Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-18

cultyi saw you down stairs Ia& evening;
saw that you were in trouble OF some End.
Tell me about it. II you have got yourself
into . scrape, it will be bard IL between US
No can't pull you out, whatever 1t may be"
TITS no scrape," be said with difficulty,
and paused His face grew white again.
'tIts no scrape,n he said at last GIVE got 10
fight duel tomorrow morning at o'clock,
and I-In-his voice failed altogether.
"a dnelf Nonsense" said. He looked
up Nonsense" repeated "Who fights
duel these dayss The thing can Be put an
end to at once."
stood up as spoke and made step to-
wards the door, with don't know what idea;
since at that hour Of the night nothing could
be done. He stopped me, however.
''1t can't be put a stop to, he said sit
must 70 on I'm pledged on my honor that
it shall GO ON
faced round on him
"Look here" said; II know all about it.
/ saw that girl this evening; heard about
her She leaves the house tomorrow But
| you've fallen into trap, my dear fellow;
your honor has nothing to say in the mat
ter. give you my word of honor that the
whole thing may be arranged without the
slightest difficulty"
''How7" be said, with a certain eager.
ness, but checked himself Immediately. sit
must 20 on" no repeated; "it is all settled, I
tell you don't know what you mean about
| the girl There was quarrel among a lot
/ Of officers down stairs; got mixed up in it,
/ like fool; but there were some good fellows
among them, and they'll see me through.
After ali, he won't on, trying to smile, "what
| is dueli Hundreds of men have fought
and no great harm come of it"
He broke off as the shivering seized him
again, and the pallor A light dawped on
| me. 1t was fear that held tho boy as he sat
there, covering and trembling, before me;
, the Lad with his fresh complexion and pretty
| girls face was a coward; and as recognized
the fact, something Of contempt for him rose
In my mind. had in those days the brutal
stupidity Of man to whom, constitutionally,
fear is unknown. had never considered, as
have had occasion to do since, the tricks
that vivid imagination may play with a
sensitive organization, and looked at the
trembling lad before me with the amount of
intelligence bull dog might have brought to
bear upon the subject. Nevertheless, laid
my hand on his shoulder good naturally
enough.
"Look here" said, giving him a friendly
shake Take some more brandy first,
though" l got him to swallow another
mouthful. Look here, my dear boy"
said, "you don't like tho notion Of fighting, 1
see Well, don't give the thing another
thought Go to bed and sleep soundly; when
! YOU wake tomorrow morning you'll find it
all arranged"
He shook his head
EFT can't bet cant be-" he said. He
sprang to his feet and paced the room once
or twice, his hands thrust deep into his
pockets "Tou think I'm afraid" he said,
standing in front Of me and speaking rapidly.
you're right, l am afraid, I'm sick with
fear"--
He dropped into his chair again and flung
out his araas across the table, burying his
face in them. In a moment he looked up.
eve been afraid all my life," he said,
speaking low and very quickly. II can't
help it. can't see things any other way.
They used to bully mo at school. Once I
shrieked something, and the boysn- He
broke OF. "Only one fellow was good to
me-" he went on. He was older than was,
and he made me promise I'd never shirk a
thing through cowardice again; and never
will"
/ looked at him with new sentiment.
'eWhere is your friend nowi" asked after
pause.
'He is dead, he answered. "He was killed
Last year, fighting in India"
He buried his face again, and there was
silence for while. heard the rain still
falling steadily outside; now and then the
candle aickered little in the breath of
night air. At last spoke.
''That is no reason-it is no reason at ALL"
! said, rising and pacing the room in my
turn. "The thing is On absurdity. l tell
you, no one fights duels in these days Why,
to begin with, do you even know what you
are aboutf Can you fire pistol, if, as sup
pose, it is with pistols you propose to
amuse yourselvesr
He answered almost inaudibly. 81 can
handle firearms" he said 81 had to learn"
I sat down and contemplated him for a
moment "Look here" broke out again,
''the whole thing is nonsense, sheer non
nense; it can't be allowed to 60 on. You've
no business, my dear boy, to be coming
abroad for your holiday and getting your
sell entAnsled in rnise-ies Of this sort What
would your family sayi Think Of them"
He raissd his haggard face. II can't get
out Of it, he said; II can't; not without
leaving them to say that an Englisnman
shirksd, and lost his honor because he was
afraid. And It would Be true"
"Oh," said, "there are ways Of putting
things Toll thsm that you've thought better
of it; that IN England we're too civilized for
such barbstous Middle Age practices; that
when q man is offensive, we kick him down
stairs and there is en end Of # Anything
would b good enough FOR set OF brutes who
would enttsp a lad like you into dueln
I had touched BIS dignity, perhaps "1
was not entrapped, be said, then broke into
sob. "Dont," he cried, don't tempt me.
! ouxhsn't to have told you anything about
1t, suppose, but oonldnt help IL. don't
wnnt to think Of il; shall got frightened
sgsin, and feel can't face II all. Besides,
there's son,ethtns elss want to say" Ee
began hurrfsdly turning over the pagers on
the table ~ Tn kilAd~-
"Oh. GOMEZ" mid, "theres no question
here Of being killed. pusls are fought every
day abroad, and no one il O bit tho worse.
Tomorrow night you'll b lsashinS a your
tearx"
'Ithink / shall b killed. be aaid simply.
~ began o letter TO my mother" he went ca
quietly enough; ~ don't know how TO finish
It. tAllk I'll sign Il. and got you to give it
70 her T., cl.d vou'Te here I thought
tnere would % no one Tor me 60 SPEAK TO
again"
He took a sheet Of paper With half filed
page and wrote; then folding and directing
it, put it in his little writing case. ''You
will find il there" he said "And this port
mantean," he continued, s'can 60 as it is
There are SOME things in It for my little sis