The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-17
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CHAPTER XVII
Another week opened. In honor Of
Captain Barclays restoration to health
the Fraziers had issued invitations for a
picnic to the White Gate. Many Of the
officers and ladies had accepted. Most
Of them had been hidden. Captain Null
lane had been on, sick report four days.
Commissions resulting from tumbling
from q broken legged chair was the 81.
PLANTATION. But every Pat in the com.
mand had his tongue in his cheek when
be spoke Of II and Of matters growing
out Of the Commissions" mentioned.
Frazier had heard rumors Of the former
fracas, and had notified MesEs Null.
lane. Bralligan, OF al, that he would
have no dueling In his bailiwiok. and
deep was the mystery surrounding Ger.
tain consultations held by night in
Mullans's quartera
1.-THE blood Of that young braggart
be on bis own head" said Mullane to
his henchmen. IAN you, Hodge. can
console the disconsQlate widtv."
He had NO more 6oubt Of the issue Of
the contemplated combat, no more com.
junction in the matter, than had Thack-
cray valiant and inimitable little Gas.
con, ne Cabasse, In his duel with Lord
Kew. He had long been the leader Of
the Hibernian set, and despite every
effort on the part Of the witnesses to
the ARRAY at tho suffers to keep the
matter secret rumors got out. and the
Faugh-a- Baliashs knew their chief had
been hraved by that hated ooxconib
Winn. Every one Of them knew further
that Mnllans must have sent his de-
mand for satisfaction, despite the fact
that his "pistol Of, the right, had been
damaged by the collision and was not
yet in condition for effective service.
Everybody who was in the secret knew
that Mr.. Vim had instantly accepted,
naming Brayton as his second, pistols
as the weapons, and suggesting his
fathers old dueling set, that had seen
long years and some service in the old
army, as proper to the occasion. The
time and place, however. would neces.
sarily depend on the victim Of the knock.
down blow. All VIM asked and urged
was utter secrecy meantime.
To Mullane there was nothing in the
episode over which to brood or worry.
As dragon sergeant in the old days he
had winged his man. according to
Che methods described in Charles
O'Malley" and practiced occasionally
by his superiors in rank. He had known
many a barroom broil and was at home
with pistol, fists or saber-no mean an.
when not unsteadied by liquor
He had now a chance Of meeting Oh the
field one Of the set he secretly hated.
"the snobocracy Of the arrumy," and
he meant to shoot the life out Of Harry
VIM if straight shooting would do it.
That Winn had taken advantage Of him
and knocked him down when he was
drunk was excuse sufficient for the
crime he planned; that he had brought
the blow upon himself BY an insult ten
times more brutal was a matter that
him not at all He had no
wife or child to worry about. Mrs
Mullane and the various progeny were
old enough to look out for themselves,
% indeed most Of them had long teen
to do. Mullane thirsted for
the coming meeting and for the prom.
inenoe its outcome would give him
among alt good soldiers all over Texas.
And as for WINNIE who had come
riding home from his successful scout
barely a fortnight before, buoyant
hopeful, almost happy-the change that
had come over him was something all !
men saw and none could fully account |
for. Cushing the draft from the bank !
at San Antonio, be had now enough to |
take Trott's receipt in full for tho value |
IF the stolen stores, even to some recov- ,
sred plumber. slightly damaged by |
rough handling and by rain. He would !
then still have some $500, and he asked
lis wife for certain bills that had been
coming to her accompanied
oy urgent demands. Laura said she had
lot Kept them. Which ought to be paid
irst? he asked Which had been longest
,utstanding2 Laura's reply was that
The did not know, but if he had got
hat money from San Antonio at last
he ought to have some to send to Nine.
Jhalmette. She positively had not
Inner dress fit to be seen. VIM did
lot even glance at the open doors of a
zig closet, hung thick with costly |
owns his wife had hardly worn at all,
,ut that now, she said, were out Of
lyle. There were other matters to be
bought Of than dinner gowns. he told
Ter gravely, and her face clouded at
nee. She had almost forgotten the
roubles Of the week gone by.
He went down to his den and sat
here thinking. What ought he to dor
What should he do with this money!
Every cent of it would be swallowed up
I he squared those oommissary &C.
cunts and turned the balance into
hecks and sent it off to pay these bills.
nd then, if Mullane's bullet sped true
o its mark, what would there be to
axe Laura and the baby northf
Home" he dared not say. She had no
ome. Collabone's diagnosis Of that sit
alton was correct. Then, too. ii Null
ane's pistol did not fail him, there
would be no way in which that mys-
erious friend and beneficiary Of his IA
hers could ever be repaid. What right
ad he to use one cent Of this money for
ny purpose whatever when another
ay might be his last?
Winn wished he still had the San
Intonio check instead Of these bulky
aokages of greenbacks. They were
ow locked up in Trott's safe, unbro.
en-, pending action at department head
uarters Oh the new schedule sent
hither, based on the recovery of some
the damaged stores. He thought Of
all as long before gun fire that morn
1g the black care Of his life came and
oused him from his fitful sleep and