Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-11-23
THE DUEL IN THE DARK.

1ne SJOTy us II WIS lOlu ny Miss upper,
the fine needle-worker. at the woman's
clearinghouse on Tenth street.
you see, my dears, said Miss Pepper,
who was like a sweet faded old rose in
the group of eager young women about
her, 1.-The trouble with Jack Brce was
this: He was heels over head in love
with my cousin, Margery Lee, but he was
too poor to marry.
He lived with his uncle, Tom Brice of
the Mansion house-old Squire Brice, as
all the country called him, though he
wasn't more than 90; and naturally when
they both came counting Margery, her IA
tber favored the squire's suit most. But
Margery favored Jacks and shu we'd it
openly.
"A man may be as rich as Croesus, but
when he's choleric and up in years-nOne
too good in the bargain-he needn't expect
to make much Roadway with Il lovesicl
girl of 20 Long-legged Jacks good looks
Outwelghed the squlre's gold, but when
her father found out which way the wind
was blowing, he forbade Margery to see
him again. She said nothing, for she
was not girl to talk But every night
she wrote him a long letter, that she
would hide in a hollow tree stump, and
that Jack would come and take away.
Sometimes, too, in the early morning,
hardly daylight, she would jump on her
bay mare Hornet and dash two miles
down the river to the ford, where Jack
would be waiting, and would swim his
horse oyer from the other side. just to
have fve-minutes talk with her.
"Ah, but they were in love, | can tell
YOU! And | never saw a better-matched
pair-both SO good looking, both so full of
life.
Whether my uncle ever heard of their
goings on | don't know. But he stopped
talking against Jack. and urging the
squire's suit He only told us, Marcy
and me both. for [ lived with them, that
old Tom had him in his power and could
ruin him, and now that she wouldn't mar
~ him, he was going to take his revenge.
Then he fell sick, and seemed likely to
die, and my poor cousin was in a terrible
quandary.
''She loved Jack, but she loved her ia
Their, too. And she felt it was worry that
was killing him.
''One terrible night when we were al
most expecting my uncle to breathe his
last. Marcy fell on her knees and prom
ised she'd marry the squire, and he at
once began to get better with astonishing
quickness.
''She wrote Jack one letter, one curt
cold letter, that she sat two days over;
and that he tore III half and sent back to
her, and then left the country on top of it.
This left the field Of love open to the
squire, and he made the most of it, COM
ing every afternoon to our place. spruced
up like a young man in a light black suit.
and with his hair combed over his bald
spot.
He would send Marcy splendid pres
ents, too. And sometimes q love letter,
a fine proper love letter, calling her 4 red
rose with the dew on it, black-eyed gypsy
or some such prettiness. all of which you
may be sure, though. only [ ever read.
'1ATeanyT-bila 40 yVcHlinr n ne re
were going on with wicked hurry. My
uncle seemed like one possessed to have
it over with. And Marcy, dumb with
misery, and worn to shadow with long
ing for Jack, said nothing. Perhaps she
was afraid if too long put off she would
lose courage for the sacrifice; perhaps she
was all the time hoping and praying-as
women can nray SOmetimes-fOr the very
daring thing that did happen.
THAT night [ remember it stormed.
The wind hoWled, and all along the cOun-
try road the big oaks swung their arms
and creaked as if ready to fall on our
rumbIing old carriage.
''It was Thanksgiving night a festival
not III favor in the South in those days,
and we were going to the Mansion house
TO a family dinner. The wedding was
only three days off now, and the squire
had taken a fancy to keep ii in honor of
his coming happiness.
when we rolled up to the old doorway,
there he was magnifcent-in 4 rosebud
satin waiStcoat and with a flower in his
buttonhole; for all the world like be-
decked old turkey cock!
Welcome to the Manson house., he
said gaily as | bundled up the stairs first.
and then to Marcy. though quite loud
enough for nue. TO hear: In three short
days"-meaning, of course, the marriage
that was to leave her in his home forever
''She WINGED as if he had struck her,
haI white bpT, muslin fpOcly
and | verify believe that if he hadn't
walked her into the dining room on his
arm, she would have fallen
''What sort of dinner did they have?
Why the best in the world, you may be
sure,
THE Mansion house was the finest
place in the cOuntry-fOr that matter in
all South CarOlina-and the squire knew
good living, and the big mahogany table
fairly groaned under cut-glass and silver.
Uncle and | were at each side, and
Marcy was at the foot in the place of
honor: where three times 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 cham
payne glass to toast the bride-a frozen
bride that looked ready for the tomb
almost welcomed the interruption that
followed
To the bride!' repeated the squire.
glass high in air. and was echoed by a
dreadful laugh.
To the devil you mean: to the devil
you old villainr said a voice. He gave
you money enough to buy wife, so toast
him deepr
''And there in the middle of the floor,
landed by a jump through the flungup
window. was Jack, his clothes covered
with mud and Satan in his eye.
''True love poisoned by human vanity.
you see, my dears, may sleep drugged
for awhile, but the time will come when
it will fight like a tiger Tor what it feels
its cWn.
"And 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, dia
bolically cool; and with the whirl of a
long whip in his hand, the squire's up
lifted Wineglass fell to the floor, cut like
q flower from the shank
''Then followed terrible scene. while
we looked on like people in nightmare.