The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-05-30

AAH AcIAo anu AIEhu llCcLcs anu
bright skies. Would they ever re-
turn? Would he himself return IN
scathed from this adyenture7 II was
by no e certain, for Strathgate
was a man Of proven courage; he had
demonstrated that. and his reputation
as a sword player was deservedly
high.
His thoughts plunged him into q
gloomy melancholy which Parkman, at
length perceiving. did his best to dis.
pei by gentle raillery and pleasant
conversation. Darlington pulled him.
self together, realizing that If he gave
way to his depression he would be in
no condition to meet Strathgate.
These gentle thoughts of his wife
did not in any way abate his enmity
toward the man whom he felt had SO
wronged and insulted him. He was
as determined as aver that the ap
preaching duel should be no slight af-
fair, but that If be could he would
kill Strathgate, and eliminate his pos.
sibilities Of evil forever from this
world.
And Strathgate had exactly the
same thought for Darlington. BY a
curious mode Of reasoning Strathgate
chose to visit upon Darlington his
own III success with Lady Ellen. He
came to the conclusion that if Car
rington had not %interfered, all would
have gone well with his love affair.
OF course, in a Measure Darlington
was responsible for S~trathgate's lack
OF success with Lady Ellen, for Ellen
deyotedly and ~passionately loved her
husband; loved him still; loved him
perhaps never more than when with
jealous anguish she saw him in Lady
Cecily's arms. But If Darlington had
never crossed Ellen's course, strath.
gate was not the kind Of a man that
would have appealed to her. Ellen
was too true, too simple, too direct in
her thoughts OF life to tolerate long the
affectations, the sentimentalities and
Impurities Of a man like S~trathgate.
So soon as her eyes were opened, she
would have a%bominated him; and her
eyes, unfortunately for S~trathgate, had
been opened the minute he turned to
the west when she would have east
ward gone. But, Of course, Strathgate
did not know this; that saving conceit
which keeps some men from despair
was his, and he blamed all his misfor.
tunes upon Darlington.
He, too, was early abroad. and
when the carriage drove through the
park gates and was directed by one
OF Lord Blythedale's men to a shaded
coppice by a little brook half a mile
from the gate, Strathgate and Lord
B~lythedale with a surgeon, one from
the feet named Nevinson, who was
known slightly to both men, were al
ready waiting on the ground.
Lord Blythedale was a man who
had gone the pace since he succeeded
to the title and fortune. The for
tune vas not commensurate with tn,
title, and his seat and the parl
surrounding it, and the wall, like
wise, were in a state of wretcheC
disrepair. The place that he ant
Strathgate had selected for the en-
counter was a level bit of swart
which Blythedale had caused to b.
moved and rolled the afternoon be
fore. 1t was shaded from the morn
ing u by high trees. Neither CON
blatant could be Unanswered into an,
position to get the sunlight into hi
eyes. On side Of the smooth bi
of turf ran a little brook, on the othe,
the spaces between the trees wer,
filed by a thick. almost impenetrablc
growth of underbrush. Although il
was already autumn, the leaves haC
not yet fallen, and the underground
which was a regular thicket, afforded
secure concealment for any observer
Blythedale had arranged, as h,
thought, that there should be no in
terruptions whatsoever, and early tina
morning he had posted his game
keepers in a circle some distance
away from the dueling ground with in
structions to let no one pass. Al
though they were burning with curl
osity to see, themselves, the habit O
obedience was strong upon them, 70,
Blythedale was rather a heavy-handeC
master, and they stayed where the
were placed, their eyes resoluteh
turned away from the encounter, keep
ing earnest watch. We have hearC
Of locking the door after the hors,
had been stolen. This was a re
yersal Of that ancient practice, foI
the keepers we're posted after thc
spectators had arrived.
The reader has OWNED, although
should like to keep him in suspense
that the spectators were Ellen an(
Debbie. They were brought to thai
spot by the God of Chance, who has 4
habit of working most OPPORTUNITY II
accordance with a poor author;
plans.
BY some instinct, for which she
never ceased 20 be thankful, Ellen hat
put their boat on the right course
when she hofsted the sail and Gran