Connecticut western news., 1910-07-14
IN A SPIRIT OF MISCHIEF By SHIELA ESTHER DUNN Copyright, 1910. by American Press
 Association.

l DOn 0O It.
 A young girl sat at the feet of wo- man of ninety. The tender curves in the face of the one centrasted strongly with the wrinkles of the other, who was her great-Great-grandaun The one was of the early twentieth cen tury, the other of the early nineteenth. When 1 was your age." the old wo- man continued after a pause, General Jackson was president He was a great fighting man, and since he not only fought the enemies Of his coun- try, but his own enemies, his example affected ev>ey one. He fought a duel with and killed a young married man who said something disagreeable about his wife. l always thought she was no saint, but the romance of 1t fred a young friend Of mine, Albert Steven son. and he was constantly looking for some girl on whom to practice Jack sons knight errantry.
 'I was accepting the attention of a young Virginian. Fitz Hugh Fairfax. He was a remarkably handsome man and full of real chivalry, not the spuri-
 
 was devoted to me. and I loved him desperately
 But our southern girls had, the same romantic ideas as the youRg man. We thought 1t a fine thing to fart with two or three men and at lest give our selves te some suitor whe was ready to play Don Quixobe in oMr defense. l was at the time playing a game with both Albert Stevenson and BStx Hugh Fairfax. I had one other Scsaag to my bow, but I have forgotten hfs name. And yet at one time I thon&kt should marry him. Oh dear how ones men- rory fails after so many yeenS!
 "One day l was walking In the gar den with Fairfax. We &at down on bench under tree. Stevenson called. and they told him wes ia the gar den. saw him lexvs the bonse and | come toward us. Fairfax waa turned away from him. am gEb FaiRfax was about to propose to ns. He was bending over me with his faee near to mine. Suddenly jumped up. Sssum- ing an offended appearance. At the same time Stevenson joined Hs.
 He asked Ritz Hugh what it all meant. Very red in the fsce. be toh Stevenson to ask Re Stevenson turn cd to me. and l. acting under the Suid- anee of the spirit of deviltry that was in me, said never word. bat walked to the house.
 'I was no sooner on the gallery than it occurred to me that sopze zeal trou- i, fyh oH1f of froa Ix nd returning to the young men. I told them that there WIS nethiug of mo- ment between MT. Fairfax and me and they were to consider the matter as not having happened. Then when T Fairfax gave me. that cold, contemptu- ous look. which can see at this very moment, my blood ran cold. I knew he had loved me. that loved him and that 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. l went away. leaving them togeth- CT. I made a second mistake in doing this, but I couldn't remain where Fitz Hugh was after that look. I 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 a woman without that. 1t did not oc- cur to me that after had exonerated him there would be any trouble be- tween him and Stevenson.
 'T lay awake that night till dawn and then fell asleep. I awoke late in the morning and went downstairs into the dining room.
 "'La's a nrassy, Missy Imogen, said our table servant, have 70 heerd de news?'
 No said What s fir
 "'Mars' Stevenssn and Mars Fftz Hugh fought duel dis marw7H1a' befo' sunup. an' Mars Fitz Haea killed Mars Stevenson
 "I sank on the 6oer in a SwOon.
 Tt was long time bsfUe uecever- ed from an attack of brain fewer. re- covered from the fever. but that's all have recovered from to tssm Gay.
 "Fitz Hugh never came D sse me or. as far as l could learn, Sksd Sor nae. I knew that tu my heedfeea Sct and it's result l had fixed a GpeEx guf be- tween him and me. He wspt back to Virginia. He never maFrt@a. Hor dld I. But. we DeveC met again.
 "A friend of bssh parties tOld Hae what had happened after l left the two young men, Stevenson assumed that l had exouerated THrtE Hugh be- cause was magnanfnous and did not wish to make trouble. He posed as my defender and sent challenge to the man who had insulted me. h. suited me. In another 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 irri- tating remark. whereupon Fftz Hugh on the second shot had sought to wing his opponent By this shot he Uuin- tentionally killed his antagonist. By that one act l lost the, only man I ever loved. made him a murderer k,4