Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-05-20

snoweu no bulge where a weapon
should be Nevertheless. Lawrence
did not draw his pistol.
'FBeing a strange among you gentle
men," continued the speaker. 81 would
be obleeged TO 20 II one Of 20 humble
would act 70 Captain Lawrence and
one 70 me. The SUI has not yet set,
and the twilight win be plenty long
enough for rs to settle ou' difficulty
befo' da'k"
Every man gaped at the speaker TIL
one Of them broke the spell by rising
and Offering his services 70 him Then
another said to Lawrence:
"Come. Ed; you'll have to crafty
the old fellow. and you'd better not
Try any OF your games Hes evident
II captivated the boys. and II you
shouldn't treat him fair you might get
into trouble You've done too many
wicked things already"
Lawrence rose without word BE
steadied himself by resting his hand
on the table. he was very pale.
whats the matter with you? Who
is the old manT"
Tive never seen him before" was
the only reply.
The six of them walked out Of the
saloon and down the road to patch
of level ground which had been re-
Gently cleared. The sun, blood red
ball. stood near the horizon. casting
fantastic shadows Of all the party.
Not a word was spoken by any one.
Though the day had been warm, the
air was pervaded by a chill. All no.
ticed that Lawrence seemed to feel 1t
especially. for he was shivering.
"What distance do you prefer, sirr'
asked the strangers second Of him.
THAT, sub, Is immaterial. Leave
the terms entirely with Captain Law
renee"
Make It what you like" said Law
renee, whose teeth were chattering,
much to the surprise OF the rest.
The seconds measured the ground
for thirty PAGES, then approached the
principals to relieve them of their
weapons and give them others. The
stranger bowed and said that he had
no weapon; he never went armed.
Lawrence's pistol was taken from
him, and both he and his antagonist
were given weapons borrowed from
among those present. Then they were
stood opposite each other.
1t seemed to those in attendance
that Lawrence was unable to with
stand the gaze of his antagonist The
two men were placed at either end of
the thirty PAGES, and the man who
was acting for Lawrence stood ready
to drop a handkerchief, at which the
principals were to advance, firing. Be
fore giving the signal he said:
perhaps one Of you gentlemen
would give up the cause OF this dill
Guilty"
He turned to the stranger, who made
no reply. His eye rested on his enemy
The speaker turned to Lawrence and
asked him If he had anything to say
by way of explanation. Lawrence
paid no heed to him.
Gentlemen. are you ready"
There was no reply from either of the
contestants
"Firer' and the handkerchief fioated
to the ground
A bullet from Lawrence's pistol went
high in the air. The stranger, without
firing. dropped his pistol and strobe
unarmed toward his antagonist, his
eyes, fiaring like two great stars, fixed
on Lawrence. AS he passed him Law
renee was heard to laugh. There was
something so uncanny about his laugh
ter that it froZe the blood Of those
looking on. The stranger passed right
by his antagonist Lawrence gave a
shrek and, springing into the air as
IL he had been shot. fell back into the
arms of his second.
Forgetting the stranger In the weird
scene, every man rushed toward Law
renee and bent over him. When they
looked up the former had disappeared.
All this happened many years ago.
Edgar Lawrence has long been an IN
mate of Iunatic asylum, and his case
has from the time Of his entry there
been considered hopeless. There are
in Virginia two graves side by side,
the one Of a father, the other Of his
daughter. The lot where they are
placed is all of the old manor house
grounds that remains unchanged. The
mansion stands out. grand and gloomy,
while the grounds are divided into
little patches, worked by hundreds of
negroes. And, singular enough, not a
man who witnessed that duel but died
a violent death. The only one OF the
party living is Edgar Lawrence, who
a.