The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-08-17
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THE TWO EDWARDS.
From The New YORK Ledger.

ards
So spoke our old law-tutor, Moses Drake
/ And thus he continued
We had graduated from Harvard-La-
ban Adams and myself-and had com
menced the practice of law. We wer,
neither of us married, though We both
were anticipating that event We had
case in court-a case Of treSpaSs. Adams
was for the plaintiff, and | for the defend
ant. It was weak. foolish complaint
and Adams should not have taken II up,
1t was clearly a case of extortion. The
plaintiff held a rod over the back of the
defendant in the shape OF bit of knowl-
edge concerning a private missteP OF
former time; aud the present complaint was
only seeming legal way in which that
other power was 20 be used for the purpose
Of opening the poor Ean's purse At the
trial exposed the trick, and obtained a
ruling out, by the court, Of = LOT Of scandal
which Adams had planned 70 introduce As
testimony. OF course | was severe, and
as my opponent had entered upon very
tad case, my stTictur,s cut home. | gained
the verdict for my client, and people
laughed at the fooled plaintiff, and spoke
lightly Of his lawyer.
Thus il commenced. Adams could not
forgive me for the chagrin ! had caused
him. He laid 1t up against NE, aud talked
openly about being reyenged. THIS was m
the first Of August. A monih afterwards
We met at a party where the gentlemen
drank wine. Late in the evening Adams
and | met, and a third person made some
remark upon the Old trisi, wheFenPon .
fourth person laughed. aud said that | had
done \ great thing, At ihis Adams
flushed. aud made an impudeui reIly The
reply vas addressed 20 me, and Answered
H. The two outsiders laughed at the hii
| made. and Adams said something more
severe than before. | replied to bin. He
deliberately told me that ! sas a tiar
had been drinking wine, and nay blessi
vas heated. As tha, harsh, hard, eowariiy
word fell upon my ear, my passion oyeE-
came me. struck Labaa Adams in the
face, and knocked him back against the vail.
Il vas j oowarily thing for me 60 strike
him there, ia thar company, has ! vas Too
much excited 10 rcfect. expected thst
Adams would strike back, but he did nai-
| was stronger than he, though this con
siderslion may not have influenced hiSn.
His friends drew him away, and vent out
into the open AIR. A soon as The cool
breeze famed by brow. and eased tbs heated
blood away from my brain, | was sorry for
4 - - - NaHa FH
help the matter | might have gone TO
Adams. aud asked him to overlook the
wrong / had done, bat hsd not The oouT.
age foE that.
On the following morning friend, namo.i
Watkins, called upon me, and presented !
note from Iaban Adams opened 1t, aud
found il to be a challenge. | vas requested
to give satisfaction foT the blow | bad struck.
/ If was a gentleman would do 50. II
was willing. might designate the time
and place, and select the weapons.
What should | DO 4?
What ought 10 do was very plain. The
lessons Of life which my fond mother bad
taught me did not leave me in doubt.
ought to have gone TO Adams and made
such offer Of eoaciliati0n as one gentleman
NAV honorably make TO another and il be
had rejected that, could have simply
/ Isrned from him, and refused to DO a fur
/ ther wrong to right the wrong already done
1 But had not the courage to do that.
was 3 coward. | feared that my friends
would laugh At me. and that the especial
! friends of Adams would point AZ me the
finger of seoru.
So, in the oowardiee Of my heart,
thought | would be brave before the world
and / accepted the challenge.
"The sooner it is over the better, re
marked Watkins Aud with this senti
ment | agreed.
aCertainly," responded. Let it be Oh
this very day, at sunset; upon the river
bank, directly beneath the White-llear
Ledge. | will send friend 20 you to max,
further arrangements.
sand the weapons 2
Pistols
And so it was fixed.
An hour afterwards found John Price
young physician, who agreed to act as M
second. He did not urge me 70 abandon
the idea, nor did he enter upon the worl
as though he loved it, but he did itbeeaus'
he fancied that / was determined; and il
case of accident his professional service
might be Of value.
| knew that Adams was a good shot; ant
he knew that was the same, for we ha'
practiced much together; so there was n
advantage to either party in the weapons
After dinner Price came to me, and toll
me that all was arranged Everything ha
been fixed as | had planned, and Adam
and his second would be on the appointed
ground at the appointed time.
After Price had gone sat down an
wrote two letters What a coward | wa
to write them One was to my mother
and the other to the gentle being VIII
promised to be my wife As | sit now an
think Of that hour | shudder with horc
, the hour when | wrote to my mothe
and to my betrothed. What was | abou
to do? To rob them of all earthly jo
forever. And for what? Aye, for what
Because | had not the courage to be bolC
frank man; to obey nay God and the Law
of my country. 1t was to bow before
wicked spirit-to offer my blood to foil
and my hand to murder.
D White Heart Ledge was high, perpeI
dicular wall Of granite rising above I'll
: river. the top crowned with dark spru'
trees. 1t received its name from peculi'
!: mark, where mass of white quartz a
II IL.