The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-05-27

The marquise fell to the ground as
though she had been shot through the
heart, crying out, sob, I'm wounded
Madame, forgive you y
Madame de Saint-Belmont was mas
culine sort of woman. Her husband,
while in the service of the Duke OF
Lorraine, fell on the field of honor Al
ter this event, madame determined to
manage her own affairs, and especially
to look personally after her interests
on her landed estates, which were large.
She therefore spent much of her time
in the saddle, and indeed in the costume
of the contemporary dandy. To num-
berless other adventures and caprices
she added that of insisting on fighting a
duel with young man who was enam-
ored of her wit and bright eyes. She
rewarded his devotion by forbidding
him to approach her but love is some
times deaf as well as blind. In this in
stance it ispossible that the cavalier put
the seeming invulnerability of the lady
down to affectaton. Be that as it may,
meeting her one day i'll a wood, where
she had alghted to pick some berries,
he threw himself at her feet but, to his
protestations of love and devotion, the
| hard hearted Madame de Saint Belmont
replied
"You arc challenged Tomorrow
will run my sword through you.
And it was as she said it should be /;
the young man was killed by the hand
of her whom he loved more than life.
But hardly had he breathed his last,
when his fair antagonist was seized with
the keenest remorse. She threw herself
upon his dead body and wept bitterly.
From that day she was entirely changed;
she became very devoted to the
church, heard mass twice daily, wrote
three religious tragedies, and gave
large share of her income to different
religious orders. Her indignation at
the young cavalier was only an incxpli-
cable caprice f; she had, in fact uncon-
sciously loved him, as the sequel fully
proved.
A similar but less tragic case is relat-
ed by Tallemand
Madame Chateau-Gay de Murat had
a lover in the person of certain Mon
sieur de Codieres. One day she thought
herself justified in believing that he was
unfaithful. All his protestations were
of no avail. She challenged him to sim
gle combat, and, whether he would or
not, he was compelled to accept.
De Codieres appeared on the ground
promptly, and was in an exceedingly
gay humor, for he looked upon the af.
fair as simply jest on the part of his
! lady-love. He soon, however, became
convinced of his error and that she was
in furious earnest, for very soon n we'll
directed thrust came near sending him
to the land whence "no traveller re-
turns" From the determined manner
in which she attacked him, he saw that
he must be on his guard. He deter
mined, therefore, to tire his fair antago-
mist out, in which endeavor, in the
course of half an hour, he was so sue
cessful that she let her sword fall from
sheer exhaustion. De Codieres now
placed his weapon against her breast
and asked, "Well 2"
A look full of love was her only
reply, whereupon De Codieres dropped
his sword, and clasped her in his arms.
In consequence of simple dispute
that took place during the course of
performance, the celebrated French act
ress, Baupre, challenged one of her col
leagues, Catharine d'Urliss, to single
combat, and furthermore insisted on
fighting immediately. In her rage she
went to the property-room and brought
two swords to the green-room Mdlle.
d Urliss accepted the challege, and was
severely wounded in the neck.
Colombey mentions a number of duels
fought by the dark-eyed daughters of
the Iberian Peninsula. Here the lead
ing role is played by the naUGjd, the
short, daRger-hke knife which the Span
lard carries in his belt. In rage and in
| difference to death no women of the
world surpass the Spanish. Their ha-
tired is like stream of molten lava-it
destroys everything that comes in its
way. And with their passionate natures
they combine great native cleverness.
Asingle example will suffice to illustrate
these characteristic traits
Two manolas-girls of the middle
clas-es-of Madrid contended for the
possession of rich Andalusian. They
determined to let a hand-to-hand COM
bat settle the dispute. One bright May
morning, therefore, armed with daggers
and navajas, and accompanied by their
seconds they drove out at the Alcala
gate. The understanding was that
only one of them should return alive.
But, just as they reached the spot
chosen for the bloody work, they were
approached by three policemen, who
arrested both principals and seconds.
The manolas laughed disdainfully and
followed good-humoredly to the nearest
police-station.
"Senor," said one of the would-be-
duelists to the officer on duty, these
gentlemen, contrary to all law and right
have willlully interfered with our per-
sonal liberty"
"That we shall see," replied the en-
pleado, with becoming official gravity
"Officer, what charge have you to make
against the senOras %
"Senor," replied the policeman, "I
had god reasons for believing that the
prisoners we're about to fight duel to
the death. For that reason we have
brought them before your honor, that
they may be punished according to the
law.
eff you please, senor," one of the
prisoners replied, "we have done moth