The midland journal., 1899-03-10

so far as an outsider could Judge, il
anybody had cause to send challenge.
it was Castex. begged him to tell
me, in the strict confidence of friend
ship, what the language was that
CasteX had uttered to him. told him
that could not act intelligently for
him in this matter, unless | was ad-
vised. He peremptorily refused to tell
| me.
You have been my friend, Dorion," "
he said. "When ! say to y0u that no
human being must know my cause of
offense, you will believe that there is
poleon Castex knows, no man better
knows, the nature of his offensc. He
knows me, also; and he understands
that if he were to lisp hint of my
reasons for challenging him, | would
seek him and shoot him down like a
dog! Don't argue with me, Alfred
Dorion; | tell you the man is a cold
bloodcd scoundrel; he has sought me
out to force quarrel upon me, and
there are the best of reasons why the
affair must go on"
There was nothing for me to do but
to deliver the challenge. found Cas-
tex cool, polite and consenting.
There is not one of my name," he
said, with his marked French accent,
who ever refused the request of a
gentleman to meet him on the field of
honor. NJ. Bostock thinks him
self insulted. Some might think that
I NJ. hn, SC nh l.
lenge. Take it to my dear Alphonse;
he will arrange everything with you.
| only say to you, that my remark to
NJ Bostock was the truth. He knows
it to be the truth; and he has not the
grace to see that put it in the Ian
guage of la belle Fraace, that others
might not urders tand it. So much you
may tell him, if you choose"
The affair went on to it's frightful
end. Nobody could discover the truth.
Basnet tried his best to make his man
divulge the cause of offense, but in
vain.
IL only told him the truth, and told
it in French, that it might not be
heard by others. After have fought
him, will tell it very loudly, in your
harsh English, do you be sure. Mean
while, | am quite willing to fight him.
knew him long before you did"
The wound that Pierce Bostock re-
ccivcd was rs nearly fatal as wound
can be and leave the victim alive. The
ball traverscd his lung; nothing but
the extraordinary skill of the doctor
saved him. The doctor had served in
the Mexican war, and happened to wit
ness the successful operation of a
Mexican surgeon upon similar wound
of Gen. Shields, by cleansing it with d
silk handkerchief In this way Bos-
toclS's life was saved; but the fever that
followed confined him to his bed for
weeks. drained his strength, and left
him only the shadow of his former self
&. His affection for his daughter seemed
doubled, if that were possible, by this
dreadful experience. In every waking
hour he wanted her with him. In his
delirium he would call her name; when
conscious, he would hold her hand and
look silently into her face as she sat by
his bed
used often to call upon him while
he was confined to the house. One day
he sent Coralie out of the room and
asked me to shut the door.
You are still my friend, Alfred
Dorion-are you not?" he abruptly be-
gan.
ITO be sure am. While | am dread
fully distressed by what has hap
pened-"
mo matter about that. want You
to tell me something What hap
pened after got that mans bullet?
think my senses were wandering.
What did say?"
| told him. repeated his express
sions-that he regretted that he had
killed Castex; that he wanted to spare
him: that he was anxious to hear from
him retraction of the words which
had caused the duel. His face darkened
as he listened.
do you mean to say that said all
that silly stuff?"
Il have only repeated your own
words"
Then my brain raa wandering
Dorion, | meant to kill him lie has
gone to be judged, as | must be one
day: but, | tell you, am not sorry he
has gone. He well knew when he
came up here with his malignant
tongue that either his life or mine
must be forfeited"
You can imagine what effect such a
declaration had on me- 1t showed me
side of Bostock' S character that had
never suspected to exist began to
draw away from him, as did others of
his friends.
In less than two years after the duel
he had alienated himself from all of
us, His nature seemed to have
changed. He became cold, reserved
and naughty He was very little seen
away from his home. When he re-
moved to Louisiana, he passed away
from all intercourse with his old
friends here. lie has answered no let
ters. When bought this place, ne
gotiated with him through an agent.
You can see. knowing all this, that
his life before he came here was cloud
ed with something fearful and mys-
terious. ! have wearied my brain in
conjecturing whatit can be. His wife,
Conrad, Coralie,-which of them does
it atfect-or does it relate to all of
them?