River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-09-17
A DUEL ARnLT A HAT.


A DUEL About A HAT.
Arsene Houssaye's Paris letter in n. Y. Tribune.
once had hat adventure myself 1t
was in 1850. | was at the ball of the No.
tel de Vile, escorting Mime. Victor Hugo,
while Victor Hugo gave his arm to Nine.
Houssaye. There was chair empty, and
the next one to il contained hat.
took up the hat and gave the chair to
Nine. Hugo. OF course | did not propose
to hold the hat all night. so put it on the
floor. Its owner soon arrived. IL was
celebrated duelist, NJ. Sherbette, u Deputy
from SCISSORS. He came straight to the
chair which had had the honor Of holding
his hat. lie was about to attack Nine.
Victor Hugo, but, as | was talking with
her, he turned upon me.
"Is it you, sir, who have displaced my
hat z"
"Yes, SIR"
"Did you put it on the floor g.
do on think | ought to have put it
on my head p
"But, sir, you have insulted me. Here
is my card"
took out a card and threw it in his hat.
Monsieur !" said the deputy furious
Iy, do you suppose am going to pick up
my hat e.
DO you suppose" | said shat am
going to put it on your head 7"
Victor Hugo laughed, Nine. Hugo
smiled, but Nine. Houssaye was not at all
amused.
Il require, SIR said the Deputy OF
scissors, that you replace my hat on
the chair where it was
began to laugh. A little circle had
gathered.
NJ. Sherbette finally picked up his hat
under preteXt of taking my card.
"Monsieur Arsene Houssaye," he said
"We are from the same place, reason
more for our meeting"
Il await your seconds, Nj. Sherbette"
| replied.
AT what hour. We can fight as soon
as we leave the ball.
NJ. Sherbette bowed to the two ladies,
and went off in search of two seconds. |
asked Victor Hugo and the Marquis de
3elloy to act as my witnesses i'll this rid
iculous affair. NJ. Sherbctte's seconds
soon appeared. 1t was decided that we
should fight with pistols at twenty PAGES
at the Bois de Boulogne, at day break.
1t was then hardly midnight, but we re-
solved to pass the rest of the night at the
ball. At that time | was very fond of
waltzing. They told Nina. Houssaye
that the affair was amicably settled, so
that we amused ourselves pleasantly
until nearly dawn.
AS ill-uck would have it, we all met in
the cloak-room, principals and seconds.
1T is a nuisanse, said one of her
bette's seconds, ''to go to the Bots in Thu
snow-stOrm."
Some said the other lauglYingly to
NJ. Sherbette, ''as you are the injured
party, you can apologize"
"Never," said NJ. Sherbette.
The two seconds came to me. 'Sly
enc word to free us from this task. We
want to go to bed.
"Never!' | cried, in my turn.
M. Sherbette put on his hat with
slant over the right ear.
put on mine with a slant over the
left.
The four seconds besieged us, and said
they would not accompany US Hess we
were more good natured about it.
CATER all, said Victor lingo, 81 think
that Arsene Houssaye, having only in.
suited NJ. Sherbettcs hat, might make
his apologies toit."
At this moment word from NJ. Sher-
bette changed the face Of things.
"If NJ. Arsene Houssaye declares that
in offending my hat he did not intend to
offend me, will hold myself satisfied
with the declaration
declared that had not aimed at VI.
Sherbett under his hat, and the duel was
at al end.
1t was agreed, in the verbal process
verbal, that whenever we met thereafter
we were to salute each other by touch
Of the hat.