Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-01-03

knew good living, and the big Ia.
hogany table fairly groaned under q ut-
glass and silver.
"Uncle and were at each side and
Marcy was at the foot in the PLACER Of
honor, where three times daT she
was soon to face old Tom until death
should mercifully take one or 1.-THE
other OF them out of the world. None
OF us talked much, even my uncle,
who was emptying goblet after goblet
of wine to drown his thoughts. AID
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
interruption that followed.
ITO the bridev repeated the squire
glass high in air, and was echoed by
dreadful laugh.
"'To the devil, you mean; to the
devil, you old yillainr said voice
He gave you money enough to buy
wife, so toast him deepr'
"And there, in the middle Of the
floor, landed by jump through thu
fung-up window, was Jack, his clothes
covered with mud anu 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 a tige
for what it feels is it's own.
"And this had been the case with
Jack, who was now almost maddene
with thinking over the coming wed
ding.
You young puppy roared tn
squire, didn't l tell you not to com
here again?
"'That for your telling!' said Jack
diabolically cool; and with the whir
of a long whip in his hand the squire
uplifted wineglass fell to the floor Gu
like flower from the shank
"Then followed a terrible scene
while we looked on like people in
nightmare.
''The two men seemed suddenly I
turn into raging demons, but from tn
very first | could see Jack had the up
per hand.
"IIe held the squire, squirming an
cursing like a trooper down in hi
chair as If he had been child.
Marcy he called out over hi
head, did you write me that letter
your own accountY
"And getting no answer beyond til
denial of her death-white face and
piteous eyes, his rage knew no bound
Your friend, the devil, gave 70
money enough to buy wife he kept
saying. shaking the squire as car
would mouse; but By heaven it
only over my dead body you'll get her!
"'Defcnd yourself, you old rascal,
he yelled, defend yourself, for kin
or not we are one too many on earth!
tIhere We're pair of swords crossed
OH the wall, slender, mur.Ierous duel
ing swords, and tearing them down b
flung one to his uncle andYin mo
ment they We're fighting like mad
parrying, thrusting and feinting with
dexterity sickening to see.
''For the squire, you must under
derstand, was an experienced swords
man; he had pinked his man in hi
time; but fred by love and hate, am
always a good fencer, Jack was q
match for him. One moment 1t wa
he who was doing the parrying; tn
next it was the squire. And present.
as if in a dream, l could see my unel
and Price, the negro butler, staadin
on chairs and putting out the candle
that were fastened to the antlers o
the deer heads against the walls,
hope that this would stop them.
"But it did nothing of the sort. l
only made them all the more deter
mined TO kill each other, and direcu
in the pitch dark, after a moment
groping-gropin that sent an icy chill
to the roots of my hair-their sword
clashed and we knew that the due
was not vet over.
"Margy fell in faint across m
lap and my uncle began to pray.
"All | could think of was to hop
that Jack would beat, aid with my
heart in my mouth | sat staring at tn
waiting for the end
"At last, after an eternity of time, q
time made up Of appalling silences an
mad, blind loomings together-an
again that hideous groping-there wa
n cry, q fall, and when the frightene
negro made a light again, there wa
the squire pinned by Jacks swor
through an ear to the floor and there
outside the window, were Jack an
Marcy clinging to each other on tn
same horse, and ready to dash off int
the night.
"Well, my dears," said little Mis-
Pepper, in conclusion Of her spirite
recital, "of course they got marie
and lived happy ever after.
"And equally Of course the SPUR
melted In time and forgave them, an
tore up the notes he held against m
uncle.
"And to this day, II any OF yo'
should 90 to Buck Forest, anybod
there will tell you how Jack Brice wo
his bride on Thanksgiving night.
Chicago Record
CLEANLINESS A SOCIAL DUTY.