Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-06
take care of my affairs. Sleep first SO as

out unable TO get TO Sleep. he buTueO
over, turned back gain, stayed five min
utes fat 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.
| sam 1 going to be afraid?"
| Why should his heart beat so wildly at
each well known noise in his chamber.
| When the clock was going TO strike, the
tiny click of the spriug as it raised up,
caused him to give bound in his bed,
and he had TO open his mouth in order TO
breathe for several seconds, SO oppressed
was he.
He began arguing with himself on the
possibility of the thing.
''ShalI / be afraid?'
No, certainly lot, he would not be
afraid, since ne 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 he
asked himself:
"Can man have fear, in spite OF him
self?" And this doubt invaded him, this
uneasiness, this horror; If a force more
| powerful than his will, ruling him with
| Irresistible strength, were to obtain COL
troll of him, what would become of hlmY
Yes, what would happen? Certainly he
would be on the ground, since he wished
| to be there. But were he to fditer?
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
were 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 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
may perhaps, be dead. That human
being in front of me, that self which l
see in the mirror will no longer be in ex
istence. How caI this be? l am here, l
see myself. feel that I am alive, and
in four and twenty hours l 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-in face of dead person
and the pIiable 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 the.bell to
| be, h oil hr7+ etn hi ho nd
raised to the rope.
"That man will see thai 1 am afraid"
He did not ring, but made up a 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 I to do? What is to become
of meY"
His whole frame stock in convulsive
tremblings; he rose, crossed to the win
dow and threw open the curtains.
Dawn was coming. The rosy heaven
tinged the roofs and walls of the city
| with it's own nue.. A great mass of light
euveloped .the waking world like kiss
| from the rising sun, and, with this light,
| a beerful, S wifi and brutal hope filled the
| heart of the vicomte. What a mad idiot
he had 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. He bathed.
| dressed himself and went out with a firm
step.
| H. 10 aal3 I.&
walking:
81 must show great deal OF energy
about this-a great deal. L 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
one?"
Every serious" the vicomte replied.
Then the marquis took the word.
'Do you desire especially that pistols
shall be usedf"
| eyes"
"You leave us free to settle the rest?"
! In a harsh, dry voice the vicomte artic-
lated:
Twenty steps at the word of command,
raising the weapon instead of lowering
it. Shots to be exchanged until one or
the other is seriously wounded"
"Those are excel snt conditions" the
colonel announced in a satisfied tone;
'you are good shot, all the chances are
on your SIDE"
And they separated. The vicomte went
back TO his rooms to await the coming.
His agitation, which had been 9uieted for
time, grew, now, from minute to mill
ute. He was conscious OF a sort of tremb
ling, e vibration creeping over his arms,
his legs, and into his heart; neither sit
ting nor standing could he keep still.
All the natural saliva had left his mouth
and every now and then his tongue click
ed dryly against his palate.
He thought at first he would breakfast,
and then found he could not eat. The
idea struck him to drink to give himself
courage, and he had half pint bottle Of
spirits brought him, of which he drank,
one after the other, six small glasses. He
seemed enveloped in warmth like 3
flame, then be Wilderment of soul came
to him. He thought: ST hold the means.
Now I feel better-sure of myself"
But at the end of an hour he had emp
tied the bottle, and his state of nerves
again became UNDESIRABLE. He felt mad
desire to roll on the ground, to cry out,
to gnaw something.
pull at the door bell gave him SO
great feeling of suffocation that he was
not strong enough to get up and receive
his seconds. He no longer dared to
speak to them, say "good morning." OF
pronounce one single word for fear they
would divine all from the mere alteration