Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
He Was Afraid of Thunder.
IOriginal.l

everybody wondered When she married
q quiet unobtrusiye man who had n
dread of thunderstorms. However,
Clarence and Kate Hastings seemed to
get on well enough, and certainly both
adOred their four children, till Bruce
Sayler came along and took a fancy
to Mrs. Hastings. Then trouble began.
Sayler was a fine looking man, with
something aggressive about him that
usually gave him his own way.
One evening Sayler asked Hastings
to go with him to make call. Hast
ings unsuspectingly accepted. He was
taken to the house of a woman whom
he had never seen and left alone with
her while Sayler excused himself.
Then an irate husband rushed in and
made a great ado about catching the
visitor with his wife. Hastings got
out safely, but the affair came to his
wife's ears. In vain he pleaded limo
cence and asserted that Sayler had
tricked him. Sayler told a different
story, that was believed by the wife.
By this time Hastings had got the
drift of the matter, which was that
SayIer had acquired such an influence
over his wife that she was about to
Join with him to remove her husband
by divorce in order to put Sayler in his
place. Hastings was crushed. Then
out Of his despair came action.
The two men were members of the
same club. and one evening Sayler was
diseoursing loudly to party of friends,
monopolizing the conversation, when
Hastings stepped up to him and said
mildly:
"Sayler, you are a puppy. You are
thief. You are coward"
Sayler glared at him, but made no
reply. Hastings drew away and sent
message to his enemy that he might as
well make up his mind to fight sooner
or later, for he proposed to insult him
every time he entered the club Sayler
replied that dueling was not in vogue
in America. He would not fight under
the code, but if Hastings did not re-
frain from his insults he would chas-
tIse him. To this Hastings replied that
he was armed and that If Sayler laid
a finger on him he would kill him.
The next night and the next, when
ever and wherever the two men met,
Hastings gave a deliberate insult, and
at last it came to be the opinion of the
club members that Sayler must take
some notice of the matter or resign.
Then he sent a challenge to Hastings
No one took it upon himself or her
self to inform Mrs. Hastings about the
matter, and Sayler after announcing
to her the first insult and asserting that
he had paid no attention TO the in
significant husband, did not mention
any of the later insults or the chal-
lenge. She was still very much under
Sayler's influence, but was undecided
from day to day what course TO take.
When Sayler was with her she did as
he said; when he was absent she be-
came undecided, and indecision is wear
ing on any one. She began to wish
Sayler somewhere else.
When Hastings got the challenge that
he was n month working for. his reply
was ready. AS the challenged party he
had the choice of terms. He sent a re-
ply that these terms were six cham
Der revolvers, the distance five PAGES,
the firing to continue till both men
were unable to fire any longer or the
chambers of both revolvers were emp
tied.
Sayler sent a reply that no one could
be expected to fight under terms that
meant death probably to both parties,
and he considered the matter at an end.
Hastings sent word that death was ex-
actly what he meant and what he
would have sooner or later. Then he
resumed his insults.
By this time the friends of both par
ties began to get an inkling as TO what
was the trouble and sympathy went
with Hastings. Sayler began to look
careworn. ALI his aggressiveness was
gone, he ceased to talk loud and volu-
bly,, he went about with a hangdog
look. Meanwhile he had discontinued
his visits to Mrs. Hastings.
Then came the last insult of the
series. Hastings, meeting his enemy
in the club, said to him publicly:
You're coward and won't fight,
but I'll make you fight before 1 get
through with you"
The next day Sayler sent a friend to
Hastings to know what would satisfy
him. Hastings replied that he could
only be appeased by Sayler's leaving
the country under a written promise
not to communicate with Mrs. Hast
ings and never return. Then there
were negotiations in which Sayler tried
to get better terms. He failed, Hast
ings standing firm in requiring either
death or absence. Finally Sayler yield
ed, sold out his business and went to
England, leaving a paper in Hastings
hands generating Mrs. Hastings and
agreeing never again to see or commu-
nicate with her.
Hastings took the paper home, told
his wife what he had been doing and
showed her the paper She was not
only astonished. but could not under
stand how she had been oblivious to so
much resolution in the one man and
lack of manIiness in the other. She
would have given worlds to undo what
she had done and regain her husbands
love.
81 have done It for our children" he
said. You and will live together as