San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-18

| "Where is your friend nowf' asked aIUer a
pause.
s'He is dead, "he answered. "He was killed
last year, fighting in India"
He buried his face again, and there was
silence for while l heard the rain still
falling steadily outside; now and then the
candle flickered a little in the breath of
night air. At last l spoke.
s'That is no reason-it is no reason at all, "
| I said, rising and pacing the room in my
turn. 1.-THE thing is an absurdity. l tell
you, no one fights duelS in these days Why,
| to begin with, do you even know what you
are about Can you fire pistol, if, as sup
pose, it is with pistols you propose to
amuse yourselvesF'
He answered almost inaudibly. 81 can
handle firearms" he said II had to learn. ="
| sat down and contemplated him for a
moment Look here" broke out agaia
''the whole thing is nonsense, sheer non
nense; it can't be allowed to go on. You've
no business, my dear boy, to be coming
abroad for your holiday and getting your
self entangled in miseries of this sort. What
would your family say! Think of them"
| He raised his haggard face. 81 can't get
out of it." he said; 81 can't; not without
leaving them to say that an Englishman
shirked, and lost his honor because he was
| afraid. And it would be true
ooh" said, There are ways Of putting
things Tell them that you've thought better
| of it; that in England we're too civilized for
such barbarous' Middle Age practices; that
when a man is offensive, we kick him down
stairs and there is an end of it. Anything
would be good enough for set OF brutes who
| would entrap lad like You into duel
l had touched his dignity, perhaps II
was not entrapped," he said, then broke into
sob. Don't ohe cried, don't tempt me.
| oughtnt to have told you anything about
| it. | suppose, but couldn't help it. don't
want to think of it; shall get frightened
| again. and feel can't face it all. Besides,
| there's something else l want to say" He
began hurriedly turning over the papers on
| the table IF I'm killed.
"Oh. come" said, there's no question
! here of being killed. Duels are fought every
day abroad. and no one Is bit the worse
Tomorrow night you'll be hughing at your
ears.n
81 think she'll be killed." he said simply.
Il began a letter to my mother" be went on
quietly enough; II don't know how to finish
It. think I'll sign it, and get you to give it
there would be no one for me to speak to
again
He took sheet Of paper with half filled
page and wrote; then folding and directing
it, put it in his little writing case. "You
will find IL there" be said. And this port
manteau," he continued, "can go as it is
There are some things in it for my little SIS
ter Maggie; I've got them at different
places I've been to; please see that she has
them And there are some books for my
eldest brother; he likes old books"
you have brothersr / inquired.
1.-TWO; they're both older than | am. Ny
father is dead. He died in Germany; we
were living there at the time. That is how !
come to know German wish didn't"
He sat silent, his head resting on one hand,
the-fngers of the other idly tracing figures
on the table; now and then he gave a shiver
ing sigh At last he looked up and spoke.
"Do you-do you be began in an un-
certain voice. He went on more collectedly.
''Do you believe, you know, in future life,
and,all that2 Some fellows don't. They 90
at home"
"Your mother doesf' said "Trust to
her"
eyes, she believes" he said, with sigh
He fumbled in his pocket, and brought out
| 4 small New Testament. "She gave me this
at school" he said, land told me to bring it
abroad with me. That is her mark in it."
He opened it and turned over the leaves;
| but in moment laid it down and passed his
| hand over his eyes.
II can't SEE" he said, "the words are all
dazzled Read me something, won't your
There, where the mark is"
He pushed the book to me across the table.
I took it up. A blue ribbon divided the
leaves; the book opened of itself. read as
! directed, where verse marked in pencil first
caught my eve.
"'L@t not your heart he troubled. neither
let it be afraid: We have heard how | have
said unto you, go away'"-
\ mist passed before my own eyes: |
closed the book "Mv dear lad | said. "I'm
neither clerk nor parson: more's the pity. if
i woull be any help to YOU But if you fol-
low my advice. you will take the comfort Of
your text and sleep u OF it for the next few
hours. You'll I've all the better man to-nor-
row morning for nights rest"
lie did not Immediately answer Ee had
taken up the book and was letting his eyes
stray over the pages. spoke again.
Could Won sleep, do you think, if left
YOU said.
Il don't know-I1l try" he said rather
vaguely He closed the book and rose rose
. SO, and stood irresolute. hardly liked tc
leave him alone, yet his chance Of rest,
thought, might be greater so than if re
NAMED He understood my doubt appar
emily.
Pm all right now" he said 81 dare say
shall sleep as Won say. Thank you for com
ing in; l don't Saow what should have don,
| wit bO1I+ y011