Year: 1870

his head might have appeared to then
rather more erect. He walked to tn,


table at which they were sitting, ant


with that air of digniiied cslmness


which is q thousand times more terrible


than wrath, drew card from his peck
ct, and presented it with perfect civility


to the offender, who could do no less


than offer his own in return. While


the stranger unclosed his surtout, to


take the card from his pocket, they had
glance at the undress coat Of u militia
ry man. The card disclosed his rank.
and brief inquiry ut the bar was sutfi-
cient for the rest. He wac eapt"in
whom i'll health aud long service had
entitled to half pay. In earlier life he
had been engaged in several affairs Of
honor, aud, in the dialect Of the fancy,
was dead shot. The next morning a
note at the aggressors residence, con
tanning challenge, IN form, and one OF
the cherry stones The truth then
flashed before the challenged party-it
was the chaliengers intention to make
three bites at this stherry-three separate
affairs out of this unwarrantable fro!ic
The challenge was accepted, and the
challenged party,in Difference to the
challdnger's reputed skill with the pis
tol, had half decided upon the small
swords; but his f.iends, who were OH the
alert, soon discoyeaed that the captain,
who had risen by his merit, had, in the
earlier days Of bis necessity, gained his
bread as an accomplished instructor in
the use of that weapon.


They met, and fired alternately, by
lot-the young man had selected this
mode, thinking he might win the first
fire-he did-tired, and missed his op-
ponent. The captain 'evelled his pis
tol and fired-the ball passed through
the flap Of the right ear, and grazed the
bone, and, as thewounded man involun-
tarily put his hand to hat place. he re-
membrred that it was on the right ear
of his antagonist that the cherry stone
had fallen. Here ended the first lesson.
e
ished the hope that he would hear
nothing more from the captain, when
another note-a challenge, Of course
and another of those accursed cherry
stones arrived, with the captains
apology, on the score Of i'll health, for
not sending it before.


Again they met-tired simultaneous.
ly, and the captain, who was unhurt.
shattered the right elbow Of his antag-
onist-the very point upon which he
had been hit by the cherry stone; and
here ended the second lesson. There
was something awfully impressive In
the modus operandi and exquisite skill
of his antagonist The third cherry
stone WAS still in his possession, and the
aggressor had not forgotten that it had
struck the offending gentleman upon
the left breast. A month had passed
another-another-an another of terri
ble suspense; but nothing was heard
from the captain. Intelligence had been
received that he was confined to his
lodgings by illness.


At length the gentleman who had
been his second in the former duels,
presented himself, and rendered another
note, which, as the recipient perceived
on taking it, contained the last of the
cherry stones. The note was super
scribed in the captains we'l-known
hand, but it was the writing, evidently,
Of one who wrote feebly. There was an
unusual solemnity, also, in the manner
of him who delivered it, The seal was
broken. and there was the last cherry
stone in a blank envelope.


"And what, sir, am to understand
by this?' inquired the aggressor.


"You will understand, sir, that my


friend forgives you-he is dead