Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-05-31

fight with me for:" Sheldon's irrita'
tion was growing at the others per-
slstcncc. i've no quarrel with you
And what quarrel can you have with
me? have never intcrfered with you
You were my guest. Miss Lakeland Is
my partner. II you saw lit 10 make
love 10 her aud somehow failed TO sue.
ceed why should you want 10 fight with
me: This Is the twentieth century,
my dear fellow. and dueling went ont
OF fashion before you and were born. .
"You began the row." Tudor logged.
~ asserted. "You fired me out Of your
house. IL won't do. l tell you. You
started It. and / am going TO see It
through"
Sheldon smiled tolerantly and pro.
ceedcd to light cigarette.
There isn't any row. II takes two
to make n row. and !. for one. refuse
TO have anything TO do with such tom
foolery."
shes not your WIFE," Tudor contin-
ued, as though the other had not spo-
ken. "A fellow has the right to make
love to her unless she's your-well. per-
haps II was an error. after all, due to
ignorance. perfectly excusable. on my
part. might have seen It with half
an eve IL Id listened 10 the gossip on
the beach. All Guvutu and Tulagl
were laughing about IT, The pair OF
you trapped me into making fool OF
myself. How was to know that ev-
erythlng was not all right? You and
she acted as II everything We're on the
square. But my eyes arc open now.
Why. she played the outraged wife 10
perfection, slapped the transgressor
and fled to you. Pretty good proof Of
what all the beach has been saying.
Partners. Ell: 4 business partnership:
Cannon nay eye, that's what It is
Then 1t was that Sheldon struck out.
co"lly and deliberately. with all the
strength Of his arm. and Tudor.
caught on the jaw, fell sideways.
crumpling as he did so and crushing
chair TO kindling wood beneath the
weight Of his falling body. lie pulled
himself slowly TO his feet but did not
offer TO rush.
Now, will you fght:" Tudor asked
grlmly.
Sheldon made as II 10 repeat the
blow, hut Tudor. white Of face, with
arms hanging resistlessly at his sides,
offered no defense.
II don't mean fight with fists" he
said slowly. 81 mean to finish. 10 the
death. You're good shot with re.
volver and rife. So am J.. That's the
way We'll settle IT,"
PUT men don't act this way in real
life" Sheldon remarked
you'll find I'm pretty real before
you're done with me, I'm going to kill
you today. Speaking Of joan
please keep her name out Of it,"
Sheldon warned him.
"Oh, 60 ahead, knock me down. But
that won't close my mouth. You can
knock me down all day. but as fast as
/ get to my feet I'll speak Of Joan
again. Now. will you fight? I'll give
you a fair chance to kill me. but I'll
kill you before the days out. This
isn't civilization. It's the Solomon IS
lands. aud a pretty primitive PROPOSE
ton for all that. And two men and
one woman is an equally primitive
Well settle it in the good
old primitive way. can't insult you
know. You are too easy 60
ing or cowardly. or both. for that. But
I can narrate for you the talk Of the
beach-ah. that grinds you. doesn't it?
/ can tell you what the beach has to
say about you and this young girl run
ming plantation under u business
Stop" Sheldon cried. for the other
was beginning again TO vibrate and
before his eyes. You want
duel. I'll give 1t TO you. But It is ali
surd. What kind Of a duel shall 1t
be? There arc no seconds. What
weapons shall we use;"
ave often thought that the ideal
duel should be somewhat different
from the modern conventional one.
No seconds. Of course, and no onlOok-
Prs. The two principals alone are
necessary. They may use any weap- |
Dns they please, from revOlvers and
rifles to machine guns and pOmpOms. |
They start mile apart and advance |
on each other, taking advantage Of
rover, retrcating. clrcling. feintlng-
anything and everything permissible.
In short, the principals shall hunt each
other
Like n couple Of wild Indians"
Precisely cried Tudor. delighted.
You've got the idea. And Berande
s lust the place. and this Is Just the
light time. Miss Lakeland will be
aking her sicsta. and she'll think we
IRE. We've got two hours for II be-
lore she wakes. So hurry mn and come
IN. You start out from the BalcsunA.
md | start from the Berandc. Those
wo rivers are the boundaries Of the
plantation. aren't they? Very well
rhe field OF the duel win be the plan
alton. Neither principal must 80 out
tde Cts boundaries. Are you salts
icdY"