Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-12-28
TWO EDWARDS.

on opposite sides of case. Adams case
was weak, and 1 ridiculed it, winning for
my client. We met soon after and quar-
yelled. He called me liar.
AS that harsh word fell upon my ear
passion overcame me. struck Adams in
the face. His friends drew him sway, and
l went out into the open air.
On the following morning a friend
named Watkins called upon me and pre-
scented a note from Adams l opened it.
and found it to be a challenge.
What should do?
What L ought to do was very plain.
The lesson of life which my mother had
taught me did not leave me to doubt. I
ought to have gone to Adams and made
such offers of Cancellation as one gentle
man may honorably make to another, and
| if he had rejected that l could have simply
turned from him and refused to do a fur
thcr wrong to right the wrong already
done. But l had not the courage to de
that. | was coward
accepted the challenge.
1.-THE sooner it is over the BETTER" re-
marked Watkins.
Certainly" responded. Let it DO
this very day, at sunset, upon the rivers
bank. will send friend to you to make
further arrangements"
And the weapons?"
"Pistols."
And SO 1t was fixed.
An hour aftcrward found John Price,
young physician, who agreed to act as
my second. He did not urge me 30 aban-
don the idea, nor did he enter upon the
work as though he loved it, but he did it
because he fancied l was determined.
knew that Adams was good shot, and he
knew that l was the same, for we had
praCtiCed together, so there was no advan.
tage to either in the weapons.
After dinner Price came to me and told
me that all was arranged.
After Price had gone 1 sat down and
wrote two letters. What a coward l was
to write them! One was to my mother
and the other to the girl who had promised
to be my wife. AS l sit now and think of
that hour l shudder-the hour when L
wrote to my mother and to my betrothed.
White Heart ledge was a high; perpen-
| dicular wall Of granite rising above tho
river, the top crowlSd with dark trees. 1t
received its name tom peculiar mark,
where mass of white quartz appeared,
| half way up the ledge, in the form of
heart
Late in the afternoon 1 was upon the
sandy shore beneath the ledge, and almost
at the same time Adams made his appear
ance. We were both anxious to be thought
brave men. He did not speak to me, nor
did l speak to him. Our seconds conferred
awhile together, and then Price came to
my side.
"Nust this thing 90 onPn ho asked
told him did not know how 1t conld
Dc stopped. lied, Tor ala know.
He informed me that If would make
the least overture OF peace he felt sure that
Adams would accept it.
Il think" he said, that Adams is sor-
ry for what has happened You struck
him, and he cannot retract."
And he called me a liar.
You are both good shots, " added Price,
and II you lire together you may both
fall.
But dared not offer the hand Of con-
Citation. l told him was ready.
He went back to Watkins, and pretty
soon they measured Oil the ground-l2
PAGES. we were TO stand back to back, /
those II PAGES apart. we were to turn at
the word one, raise our pistols at two,
III" a. Wv WIN ~ W. " Wv " nv L
caught the eye OF Adams as l took my po-
sltlon, ana was sure that no angry pas
sion dWelt therein. For an instant the I'M
pulse was with me to throw down my pls-
tol and offer him my hand, but had not
the courage to 90 1t.
Our seconds hesltated as though they
saw what was passing IN our thoughts,
but we offered no word, and they proceed
cd. The word One was given cannot
tell all the feelings that came crowding
upon Eat that moment thought of my
mother in her distant home thought Of
the scenes OF my early childhood. l
thought of my college days, when Adams
had been my friend and chum. thought
of the holy love which had beamcd upon
me since l had grown to mans estate
and thought that in one short minute
more the black pail might cover 1t all.
Watkins was long time in Flonounc-
ing the word "Iwo'' lie evidently hoped
that one of us would relont, but he hoped
in vain.
word. As we raised our pistols a sharp,