, 1888-09-02

The seconds meanwhile had measured
the ground, charged the pistols and
placed the principals. AS they were
about to give the word the Englishman
checked them.
"a moment, if you please, messieurs!'
and he drew from his pocket a tiny
white pellet and extended it to Paul.
with this, monsieur" said he, tire
member that you struck me here" and,
tossing the pellet to the ground, Sir Ar
thur designated with his finger the outer
part of his right arm. A minute later
two reports were heard, and Paul stag
gered, his right arm pierced by a ball.
The wound was serious, though not
dangerous, and with care and nursing
three weeks from the meeting behind the
park Paul was as good as well again.
Sir Arthur had come to inquire for him
daily, and Edouard Duchesne, tranquil
lied by the condition of his friend, had
long since returned to Paris; and soon
Paul was able TO go without carrying his
arm in a sling.
But scarcely had he gone a hundred
yards beyond the hotel when he found
himself face to face with the Englishman.
i, "Pardon me, monsieur, " he said, ap-
preaching Paul; "but now that you are
recovered l must recall to you that the
reparation you AVE accorded me is not
the only one that you owe me. / have
waited until today, but 1 have by no
mems renounced my rights. l have only
desired that you should be in a condition
physically to permit you to fight anew"
every well, sir, count upon me, " replied
Paul, who felt born within him n sudden
anger at the cold persistency with which
this man pursued his vengeance. Too
much,of a Partisan to feel rancor himself
at an injury so trifiing, Sir Arthur's stub
bornness put him in a fury.
The next morning, then, n new en-
counter took place under the same con-
ditions as the other; the witnesses were
also the same with the exception of a
young physician and friend of Paul's,
who had taken the place of Edouard
Duchesne. AS upon the former occasion,
when the adversaries stood in position and
the word was about TO be given, Sir
Arthur drew from his pocket a second
pellet like the first, and, showing it to
Paul, repeated the formula:
"With this, monsieur, remember that
you struck me here" and he laid his
hand upon his left shoulder. A moment
later two reports came simultaneously,
the branch of acacia above the English
mans head shook slightly, cut by Paul's
ball, and Paul lay inert upon the ground,
his shoulder plowed and bloody. This
time the wound was decidedly serious,
Carried nearly senseless to his chamber,
Paul, as soon as he could speak after the
agony caused by the dressing of the
wound had passed, insisted to his doctor
that he must be taken to Puy, to the
house of a sister who resided there.
The transit was not difficult, and,
doctor consented and arranged accord
ingly, and that same evening, accom-
panied by his physician and second, who
refused to leave him, Paul was placed in
the care of Martha, his sister, whose dis
tress at his condition you can readily i'm
agine. The cause of the trouble. how
ever, Paul wisely kept to himself. at
was an accident received when riding"
was all he told her.
The fever that the doctor had foreseen
with this wound soon made its appear
ance, and, aggravated by the difficulty
of extracting the ball and the short jour
ney from R, speedily ran into deli
III drN tOilpICdIlOuS VI OJDeT RlnUS.
In short, though the cure of the patient
was positively promised by the doctor, it
would DO n long and tedious process,
six weeks, certainly; perhaps a little
longer"
Mime. Martha, treasured by the doc
tors confidence, decided to take ad-
vantage of the occasion to impress upon
her brother the excellent qualities of a
DArfafn $780,. .. - -
while she had intended as his future wife.
Jeanne and her mother, then, had been
called upon in hot haste and that same
day installed by this shrewd tactician,
ostensibly to assist and relieve her, by
the pillow OF the wounded.
For n long time the fever and delirium
continued, but at last ceased, and when
Paul entered into the dreamy and peace
full state of c~onvalescence his V e rested
always upon the fresh and charming face
of this young girl who had voluntarily
and for many days past been his garde
malade. He recalled the thousand and
cares of which he had been the re,
cipient and of which he had taken coun,
but vaguely in the weakness of body and
brain produced by serious illness. A
strange, sweet emotion invaded his
heart. He extended his hand to Jeanne,
who smiled and gave him her own with
charming grace and gentleness.
From this on the cure proceeded rap
idly. 'The day was near, =" said the doc
tor, "when the invalid would be able tc
leave his room" And gradually, as
strength returned to his feeble BODY, love
increased in his heart; and the tender,
unaccustomed sentiment, combined with
the warm sun of April, contributed not
n little to hasten complete recovery.
Strange as it may seem, though
instances are not rare where the force Of
a true affection overpowers and effaces
all memory of the causes that have given
it birth, Paul at this point was so alb
sorbed in his dream that he had abso-
lutely forgotten the events that had