The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-12-01
TIIEEND
Ijfprgsnal.l#.

tor gtnalI u igsg
iss5 Allan Douglas and "a nstin sroynel
weresdeyoted college chttn1s The IN
81 tinacy vas mex les bic to others
Fl WHIST Douglas. " 18th his splendid phys
zeal and INTEL etualE ndowments, couls
find 70 bind him to Brownell, a reticent
Il cynical man. without, an element 8
Il zpopuarit in him, no one could dis
cover Douglas was the pet OF the pet
4 atcoats and Invited everywhere
BrowneiI was considered very dun bs
i the falr sex and seldom invited any
where. If lie had been invited he
4 would not have accepted. However,
there was one surprise concerning
4 BrowneIl Though he stood quite low
in his class. when he was graduated
i one Of his CLASSMATES. who was m
honor man. said that he wished he
had Brownell IS mild.
The friends studied law and prac-
I ticed. in partnership. They We're still
young when the more snowy cndow-
lstnents constitute prominence, and ev-
cry one, at least III society, wondered
how Douglas could have taken up with
such an ordinary partner Douglas
was courted by the social Norld. every
one Striving TO secure Him fol on
tertninments s3; II e. tried to drag Brow
nell out With him. but failed both on
account OF the diSinclination of5socie-
ty for Rrownell and Brownells dis
inclination for society &.
Douglas married \; belle. She was a
member of the smart set and Very
smartmember. There was nothing She
would have considered more out of
place than attention In public from her
husband, and there was nothing She
considered more In place than ohaEe
some prominent society man dancinE
Attendance upon her. Finally d cotillon
leader. Ernest Rackle. became SO de-
voted to her that the Intimacy became
the town talk. AS usual in such cases.
no one talked of it to the husband.
One night Brownell5 Invent in to a FASH;
ionable hotel restaurant where the
smart Set We're used to taking. supper
after the opera. He had never been
there before and Went for a purpose
Presently u gay party sailed In like. a
ffeet of yachts under n spanking breeze
among them Racklc and Mrs. Douglas
They passed directly by the table at |
which Brownell sat and rs Rackle
passed Brownell put out his footnand |
RaclSle trippeG. He didn't. fall, but |
came very near. 1t. Turning. he gnred |
at the man who had Etrippeda him. th en- I
Went on Isrowne1l toyed with ii wine |
glass and waited. Racllles as soon as
sea ted gave him n threatening and con
temptuous glance. Brownell took ID bit
Of paper from his pocket. wrote some
thing on it, folded itand gave tito a
waiter 70 take to Itackle. Racket
opened it, glanced ut it and PIT tin
his vest pock ct without any of tneipar-
ty4 having noticed anything unusual.
~, Al
cafe.
We'll, sir. said RnclzIe, what do
yon want ~
To fight YOU
For tripping me up?''
No; ostensibly for scowlinS ut me;
'eally for a matter which it$concerns
you and a certain ladyto keep dark
WhoSaI.e you ?'' asked RaclSle, nerv- L
'usly pulling his mustache /,
.t-Al1an5Douglas' law PARTNER B
: Indeed am surprised tlat.you
wish to bring trouble on him
= don't. l wish to save him from
roub1e.' 81 #
By a public altercation?',
NO: by a private fight to the death.'' II
There was something so calm in i
tone and eye. yet SO deter i
aimed. that Rackle paled. i
''-W hen and where % -
Now, in an upper room OF this ho-
81 . a Z
Iaacl>le stood looking in different di- =
ectons like u cornercd rat seeking an
utIet. II
What viii obviate the necessity for Ii
lis meeting 3:l Il
= our pledge never to communicate n
18th Mrs, Douglas again = =
Racl>le thought it over. stIll pulling :
IS mustache. Finally he said: =
ITO avoid bringing lady's name
to unpleasant notoriety I shall have Is
submit. promise ING p
Write 1t. Il
a paper was drawn and signed, n
hich Brownell put in his pocketbook, q
Id the two separated. =
In less than a week Douglas came to =
8 friend and announced that he must q
ssolve the partnership. Mrs Doug #
$ had taken IN inconceiynble dislike
SBrownell and had made the dissolu-
~ a sine qua non. Brownell pressed ..
> friends hand fervently and assent =
Two years passed. Douglas endow- re
ants had not gained him any promi- sd
nee except IN socIety.and, though he dc
not know the cause, his wife's init m.
ICY with Rackle had detracted from WI
en- this Certain prominent judges *