.

BAPTISM OF THE BETTER HALF.
By nine o'clock the town was humming with the news of the midnight duel, and there were but two opinions about it: one, that Luigi's pluck in the field was most praiseworthy and Angelo's flight most scandalous; the other, that Angelo's courage in flying the field for conscience' sake was as fine and creditable as was Luigi's in holding the field in the face of the bullets.

The one opinion was held by half of the town, the other one was maintained by the other half.

The division was clean and exact, and it made two parties, an Angelo party and a Luigi party.

The twins had suddenly become popular idols along with Pudd'nhead Wilson, and haloed with a glory as intense as his.