The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-04-03
9D Affair Of Honor.
By Richard Steele.

An affair rather of dshonor; an affair that brought misery, death, and still worse than death-imbccility Yet it was called an affair of honor will tell you of it, that you may judge
 My father was a cotton-plantcr in one of our southern states, and l. an only son, was indulged 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 a light towling piece that had been given me.
 Often, however ] had companion in my hunting cXcursions-the son of a neighbor of ours, who was year older than l. He was fiery and often very unreasonable youth. qualities which he had inherited from his father; but we had never had any cstrangcment or dis putc till this of which l am going to write.
 Eustace had always claimed to be a better shot than was. This I was not willing to concedc In our target prac- tice We sometimes had for an umpire a sister of his, Ethel Ilalleck, who was two years younger than Eustace; and as she very frankly said she did not accept her brothers opinion, l usually yielded the point without controversy.
 Ethel and Eustacc were the only children of their parents who were our nearest neighbors, and the mansions 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 impetuosity that char acterized her father and brother, being, like her mother gentle in manner and speech, and always reasonable.
 The fiery temperament of the elder llalleck had not untrequently been the cause of trouble between him and the gentlemen with whom he associated, and he had been led by it into more than one affair of honor" Eustace frequently boastcd of this, but Ethel al- ways deplored it, and in this l fully sympathized with her.
 The last meeting of this kind took place the summer Ethel was fifteen ycals of age. do not now fully recall the cause of it, but it led to a meeting with rifles, at short range, in which IIalleck killed his man, shall never forget the expression of distress that was on Ethel S face when next met her. She would iiCt hHNt SI''Ntil VI tllt uItdtilul ottuT- renee but Eustacc could not fopbear mentioning 1t.
 Of course you've heard of that last affair of fathers?' he said.
 "Oh, yes,' answered.
 "They' Fl find out after awhile that it won't do to fool with him, 1 reckon"
 :" should think so,' said l. But doesn't he feel badly at having killed his antagonist?'
 haven't seen him shed any tears" said Eustace, laughing Il guess he can stand it, if the rest can They'll find out after awhile that his aim is quicker than theirs, reckon. He's the quickest man to take aim that you ever saw
 70 Eustace, don't speak of it. Don't mention it any more l beg of you inn plored Ethel
 Why it. nothing to be ashamed of I'm proud that we have father who can defend his honorl"
 To this Ethel only replied by a plead ing look, and pitying her distress, I re marked, quite thoughtless of what the effect would be-
 don't see any reason, Eustace, for taking pride in your fathers killing an other man. think his honor would not have suffered if the man had lived" 7"
 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 arond him.
 Not when we're insulted in our own home! No, l repeat it, he don't know what honor isl v
 And 1 shall have to go elsewhere to learnl" l retorted, in spite of my better judgment. "I never saw any honor yet in killing man"
 You're coward, or you would not say that to us here! He's a coward, Ethell"
 may be a coward in your estima- ton, for it's plain that our ideas of cow ardice and honor don't agree. But don't believe Ethel will call me cow ard"
 No, Walter! she cried. "I know