The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-12
T WO COW ARDS.


AS that harsh word fell upon my ear
passion overcame me. / struck Adams In
the face. His friends drew him away, and
j went out into the open air.
On the following morning q friend
named Watkins called upon mo and pre-
scented note from Adams. opened it
and found IL TO be a challenge.
What should doS
What / ought TO do was very plain.
THE lesson of life which my mother had
taught me did not leave me to doubt. l
bought TO have gone TO Adams and made
lsuch offers of oonciliation as one gentle
hman may honorably make to another, and
liz be had rejected that could have simply
turned from him and refused to do fur
thor wrong to right the wrong already
done But / had not the courage to do
that. was q coward.
accepted the challenge.
"The sooner il is over the BETTER" re-
marked Watkins.
Certainly" responded. "Let 1t be
this very day. at sunset, upon the river s
bank / will send friend TO you to make
further arran gements."
"And tho weaponsS"
"Pistols
And so ID was fixed.
An hour afterward found John Price,
a young physician, who agreed TO act as
my second He did not urge me to aban-
don the idea, nor did -he enter upon the
work as though no loved Ii, but he did 1t
because he fancied / was determined.
knew that Adams was good shot, and no
knew that / was the same, for we had
lpracticed together, SO there was no advan-
ltage to either in the weapons.
After dinner Price came TO mo and told
me that all was arranged
After Price had gone / sat down and
wrote two letters. What coward l was
to writo theml One was to my mother
and the other TO the girl who had promised
TO be my wife. As sit now and think of
shat hour / shudder-the hour when /
wrote TO my mother and TO my betrothed
White Heart ledge was high, perpen-
dicular wall Of granite rising above tho
river, the top crowned with dark trees. 1t
received its name from peculiar mark,
where a mass of white quartz appeared,
half way up the ledge, in the form of a
heart
Late in the afternoon I was upon the
sandy shore beneath tho ledge, and almost
NJ Jllo hitIlt tlftld AutiilS liluut dppcdI-
ance. We were both anxious TO be thought
brave men. He did not speak TO me, nor
did speak 20 him. Our seconds conferred
awhile together, and then Price camo to
my side.
"Must this thing go on'" no asked.
told him did not know how it conld
be stopped. lied, for did know.
He informed mo that If / would make
the least overture Of peace he felt sure that
Adams would accept it.
Il think" no said, THAT Adams Is scr
ny for what has happened. You struck
him, and he cannot retraot."
"And he called mo "a liar"
"You are both good Shots" added Price,
''and If you Gre together you may both
fall"
But dared not offer the hand of con-
ciliation. / told him was ready.
He went back TO Watkins, and pretty
soon they measured OFF the ground-12
PAGES. We wero TO stand back to back,
those IL paces apart. We Mere to turn III
the word one, raise our pistols at two,
and at the word three we were 10 fire.
caught tho eye OF Adams as 1 took my po-
sition, and was sure that no angry pas
sion dwelt therein. For an instant the i'm
pulse was with me to throw down my pis
tol and offer him my hand, but 1 had no,
the courage TO do 10.
Our seconds hesitated as though they
saw wha. was passing in our thoughts,
but we offered no word, and they proceed
cd. The word "Onel" was given. l cannot
tell all tho feelings that came crowding
upon mo at that moment. l thought Of my
mother in her distant home. / thought OF
the scenes of my early childhood.
thought OF my college days, when Adam.
had been my friend and chum. / thought
of the holy love which had bcanod upor
me since / had grown 90 mans estate
and thought that in ono short minute
more the black pail might cover IL all.
Watkins was a long time In rronounc
ing tho word "Twol' He evidently hopet
that ono Of Us would relent, but ho hopet
IN vain.
Only breath held back the last fatn
word. AS we raised our pistols a sharp
agonized cry. as from a breaking heart
burst upon tho air, and In another mo
mont two light shadows fitted upon the
scene. was prisoner. Adams was q
prisoner. Our pistols lay undischargcd
upon tho sand.1
The two girls who loved us better thar
we loved ourselves had euossed our secret
Lovo has sharp eyes. Clara Wolcott know
I.aban's hot temper. She had only e
whisper her suspicious 90 Mary, and tive
sleepless sent'nols were upon us.
In an instant / resolved 10 be man
With the arms Of my beloved still encir
cling me, / stretched forth my hand, but
was not IN advance Of Lahan As though
one spirit moved us, our hands met mid
way.
II have been fool" said Laban.
"ADd have been fool and coward, "
said.
We returned from tho dark g:ound just
ns the day was softening into twilight
and from that hour Adams and myself
were fast friends, and they who had saved
ms from tho great crime entered upon the
life path with VI and have blessed us ever
since. s-Cinoinnsti Post. -.