The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-11-26
CHAPTER XIV.
I Am Forced Into Being q Hero.

II a haNt At0 ~
want TO be looked upon as a nero
Far from, patting myself on the back or hold
ing my chin a little higher because OF tha
set-to in my baronial halls, ! confess TO d
feeling Of shame. In my study, where Inc
efficient Blatchford put arnica ana bandases
On nv swollen knuckles, I solemnly declared
in the presence Of those who attended inc
clinie-(my entire establishment was there
to see that 1 had the proper attention anu
to tell me how happy they were that ~
wasn't any worse i say, declared 70 an
OF them that | was an unmitigated 1901 ana
underserying Of the slightest mead OF praise.
They insisted upon making a hero OF me-
and might have succeeded, had not the III
comparable Britton made the discovery thst
the Counts revolver was not loaded SUI"
they vociferated, | could not have known
that at the time OF the encounter nor WAS
il at all likely that the Count qnew 1t MN
sell.
confess to an inward and shameless
rlory however in the realization that l had
heen able to punch tie head Of the man wh'
had lived with and abused that ioVeiy crea'
,ure upstairs. He had struck her on moie
than one occasion, | had 1t from nei o"n
]ips. Far worse than that, ne hau hissei
her. But Of course ! had not Khockeu MN
down for that. ! did it because II was
simpler than being knocked down m!se,i'
The worst feature OF the whole UNHAPPY
husi,ose was the effect it was likely to have
upon my commonly paciiic NATURE 49,
fore I had avoided physical encounters, NOT
hocause I was afraid OF the result, but PC
corso hate brutal, unseientifc manifesto
liens Of strength. Now, to my surprise i
found that II was a ridiculously easy matter
40 tnock n man down and end the squaopie
IN short order. thereby escaping a great ue",
In the shane of disgusting denominations anu
coming off victorious with nothing more Vi'as
IN Tho wav Of wounds that = couple oil nfulsea
lrrcLles mo doubt, with practice, one eouiN
even avoid having his knuckles barkeo.}
Was If not probable, therefore that my
babitusl tendency to turn away ~ra'h VIZ
a soft answer might suffer a more Oh ies,
.oncr;narv shock Now that had iouhi
~ haw simple it was, would | not be saus'
lied 10 let my good right hand sesue US
mites for me--with uniform certainty "
aesnatch Heaven is my witness thas : na
No desire to be regarded as a oruiser. l nops
that It may never fall to my iot 70 "sa,n
knock a man down. But II It sneuia . y
sow 7 also wish to record the nope that INV
- y husband who has mistreated
his wife. , ,+or
r, no course Of Blatchford's ministratiohs
7 mas reraled with eloquent descriptions OIL
mo manner in which my late adversary tooh
his denarture from the castle. lie went ior'I
auirr enseance, calling down upon my hea
III mo maledictions he could lay his tongue
=. ,rd darkly threatening to have me dr'Ven
ont of the country. | was not 70 eApe,e a
call from his seconds. He would not supmi'
bis friends to the indi entities they were surf
IN onconnter at the hands Of a barbarian o'
Wv ,vrs But. lust the same, would neal
from him. | would regret the day, etc, eve
mad forgotten Mr.. Bangs, the lawyer
s;,t;,y alone in my study. late IN the al'er
noon. smoking a solitary pipe OF peace, ~
hammered him-the man with the Top ou''ol
of What had become OF him. MS p1esenr,
for accurately, his absence. suddenly ioone
nm before me as the forerunner Oh = ii un
va,come invasion Of my preserves. ne was
no doubt, a sort OF advance asen. :. ~.
m.ns T,m;lv and its immediate ramificatlons
- as I was on the point Of starting on
ta ;rou;r;es concerning him. there CANE
~ wv ears the sound Of tapping on the oacf
- pad Ludwig's portrait. Not until tneF
s;a IL orcur to me that / had been waiting
tor two bours for that simple manifestation o.
,n,.rost and curiosity from the regions ABOVE
= r,shed over and raped resoundlnsil
rron Ludwig's pudgy knee. The next lns,ah
.here was a click and then the secret 400,
SWING open, revealing tho eager coneefhe'
face Of my n~eighbor. -.
..What has happcnedf" she cried,
lifted her out Of the frame. her saz'
tall mon the bandagcd fist. +,
..Mr Bangs spoke Of . pistol. Don't tel
me that he-he shot you'll
held up my swollen hand rather pfouoi!
II smelled vilely Of arnica. -,
."This wound was self-inflicted, my dea'
/. nonntcss.n I said, thrilled by her expression
A. concern. IT had the exquisite pleasure
and pain-of knocking your former husoan'
',Ob. splendid!'' she cried, her eyes CLEAN
inr with excitement. "Mr. Bangs was ratne
hagy about it, and he would not let me rs'
telenhoning. You knocked Maris DOWN.
iiEmphaticaIly,'' said /.
She unused. II think II Is the first tim
a has ever happened TO him, How-how d'
he like it,
'.lt appeared to PROSTATE him"
She smiled understardingly. Il am ga
you did 1t, Mr.. Smart =.
at I remember correctly, you once SAL
that he had struck you, Countess
Her face flushed. Eyes, On three separat
occasions he struck me in the face with hi
omen hand. II testified to that effect a
the trial. Every one seemed to look upon