The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-07-19
Fire-Danp Wins
a Duel
BY MORRIS SCHULTZ

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Copyright. 1922. Western Newspaper Union
There was bad blood between Rafko
and Koyatz 1t really dated back to
the time when they were boys in lub.
lin together, and Anna lived next door
Then RafkO went to America and
Koyatz followed little later Anna
and Rafko had been sweethearts, but,
with Rafko out Of the way, kovatz
thought 1t would not be difficult TO win
the girl.
kovatz got Job In distant part
Of the country. AS he couldn't write,
be made Anna promise to be true to
him. When he came back, year
later Anna was gone. She had gone
TO America after her mothers sudden
death. That was why Koyatz fol-
lowed
America Is a large place, but Poles
stick pretty close together, and 1t was
not long before Kovatz located not
only Anna but Rafko also. Rafko had
job in the anthracite mines, and
Anna was cook for the boss wife.
Kovatz learned that they were en-
gagged to be married. 1t was old
Katherine who told him that. Old
Katherine made her living telling for
tunes and picking up bottles.
That was the cause of the bad blood
between Rnfko and Kovatz. Every one
knew about 1t. But they worked
amIcably enough In the mine. 1t was
only afterward, when they drank In
Abrahamovitch's saloon that they
quarreled
"She promised to be true to me-"
swore Kovatz. Nov | come to Amer
lco and find her engaged to you"
81 loved her before | came to this
country answered Rafko.
He flung a bottle at Kovatz, cutting
his cheek. Kovatz kicked Rafko In
the stomach with his hob-nailed boots,
Friends separated them. and after
that they never spoke Once Kovatz
had met Anna In the street, and she
stopped TO speak to him, but he hur-
rled past He had not said word
to her since his arrival In America.
Old Katherine had told him that Anna
ana Rafko were to be married al
Faster.
She had wanted to sell him a love
charm. too. but Kovatz had sworn NJ
her and gone away. He did not want
TO charm Anna he wanted to win her
love.
One day Kovatz and Rafko found
themselves working side by side In
a new chamber Of the mine. Their Job
was TO hew the coal In the seams and
send the trolley along the line. to the
weighers. Kovatz was mad with rage
at Rafko.
For long time they worked in
silence. Then Kovatz said:
well, why shouldn't we have It out
now7'
Rafko snarled and drew his knife.
Kovatz had meant with fists, but he
drew his knife too, and they circled
round each other. watching for the
moment to rush in.
1t was strange how long that
moment seemed to be in coming.
Kovatz began to see Rafko's face in a
mist He bllnked his eyes. He wanted
to clear that mist away before he felt
the others knife In his heart.
Suddenly he discovered that RafHo
was not there. Dimly he made out
Rafko's form upon the ground. And
as he wondered he felt a ringing In
his ears, he heard men shouting far
away-and then he knew.
II was the deadly fre-damp that
comes without warning. creeping In on
you til suddenly you fall and die
Kovatz staggered and fell upon his
knees beside Rafko. He saw his knife
lying beside him.
A wild thought came to him. II he
opened Rafko's shirt, and stuck the
point OF the knife into his heart, then
closed the shirt and buttoned the coat
and left Rafko lying there, It was
probable that the men who buried him
would not think very much about the
wound. 1t was a long, thin knife.
Kovatz picked It up-and then he
thought Of Anna, and how the tears
would come streaming out Of her eyes