The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-24

/ x.
| two boxes had been Knocked into one. and
/ flowers and more elaborate curtains indi-
! Gated the expected coming OF some highly
| honored visitor. Sir Rupert was puzzled
4 the Prince of Wales had not arrived at
] Homburg. Whom could the preparations
! be for? He had Just about ten minutes
| to solve the problem in, and he didn't do
/ it. The solution was forced on him, and
| the poor fellow became almost livid with
] jealousy and mad with rage. For there
/ he saw Sir Roland lead in Lady
Heavytop and her. And he took his
seat between the two ladies, who smiled
and beamed on him. They were evidently
/ delighted with the arrangements that had
been made in their honor AS if anybody
! else couldn't have done as much, or more,
II he had only thought of it. Sir Rupert's
position in the box opposite was almost
i intolerable, but he bore it as bravely as he
/ could. Sir Roland saw him, and nodded,
and smiled-an insulting smile. The ladies
saw him and bowed, but did not look
/ across again, though his eyes were riveted
/ to their box Not the slightest movement
/ escaped him. He saw that Alice was not
/ paying much attention to the piece, but
was listening to the conversation OF her
cavalier.
''She wants TO hear the music" he said
/ W ninIocAlJ DuG luae loilO" hOH leb
her"
Sir Roland was as lively as possible.
| laughed a good deal and very loud. Ru-
pert had always thought his laugh un
/ pleasantly loud, now he thought it dis
/ gustlng, and fell back for consolation on a
/ well-knOwn prOverb An interview with
/ the boxkeeper between the acts showed
! Sir Rupert the full extent of the treachery
/ of his former friend, and he left the the
ater with a wild resolve that he would
4 not sleep till he had got some sort of
4 reparation; for he had learned that it was
4 Roland who had bought up all the boxes
/ in the theater to prevent him from full
/ filling his promise. He waited some time
at Roland's rooms, maddened by the
thought that the gallant baronet must be
having supper with the ladies' at their
hotel.
al will wait till midnight, if necessary"
! he said, "but | will see him."
/ He hadn't long to wait. Germans keen
/ very early hours, and long before 1880
4 he had poured out torrent OF invective
/ in the presence of his former friend. He
1 concluded with a demand for 'satisfac-
tion," and insisted that there must be
meeting"
Roland hardly listened to all this TRADE;
/ he took up book and glanced at it from
/ time to time while the other spoke.
"When YOU are talking such nonsense"
| he said. 'you must allow me to look at
! the German irregular verbs. Let me re-
commend you study of the German
! tongue 1t will teach You patience, and
/ even a slight knowledge of it may be use
full. found it so tonight"
/ The other started off on a fresh TRADE,
( with satisfaction" and hostile meeting"
very prominent throughout
Nonsense again, said Sir Roland, i'm
/ perturbably. Il dare say you wish me
+ out of the way. Perhaps the sentiment is
mutual. But we can't fight. Dueling is
antiquated for Englishmen."
"But we are in Germany"
! '"rhat makes no difference; YOU couldn't
/ find any German seconds, and no En-
( glshman would act for you. we Shall
/ have to deny ourselves the pleasure of
/ cutting each others throats"
Sir Rupert ragged and fumed and swore,
/ but the other was deep in his "Otto."
''Here is an idea," he said at last, "if
you are thirsting for my gore. Let me
read you an extract. An apothecary,
/ having without intention insulted young
officer, was summoned by the latter to a
duel Arrived at the place of meeting,
/ the apothecary took from his pocket
/ small pill-box. 'Meine Herren,' he said.
/ q can neither shoot nor fight, but have
! provided myself with means of satisfying
I the claims OF honor. This pill-box holds
/ two pills. the one harmless, the other
/ containing a mortal poison. Let the Herr
/ lieutenant choose which OF the two he
prefers; | solemnly promise to take the
/ other When the apothecary's PROPOSE
ton had been heard, all Joined
/ in hearty laughter. the young
/ lieutenant most of all, and
] the affair terminated. Now there's an
/ idea for you. You said just now you
would cut my throat with pleasure, and
/ have your own cut with pleasure, only
/ little less. Now, if we go out and don't
/ do any cutting to speak of, we shall be
4 laughed at in every club in London and
/ Miss Hetherington will think us redcu-
| lous. Now this plan obviates all that.
One of us will have to join the majority,
/ and the other will remain quite well, and
without the bad feeling of having killed
some one. However, don't suppose you
will accept the proposal. Few people are
/ as anxious to get out of the world as they
sometimes pretend. So leave me TO my
/ irregular verbs.
But | do accept the proposal" the
! other cried hotly.
! Sir Roland stared in astonishment.
you don't mean that you agree seri-
| ouslyW
/ 'I do, on condition of entire secrecy"
"Then come tomorrow night, and /
will have the pills ready. Now, let me go
/ to bed-the irregular verbs | was going to
! learn won't do me much good If l am
destined TO take poison tomorrow"
After few more words Sir Rupert went
away, already alarmed at his own daring
in accepting such a plan of settlement,
/ but determined to carry it through.
| When he was gone, his rival sat for
| while thinking. Then he burst out laugh
/ ing.
'Rupie is a greater fool than ever
/ thought him." he said.
/ Then he worked at irregular verbs for
an hour, and finally went to bed.
When Sir Rupert arrived the next eve
ming, he looked very grave.
81 have come" he said, "to carry out
the arrangement"
Seriously, you mean ii"
seriously, do"
'Then l shall not back out-here are
the pills"
He took two boxes, each containing a
pill, from a drawer.
"The one in my right hand" he said,
''is the poison one. You see in appear
ance they are exactly alike. Now empty
them both into this wine-glass and shake
the glass. Now, can you tell which is