The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-15
IN A SPIRIT OF
MISCHIEF
By sHlELA ESTHER DUNN
Copyright. 1910 BY American Press
Association.

A young girl sat at the feet OF wo.
man OF ninety. The tender curves in
the face of the one contrasted strongly
with the wrinkles OF the other. who
was her great great-grandannt. The
one was OF the early twentieth cen.
fury, the other OF the early nineteenth
when | was your age" the old wo.
man continued after a pause. .General
jackson was president lie was
great lighting man. and since be not
only fought the enemies OF his coun.
Try, but his own enemies. bis example
affected every one. lie fought duel
with and killed young married man
who said something disagreeable about
bis wife. ! always thought she was
no saint. but the romance OF it nred
young friend OF mine. Albert Steven
son. and be was constantly looking for
some girl on whom to practice Jack
sons knight errantry
Il was accepting the attention of a
young virginian. Fitx Hugh Fairfax
He was remarkably handsome man
and full OF real chivairy. not the spuri.
ous kind affected by many others. He
was devoted to me. and loved MIN
desperately.
But our southern girls bad the same
romantic ideas as the young man. We
thought 1t ine thing 20 dirt with
two or three men and at last give our
selves to some sutton who was ready
90 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. bow ones mem
DRY fails after so many years!
Zone day was walking In the gar
den With Fairfax. We sat down on
q bench under 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 jumped up. assum
Ing an offended appearance. At the
same time Stevenson Joined u.s.
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
Hnce OF the spirit Of deyiltry that was
"a me. said never a word. but walked
TO the house.
Il was no sooner on the gallery than
It occurred to me that some real trou.
bic might come out Of my freak. and.
returning to the young men. | told
them that there was nothing Of mo-
ment between Mr. Fairfax aud me
and they were to consider the matter
as not having happened. Then when
Fairfax gave me that cold. contemptu-
Dns look, which / can see al this very
moment, my blood ran cold knew
be had loved me. that loved him and
chat had lost him.
Neither OF the young men spoke. As
had nothing more to say and iniu-
enced by the look Fitz Hugh had given
me, went away. leaving them togeth-
eli. ! made a second mistake In doing
this. but couldn't remain where Fitz
Hugh was after that look. wished
70 20 to my room and weep. There
was more to weep for than the loss Of
his respect. and 20 man can really love
woman without that. II did not oc-
nnr to me that after had exonerated
him there would be any trouble be-
tween him and Stevenson.
n Law awake that night till dawn and
fhen fell asleep. | awoke late In the
morning and went downstairs into the
dining room.
LAS a massey, Missy Inogen. said
our table servant. have yo' heerd de
newsT
No I said. What Is It'll?
".Mars' Stevenson and Mars Fitz
Hugh fought duel dis mawnin' befo'
gunup. an Mars FiE Hugh killed
Mars Stevenson
4i.I sank on the door in a swoon.
at was long time before ! recover
"a from an attack of brain fever. re-
covered from the fever but that's all
Ishaye recovered from 70 i day,
"Fitz Hugh never came see me or
as far as could learn, asked for me
knew that in my needless act and
its result had fixed a great gulf pc
tween him and me- He went back g
Virginia. He never married, nor dld
Y But we never met again.
"A friend Of both parties told me
what had happened after ! left the
rwo young men. Stevenson assumed
that / had exonerated Fitz Hugh pc
rause was magnanimous and dld no.
wish to make trouble. He posed az
my defender and sent challenge %
the man who had insulted me IN
sulted me. In another moment p
would have asked me 10 be his wire
They fought with pistols. and at ths
first shot Fitz Hugh had hreu 70 in'
az Stevenson then made some Ifrl
fat,nr remark, whereupon Fitz Hugt
IN the second shot bad sought TO wins
Ma opponent BY this shot ne unin
fentionally killed his antagonist.
~By that one act lost the only mar
IN ever loved. made him a murderer
with sting upon his conscience, cans
cd the premature death Of one wh'
loved me and have lived for three
quarters of a century under blight.
"No. no. dear. don't yex your lover
Many a pair OF young lovers have beei
separated and their lives turned awrl
BIZ spirit of mischief Cd the part y
sSs osrI Rat mine Is the worst Of all