Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-07-18

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III am here, Juan dc Garcia, to ave'lge q
murdered 10onlan-"
you CHANGED to mcct 9 lady you had known
and to leave her deadp Or, If you have for
gotten, perhaps at least you will remember
this, which I carry that it may kill you. "
And flashed the sword that had been his
before his eyes.
Mother of Godl 1t is the English boy
who"-and he stopped.
"Jt Is Thomas Wingfeld who beat and
bound you, and who now purposes to fin
ish what he began yonder as hewa sworn.
Draw, or, Juan do Garcia, will stab you
where you stand.
De Garcia heard this speech, that today
seems to me to smack Of the theater,
though it was spoken in grimmest earnest,
and his face grew like the face of trap
ped wolf. Yet saw that he had no mind
to fight, not because of cowardice, for to
do him Justice be was no coward, but be-
cause Of superstition. He feared to fight
with me since, as learned afterward, he
believed that he would meet his end at my
hand, and 1t was for this reason chiefly
that he stroye to kill me when first VIC
met
1.-THE duello has It's laws, senor," he
said courteously. 1T is not usual to fight
thus unseconded and in the presence of q
woman. If you believe that you have any
grievance against me-though know not
of what you rave or the name by which
you call mc-I will meet you whcro and
when you will" And all the while he
looked over his shoulder seeking some way
of escape.
"You will meot me now," answered
DRAW or I strike!"
Then he drew, and we fell to 1t dcsper-
ately enough till tho sparks flew indeed,
and the rattle of steel upon steel rang
down the quiet street. At first he had
somewhat the better Of me, for my hate
made me wild in my play, but soon set
tied to the work and grew cooler.
Slowly pressed him back, and ever my
play grew closer and better and his became
wilder. Now had touched him twice, once
III UUC ulli L llClll lllLl IilS DttSfs
against the wall of the way that led down
to the water gate, and it had come to this
that he scarcely strove to thrust at mo at
all, but stood on his defense waiting till
should tire. Then, when victory was in
my hand, disaster overlook me, for tho
woman, who had been watching bewilder-
cd, saw that her fnithlcss lover was in dan
ger of death and straightway seized mo
from behind, at the same time sending up
shrek after shrek for help.
I shook her from me quickly enough,
but not before Do Garcia, seeing his ad-
vantage, had dealt me towards thrust
that took me in the right shoulder and
half crippled me- so that in my turn I
must stand on my defense if I would keep
my life in mo. Meanwhile the shricks had
been heard, and Of sudden the watch
camc running round the corner whistling
for help. De Garcia saw them, and disen-
gaging suddenly turned and ran for the
water gate, the lady also vanishing, With
er do not know.
Now the watch was on me, and their
leader came at me to seize me, holding a
lantern in his hand I struck it with the
VI UuC oh hO1uj oO Uuuu ~ 4SAl uPSiA
the roadway, where it blazed up like n
bonfire. Then turned also and fled, for
I did not wish to be dragged before ths
magistrates Of tho city as brawlsr, and
in my desire to escape I forgot that De
Garcia was escaping also. Away went,
and three of the watch after me, but they
were stout and scant of breath, and by
the time that I had run thrrc fr:rlongs
distanced them. I halted to got ny breath
and remembered that l had lost De Garcia
and did not know when should find him
again. So I went homeward, cursing my
fortune and the woman who had claspV.
me from behind just rs I was about tc
send the death thrust home, and also my
lack of skill which had delayed that thrust
so long.
BY now I was at homo and bethought
me that should do we'll to go to Fonseca,
my MASTER and ask his help. On the NOR
row went to my masters chamber, where
he lay abed, having been seized by sud.
den weakness that was the beginning of the
illness which ended in death. AS I mixed
a draft for him he noticed that my shoul.
der was hurt and asked me what had hap
pened. This gave mo my opportunity,
which was not slow to take
Have you patience to listen to story"
said, "for would seek your helpP"
"Ah," ho answered, lit Is the old case;
the physician cannot heal himself. Speak
on, nephew"
Then sat down by the bed and told
him all, keeping nothing back.
"You arc strangely foolish, nephew" "
he said at length. 'For tho most part,
youth fails through rashness, but you err
by overcaution. BY overcaution III your
fence you lost your chance last night, and
so by overcaution in hiding this tale from
me you have lost far greater opportuni.
ty. What, have you not seen me Civ;
counsel in many such matters, and have
you ever known me to hetray the conf
denco oven Of tho veriest strangerP Why,
then, did you fear for yoursf"
II do not know" answered, "but
thought that first I would search for my.
SELF
"Pridc goeth before fall, nephew.
Now listen. Had I known this history :
month ago, by now De Garcia had perish
ed miserably, and not by your hands, bul
by that of the law have been acquaint-
ed with the man from his childhood and
know enough to hang him twice over did
1 choose to speak. More, 1 knew your
mother, boy, and now I SEQ that it was
the likeness in your face to hers that
haunted mo, for from tho first it was fn.
miliar. 1t was I also who bribed the keep.
ers of tho holy office to let your father
loose, though, as it chanced, never saw
him, and arranged his flight Since then
have had Dc Garcia through my hands
some four or five times, now under this
namo and now under that Onco even he
came to me as client, but the villainy
that he would have worked was too black
for mo to touch This man IS tho wicked
est whom I have known In Seville, and
that is saying much; also hc is the clever.
est and tho most rcvcngeful. He lives by
vico for vice, and thero arc many deaths
upon his hands But ho hns never pros.
pered in his evildoing, and today no is
but an advcnturcr without q name, who
lives by blackmail and by running women
that he may rob them at his leisure. Give
mo those books from the strong box yon-
der, and will tell you Of this Dc Garcia "