Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-10-20


! Then the two men, as though they hat
met merely for quiet evening CONVEX
sation, began to chat Of trivial mat
ters
After some minutes. Vernon smiled
and said: You don't seem 70 be gettins
on with your cigar, my dear Herr Baron.
The other flushed, rose from his chair
lit the cigar again. and walked up ant
down the room for few minutes
Throw il away. and let us take an
I other said Vernon "A reiit cigar Is
never any good, and the first few WIKI.
of the one for which We are looking VII
4 decide matters"
There we're great drops Of perspiratjoI
On the Germans forehead and his hant
/ trembled as he reached for the box again
! Don't drop it,, said George Vernon.
Sir, would you insult me?' crieG
the baron, hoarsely but his hand shooh
so in his excitement that cigar or two
fell from the box on the floor, ana n
| had to pick them up again.
Each man took fresh cigar, and IL
II. They sat in silence, smoking and ey-
ing each other curiously. Vernon was
rather pale, but he restrained himself
more than his companion, who SHOOK
and shivered as though with an ague.
another whisky" said the English
man. And this time Baron Won Reitzen-
stein drank off almost half tumbier OF
raw spirits.
You're getting nervous, Herr
Baron: ii is trying to the nerves, ] aa-
NIT. saw a duel of this kind II
Patagonia once. and one Of the two men
went mad barely 50 seconds before his
companion died
Il feel as If / might go mad myself
said Herr Won Reitzenstein. you have
nerve. you British, Herr Vernon
Now, then, said the Englishman
These are the last two in the box, VIII
you help yourself. or shall we toss for |
ehoice?" The baron took coin from
his waistcoat pocket, then put ii back |
again. and selected a cigar after smell
ing each one of the two left, carefully.
Il did not know | was coward |
Herr Vernon" he said, ara his voice |
was hardly recognizable, but dare not |
risk the fall Of coin at such a me-
ment. WIN you forgive me, and shake
hands with me?'
George Vernon erasped his adyer-
sary's hand and said; we viii stop
here, If you wish it. baron. and not
smoke the other two We can still de-
eide our quarrel with pistols in the for
est tomorrow II you like.
mo, no, said Won Reitzenstein, "let
us go through with it now we have be-
gun. But If a man had ever told me that /
should have no more command over
myself, | would have killed him where
he stood" And he bit off the end of
his cigar saHagely.
Vernon laughed a little. clipped his
own cigar with care, and both men lit
them. They are good, are they not27
be said, presently 4 imported them /
direct through a friend IN Havana
The German did not answer. He was
ieadly pale. and his teeth were chatter
Ing so that he could scarcely keep his
,igar altght He made point Of hon
3r, though, to do So, and he smoked by
fits and starts, now slowly, now in des-
perale haste, blowing great clouds into
the room.
We are suifocatlng Nercingetorix,
laughed Vernon, patting the head of a
Great Dane which lay beside his chair
The two men smoked on, and present
~ Baron Won Reitzenstein started from I
bis chair. and, with his cigar stll be
tween his elenched teeth, shouted. IF |
die, you shall die also!" and rushed al
Vernon.
The struggle was a short one. for Yer
'ingetorix threw himself at the German.
and pinned him 10 the ground Vernon /,
cooked at Won Reitzenstein. shook his +,
head, and in a puzzled voice said: II
Neither Of these were poisoned and the
box is empty
The baron, whom the dog had left re-
uctantly at a word from Vernon. rose
o his feet, and said, shameiaeedly: H
What are we to do now. Herr Vernon
Vernon did not answer He was
Nercingetorix, who had been II
.nihiug at something underneath the 4
table, and licking what he found there II
Suddenly the dog gave one short cough II
which ended in a moan, and rolled over
IN his side, stone dead. Vernon CROPPED Il
the table and picked mp a
rushed cigar which Baron Won Reit-
.enstetu had dropped when he upset the
BOX
This was the poisoned one" he said
This looks like Providence Shall we
postpone the duel indefinitely" Il
Il agree. replied the German, And |
The men shook hands.-Pearson's
HEAD lMPRLED ON POST. |