
full duty"
"What viii the iurist do?'
IF you refer to me, | can tell you.
]
/ within an inch of your life.
THAT is the way towards fight.
1T is the way towards meet with
| just punishment"
Jassamine, without excitement, stood
regarding us. You certainly do not
refuse to fight him?n she said turning
20 me-
Il will fight him in civilized way"
/ | replied.
Yes, he suggested, land with the
weapons of a brute.
| could no longer stand his taunts.
/ With a blow which he did not expect |
\ Knocked him down. Jassamine
screamed, but by the time the Judge
and his wife had run into the room, /
4 had given the doctor what the men in
the east would have called sound
threshing.
soon learnad that Che doctor bore
the name OF desperate character. He
had fought several duels. | expected
| that he would post me as "a coward,
and he did so but he kept out of my
way. The people, / saw, attached
great Importance to what they termed
the defense of honor. No matter how
promptly man resented an insult and
knock the other down, he was not to
be taken into the fold of brave men I'M
til he had shown his willingness to burn
dangerous powder When anyone re-
preached me for not lighting the doc
tor, attempted to laugh it Of but to
my sorrow ! found it was a serious
matter.
'lIe would have killed me, | said
one day to an acquaintance who sat in
my office.
Presumably he replied
''Wcl, then, do you suppose want
to be killed?'
"Of course not, but what is life I'M
less it is honorable?"
do you mean that since have re-
fused to fight a duel with that desperate
man, my life is no longer honorable?n
The fact that people do think You
] hava agta1 1iehpaot.e nlv 1-o1 oapnof