AN AFFAIR OF HONOUR. A Story of College Llfe.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 249, 24 March 1888, Page 6

AN AFFAIR OF HONOUR. A Story of College Llfe.

Tom Dvwsoy was a very decent sort of fellow, ami was protty genemlly liked among the fellows at Ivoston Military College, if he had a fault, ib was thai ho was. rather overbearing in his manner to new-comers, and it was this failing that led to the events lam about to narrate. Ho was on good terms with everyone except Bob Owen, a new-comer— a bijj blustering fellow, but withal good-natured and genial. 1 don't know exactly how the disagreement between them came about, but one afternoon, hoop alter Owen had joined us, when we weio in the mess room, an<l free from duty, Dawson called Owen a clodhopper. Owen paid nothing, bub continued to study the book which was in front of him until Dawson repeated the expression. Owen retorted that he was a long-eared puppy. Dawson, who had always been regarded as the champion of the College, was nob accustomed to bo spoken to in this fashion, and turning onco moro to Owen he a3kcd, " Areyou nddref^ing me, sir V" Owen pored over his book and took no notice. Tapping him on the shoulder, Dawson repeated his question, nnd Owon thereupon replied in the affirmative. " Then don't do it again." said Tom. "And who areyou, my Lord Tom Noddy, that you should not be spokon roY" asked Owen. "Tom Noddy, sir, Tom Noddy ; I'll wring your nose, you impertinentclodhopper," screamed I Ja-wson, as he shot out with hi.s loft at Owen's face. A crash, a fall, a pcreeeh--and Dawson, not Owen, wnson his back, "(loto the and talk about clodhoppers," said Owen ««* ho resumed h'm seat. But Tom was not to be beaten off in this summary fashion. " I demand satisfaction," said ho, standing up to Owen. "All right, my little man, I'll hee you in the glayground later on, when the bloom is on the rye,'' retorted Rob. "Now do go," said Bob, a* ho paw Tom make no move, " do go away, I don't want to hurt you. The medical school is not in want of a corpse at present. Call again to-morrow. You're not a bad specimen of a walking skeleton " —this in allusion to Tom'« "symmetrical proportions " an he called them. Dawson was speechless with rago, and so utterly confounded at Owen's coolness that ho could only ejaculate with a voice like a tragedian, " All right, the playground at eeven.'.' -We fellows became intensely interested in the affair of honovu that was about to take plnce, but we one and all .secretly sympathised with Owen and sinceiely believed he would come off victorious. As peven o'clock approached the excitement became intense. Dawson was on the ground in readiness for the duel long before the timo fixed, and walked up and down in the company of his second, Jack Fisher. The college clock had jusb chimed the quarter to bho hour when a messenger in the shape of Fred Fowlett rushed up to the waiting duellist with a note. " Listen, you fellows," paid Tom, when he had read the missive, "listen to the coward," "Dear air," ho read, "1 regret that I cannot meet you this evening as arranged. I am suffci ing from a severe chill brought on by exposure to your threats. The night air, too, is coldcolder even than the steel of your glittering rapier — and being weakened by your castigation (?) this afbernoon, I do nob think it would be wise to brave the elements tonight. In fact, I prefer to brave your displeasure. In the words of the poet I will see you 'later on.' Youra till you give your deadly thrust with your toledo blade, Kobert Owen— Owen more than he can or wants to pay." I need hardly say that this amazing literary production caused a roar of laughter which only added fuel to the flame of indignation burning within the breast ot Tom. " Vengeance i8 mine," quoted Dawson. "and. I certainly will punish him. I had not intended to let him off lightly, but now I'll show him not the least mercy. I will show you the sorb of stufl I'm made of. Now oome to my rooms, you fellows ; we'll have a little refreshment, and that cur can stop in his kennel till he's convalescent." Tom had arranged to gire a supper in honour of his birthday, but Owen by his conduct had lost chance of an invitation —a thing to be regretted, for Tom's suppers were very successful affaire, and were characterised by the greatest jollity. Very little was seen of Owen the next day or two. Precisely at time we who had been invited to Tom's spread put in an appearance At the Rose and Crown Hotel, where it was to take place. Tom, of eource, took the chair, and Fowlett the vice-chair. There was quite an array of waiters to attend to our wanbs, one of whom attracted general attention by his distinguished appearance. He wa3 a tall, broad • shouldered, goodlooking fellow, with bushy black beard and moustache. A merrier party could not have been found within the four walls of any room in England that night. The big waiter, as we dubbed him, betrayed so much emotion as to suggest that he had boen too near the wine-bin. By-and-by tho vioe-chairman rose to propose our hoflb's health, and made a most flattering speech, the approving "hear, hears" it called forth being heartily joined in by the big waiter, who, it seemed to me, wan constantly making signs to Fisher. When the latter had resumed his seat amidst the vociferous applause wisich had greeted his speech the biy- waiter staggered up to the table, and in tho most impudent fashion requested silence while "he made a few remarks." "Order, order," was shouted from all parts of the room, "Go out," "Turn him. out" {though no one seemed inclined to perform the latter operation). " No, no," called out the chairman, enjoying the joke. " Let him speak," said Tom, knocking the table. Nobody would deny tho chairman's right to rule the roost, and so tho big waiter was allowed to proceed. "Mister Cheer," he commenced, in a voice thick either with emotion or whisky, "and gents, Mister Cheer and gents,— lt ain't orfon I ventures to speak to 'sembly of gem'ns, but I've a duty (hie) to perform. This arternoon gom'n (hie) called and says, says he, give this ycer jewel in this ero caao (hie) to Master Tom Groggedsoon -1 think thatsh namesh of gem'n "—(cries of " Dawson ")— " well, Dorshun, ,vith my compliments, as a mark of respeosh and 'scheem for him. (Turning to the Chairman) : I now begeh' to hand the' gift to Mishter Dorshun." Applause more vociferous than ever followed this amusing speech. The caskot contain-

injr '• the jewel" was duly handed to the Chairman, who rose bo reply to bho toast, of his health. Bofove doing 90 he opened the ■case, which contained a scroll, with tho following neatly engrossed upon ib :—: — i j j 1 I I

The Ortior of tho Legion of British Honour. "This is to certify that Mr Thomas D&wson has this day been enrolled a member of our Most Noble Order in recognition of his effort to uphold British honour, by challenging and preparing to nieel in nioitil combat one Robert Owen, who, however, proved himselt Loo cowardly to accept the Kiid challenge." Then followed " tho seal" of " tlio most noble Order," but no signature. ■*' Thi°, gentleman," continued Tom, basing to some extent overcome his wrath, and holding- up tho document he had just read, " this i* the work of Owen himself. It is simply another insult to be added to the list of the many he has heaped upon me during his short sojourn amongst us. (Hear, hear.) Oentlemen, were 1 not the embodiment of patience, I should at once break up this festive assemblage and proceed to castigate the perpetrator of this .silly hoax. (Loud ciies ot "Br,uo,') I think 1 t-hall, howc\er, best uphold my own diirnitynnd youis by tieating this communication with the contempt it deserves." (Loud tinkling of glasses and nipping of (he table, amid \\ iiioh the speaker resumed his> Feat. ha\in^ foi gotten to respond to the toast.; We weie all disgusted with this conduct of Owen, and >\hilst commenting upon it had quite forgotten the big waitei, who had unaccountably di&appcaied after liandiug the case to Tom. He was at once sent for, and on returning into tho 100 m seemed surprised to find everybody looking highly indignant. Tom a^ked him to describe tho genfcleiran who had called with the gilt, and the waiter apparently, now quite sobered, ga\e an accurate description of Owen. Veil* of execration followed the statement, and when tho waiter \cntiucd meekly to ask what had happened he was so far taken into the conlidenoc oi the company as to be infoimed that Mi Daw&on had been subjected to a gross insult by the gentleman leaving the case. The big waiter looked astonished, and casting a withering look at Jack Fisher, who seemed to quail beneath his glance, he quietly lemoied his luxuriant hair and whiskers, which it appeared were only tiiumpha of the costumier's art, and disclosed the features ot —liob Owen. Walking up to Tom Dawson, who had half risen horn his chair and clenched his fi.sts, Owen extended his* right hand to him and said, "Mr Dawson, I know not what has happened, but if you have been subjected to an insult to-night, and attribute it to me, all [ can say is you are entirely mistaken.'' We were all attention whilst Dob was speaking, and even Tom Dawson begun to look less angry. Resuming, Bob said : " The case 1 banded to you contained a gold watch and a note expressing my regiet for the letter I had sent you the other evening, and asking you to accept the gift as some atonement tor my rudeness, and as a remembrance of your birthday. I thought further that I should like to be in for this little teed so I arranged matters with the hotelkeeper, and was permitted to a-s-ume the disguise of a waitev in oider to cairy out my plan. I swear that when I entered this room the case contained the watch and the note, and I quite expected you had received it. When I wns fetched I was about to resume my ordinary attire and re-enter the room uninvited, thinking I should not be unwelcome after the ieparation I had made." Torn grasped the noble fellow's hand, and after accepting the explanation the contents of the case were handed to Bob, who, scanning the scioll, declaied tho writing was not his, and that, he had been the victim ol some hoax. Jack Fisher hereupon rose, and in a rather shame-faced way admitted that. Owen had taken him into his confidence, and showed him the watch and case, and lor the purpose of a joke he had, whil.-t Bob was serving at the table, extracted them, and substituted the scroll, and then returned tho ease to Owen's pocket. Fisher humbly acknowledged that he had carried the joke too far, and asked pardon of both Owen and Dawson, and I need hardly say that it was freely given. The remainder of the evening was even more enjoyable than the earlier paib of the pioceedings had been, and in the reconciliation of Dawson and Owen, who were ever afterwards firm friends, " the affair of honour tvas quite forgotten.