Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-21

puff at his cigar and blew the smoke
towards the house as he looked again
up the walk. One familiar with the
tricks of Wrinkles sallow face might
have found a hint Of uneasiness there
as Ronald caught his eye and held II
steadily for second.
"There Is a matter that you and !
must settle, sir" said our hero, calmly,
For a moment Winkle gazed almost
defiantly at the speaker, then his glance
wavered just little.
"A matter that you and must set
tle?" he echoed, with o faint sneer
land what is that, my good fellow"
"You deliberately drove your horses
against me last night in the road and ]
have come to demand satisfaction"
The officer sent another glance up the
walk towards the house; It was as II he
were hoping some one would arrive to
prevent what seemed inevitable. He
did not like the expression Of the face
before him; he dreaded the awful
tranquility of 1t.
He removed his cigar from his lips
and held 1t In his fingers, that qulvered
nervously. =
'T don't want to have trouble with
you," he said. ID
"Then you should not have driven
over me-" answered Ronald, "for moth
Ing under high heaven can avert the
consequences of that cowardly act"
I'll am not good driver, Mr.. Fen
shawl believe that is your name, sir.
Just as I passed your brother my hand
slipped, and" :.
"You are a deliberate liar!" Ronald
interrupted him.
Wrinkle started, paled q little and
made a half threatening gesture with
his right hand, but as he gazed into
our hero's eyes his arm sank slowly
down to his side and he made lame
pretense Of trying to restrain his an
ger. "A
"You must not use insulting words to
me-" he said.
Ronald smiled. "You would not be
10 inartistic as to deny that you lied,
Wrinkle, but the fact that you tacitly
admit you are q liar does not satisfy
me. I tell you we have got to settle
this matter right here and now"
II don't know what you mean," Win
kle found himself saying. II do not
want any trouble with you. I've said
that the-the thing was an. accident.
and"
"And I have said that It was not an
accident, and that l will fight you or
have the satisfaction Of knowing you
are a coward. If you are coward !
would not soil my hands with you."
Wrinkle was very white now; his ci-
gar fell from his lips and he caught II
against his breast. ~ am unarmed,
and" Che looked Ronald over again)
you are physically stronger than !
am"
Thereupon Ronald drew the two re-
volvers from his pockets and held them
out. ~ thought that pistols would be
fair" he said. "You may take your
choice; they are practically the same.
This is q quiet place; we can have it
over in few minutes. have thought
out a plan that will be perfectly fair
to both of us. The plantation bell will
ring in a few moments; We can get
ready and at its first stroke we may
turn and fire till the revolvers are
empty or one Of US Is down."
Wrinkle stared fixedly.
"Why, that would be deliberate mur-
der" he gasped, shrinking back step
or two from the extended revolvers.
ut would not be any more murder
than death in any duel would be. Capt.
Wrinkle. If you do not fight l shall
know that you are a coward. sir"
Then an idea was born in the officers
almost benumbed brain.
~ cannot fight IA man in your po-
sition in-in life." he said. Surely you
know what Is considered proper"
Ronald's face grew purple with sup
pressed rage.
do you mean 10 tell me that you
may drive a carriage over a man in q
public road and then resort to such a
petty subterfuge to get around the con-
sequences? Capt. Wrinkle, would
strike you in the face II could keep
from feeling that l was striking a
baby"
Wrinkle gave furtive glance towards
the house. He looked slightly relieved
NJ If he thought by the tacit confession
of cowardice he was going TO escape a
duel, which he feared quite as much
as death itself.
"You may think what you please Of
me-" he said, "but am not willing TO
fight a duel with you-of course. coll
sidering all the circumstances"
81 see your plan, Wrinkle, "said Ron.
aid. "You have insulted me in the pres.
ence Of others, and II you avert troubls
with me. you leave the witnesses under
the impression that I yielded to the
lndignity without murmur. That, l
see, l must bear; but assure you, In
your refusal to fight me, you have re-
lieved my mind. for no coward can ip-
suit me-"
Wrinkle began to breathe more free
ly; he even allowed defiant smile to
play about his lips as he took 9 match
from his pocket and relighted his cigar.
"As you please" he said, with slight
suggestion of q sneer. 81 cannot fight
YOU"
"But l am not through with you,"
Ronald burst out, flaming up again.
"You are an officer in the pay Of my
He had taken a penknife
from his pocket when he restored the
revolvers TO their places, and he now
deliberately grasped VIM les coat and
cut off the top button.
what are you doing?" gasped the
officer, pulling back.
Taking a frmer grasp on the lapel,
Ronald jerked the captain back to
where he had stood. "Stand still" he
"You are unfit TO wear the
uniform Of any country. You'd make
a gallant soldier In time OF need, would
mt you?"
Without another word Winkle stood
still and allowed Ronald to sever from
bis coat his buttons and shoulder straps.