The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-08-13
IN A SPIRIT OF
MISCHIEF
b. stE1A ESTHER DUNN
Copyright. lo1o. BY American Press
Association.

lob. aunty. I'm vexing him-
"Don't do IT,"
young girl sat at the feet Of a wo-
man of ninety. The tender curves In
the face Of Tue one contrasted strongly
with the wrinkles Of the other. who
was her great-great-grandau The
one was OF the early twentieth cen
tury. the other of the early nineteenth.
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
anected every one. He fought duel
with and killed d young married man
who said something disagreeabie about
bis wife. | always Thought she was
no saint. but the romance of it tired a
young friend of mine. Albert Steven
SOD. and be was constantly looking tor
some girl on whom to practice Jack
sons knight errantry
II was accepting the attention of a
young Vtrginian. Fitz Hugh Fairfax
He was remarkably handsome man
and full of real chivalry. not the sp,iri-
Gus kind affected by many others. He
was devoted to me. and I loved him
desperately.
"But our southern girls bad the same
romantic ideas as the young man. We
thought 1t 6ne thing to dirt with
two or three men and at last give our
selves to some suitor who was ready
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 l have forgotten his name
And yet at one time thought should
marry him. Oh. dear. how ones mem
ory fails after 30 many years!
Zone day ] was walking In the gar
den with Fairfax. We sat down on
a bench under a tree. Stevenson called
and they told him was in the gar
den. ! saw him leave the house and
come toward US. 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 l jumped up. ussum-
ing an offended appearance. At the
same time Stevenson Joined US.
HE asked Fitz Hugh whnt 1t 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 a word. but walked
to the -hossse.- -
II was no sooner on the gallery than
1t 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
as not having happened. Then when
Fairfax gave me that cold. cont emptu-
Gus look which ! eau see at this very
moment. my blood ran cold | knew
he had loved NE. that loved him and
that I had lost him.
Neither of the young men spoke. As
had nothing more to say and influ-
enced by the look Fitz Hugh had given
me. went away. leaving them togeth-
er. I made second mistake In doing
this. but ! couldn't remain where Fitz
Hugh was after that look. wished
TO go to my room and weep. There
was more to weep for than the loss of
his respect. and no man can really love
cur to me that after ! had eXonerated
him there would be any trouble be-
tween him and Stevenson.
II lay awake that night till dawn and
then fell asleep. l awoke late in the
morning and went downstairs into the
dining room.
LAS massy. Missy lmogen." said
our table servant. have yo' heerd de
news?
NO. | said What is it,?
MARS Stevenson and Mars FitZ
Hugh fought IA duel dis ma awnin befo'
sunup. an Mars. F'itz Hugh killed
Mars Stevenson
Il sank Oh the floor in swoOn.
1T was long time before recover
ed from an attack Of brain fever | re-
covered from the fever. but that's all
/ have recovered from to this day.
"Fitz Hugh never came to see ME or.
l knew that in my needless act and
its result ] had fixed great gulf be
tween MIN and me. He went back To
Virginia. He never Inarried. nor dia
|. But we never met again.
"a friend Of both parties told me
what had happened after | left the
twd young men. Stevenson assumed
that had exouerhted F'itz Hugh be
cause was magnanimous aud did not
wish to make trouble. He posed as
my defender and sent cha'lenge 70
the man who had insulted me IL
suited me. In anoIher moment he
would have asked me to be his wife.
They fought with pistols. and at the
first shot -Fitz Hugh had fired In the
air. Stevenson then made some 1rrl