The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-11-02

In the woods and think over nv
problem. It was early summer and
went on foot. I carried a fowling-
piece with me in the hope that I
might raise partridge along the
way. Millicent was very fond of the
breast of partridge. 1t was still ear
ly afternoon when went out-along
the way we go to Absolom's camp
but down the gully you wanted to
follow that morning after you came
home. At the farther end of the
birches I flushed a couple of par
tridges and brought them down. I
went on and inspected the traps I
had set. I found them empty and
returned the same way had come.
AS I entered the birches, I came
upon a brood of partridge chicks
that kept running before me and
hiding under leaves and keeping the
woods alive with their ceaseless
chirping. / realized then that they
were the brood that belonged to the
brace of birds had bagged only an
hour before. I was sorry for them,
remember, even then"
He paused for long time, and
sigh of unutterable WEAKNESS
seemed to pass all through his body.
Autumn turned slightly and clung
TO his knees.
"It was there that Godfrey Lam
dor rode down upon me-" Jarvis
said at last. He had evidently been
drinking. / don't know what it was
that brought him down there just
then. He couldn't have known that
was there. No one knew. He
seemed surprised at first, and looked
at me as if he did not know me-
Then he got down from his horse
and came to where I was standing.
He confronted me with an insolance
that put me beside myself I shall
hear that taunting laugh of his to
my dying day-and into eternity. |
tried to quiet him, knowing that he
had been drinking, but it only an
gered him the more. When I turned
to go away from him, he stepped
suddenly in front of me and whipped
out his revolver. He told me he
could not go on living without Mill
cent-that it had to be either him or
me. 1t took me a minute or so to
understand what he meant. He was
actually challenging me to duel.
He looked magnificent as god as
he stood there instructing me with
cool arrogance what I must do.
Even then / did not believe that he
meant to go through with it. To
me it seemed an insane thing, even
in those days. Then he called me
something-it was an epithet that
not only involved my own honor
but Millicent's as well-and I struck
him. l struck him with all my
might. | wanted to kill him. He
lifted his hand quickly-the one with
the revolver in it-probably to guard
against the blow-perhaps to kill
me. / do not know what was in his
mind. I saw him fall face down.
wards-and l heard his gun explode
at the same instant-a sort of muf-
fled sound. / watched him then,
and waited for him to get up. But
he didn't rise. kneeled and turned
him over. Godfrey Landor was
dead"
Autumn's burning eyes were bur-
led against his knees, but no tears
came. The image behind her lids
seemed to have scared away all
emotion.
What did Immediately after
that I do not know" Jarvis contin-
ued. "My memory there is a blank
think I dragged his body to the
water to revive him if possible.
When I saw he was past all help, I
left him in the shallow water, face
downstream at the sound of the
shot. I looked around me and Won
dered what I should do. And in
the stiffness came only the chirp-
ing of the partridge chicks. turned
and ran out of the gully. When
reached the open, on the top of the
hill there where the trail turns east
ward to the sheep camp, I sat down
and thought of what I must do. /
became very calm. I soon knew
there was but one thing I could do.
If had gone to the authorities and
told my story-just as it all had
come about would probably not
have been believed I wouldn't have
minded that, although life meant
much more to me then than it does
now. What I did not want was that
the whole story involving Millicent
should be brought to light. So far
as anyone knew, Millicent and
were as happy together as we had
always been. For her sake as much
as for my own, think, I resolved
to say nothing about it to anyone. I
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