Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-11-11
CHAPTER XVIjD,-Contjnued.

En- NV1UUs-NOnI10uSos
His thoughts plunged him into a
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 ever that the an.
preaching duel should be no slight af-
fair, but that if he 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 q
curious mode of reasoning Strathgate
chose to visit upon Darlington his
own i'll success with Lady Ellen. He
came to the conclusion that if Car
rington had not interfered, all would
Or course. in measure Darlington
was responsible for Strathgate's lack
OF success with Lady Ellen, for Ellen
devotedly and passionately loved her
husband; loved him still; loved him
perhaps never more than when with
jealous anguish she saw him in Lady
Cec1ly's arms. But if Darlington had
never crossed Ellen's course, Strath.
gate was not the kind of q 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 man like Strathgate.
SO soon as her eyes were opened, she
would have abominated him; and her
eyes, unfortunately for Strathgate, 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 Blythedales men to shaded
copplce by little brook half a mile
from the gate, Strathgate and Lord
Blythedale with surgeon, one from
the fleet 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 was not commensurate with the
title, and his seat and the park
surrounding it, and the wall, like
wise, were in state of wretched
disrepair. The place that he and
Strathgate had selected for the en-
counter was a level bit of sward
which Blythedale had caused to be
moved and rolled the afternoon be-
fore. 1t was shaded from the morn
ing sun by high trees. Neither com
Blatant could be Unanswered into an,
position to get the sunlight into his
eyes. On one side of the smooth hit
of turf ran a little brook, on the othe1
the spaces between the trees were
filled by a thick, almost impenetrablt
growth of underbrush. Although i
was already autumn, the leaves hat
not yet fallen, and the underground
which was 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 We're burning with cur
osity to see, themselves, the habit o
obedience was strong upon them, TO
Blythedale was rather heavy.hande
master, and they stayed where the
We're placed, their eyes resolutel
turned away from the encounter, keeI
ing earnest watch. We have hear
OF locking the door after the hors
had been stolen. This was q re
versal of that ancient practice, TO
the keepers were posted after tn
spectators had arrived.
The reader has OWNED, although
should IKE to keep him in suspense
that the spectators were Ellen an
Debbie. They were brought to tina
spot by the God of Chance, who has
habit of working most OPPORTUNITY il
accordance with poor author
plans.