The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-12-06

Gays, and we were going to the Man
sion house to a family dinner The
wedding was only three days off now,
and the squire had taken fancy t.
keep it in honor of his coming happi
ness.
When we rolled up to the open
doorway, there he was magnificent
in rosebud satin waistcoat, and with
flower in his buttonhole: for all the
world like bedecked old turkey cock.
welcome to the Mansion house."
he said gaily as L bundled up the
stairs first
'"And then to Marcy, though loud
enough for me to hear; In three short
days'-meaning, of course, the mar
riage that was to leave her in his
home forever.
''She WINGED as if he had struck her,
her face as white as her muslin frock.
and | verify believe that if he hadn't
walked her into the dining room on
his arm, she would have fallen.
what sort of a dinner did they
have? Why the best in the world,
you may be sure.
The Mansion house was the finest
place In the county-for that matter
IN all South Carolina and the squire
knew good living, and the big mahog
any table fairly groaned under cut
glass and silver.
"Uncle and l were at each side, and
Marcy was at the foot in the place of
honor; where, three times a day. she
was soon to face old Tom. until death
should mercifully take one or the other
OF them out of the world None of us
talked much, none, even my uncle. who
was emptying goblet after goblet of
wine to drown his thoughts, and when
the squire stood up suddenly with his
champagne glass to toast the bride-a
frozen bride that looked ready for the
tomb almost welcomed the inter
ruption that followed.
"'To the brider repeated the squire,
glass high in the air, and was echoed
by dreadful laugh.
10 the devil you mean! to the
devil, you old villainp said a voice. He
gave money enough to buy a wife,
so toast him deepp
"And there in the middle of the
floor, landed by a jump through the
flung up window, was Jack, his clothes
covered with mud and Satan in his
eye.
True love poisoned by wounded
vanity, you see. my dears. may sleep
drugged for awhile. but the time will
come when it will fight like tiger for
what it feels it's own.
This had been the case with Jack,
who was now almost maddened with
thinking over the coming wedding.
You young puppy roared the
squire didn't [ tell you not to come
here again?'
THAT for your tellingr said Jack,
dlabollcally cool; and with a whirl of
a long whip in hishand the squire's up
lifted wine glass fell to the floor, cut
Ike flower from the shank!
Then followed a terrible scene,
while we looked on like people in a
nightmare
1.-The two men seemed suddenly to
turn into raging demons, but from the
very first Jack had the upper hand.
"He held the squire, squirming and
cursing like trooper. down in his
chair as ifhe had been a child.
Marcy he called out, over his
head, did you write me that letter on
your own accountp And getting no
answer beyond the denial of her death
white face and piteous eyes, his rage
knew no bounds Your friend the
devil gave you money enough to buy
a Wife he kept saying, shaking the
squire as a cat would a mouse, but by
heavens it's only over my dead body
you'll get herr defend yourself,
you old rascal he yelled defend
yourself, for kin or not we are one too
many on earthp
There were pair of swords cross
ed on the wall, slender, murderous
dueling swords, and tearing them
down he flung one to his uncle, and in
a moment they were fighting like mad,
parrying, thrusting and feinting. with
dexterity sickening to see, for the
squire, you must understand, was an
experienced swordsman: he had pink
ed his man in his time; but fired by
love and hate, and always a good fencer
Jack was match for him. One MON.
ment it was he who was doing the par
rying. The next it was the squire, and
presently, as if in dream, l can see
my uncle and Prince, the negro butler
standing on chairs and putting out the
candles that were fastened to the ant
lers of the deer heads against the walls.
in the hope that it would stop them
but it did nothing of the sort: it onlv
made them all the more determined to
kill each other; and directly in the
pitch dark, after a moments CROPPING
cropping that sent an icy chill to the
roots of my hair-their swords clashed
and we knew that the duel was not
yet over.
Marcy fell in faint across my lap
and my uncle began to pray.
''All could think of was to hope
that Jack would beat; and with nv
heart in my mouth; sat staring at the
sparks that flew from their swords.
and waiting for the end At last. after
an eternity of time, time made up of
appalling silences and mad blind, !
loomings together-and again, that
hideous groping-there was a cry, a !
fall, and when the frightened negro
made light again. there was the
squire pinned by Jacks sword, |
through an ear to the floor, and there
outside the window were Jack and |
Marcy clinging to each on the same
horse, ready TO dash off into the night.
well my dears,' said little Miss
Pepper mildly, in conclusion of her
spirited recital, 'of course they got
married and lived happy ever after.
And equally of course, the squire
melted in time and forgave them, and
tore up the notes he held against my
uncle, and to this very day, if any Of
you should go to Buck Forest, anybody
here will tell you how Jack Brice won
h,-. do Tho