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

though it had happened Yesterday. was q
youngster then: / am getting 70 be an old
man now, but shall never forget it-pever
Poor lad, poor iad!"
was about five-and-tFenty, and on my
travels for the first time In leisurely
fashion had traversed France and Belgium,
and crossing the German frontier had
reached and taken up my abode for twenty
four hours in a small town with q river and
q bridge: d confused mass of red rooted
houses, with shel5erinS forest covered hills
that favored and shut in its remoteness from
the common highway. 1t was one of those
places whose antique air, inherited straight
from the Middle Ages, charms and invites the
passer by; the inn charmed me also, gabled
house on the old market place, with a
fruitful garden reaching down to the river
at the back The town was not unknown TO
tourists, but lying apart from the usual
track, il was little frequented; and for one
reason or another the inn. when | arrived,
was almost empty. 1t depended for its pros
perity, however, less on the custom OF passing
strangers than On its clientele Of commercial
travellers, and on the excellent ordinary it
provided for the townspeople and the officers
of the small town garrison. The table d'hote
1 foun6-for my stay was prolonged from
the one day I had proposed TO four or five
was always full The guests came dropping
in one by one, hanging each his cloak and hat
on a peg by the door, and with a friendly
greeting TO one and another, took each his
accustomed seat at the liberal board Each
tucked q napkin under bis chin; men aud
maids few round the table; a CHATTER OF
plates and tongues began Tho scene amused
me, don't know WAY; through its novelty,
i suppose
On the evening OF the second day. return
ing from some excursion in the neighborhood,
too late for the public meal, my supper was
served in a small room adjoining the salle-a-
manager. a door communicated between the
two apartments; it was closed, but sound
of talking acquainted me that though the
table dhote might be over, the guests were
not yet al dispersed Some dispute was ap-
parently IA progress. could distinguish no
words; the Speakers, as judged, were at the
further end of the long adjoining room; but
the raised and vehement voices, a sort of
angry clamor, rising and falling, argued
quarrel of some kind. Presently the clamor
fell: the voices died away, amid a scraping of
chairs on the wooden floor; silence succeeded.
| had nearly finished my supper, coffee had
been brought, and | was preparing 30 light q
cigar, when the door between the rooms was
thrown open and young man entered
Without noticing my presence, he flung HIM
self into a chair against the wall and sat
motionleSs.
HewaS mere lad, not above twenty, de-
cided, on considering him more attentively,
u boy with light, shining hair, fair corl-
plexion and girlish delicacy of feature; =
faint yellow mustache alone testified to his
manhood He was dressed in a light colored
tourist suit; there was nothing remarkable
in his appearance, nothing TO distinguish
him especially from any other fresh young
fellow abroad on his travels: but something
in his attitude, as he sat without movement
in the chair into which he had flung himself,
arrested my attention. He sat with his legs
stretched out, his hands thrust into bis peck
cts. his head dropped on his breast. His
face, which should naturally, l imagine,
wear the pink and white complexion
proper to fair haired youth, was empty
of even tinge of color, his brows were
drawn together; he looked miserable, over
whelmed, desperate; could not tell how he
looked. He might, | conjectured, have been
losing money in some bet or game of chance
a man who has left his fortune at a gam
bling table might wear just such an express
sion. Twice | thought of addressing him;
but | WAS deferred by his complete uncon-
seriousness Of my presence and by my igno-
rance OF his nationality; for I had no better
skill in languages than an imperfect knowl-
edge Of French and a still more stumbling
acquaintance with German. | finished my
coffee, therefore, in silence, and as he still
made no sign, took up my hat and silently
left the room.
On the way through the hail, accosted
the gray haired head waiter, an old man,
grown old in the service of the inn, and
asked him if he knew anything about the
young fellow. He was an Englishman, the
man answered; aad opened the visitors
books to show me his name. His name was
there, Charles Holmes OF Foxholme, Surrey,
England, and Nagdalen college, Oxford; he
had arrived the previous night; he had CONS
from Frankfort; he was on his way to Brus-
selS-all this Inscribed with hoyish love of
detail IN a round, boyish hand BE was a
fellow countryInan then, and alone appar-
emily; for, with the exception of my own
nacle, none other of English nationality
Appeared on the lis. for many DAYS
back Wis pale look as he dropped into his
chair passed before my eyes. Almost I
turned nack into the little parlor TO speak
10 bi,n, and I wish had-I wish TO heaven
EGd-al might have turned out differently.
Bat the indomitable stupidity and reserve Of
Ell EaCiIshnlan stood in my way, and instead
OF gcins back addressed the waiter sgain.
Had there been any quarrel, | inquired,
amors the guests at the supper table that
evening" He shrugged his shoulders "Pos-
sialsr-posibly," be said; he had heard
raised vcices, he had not been in the room.
These gentlemen tneaning the offcer9 often
had disputes among themselves. No one
thought much about it; it was no ones con-
Germ but their own"
lett the man, and started on an evening
walk through the town, before retiring 10
rest. It was already dark, 4 warm and star
less August night; the SKY, heavy with one
cloud that spread from hill to hill. seemed 20 |
weigh upon ones head, now and then drop
CT rain fell. could see the sul,ry splash on !
tie dusty paving stones by the light Of an |
oil lamp hiekerjas here ana |
there. A street led from the old market |
place down 30 6 steep, one arcsed bridge that |
Spaaned the river. and connected the oown |
with the opposite heights. crossed tbs
bridge, then returning on ny steps, stood /
leaning on the parapet looking down upon /
the river revealed through the darkness T
by It's slow onward rush, and by the rare
lights Infected on It's back surface A /
Debated barge came swinging down stream,
LIS lantern sending long yellow CLEANS |
across the parting water; It passed and was
lost lp Gark4lesS beyond. Lights shone from
the clustered gables of the darkling town
Close at hand. u the river baEk. a girl sat !.