Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-08-11
AT THE SETTING OF THE SIN

Colonel Robert Royce sat on the
yeranda of his stately Kentucky man
sion lazily putting at a strong, black
cigar while the shadows cast by the
dying sun stretched and heightened as
Old Sol reluctantly sank behind the
wooded hills. He was apparently obliy-
ious to his surrounding and muttered
an imprecation when Il little black boy
aroused him from his revere.
1.-The mail, sah.'
He threw away the black cigar and
sorted over the handful of letters and
papers, intuitively crushing the duns
from various tradespeople and throw
ing them, unopened, in Il little heap at
the side of his chair. 4 frown settled
over the strong countenance and dis
figured the clear-cut features. The last
OF the lot. when reached, pleased the
colonel. 1t was a square envelope and
said plainly that this was not dun.
But his pleasure was momentary
With hasty movement he ripped open
the covering of letter written in a
feminine hand, quite English in It's
angularity.
He read the first few lines; his face
paled the frowr returned. But only q
tleoting expression Of pain. Il deepening
of the lines about the eyes and mouth.
gave any hint of the agony he endured.
Tie letter was challenge.
"Oh, Stella, Stellar he muttered
Aloud he read portion of the miss
i've:
My brother cannot fight; the injury
you did him precludes it. l will take
his place. At half-past 4 to-day, in the
clearing in the copse near the road
you know the place Pistols, if you
please"
This picture arose before his mental
mother from the lips Of cad, halt
drunk-a smashing blow from his pow
erful, welltrained, wiry arm.
And besides it there was another pic
ture. 1t was the portrait of Il girl-a
neighboring planters daughter, the
sister of the man he had struck. Tall,
slender, proud of the name of Wander
gaw and of the traditions of the fam.
lily; all Of the beauty, fire and spirit OF
! the typical southern girl were hers
E, Why shouldn't the man who loved he1
have reason to think her Il credit to the
blue grass state?
Both pictures the colonel saw rs he
tried to think Of some way out of the
difficulty, the only one that had ever
baked him.
But time was fying-the colonel ncv-
,,icco1 an annOintnant
] "Rube."
YES, massa, almost instantly.
Saddle Remick."
Yes, massa;;" and the old servant OF
60 de wah, Sah," departed on his err
| and.
! In three minutes the horse was ready
and in another the colonel was on his
back. He hesitated.
| 'Rube."
Eyes, massa'
My pistols-see that they are load
ed"
With the weapons in their leather
case before him he rode away, anG
RUDE looked after him, wondering.
You are late, Robert"
Her voice was low and calm. 1t was
a determined, never-faltering voice
She gave him no time for argument.
My pistol-thank you. They are
loaded-yes The other, please"
Back to back, they paced off twenty
PAGES, and, turning, fired. The little
bow that rested coquettishly agains
her fair throat was no longer there
The colonel stood erect, his lips trifl'
more firmly compressed, his face
shade paler than it had been. His pisto
had not played him false. His aim hat
been true. He was satisfied.
A moment only stood he thus, ant
then with a little sigh, his control owe
nerve and muscle was relaxed ant
Colonel Robert Royce was dead.
She sprang to his side.
"Robert-oh, my Robert. what hav
l done? Why he will not speak-to-
There was little, gurgling cough,
cry, half stif1ed, and frothy blood gusfl
ed from her lips. A vein, til.
blood vessel in her lungs, had burst
and, strangled, she fell, limp and life
less, over the body of the man she 10y
ed.
The sun had set-Frank Leslie
Popular Monthly.
uNTADVJ AND NV MAYARYJ,A ND