Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-02-13

member that q target plate had been
placed at one end Of the walk. Front
| ing it at the other was rustic bench,
| placed against the wall. When Fa-
brice and Pierrepont arrived in front
of the target plate, to place heir tar
| get, they perceived Beatrice seated up
| on the bench: she was working at
| taspetry.
The two men exchanged glances.
They both knew that the yoke-elm
walk was a favorite place of prone
made and retreat for Beatrice. There
| fore, they were not surprised TO see
her there; they believed, as they had
| cause to believe, that it was by mere
| chance that she was there. But her
presence during the scene which was
| preparing to be enacted had tragical
character which they both felt pro-
! foundly. At the same time she assum-
| ed Discrimination of countenance and
! Of language that at such time was
as distressing as it was necessary.
Beatrice, however, sustained by the
| very horror of the crisis and by her
| to work with her needle with calm
| appearance, and it was with her ha-
| bitual smile that she gave to Pierre
! pont her salute upon rendering him
her hand.
"a beautiful day." said she, "is it
not?"
eyes, a true summer day-as you
see, We are going to have match Fa-
brice and l."
"Ah! which of you is the better
shot?"
Pierrepont made a gesture of I'M
certainty.
I'VE are going to see," said he,
smiling.
Fabrfce placed the walnut box of
arms and a package of cartridges up
on the bench by his side.
The arms which they were going to
use were Flobert pistols Of the larg-
est calibre The targets, according
to custom, were divided into a certain
number of circles around bulls eye,
the middle was black and the outer
part white. The distance was the
| length of the walk, that is to say
about twenty-five PAGES.
Before Beatrice, who was profound
ly attentive under her appearance of
inattention, they finally finished their
| arrangements. Each was to fire seven
shots at will, two each twice in sue
| cession, and at the third time each
was to fire three in succession. Each
| division of the target struck by the
marksmen indicated the number of
points according to custom, and lnd1-
Gated besides upon the cardboard. The
circle at the greatest distance from
| the center was one point, the bulls
eye was seven.
A coin tipped in the air gave Fa-
brice the right to shoot first He then
commenced to fire and put the two
first shots inside the second circle.
Pierrepont, less adroit and less
happy, lost one shot in board, the
other grazed the cardboard. The first
round assured Fabrice of four points,
and a single one to the Marquis.
you are playing, I believe" said
the painter.
mot at all" said PierrepOnt.
In the second round Fabrice lodged
| his two shots within the third circle.
| Pierrepont following him made two
each time. Fabrice had ten to five.
The third round gave him a still more
considerable advance; the three, shots
made twelve points. He then had
| twenty-five to five.
Pierrepont with a disquieted ap-
pearance, a sort of discouraged non
chaIence, made ready to fire his
| three last shots, he aimed his pistol
when a slight chill made him turn
around. He then met the glance OF
Beatrice, who looked at him with
such an expression that he was
moved to the bottom of his heart He
instantly comprehended that she I'M
derstood all. She knew all, and that
hopeless, lost, supplicating, imperious
look, begged him and ordered him to
live and to save himself for her.
Never had her dark beauty had such
powerful fascination. He took his
place again, took a long aim and fired.
With the two first shots he pierced
the little black circle which surround
ed the bulls eye; the third ball
struck the bulls eye itself. He had
made nineteen points-he had then
twenty-five to Fabrice's twenty-five.
Fabrice was doomed.
The smoke from the last shot was
not dissipated when a sound of violent
laughter sounded in the ears of the
stupefed men, Beatrice suddenly
arose, her eyes staring as though
lighted by insanity; she mumbled
some unintelIgible words, then
laughed again in a broken laughter,
wild and so continued that it seemed
to be repeated and prolonged over the
fields in a sort of sinister echo.
Seeing her wavering, Fabrice sus-
tanned her and softly pushed her to
the bench. Little by little her laughing
ceased she moved with a slight con-
vulsion and tainted.
she heard US" the painter MUIR
INJURED, as though talking to himself.
He turned toward Pierrepont, who,
a couple of PAGES away, stood motion
| less and as pale as death.
7 beg of you, Monsieur, TO leave
u.s." said he.
Pierrepont made a gesture of hest
tation and pointed toward Beatrice
who had fallen inert upon the bench.
DO you think me capable" said the
/ ,o;r+or ..pf miStreat;ng n woman,