Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1910-09-01
IN A SPIRIT OF
MISCHIEF
By SHIELA ESTHER DUNN
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

e 'Oh. annty. l'm vexing himP
5 Don't do it,"
n 4 young girl sat at the feet OF a wo
d man - ninety. The tender curves In
@ the face OF tae one cUnirusted strongly
\ with the wrinkles OF the other. who
r was her t-great-grandaunt. The
= one was OF The early twentieth cen.
q fury. the other of the early nineteenth.
a, When was your age" the old wo-
man continued after pause. General
Jackson was president. He was a
great lighting man. and since he not
only fought the enemies of his cOun-
try, but his own enemies. his example
affected every one. He fought a duel
with and killed young married man
who said something disagreeable about
his wife. always thought she was
no saint. but the romance of it fired a
young friend of mine. Albert Steven
son, and lie was constantly looking for
some girl on whom TO practice Jack
sons knight prrantry
Il was accepting the attention of a
yonng Virgniau. Fitz Hugh Fairfax.
He was remarkably handsome man
and full of real chivalry. not the spuri-
Gus kind affected by many others. He
was devoted to me. and | loved him
desperately.
But our southern girls had the same
romantic ideas as the young man. We
thought 1t a fine thing TO tiirt with
two or three men and at last give our
Calxno m
TO play Don Quixote in our defense
| was at the time playing a game with
both Albert Stevenson and Fitz Hugh
Fairfax. ] had one other string to my
bow. but | have forgotten his name.
And yet at one time thought should
marry him. oh. dear. how ones mem
DRY fails after so many years!
"One day ! was walking In the gar
den with Fairfax. We sat down on |
bench under tree. Stevenson called. |
and they told him | was in the gar |
den saw him leave the house and |
come toward u.s. Fairfax was turned |
away from him. | am sure Fairfax
was about TO propose to me. He was
bending over me with his face near to
mine. Suddenly | jumped up, assum-
ing an offended appearance. At the
same time Stevenson Joined us.
He asked Fitz Hugh what it all
meant. Very red in the face. he told
Stevenson to ask me. Stevenson turn
ed to me. and |. acting under the guild
ance of the spirit of deviltry that was
in me. said never word, but walked
to the house.
IL was no sooner on the gallery than
it occurred TO me that some real trou-
Bile might come out of my freak. and,
returning to the young men. | told
them that there was nothing of mo- {
ment between Mr.. Fairfax and me
and they were to consider the matter ! I
is not having happened. Then when
Fairfax gave me that cold, contemptu-
)uS look. which ! can see at this very |
moment. my blood ran cold | knew
le had loved me. that loved him and t
hat had lost him. Q
Neither of the young men spoke. As L
had nothing more to say and influ- d
need by the look Fitz Hugh had given $
ne. ! went away, leaving them togeth- b
r. | made second mistake in doing
his, but | couldn't remain where Fitz Y
iugh was after that look. wished II
o go TO my room and weep. There t
Tas more TO weep for than the loss of h
is respect, and no man can really love o.
woman without that. 1t did not oc- W
ur to me that after | had exonerated "
i'm there would be any trouble be- Il
veen him and Stevenson. OF
II lay awake that night till dawn and Il
len fell asleep. | awoke late in the &c
loruing and went downstairs into the W
ming room. al
Las "A massey, Missy Imogen.' said M
1r table servant, have yo' heerd de ct
awsY nc
mo said. What is itY W
" Mars Stevenson and Mars Fitz
ugh fought a duel dis mawnin' befo' be
lnup, an Mars Fitz Hugh killed W
ars' Stevenson. hs
Il sank on the floor in a swoon. nc
ut was long time before | recover lie,
from an attack of brain fever. l re-
'vered from the fever. but that's all
have recovered from to this day. in
"Fftz Hugh never came TO see me or, m,
49, - NNhAh IL dShth lpi llts ] lie
knew that in my needless act and W,
! result ! had fixed a great gulf be- m,
'eeu him and me. He went back to .
rginia. He never married, nor did 60
But we never met again. tbi
"A friend of both parties told me 81
hat had happened after | left the 7
o young men. Stevenson assumed rvi
lt had exOnerated Fitz Hugh be- opt
use | was magnanimous and did not vo
sh TO make trouble. lie posed as ba,
: defender and sent a challenge to nj,
, man who had insulted me. In tbo
lied me. In another moment be bo
'uld have asked me to be his wife. bo
ey fought with pistols. and at the sbo
It shot Fitz Hugh bad fred in the y
. Stevenson then made some irri- 5or
ing remark. whereupon Fitz Hugh 9
'ue Se'ouu Sto' uau Sought 10 wing She