The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-01-22
HIS PROOF
OF COURAGE.

me-
But no one has insulted you.'
Some one might. then what woulS
! do for PROTECTOR
Phil left her much depressed, ant
when a man Is depressed about biz
love affairs It either takes away his
appetite or makes him hungry. Il
made Phil hungry. He started for 1
restaurant, picking up his friend Sid
ney Searle by the way, to whom he
told his troubles. Searle told him that
the proper thing for him to do under
the circumstances was to find some
means Of showing his prowess. The
friends went into cafe and ordered d
brace Of chops and a toby OF ale for
each. At table near by were several
young men in evening dress RECALLING
themselves with oysters and cham
payne.
phil" said Sidney, shat fellow with
a molasses candy mustache is staring
at you"
What do you think I'd better do?"
go up to him and tell him that
you'll give him a chance to stare at
you over the muzzle of pistol
Phil reluctantly dragged himself
from his chair and went through the
required performance. Cards were ex-
changed, the offenders pasteboard
bearing the name OF Harold Llttlefeld.
He explained that he thought Phil was
an acquaintance of his, but the ex-
PLANTATION was not accepted, and Sidney
took 1t upon himself to arrange for
meeting. The principals were to fight
at G O'Clock the next morning at q
lonely spot few miles out Of town
on the bank of the river
Phil went home and TO bed. first set.
ting his alarm clock He went to
sleep at 3 o'clock, and the alarm went
Off at 4. 1t is hard to conceive OF any
thing more uncomfortable than being
Weakened before daylight by rasping
sound 10 the consciousness Of having
to go out in the raw air to be shot at.
Phil got up languidly, dressed himself
slowly and started for the dueling
ground. The nearer he approached it
the weaker grew his resolution The
result was that o'clock found him
half mile from the appointed spot
sitting on log looking very disconso-
late.
Then he was seized with a curiosity
TO go and, unobseryed, take look at
the place and see how his friend and
hta nvn,,1v- t.,4F~ Itc atcn,o1 c. 10
got up and trudged on, stopping at
place where he could overlook the field
from behind tree. He saw the two
seconds walking back and forth to
keep off the morning chill but there
was not a principal in sight 1t oc-
Cured to Phil that Harold LittIefeld
was as averse to being shot as himself. |
Here was the chance Of lifetime.
Phil determined to hurry down to the
seconds. truInping up by the way an
excuse for being late, and buster
about the absence Of the man who had
agreed to fight him.
Mr.. Littiefield had suffered the same 1
disinclination as Phil to having the
warm blood let out Of his body on
cold morning. He had halted in a
wood on the side Of the field opposite
to where Phil was In hiding and. see
ing that his enemy had not appeared,
resolved to 60 down and claim vic
tory by default. BY a curious coin
in time the two men started
forward at the same moment. unfor
tunately they caught sight Of each 9th
er when 1t was too late to retreat
Both stopped and stared. Both half
turned as If to flee. then simultaneous
II dragged themselves forward.
The seconds looked at them sternly
ana asked the cause of their delay
Both gave very lame excuses, but so
long as they were there to shoot each
other the rest was unimportant. The
seconds proceeded to get all in readi
ness. pacing Off the ground and look
Ing to the condition Of the weapons
whats the distanceY faltered Phil
IN whisper to Sidney.
Twenty paces," replied his second
"Can't you make it fortyf"
"I11 see"
Sidney marched up TO the opposing
second and asked the wishes Of his
as the challenged party con
.erning the distance
my principal says sixty PAGES" re-
Piled the second
Sidney went back to Phil and report
q the result.
s'Try for eighty" said Phil.
'.Eightyl Nonsense
phi insisted. and Sidney went back
III succeeded in arranging for eighty
fes on the ground that his man was
sighted The men were placed IN
S klon, and sidney was about TO give !
algnal for firing when a clatter Of 8
s hoofs was heard on the road !
Ia the rise from which PHI had
sEd TO claim a bIoodless victory
aext minute a girl on horseback
aFer the rise and. seeing the men
3 tion to shoot at each other gave
ek. Riding between them, she
s. bin. She was Stella Hopkins.
Is impossible that the duel should
sE0 PHI threw down his pistol
e AAaeh greatly aggravated. the OPP \
parties looked relieved, while t
nH Searle turned his back and E
No one ever knew how Miss y
6s became aware Of the intend !
= keting except herself and Mr.
and he would not tell because
n by his connfvanee. After the
|zaeIbais had left the field be dis
Isfzsa one Of the pistols at tree
PAGES distant ana found the ball
s ~ ground at the foot Of the tree.