The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-06

OO you mean 10 say CndC my manner
don't suit your extra refined and gentle
manly high mightinessS" said Strong
angrily.
II shouldn't have ventured to thrust th
information on you as bluntly as you hav,
put it, but to tell you the plain. unvar
nished truth, they don't"
Pm sorry" replied Strong, making al
effort to resume an Indifferent tone; "bu
since you're not pleased with them, wei
choose another subject for conversation"
You seem to think" continued Bland
again calling up the sneer, that you arr
at liberty to show your bad breeding bt
rattling your coffee on your tongue, anC
when delicately hint that it is offensive
you assume to choose what shall be ths
topic of conversation"
IAN inferior should yield to his superior
suppose, retorted Strong, ironically.
Bland threw of the sneer and assumed
all the arrogance of prince of the blood.
''There is certainly little vanity in claim
ing superiority in this case"
''See here, Bland, this must cease.
don't care to sit here and listen to it any
longer"
why don't you leave then'"
! Will, IL yOU OOu v cease yOuI
disagreeable remarks"
NO" said Bland half musingly, "that
isn't the reason why you don't CO."
"Well, what is it2"
"Some call it prudence, some fear. It Is
the same by all names"
"You little villain, do you mean to call
me coward?"
"Come, Strong, don't get up on your
ear at the mere mention of what is com.
mon talk. You know very we'll the effect
of your permitting that fellow Hodge to
publicly insult you without resenting it."
my course in that affair was approved
by ell my best friends"
Strong spoke Indignantly, but with an
injured tone as well. He had till now
supposed that his action in the case re
ferred to. wherein he had magnanimously
apologized to cripple, had gained him
universal commendation. Bland said moth.
ing. He gazed at the ceiling with know.
ing look. which implied, Il know better;
they deceived you; they were kind hearted
chaps and didn't want to wound you"
81 don't care for your opinion in the mat
ter" Strong went on impatiently, though
he changed his position and knit his b-ows
plainly showing that he did care great
deal for it, II acted as thought was right
and proper under the circumstances, and
that's all there is about it."
Bland still continued to gaze at the cell
ing. When he spoke, Strong wished that
he would remain silent; when he was ST.
lent, Strong trembled with irritation be-
cause he would say nothing.
''If you mean that l was blamed why
IA IL IL
your contemplate. disgusting insinua-
tions?"
Bland lowered his eyes from the ceiling
and looked, with dropping lids, at his adj
versary. Then, blowing a cloud from his
cigarette:
Fear always finds an excuse When a
man is afraid to fight he usually gives out
that his conscience won't let him."
Strong's breath came short and quick.
He raised glass of water to his lips with
an unsteady hand, then set it down, and
looking his tormentor full in the face:
eff you desire to test my sense of fear,
you may rest assured my conscience won't
stand in the way"
Bland made a gesture of assumed impa-
tience.
do you suppose want to make myself
ridiculous? You'd never fight any one.
There would be lot of bluster, but you'd
find way to get out of any serious work
Thanks. don't care to be made laugh
ing stock"
Il dare you to go with me this minute
and have it out" cried Strong, rising from
the table.
"Oh, sit down You had chance once
10 show your metal and failed. You can't |
expect any one who knows of your conduct
then to favor you with another"
Strong sank back in his chair. Hot |
sears burst from his eyes in spite of his ef- |
forts to restrain them. To have acted the |
part of a true hero, to be now denied what
Bland termed another chance to show that |
ne was not a coward, was the severest |
thrust that had been given him. ''If you |
were not coward yourself" he moaned, |
''you would not SO screen yourself"
Bland leaned forward with an expression |
which had now changed to assumed hate, |
and shaking his finger within an inch of |
ais adversary's nose, hissed:
There is another reason why l don't |
light you. Twas born of honorable parents |
n wedlock."
"Well, what has that to do with iti Do |
you mean, you crawling serpent,
% insinuate that-that-that | was not?"
81 am a gentleman. l don't assert any
uch thing"
"Do you mean to cast a reflection even
~ your fiendish, churlish, sneering look
lpOn"-
"No."
''Then throw off that insinuating ex-
'ressicn and take back the whole thing,
IT, by -, I'll brain your
Selling a china pitcher, he raised it
Ibove his head in al attitude to strike
Better shoot me. You needn't mutilate
ne with that stone Jug"
Bland saw that his man was about to
,ring the pitcher on his head. He sat per-
ectly still, his soft glance fixed on that
# the enraged Strong, holding him with
lis own steady gaze.
'You are a much larger man than /,
strong"
And that's all that prevents my crush
ng you as would a worm"
'Put down the pitcher and take out your
What weapon"
Strong set the pitcher on the table and
ooked at his tormentor inquiringly
You are armed. Don't add falsehood
o your other weaknesses"
81 had forgotten" said Strong, suddenly
emembering that MacVicar had given
i'm his Derringer. IL met Mac outside;
e asked me to take care of this'-
Never mind excuses Timid men al.
rays find excuses for being armed"
Strong drew the weapon from his hir
ocket and laid il on the table In front OF
linn.
II tell you. Bland, don't need excuses.
Mac said that be had been called sud
enly away, and-I can't remember why
e wanted me TO keep it, butt