honored capitalist," said
the "Pioneer," "although quite in keeping with the brazen 'Clarion,'
might attract the attentions of the slandered party, if it were not
known to his friends as well as himself that it may be traced almost
directly to a cast-off member of his own family, who, it seems, is
reduced to haunting the back doors of certain blatant journals to
dispose of his cheap wares. The slanderer is secure from public exposure
in the superior decency of his relations, who refrain from airing their
family linen upon editorial lines."

This was the journal to which John Milton had hopefully turned for work.
When he read it there seemed but one thing for him to do--and he did
it. Gentle and optimistic as was his nature, he had been brought up in
a community where sincere directness of personal offense was followed by
equally sincere directness of personal redress, and--he challenged the
editor. The bearer of his cartel was one Jack Hamlin, I grieve to say a
gambler by profession, but between whom and John Milton had sprung up an
odd friendship of which the best that can be said is that it was to each
equally and unselfishly unprofitable. The challenge was accepted, the
preliminaries arranged. "I suppose," said Jack carelessly, "as the old
man ought to do something for your wife in case of accident, you've made
some sort of a will?"

"I've thought of that," said John Milton, dubiously, "but I'm afraid
it's no use. You see"--he hesitated--"I'm not of age."

"May I ask how old you are, sonny?" said Jack with great gravity.

"I'm almost twenty," said John Milton, coloring.

"It isn't exactly vingt-et-un, but I'd stand on it; if I were you I
wouldn't draw to such a hand," said Jack, coolly.

The young husband had arranged to be absent from his home that night,
and early morning found him, with Jack, grave, but courageous, in a
little hollow behind the Mission Hills. To them presently approached his
antagonist, jauntily accompanied by Colonel Starbottle, his second. They
halted, but after the formal salutation were instantly joined by Jack
Hamlin. For a few moments John Milton remained awkwardly alone--pending
a conversation which even at that supreme moment he felt as being
like the general attitude of his friends towards him, in its complete
ignoring of himself. The next moment the three men stepped towards him.
"We have come, sir," said Colonel Starbottle in his precisest speech but
his jauntiest manner, "to offe