The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1905-07-14

SchColmates together up to the age OF
fourteen, in Bristol, England Thli
fathers were merchants, and The FAM
lies were very well off as regards this
world 5 goods. The two young nen
having secured as good common school
education as was possible, both enter
ed the counting rooms of their respc,-
tive parents, and were still boon com
pauionS until they CHANGED TO make
the acquaintance Of Miss Mary Mari.
d girl in their own sphere of soc ETY.,
and about the same age as the Foug
friends
Still for some months after heir in
PRODUCTION to Miss Mari, there was no
and by the simple acquaintance seem
ed to ripen into one of intimacy he
tween the three. and all at once il
flashed upon both Harry and rank
that they were both in love Wit Miss
Mari, and as both could MOI marry
her source of rivalry was inevitable,
Yet so well founded was theis long
and consistent friendship that there
was no exhibition of feeling upon the
subject between them, and 10 all out
ward appearances they were sui Tie
/ best of friends when together But
when absent from each other/& s0irt
OF antagonism very naturally suggest
ed itself, until by degrees 1t did not
The young lady had not shown any
preference between them, and if she
had a choice she thus far kept ii quite
to herself. She treated them So nearly
alike. and regarded both with such un-
disguised good Will and friendship,
that the most acute observer could de-
tect no partially.
Frank Osgood and Harry Cummings
each imagined himself TIE fsfored one.
and put just such interpretations upon
her words and smiles as he pleased,
Thus matters remained for a consid |
erahie time without having'progressed |
60 such a stage as would warrant eth |
Or in seeking to formally make known |
Dis pretensions, or TO ask of Miss Mari
her own ayowal Of affection.
But in the meantime the slight
change = the feelings OF Harry and
Frank coward each other grew to be
something quite seriouSl and they mu-
tuaIly woaaered how IN oouId ever
have cen good friends R7timss past.
Thay % longer spoke o each other.
If they met they would trng heir faces
s7yav without tfasleaa Gsognttian, !
All as Damon Aaa F%S~@s IA, appeared
a4 though they only Lacked the means
and opportunity in order to destroy
each other Their friends and ac-
luaintances observed the change, and
soon learning OF the intimacy Of the
young men at the house OF Miss Mari,
hey were not long in drawing the very
natural deduction that Jealousy was
1t the bottom OF this Giscord between
he two long-tried young friends. Of
course, there was nothing which other
PARTIES could do in the premises, how
yer much this state Of affairs might
,e regretted.
Miss Mari was a very sweet and ac-
girl Of eighteen, and no
he wondered that the gentlemen found
o much pleasure in her society. She
aw how bitter feeling she had been
he cause of creating between Harry
nd Frank, and, in her very delicate
nd sensitive nature, she deeply re-
retted it, and said to herself:
when | come to let them know '
-hich of them | prefer then the bitter
ate which now exists between them
ill all be transferred to the heart OF q
ne" :
This was very true .
The bitterness between the former fl
lends seemed to increase daily, until G.
nally meeting by themselves, they Ii
aliberately proposed to each other to r
EEK some quiet spot and TO settle n
leir pretensions to the hand of Miss n
arr with pistols. fl
This was but a few years since, S,
hen resort to the duel in England a.
as scarcely heard of, But so much in tt
Lrnest were these rivals that they d
greed to this plan, selected the spot ci
r the purpose, and made, very Sc.
city the necessary arrange ments. b.
hen, by some mistake all was discov- fo
ed, they we're brought before the To- &C
! court and put under heavy bonds bl
respect the laws ard to behave til
emselves properly, This ended the pc
opposed duel. though they had been 81
lite in earnest. cl
The families Of Osgcod and Cum ye
Ings lived in outlying cottage houses ev
the suburbs of Bristol. and not far All
parated from each other, all the 9TH til
members of these families being on he
e best of terms. Sc
One morning the neighborhod be- VIZ
me very much excited over the fact &c
At Frank OsgoOd was missing. The Jul
ndow Of his room was open and
" near the ground, by which means al
tain tracks indicated that ne had
t his fathers house He had taken /
hing away with him except the to
thes he usually wore, so far as could COZ
discovered, and after whole days Inc
rch for him the matter Of his sud OBJ
disappearance began to look quite ma
ious. leg
ieneath the window by which young ins