Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-05-12

remember my stepping on a WO
mans skirt coming up in the traiI
night before last. Well, when
got home last night, 1 lonnd Mrs
Brown walking up and down The
hall very much agJtated. My
daughter was IN the library weep
ing.
"'"GOOd heavens, Mrs. Brown
said l, "what has happenedY"
"'"Don't speak to me. sir, dom
you speak,D she said, and then
rather lncOnslstently, she added
'Glve me an explanation of this al
oDce.r
"This" was a letter addressed to
me which read:
"Slr, it is my misfortune to live
in The same town With you, and az
circumstances may bring Us to-
gether socially, am gong to write
TO you frankly. Last night YOU
nearly tore my wiie's SKIRT Of, and
instead of offering her an apology
You laughed in her face. 1 have
learned that you are a chUrchman
and The father Of a family. | am
an Italian anG of noble family. Our
race is quick to resent wrong,
Now, sir, yOu must send me an ab.
sOlute apology for your rudeness to
my wife, and III it you must admit
that You we're intoxicated or you
mnst give me the reparatiOn which
one man owes another after such
an insult. We Smadas are proud
race. We frequently wipe out il
suits with blood. Yours, sir,
"'"RACSO SMADAr'
"'That's prett, deIce,' sald Van
Tds>tl
Fierce said Brown. why. it's
bloodth iTSty. Think of 1t! He wants
uc to her say | was drunk, aud
thus disgrace myself for lne, or
6ght him and probably lose my
lite. My God, l halGly know
what to do. | couldn't sleep las,
night. Mrs. Brown and my daugh-
ters received my explanations with
suspicion. | am disgraced mar.
What dd do? | wrote Nj. Smada
a pacific letter. / explained The
circumstance and offered du apollo
gy, told i'm that | could not say
that was drunk, because ! never
! got drunk. told hin that had
never fought "A duel IN my life aud
that | didn't believe in them.
concluded With a little pen picture
of my happy home aud how II
aonld he ruined unless he showed
himSelt a reasonable man. mail
ID that letter fhis morning. cal
ind no such man az Smdda in tn,
directory, ami have sen; the letter
to the post cilice. l don't even
know what he looks like. He migl
came up and stick knife IN me
On. LOrdr
"Nan Tassel comIorted him "a
much as he could and so dc
Adams and the rest of us. Brow
was changed man. a haunted
, look came in bis face. Adams ad
Yised him to get police permit t
carry a revolver. Brown waIche'
the mails closely, and the fact tha
40 reply cane TO lis letter indlcal
ed TO bis disOTdered mind that hi
. explanation had been unsatlsfdC
! Ory. Adams stirred him up ever
time that he met him Two daN
4 ago, on the nine.thirty, Whe
Blown was telling his troubles TO
ol oil us III the baggage ca, Adan
asked:
w hat name was it that tn
q dago Ieued TO that letter.
i a curious name,' SAID BrowI
IL as Rasro SmsGa."
Eyer II, to read il back ward
q" o. ar said Brown. w,
thai Oscar, your uame. AID am.
Adams! WHY, Oscar Adam
, Yonu,lseIable scamp. understan
; ~ nov A h l. Il jpke, Adam
= aud | e: JOY o = a. well as hr ne
mal but this g0es bit too far.
"'Dl YOU rememh her that log yo
cot 1e to carry home last sur
% merP asked Adams.
." That has nothing to do Wit
. T. > said Brow.
Ia "'YOn have sOwn the seeds
H. llstrust 10 my family, ard Y,
IL have wrecked my nerves "
II haye treated me shameful
IN Brown, and | am gong to resil
III from every organization in SIbu
re- banvIle with which yOn are CO
Is necled. and | don't want you
d' speak TO me again, not even
an church.
u "Adams resented these remark
and hv averv frasida fu Huhnr Ia