The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-28
A WANT OF COURAGE.


M client We met soon after and quarrel
ed He called me liar.
As that harsh word fell upon my ear
Sassion overcame me- struck Adams in
fhe face. His friends drew him away, and
went out into the open air.
On the following morning friend
named Watkins called upon me and pre-
pcnted note from Adams. i opened IL
and found IL to be challenge.
What should l dof
What ought to do was very plain. The
lesson Of life which my mother had taught
me did not leave me TO doubt ] ought TO
have gone to Adams and made such offer
of conciliation as one gentleman may
hnorably make TO another, and II he had
rejected that j could have simply turned
from him and refused to do further
wreng to right che wrong already done.
Bas bad not the courage to do that.
was a coward.
accepted the challenge.
"fhe sooner It is over the better" re-
marked Watkins.
Certainly" responded. "Let 1t bc
this very day, at sunset. upon the rivers
bank. will send a friend to you to make
further arrangements"
"And the weaponsf"
"Pistols."
And so 10 was fixed.
An hour afterward found John Price,
ysung physician, who agreed to act rs
10Y second. He did not urge me to abandon.
the idea, nor did he enter upon the work
as though he loved it, but he did It be-
canse he fancied i was determined. l
know that Adams was a good shot, and no
knew that j was the same, for we had
practiced together; SO thero was no advan-
tage to either in the weapons.
After dinner Price camc to me and told
me that all was arranged.
After Price mad gone sat down and
wrote two letters. What coward / was
TO write them! One was to my mother
and the other tn the girl who had promised
90 be my wife AS Isit now and think of
that hour I shudder-the hour when /
wrote to my mother and To my betrothed
White Heart ledge was high porpen-
dicular wall of granite rising above tho
river, the top crowned with dark trees. 1t
received its name from peculiar mark,
where mass Of white quartz appeared
half way up the ledge, in the form of n
heart
IAto I'm tho afternoon / was upon the
sandy shore beneath the ledge, and almost
at the same time Adams made his appear
'tDce. We were both anxious To be thought
brave men, He did not speak to me, nor
did speak TO him. Our seconds conferred
awhile together, and then Price came To
my side
"Must this thing go ons" he asked.
l told him did not know how il could
be stopped. led for did know.
He informed me that if i would make
the least overture of peace be felt sure that
Adams would accept it.
Il think" he said, that Adams Is sorry
for what has happened. You struck him,
and he cannot retract.
'And hc called me "A liar ~
"You are both good shots, added Price,
''and il you fire together you may both
fall"
But dared not offer the hand of concil.
iatson. l told him was ready.
He went lack TO Watkins, and pretty
soon they measured OFF the ground-13
PAGES. We were 10 stand back 10 bnck,
those 12 PAGES apart. We were TO turn at
tho word cone" raise our pistols at
f'Two, and at the word "Threc'' we were
10 fire. caught the eye of Adams as /
took my position, and l was sure that
no angry passion dwelt therein. For an
instant the impulse was with me to throw
down my pistol and offer him my hand but
i had not the courage to do It,
our seconds hesitatcd as though they
saw what was passing in our thoughts
but we offered no word, and they proceed
ed. The word HOne!' was given. / can
not tell all the feelings that canc crowd
ing upon me at that moment. thought
of my mother in her distant home /
thought of the scenes of my early child
hood thought of my college days, when
Adams had been my friend and chum.
thought Of the holy love which had bca,ned
upon me since 1 lad grown To mans es-
tate, and I thought that in one short min
ute moro the black pail might cover SC all
Watkins was long time i'm pronounc-
ing the word "rwo!' He evidently hoped
that one of us would rclent, hut no hoped
in vain.
Only "a breath held back the last fatal
word AS we raised our pistols sharp.
agonized cry, as from, breaking heart,
burst upon the air, and In another nomcn,
two light shadows fitted upon the scene.
was u prisoner. Adams was u prisoner
Our pistols lay undischargcd upon the
sand.
The two girls who loved us better than
we loved ourselves had guessed our secret
Love has sharp eyes. Clara Wolcott know
Laban's hot temper. She had only to whis-
per hcr suspicious to Mary and Two sleep
less sentinels wcro upon us.
=. In an instant l resolved TO bc a man.
With the arms Of my beloved still encr
cling me- i stretched forth my hand, hut
was not i'm advance of Lalan. As though
one spirit moved Us, our hands met mid
way.
II have been fool" said Ialn,n.
And have hen fool and coward, >"
/ said.
We returned from the dark ground just
~ the day was softcning into twilight,
and from that hour Adams and myself
were fast friends, and they who had saved
nsfrom the great crime entered upon the
NE path with us and have blessed us ever
slnce. Exchange
Knew BETTER.