New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-03-24
AN AFFAIR OF HONOR.

Yet it was called can affair of honor"
will tell you Of it, that you may
Judge.
My father was a cotton-planter in
one Of our southern states, and I, an
only son, was INDUCED to an unusual
degree, and was early taught the use OF
firearms. Even at ten years OF age l
was allowed to roam the woods at
will, with alight fowling- piece that had
been given me.
Often, however, I had a companion
in my hunting excursions, the son of
aneighbor of ours, who was year
older than I. He was fiery, and often
a very unreasonable youth, qualities
which he had inherited from his ia
ther; but we had never had any es-
arrangement or dispute till this Of which
am going to write.
| Eustace had always claimed to be a
better shot than l was. This was
not willing to concede. In our target
practice we sometimes had for umpire
a sister OF his, Ethel Halleck, who was
two years younger than Eustace; and
as she very frankly said she did not
accept her brothers opinion, usual
ly yielded the point without contro-
versy.
Ethel and Eustace were the only
children OF their parents, who were
our nearest neighbours, and the man
sions in that part of the South being
somewhat widely separated, we had
very few other associates. She was a
spirited girl, and beautiful, to my eyes,
and had none OF the overbearing i'm
retuosity that characterized her
father and brother, being, like her
mother, gentle in manner and speech,
and always reasonable.
The fiery temperament Of the elder
Halleck had not unfrequently been the
cause of trouble between him and the
gentlemen with whom he associated,
and he had been led by it in more
than one "affair of honor" Eustace
frequently boosted of this, but Ethel
always deplored it, and i'll this I fully
sympathized with her.
The last meeting of this kind took
place the summer Ethel was fifteen
years Of age. do not now fully recall
the cause Of it, but it led to meeting
with rifles, at short range, in which
Halleck killed his man. Ishall never
forget the expression OF distress that
was on Ethel's face when | next met
her. She would not have spoken OF
the dreadful occurrence, but Eustace
could not forbear mentioning it.
"Of course you've heard of that last
affair OF father's?" he said.
ooh, yes" I answered.
"They'll find out after awhile that
it won't do to fool with him, reckon
81 should think so,' said l. "But
doesn't he feel badly at having killed
his antagonist"
II haven't seen him shed any tears"
said Eustace, laughing. "I guess he
can stand it, if the rest can. They'll
find out after awhile that his aim is
quicker than theirs, Ireckon. He's the
quickest man to take aim that you
ever saw"
30 Eustace, don't speak OF it!
Don't mention. it any more, | beg OF
yOu!'' imDlOred Ethel
"Why, it's nothing to be ashamed
OF. I'm proud that we have a. father
who can defend his honor!''
To this Ethel only replied by a
plea ding look, and pltying her distress,
| remarked, quite thoughtless of what
the effect would be-
II don't see any reason, Eustace,
for taking pride in your fathers killing
another man. think his honor would
not have suffered if the man had liv-
ed.'
"You do? OF course you do. Why
shouldn't you, when you don't know
what honor is?''
"stop,now! Stop, Eustace!' cried
Ethel, springing forward and clasping
her arms around him.
"Not when we're insulted in our own
home! No, repeat it, he don't know
what honor is''
"And shall have to go elsewhere to
Learnt retorted, in spite of my bet.
ter judgment. II never saw any
honor yet in killing man,
"You're a coward, or you would
not say that to us here! He's cow
ard, Ethel"
II may be coward in your estima-
tion, for it's plain that our ideas of
cowardice and honor don't agree. But
don't believe Ethel will call me a
coward"
''No, Walter!' she cried. II know
you are not, and Eustace knows it.
He knows that he might not be living
now if it weren't for you. o Eustace,
you'll be sorry for this!" and the poor
girls eyes filled with tears.
| had come to keep an appointment
with Eustace for an afternoons hunt,
and not wishing to prolong such a
scene, I said, turning to leave the
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