The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-24


hate. defying everything"
I'VE all know who the object of hate
| is" said the blacksmith.
''Oh. suppose you do. for there has
| never been any concealInent of it. All
his friends and all my friends know it.
And yet, to tell you the truth, don't
know why l hate him. 1t has been a
mystery to me nearly all my life. But
remember that about the first lucid
he had been born merely to annoy me.
His annoyance, though, was always OF
passive kind. / have never been able
TO call him to account for anything
that he has said or done. And this
makes me hate him still more. Well,
boys, take care of yourselves.
He rode away, turned to the right
and galloped down the county road.
He had not gone far when he saw, q
short distance ahead, a man sitting on
horse, talking to a girl who had
brought a gourd of water from house
near by. Podsley knew the man and
ne rode past him without turning his
head, but the girl must have seen that
he cast hard look, for she drew back
from the fence and said something in
an undertone. Podsley rode on. Bill
lings' horse soon came cantering after
him. The road abruptly dipped down
and crossed small stre0n. Podsley
halted to let the horse drink. Billings
rode into the stream and halted.
Bright weather we're having" said
Billings.
Eyes, rather. But don't think that
little rain would do any harm"
mo, except to some weakling who
might chance to get wet"
That's fact" Podsley reioined:
land, by the way, there are weaklings
in this neighborhood."
"Yes. know of one"
"And know of one"
"Then there must be two"
81 know of but one"
They rode out of the stream, rode
side by side. Billings" said Podsley,
Il hate every hair on your head"
"Podsley," retorted Billings, IT
loathe every bone in your body"
''Ah, hah, but bones are stronger
than hair"
Yes, but Samson's strength was in
his hair"
That so? How different from You.
Your strength seems to be in your
tongue"
They halted, faced about and looked
at each other. Billings" said Pods
ley, sit does seem to me that we have
lived in hatred of each other long
enough to come to some sort of sensi-
bic agreement. I know what you feel
by contemplating what I feel myself.
So long as we both live there is no real
happiness for either of US. Why this
is neither of us can tell, but it is fact.
And now can't we come to some sort
of settlement?"
Billings was slowly stroking his
horses name II should think So" he
answered. 81 am more than willing to
risk my life to kill you, but don't de-
sire that you should kill me. We
might fight duel with guns or pis-
tols-real gentlemen don't fight with
knives-but that would mean sure
death for us both. And I insist that
there is no need of but one of us
dying"
That's true" Podsley agreed. "And,
to show you the interest l take in the
matter, would much rather that you
would be the one 10 die"
THAT is natural, and is therefore
commendable," said Billings. cat any
rate this thing can't go on much
longer. and we must, in consequence.
fix up some sort of scheme. Now let
me make suggestion! We will draw
lots to see which one shall shoot the
other. No. that would have too much
the appearance Of murder. Let me
see Well draw lots to determine
which one shall take poison. And the
man who draws the poison lot shall
write a statement to the effect that he
has committed suicide. The poison
shall be handed him by the winner.
What do you say?"
Its unique, and is therefore agreea-
BILE to mo. Meet me here tomorrow at
twelve o'clock. Let each man bring a
written confession and dose of
poison"
III be here" said BilhngA