Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-06


combatants holding themselves in guard,
near enough, each 70 each Other, for q
swords point to penetrate very deeply.
With the pistol he risked his life in earn.
est, but then he might come out of the
affair with all the honors of the situation.
He said aloud:
at is necessary to be firm. He Will be
afraid The sound of his voice maze
him shiver, and he looked about him. He
felt very nervous. He drank still snoth-
er glass of water, then began undressing,
preparatory to getting into bed. AS soon
as he was IL bed he blew ont his light and
closed bis eyes. He thought.
81 have all tomorrow before me TO
take care of my a8airs. Sleep first 80 as
to be calm"
He lay very warm between his sheets,
but unable to get 70 sleep. He turned
over, turned back gain, stayed five min
utes flat on his back, then lay on his left
side, than rolled over to the right.
He was still thirsty. He rose and drank
once more. Than an anxiety seized him.
Gam going to be afrsidY"
Why should his heart beat so wildly at
each we'll known noise in his chamber.
When the clock was going to strike, the
tiny click of the spring as il raised up,
caused him to give bound in his bed,
and he had to open his mouth in order to
breathe for eeverRl seconds, so oppressed
was he.
He began arguing with himself on the
possibility of the thing.
"Shall be afraidl
No, certainly not, he would not be
afraid, since he had resolved to go to the
very end; since he decidedly wished to
fight and not to tremble. But he felt
himself so profoundly troubled that be
asked himself:
"Can man have fear, in spite OF him
self" And this doubt invaded him, this
uneasiness, this horror; if force more
powerful than his will, ruling him with
Irresistible strength, we're to obtain COZ
troll of him, what would become of him ?
Yes, what would happenY Certainly he
would be on the ground, since he wished
to be there. But were he to fditerY
Where he to lose consciousness? And he
thought of his situation, his reputation
and his name.
All at once he felt that he must get up
and look at himself in the glass. He re-
lighted his candle. When he saw his
face in the polished surface he scarcely
knew himself. 1t seemed rs though he
had never seen himself before. His eyes
we're enormous, and he was pale; yes,
certainly he was pale, very pale. He
still stood in front of the mirror, thrust
ing his tongue out as if to test the state
of his health, when on a sudden this
thought flashed across his mind
"Day after tomorrow, at this very
hour, may, perhaps, be dead" and again
his heart began to throb furiously.
"Day after to morrow, at this very hour
l may perhaps, be dead. That human
being in front of me, that self which |
see in the mirror will no longer be in ex
istence. How can this beY | am here, /
see myself feel that | am alive, and
in four and twenty hours shall be lying
In this bed. with closed eyes, cold, mani
mate, disappeared"
HIS turned towards the bed and saw him
self, distinctly, stretched out on his back,
in the same sheets he had just left, He
had the sunken-ln face of dead person
and the pliable hands that are never to
move again. He grew afraid of his bed,
and so as to look at it no longer, he went
into the smoking room, took cigar
mechanically and lighted it and went
again to pacing up and down the room.
he was cold, he went towards thesbell to
waken his valet, but stopped, his hand
raised to the rope.
"That man will see that / am afraid"
He did not ring, but made up fire
himself. His hands twitched nervously
when they came in contact with anything.
His brain grew bewildered; his confused
thoughts were now vague, now harsh and
now sad.
Ceaselessly he asked of himself;
"What am to dor What is to become
of meH"
His whole frame ST ook in oonvulsive
tremblings; he rose, crossed to the win
dow and threw open the curtains.
Dawn was coming. The rosy heaven
tinped the roofs and walls OF the city
with its own nue.. A great mass of light
euveloped the waking world like kiss
| from the rising sun, and, With this light,
a cheerful, Witt and brutal hope filled the
! heart of the vicomte. What mad idiot
! he lad been TO be so mastered by fear
before anything had been decided on,
even before his seconds had seen those
of George Lamil before he really knew
! if he were going TO fight. lie bathed'
dressed himself and went out with a firm
step.
He said over and over to himself whilst
walking:
II must show a great deal of energy
about this-a great deal. | must give
proofs that | am not afraid"
His seconds, the marquis and the col
onel, put themselves at his disposal, and
after having shaken hands with him Wig
orously discussed the conditions.
The colonel said:
you wish this duel TO be serious
one2"
Very serious" the vioomte replied.
Then the marquis took the word.
do you desire especially that pistols
shall be usedY"
Eyes"
you leave us free to settle the restf"
Ia harsh, dry voice the vioomte artic
lated:
Twenty steps at the word of command
raising the weapon instead of lowering
1t. Shots to be exchanged until one Oh
the other is seriously wounded"
Those are excel mt conditions tht
colonel announced in satisfied tone