The Mineral argus., 1884-01-31
FACING A
BOW a Texan Killed His Man and
Won q Bride.


welcome me home after my long s%ojourn
abroad. The recollection Of an unhappy
experience tinged my thoughts with sad
ness. however, in spite of the prospect
of an excellent dinner and much good
fellowship.
During the dinner I related the de-
tails of a drama in real life in which /
myself had been an actor while staying
in Paris. The story was as fol ows:
When l had been in Paris a few weeks
/ made the acquaintance of n young and
handsome fellow, a captain in the
French army. We soon became init
mate, and De Naudran, the captain, de
sired 10 be presented to a cousin of
mine, WIDOWED with her mother, Mrs.
Marsden, in Paris.
Twill meption here that Mrs. Marsden
was an American whose husband had
died but three months after their mar
riage. When Leontine her daughter
was born, she lett America and took up
her residence in Paris, where she had
remained until the vents which | in
tend to record occurred.
Ny cousin Leonline was a beautiful
girl of type rarely seen outside of the
poetic fancies of novelists. A form per-
feet in symmetry and a face expressive,
4saIs anu AbAAQtI MGIGC UllDlACN ia tGll6
lovely woman. Her charm, too, of man
ner and of mind as quite equal to her
grace of person. There was in her char
acter that combination so rarely seer in
q wOman-simpllcity and knowledge.
L was therefore a little astOnished at
De Vaudran's request for a presentl-
ton, and Immediately gained my aunt's
consent.
the young people met and there soon
sprang up 1etween them an attachment
which ripened into I'VE, a love go pure
that it could only exist where a man as
noble as De Vaudran and a as
good and true as my cousin Leontine
were concerned.
In lime, they became engaged, and
De Nandran was the proudest, hapsiest
man in Paris.
A short time after the engagement was
made known the Captain and | attended
the opera together, and during an entr'-
acte we went into the foyer to prone
made. On our return to the hall De Vau-
dran's seat was found to be occupied by
a man who refused to %relinquish it.
De Vaudran pushed his claim so lar as
to order the man TO give up his seat, at
the same time showing his ticket.
This person her resorted to insulting
language, and a challenge from the Cap
tain was the c-1nsequence.
The combatants met at an early hour
the next morning, | acting as De Vau-
aran's second. The weapons selected
~ere pistols. During the preparations
the Captains antagonist, a famous shot
and a bully OF the first order, asked him
where he wished to be shot, adding that
he would teach such fellows not to an
noy gentlemen in future.
De Vaudran made no reply to this, but
took his position like the brave fellow
he was.
The word was hen given and the Cap.
tain fell dead, shot through the heart.
When poor Leontine heard of her
lovers murder-itI may use the express
ion-she was SO stricken with grief that
q sever illness ensued. Her physician
advised a trip to Naples for a complete
change of scene, hoping thus to bring
about a diversion-the best remedy in
such cases. While there Leontine fell
into a morbid state which threatened to
destroy her reason, but good fortune
finally favored the poor girl and she
partially recovered her former health
and spirits, though never entirely.
Thus my story ended. At intervals,
while l was speaking, l had observed
the eager attention of n young man who
formed one of the party at the welcom-
ing dinner.
This young man was a stranger to me.
and l, doubtless, should never have
thought more OF his peculiar interest In
my story had be not suddenly and mys-
~teriously disappeared from New York
q few days later. | then learned that
he was a young Texan, Philip Walden
by name, of great Inherited wealth, and
that he mad figured prominently in so.
ciety or ear or 80.
The Texan and all the circumstances
connected with his flight had passed from
my mind, when, a morning about six
months later, I received a letter from
from Paris containing an invitation to
the marriage ceremony Of Philip Wal
don and Leontine Marsdon, with an ac-
c~ompanying Letter which contained
tie following explanation of the surpris-
ing news:
Walden, after hearing my sad story at
tie welcoming dinner, had resolved in
a spirit of adventure to 20 to Paris, and
track, II possible, young De Vaudran's
murderer. Philip was a famous shot,
and thought he would like to match
himself against this celebrated duelist
He succeeded so well in his search that
II evening, after an e~ntr'uce of the
opera, this noted duelista and viveur found
his seat occupied by a gentleman who
refused to give it up. Words followed,
ending in an insult to no less a man
than Philip Walden, who resented it by
q CHALLENGE.
They met the following, morning, and
Philip, during the preliminaries, took
occasion to ask his adversary where he
wished to be shot, adding that he
would teach such a fellow not
trile with a gentleman.
At this M-turned deadly pale bat