CHAPTER XIII
BOB WEST INTERFERES
It was unfortunate that at that time Thursday Smith had gone up theelectric line toward Royal, to inspect it. In the office were Patsy,Hetty Hewitt--who was making a drawing--Arthur Weldon, engaged upon hisbooks, and finally, seated in an easy-chair from which he silentlywatched them work, old Bob West, the hardware man. Louise and Beth haddriven over to the Junction to write up an accident, one of the trainmenhaving caught his hand in a coupling, between two freight cars.
Bob West often dropped into the office, which was next door to his ownplace of business, but he was a silent man and had little to say onthese visits. In his early days he had wandered pretty much over thewhole world, and he could relate some interesting personal adventuresif he chose. In this retired village West was the one inhabitantdistinguished above his fellows for his knowledge of the world. In hisrooms over the store, where few were ever invited, he had a fine libraryof unusual books and a rare collection of curios gathered from foreignlands. It was natural that such a man would be interested in so uniquean experiment as the _Millville Tribune_, and he watched its conductwith curiosity but a constantly growing respect for the three girljournalists. No one ever minded when he came into the office, nodded andsat down. Sometimes he would converse with much freedom; at other timesthe old gentleman remained an hour without offering a remark, and wentaway with a brief parting nod.
It was West who first saw, through the window, the wagonload of men fromthe Sizer farm come dashing up the street at a gallop. Instinctively,perhaps, he knew trouble was brewing, but he never altered hisexpression or his attitude, even when the wagon stopped at the printingoffice and the passengers leaped out.
In marched Bill Sizer at the head of his following, cowhide in hand.Patsy, her face flushing scarlet, stood up and faced the intruders.
"Stand back, girl!" cried Sizer in a fierce tone; "it's that cowardeditor I'm after," pointing his whip with trembling hand at Arthur. "Mysister Molly may be rough, an' hev a rough smile, but I'll be dinged efI don't skin the man thet prints it in a paper!"
"Good fer you, Bill!" murmured his friends, approvingly.
Arthur leaned back and regarded his accuser in wonder. The big table,littered with papers, was between them.
"Come out o' there, ye measly city chap, an' take yer medicine," roaredBill, swinging his whip. "I'll larn ye to come inter a decentneighborhood an' slander its women. Come outer there!"
West had sat quietly observing the scene. Now he inquired, in composedtones:
"What's the trouble, Bill?"
"Trouble? Trouble, West? Why, this lyin' scroundrel said in his paperthet our Molly had a rough smile. That's the trouble!"
"Did he really say that?" asked West.
"'Course he did. Printed it in the paper, for all to read. That's whyI've come to cowhide the critter within an inch o' his life!"
"Good fer you, Bill!" cried his friends, encouragingly.
"But--wait a moment!" commanded West, as the maddened, half drunkenyoung farmer was about to leap over the table to grasp his victim;"you're not going at this thing right, Bill Sizer."
"Why ain't I, Bob West?"
"Because," answered West, in calm, even tones, "this insult is too greatto be avenged by a mere cowhiding. Nothing but blood will wipe away thedreadful stain on your sister's character."
"Oh, Mr. West!" cried Patsy, horrified by such a statement.
"Eh? Blood?" said Bill, stupefied by the suggestion.
"Of course," returned West. "You mustn't thrash Mr. Weldon; you mustkill him."
A delighted chorus of approval came from Sizer's supporters.
"All right, then," said the bully, glaring around, "I--I'll kill thescandler!"
"Hold on!" counselled West, seizing his arm. "This affair must beconducted properly--otherwise the law might cause us trouble. No murder,mind you. You must kill Weldon in a duel."
"A--a what? A duel!" gasped Sizer.
"To be sure. That's the way to be revenged. Hetty," he added, turning tothe artist, who alone of the observers had smiled instead of groaned atthe old gentleman's startling suggestion, "will you kindly run up to myrooms and get a red leather case that lies under the shell cabinet?Thank you, my dear."
Hetty was off like a flash. During her absence an intense silencepervaded the office, broken only by an occasional hiccough from one ofMr. Sizer's guests. Patsy was paralyzed with horror and had fallen backinto her chair to glare alternately at Bob West and the big bully whothreatened her cousin's husband. Arthur was pale and stern as he fixed areproachful gaze on the hardware merchant. From Miss Briggs' littleroom could be heard the steady click-click of the telegraph instrument.
But the furious arrival of the Sizer party had aroused every inhabitantof Millville and with one accord they dropped work and rushed to theprinting office. By this time the windows were dark with groups of eagerfaces that peered wonderingly through the screens--the sashes beingup--and listened to the conversation within.
While Hetty was gone not a word was spoken, but the artist was absentonly a brief time. Presently she reentered and laid the red leather caseon the table before Bob West. The hardware man at once opened it,displaying a pair of old-fashioned dueling pistols, with long barrelsand pearl handles. There was a small can of powder, some bullets andwadding in the case, and as West took up one of the pistols andproceeded to load it he said in an unconcerned voice:
"I once got these from an officer in Vienna, and they have been used inmore than a score of duels, I was told. One of the pistols--I can'ttell which it is--has killed a dozen men, so you are going to fightwith famous weapons."
Both Arthur and Bill Sizer, as well as the groups at the window, watchedthe loading of the pistols with fascinated gaze.
"Bob's a queer ol' feller," whispered Peggy McNutt to the blacksmith,who stood beside him. "This dool is just one o' his odd fancies. Much hekeers ef they kills each other er not!"
"Mr. West," cried Patsy, suddenly rousing from her apathy, "I'll notallow this shameful thing! A duel is no better than murder, and I'm surethere is a law against it."
"True," returned West, ramming the bullet into the second pistol; "it isquite irregular and--er--illegal, I believe. Perhaps I shall go to jailwith whichever of the duelists survives; but you see it is a point ofhonor with us all. Molly Sizer has seemingly been grossly maligned inyour paper, and the editor is responsible. Are you a good shot, Bill?"
"I--I guess so," stammered Sizer.
"That's good. Weldon, I hear, is an expert with the pistol."
Arthur did not contradict this statement, although he was positive hecould not hit a barn at twenty yards.
"Now, then, are we ready?" staid West, rising. "Come with me,gentlemen."
"What ye goin' to do, Bob?" asked Sizer, anxiously.
"I'll explain," replied the hardware man, leading the way to the street.Everyone followed him and the crowd at the windows joined the groupoutside. "Of course you mustn't shoot in the main street, for you mighthit some one, or break windows; but back of this row of buildings is alane that is perfectly clear. You will stand back to back in the centerof the block and then, at my word, you will each march to the end of theblock and pass around the buildings to the lane. As soon as you come insight of one another you are privileged to fire, and I suppose BillSizer will try to kill you, Mr. Weldon, on the spot, and therefore youwill try to kill him first."
"But--look a-here, Bob!" cried Sizer; "it ain't right fer him to take ashot at me. You said fer me to kill him, but ye didn't say nuth'n about_his_ shootin' at _me_."
"That's all right, Bill," returned West. "You're in the right, and theright ought to win. But you must give the man a chance for his life, youknow."
"That weren't in the bargain."
"It is now, by the laws of dueling."
"He--he might shoot me," urged Bill.
"It isn't likely. Although he's a dead shot, you have right on yourside, and you must be sure to fire as soon as
you get within good range.It won't be considered murder; it will only be a duel, and the law willdeal lightly with you."
"That's right, Bill," asserted one of Sizer's friends. "Bob West's ajustice o' the peace himself, an' he orter know."
"I do know," declared West gravely.
He placed Arthur Weldon and Bill Sizer back to back in the middle of thestreet and handed each a pistol.
"Now, then," said he, "you both understand the rules, which I haveexplained, and the spectators will bear witness that, whatever happens,this affair has been conducted in a regular manner, with no favor shownto either. You are both brave men, and this duel will vindicate yourhonor. If you are fortunate enough to survive, you will be heroes, andall your differences will be wiped off the slate. But as one or both mayfall, we, the citizens of Millville, hereby bid you a solemn and sadfarewell."
Impressed by this speech, Sizer's friends began to shake hands with him.
"All ready!" called West. "One--two--three----go!"
At the word the two, back to back, started for the opposite ends of thelittle street, and at once the crowd made a rush between the buildingsto gain the rear, where they might witness the shooting in the lane whenthe duelists met. Arthur had been thinking seriously during theseproceedings and had made up his mind it was in no degree his duty to bebored full of holes by a drunken countryman like Bill Sizer, justbecause there had been a typographical error in the _Millville Tribune_.So, when he got to the end of the street, instead of turning into thelane he made for the farm, holding the long dueling pistol gingerly inhis hand and trotting at a good pace for home.
Footsteps followed him. In sudden panic he increased his run; but theother was faster. A heavy hand grasped his shoulder and swung himaround, while old Bob West, panting for Breath, exclaimed:
"Stop, you fool--stop! The other one is running."
"The other one!" echoed Arthur, wonderingly.
"Of course. Bill Sizer was sure to run; he's a coward, as all bulliesare. Quick, Weldon, save the day and your reputation or I'll never standyour friend again."
Arthur understood now. He turned and ran back faster than he had come,swung into the lane where the crowd was cautiously peering from theshelter of the buildings, and waving his pistol in a reckless way thatmade Bob West shudder, he cried out:
"Where is he? Where's Sizer? Why don't he show up and be shot, like aman?"
No Sizer appeared. He was even then headed cross-lots for home, leavinghis friends to bemoan his cowardice. As for Arthur, the crowd gave him acheer and condemned his opponent's conduct in no measured terms. Theywere terribly disappointed by Big Bill's defection, for while notespecially bloodthirsty they hated to see the impending tragedy turn outa farce.
In the printing office Patsy was laughing hysterically as her horrordissolved and allowed her to discover the comic phase of the duel. Sheliterally fell on Arthur's neck as he entered, but the next momentpushed him away to face the hardware merchant.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. West," said she with twinkling eyes. "Isuspected you of being a cold-blooded ruffian, when you proposed thisduel; but I now see that you understand human nature better than thewhole caboodle of us put together! Arthur, thank Mr. West for saving youfrom a flogging."
"I do, indeed!" said Arthur fervently.
Aunt Jane's Nieces on Vacation Page 13
