Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-10-16
DUEL THAT WAS NOT FOUGHT.
How a Brave Girls Chidinss Prevent
ed IA Hostile Meeting between
Lawyers.

A Baltimore lawyer tells this story
under the promise, says the Baltimore
Sun, that his identity is not revealed:
when / was young and bigger
fool than / am now / conceived the
idea that dueling was fine thing.
had read n great deal about it and
talked more. ! considered the code
the proper recourse for gentleman.
! was then practicing law in my ma
tive village, where j deemed myself
easily the greatest lawyer in town
II not in the state as well. 1t was
necessary to be aggressive, thought,
/ had taken Lord Thurlow as my
model and fancied myself like him.
Only two men stood in my path to
eternal fame--one was an old lawyer
of our village, who had always scoffed
ut my pretensions, and the other was
editor of the village newspaper. who
had long been my avowed enemy.
"The old lawyer appeared to take a
kind of fiendish delight in humiliat-
ing me and wouA rub it in on every
occasion when in court together. At
last / decided to endure it no longer,
and, selecting what l considered an
unusually glaring affront, selected
two young fellows in the village as
my advisers. One was said to be
great authority on the code and l
felt that he would be very desirable
second.
"The only point upon which we diff
fered was as to whether l should give
my enemy chance to retract. /
maintained the code demanded it,
but my seconds insisted that my en-
emy was such a coward that he would
do almost anything to avoid fight,
and so spoil the fun
''It was decided that my colleague
should convey the challenge, and,
after lengthy discussion rs to the
proper way to word it, he was finally
dispatched with the message to the
despised Wilson-for that was his
name. After an absence of an hour
or more he returned to my office end
reported that he had seen Wilson
and delivered the message. The 'fel-
tOW udu l0hb Nit'i tibtSS
ment, my friend Jim thought; then
with anger or fear, he could not tell
which.
"Did you tell him where to send
o. reply?' I asked.
"'Of course, he said. And he as
good as kicked me out of the house|
"While we sat there discussing the
coming tragedy there came modest
tap at the door, followed by wom-
ans voice--a sweet, soft, yet firm,
tone, requesting admittance. / hesi-
tated minute and then admitted
Myra Wilson, daughter of my pros
pective antagonist.
"'I should like to see you alone, if
you please she began in hesitating
voice, casting glances toward my COM
panions.
81 bowed politely, although my
heart was fluttering like leaf in the
wind. Miss Wilson was one of the
handsomest girls in the community,
and, to tell the truth. we mad once
been lovers, but something had oc-
CURED to part us. / escorted Jim and
his companion into private room adj
Joining this and after ! had closed
the door turned to Miss Wilson, VINO
was standing in the center of the
room, her small hands clinched at her
side and her big black eyes flashing
fire.
"'Mr. A she began, catching
her breath while the color fitted
through her cheeks in dashes of red,
is it true that you wish to fight
my father-that you have challenged
him to a duel?'
81 never felt so mean in my life as
I did at that moment. ! don't know
what / said to the young lady, but
] do know that she began by upbraid-
ing me for wanting to fight a man
old enough to be my father. She
ended by saying that If / ever as
much as harmed hair of his head
she would load the family shotgun to
the brim and fill me so full of buck
water. She also said that if would
call at their house at once her father
would make any apology due me
"Well to make long story short
! l called upon the old fellow that even
ing and was treated like prince
They insisted that / remain for din
ner. and after the meal | was treated
to some excellent music by Miss vii
son. The father detained me unit
nearly midnight, and when / finally
tore myself away 1t was with expires
sions of warmest friendship and re
spect on my part, which, l was as
sured, were mutual land which ha(
probably been augmented, as it were
by the excellent things that flowed
from the Wilson cellars) arr
"That's about all there was of 1t
except that l married Miss Wilson.
branding Bluner.
Among the advertisements in a Lon
don paper there recently appeared th
following:
"rhe gentleman who found a purs
with money in the High street is re
qucsted TO forward it to the addres
of the loser, as he was recognized"
A few days afterward the reply wa
inserted:
"The recognized gentleman VIII
picked up purse in the High stree
requests the loser TO call at his house.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
He Knew.
Good Man-Do YOU know where Iii
tie boys go that throw stones q
birds?