Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-15
THE RICHMOND DIspATCH-sUNDAY, JULY %. 1893

lou al w III VIC hpttet thss~A< " '"
morning FOR nights rest"
He did not immediately answer. lie
had taken up the book and was letting
his eyes stray over the pages. ! spoke
again. ~. .,r
left you ?" said.
III don't know III try" he said ra-
Their vaguely. He closed the book and
rose. rose also. and stood irresolute.
! hardly liked TO leave him alone, yet his
chance OF rest, L thought, might be
greater so than il ] remained He I'M
derstood my doubt, apparently.
I'm all right now, he said. 81 dare
say shall sleep as you say. Thank you
for coming in. / don't know what L
should have done without you"
He smiled family and held out his
hand; there were tears in his eyes his
hand was cold as ice. l asked him few
questions, brief rs 1 could make them,
about the mornings Arrangements. The
meeting was TO take place, found, at q
SPOT knew in q wood just without the
town walls, where the ruins OF an old alb
hey stood on grassy lawn. 81 shall
see you in the morning" said, and with
the promise wrung his hand and lett
him.
went back to my own room, and,
dressed as l was, threw myself on the
bed. Not for q moment did / intend
that this ubiquitous duel should 80 on.
At earliest dawn proposed to rouse the
landlord. to stir up the city guard, If
needful-nay, TO call out the town garri-
son itself-ratber than permit an act OF
criminal and unnecessary folly. All
this. say, l intended. For awhile lay
wakeful and attentive. | heard chair
pushed back in the adjoining room and
footsteps moving uncertainty to and fro ;
then deep silence. The young fellow, l
concluded, had followed my advice
and betaken himself to bed for an
hour or two. The town clocks struck 8 ;
and with the determination TO rouse my
self at 1880 / passed into profound
sleep. Alas | was young was tired
out. At $50 / fell into uneasy dreams.
/ dreamed that had risen, that | had
dressed in haste. that had made my
way to the poor lad in the adjoining
room. He was seated in his shirt-sleeves
on the edge Of the bed. "Surely it is
not time to go yet, he said, and began
to CRY lkea girl. dreamed that | awoke
and turned TO dream again. This time
it was the boy who came in to me
as 1 was dressing hastily. OTIS all
over" he cried joyously. "Not soul
was hurt. start for home at once. "
"ThAnk God" L answered, and with
the words | woke with start, woke in
truth this time, sitting up on my bed be
wIldered for the moment, 1T war broad
daylight. 1 looked at my watch II
wanted but twenty minutes to 6. j
caught up my hat and burst into the adj
joining room. III was empty. On my
headlong way down the stairs / stumbled
over my friend, the old waiter. In a
breath [ told him what bad happened,
and rushed from the house.
rushed from the house, across the
steep-arched bridge, through the town
gate and out into the wood beyond.
Deep in the heart of the wood stood the
ruin; L had not moment to lose. The
rain had ceased, but tho clouds were still
low and threatening; / Remember still
/ hardly noted at the time-the damp,
gray morning air, thick with mist, the
drenched weeds and grass, the trees
weighed down withmoisture, powerless to
rally in the dense atmosphere. Theroad, a
grassy, cart-rutted track lay before me,
winding among the trees II lay plain
before ME to follow, but l thought it
would never end it seemed unfortunately
long l thought that it never would end.
came upon the scene suddenly at last
q cleared space, some walls and high
springing arches on slender columns,
a grassy level in front, stretching from
tree to tree on either hand. l had
visited it but yesterday and found
it empty of human life. To-day 0
scattered group of men occupied
the foreground. I saw my poor lad. l
saw him stand az he had been placed
and raise bis pistol with a shaking hand.
l uttered cry. lie turned his face fol
a second, trembling smile on his white
lips. Il am here, you see it's all
right" he seemed to say. The next mo.
ment there was a report. The pistol
dropped from his hand. He turned and
fell face downwsrds-dead.
The smile was still on his lips Poor
lad Poor lad