Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-05-30
THE yICOMTE'S Z E
A Romance From the French OF
Guy De Maupassant.

In society be was called the hand
some >iguole-. His name vas yicom-
O. t'outran Joseph de >ignoIes
Being an orphan and master o. a
large fortune. be was very much OF a
swell. IL they say. He had n good
figure. carried himself we'll. talked
well enough to be thought clever. had
certain natural grace OF manner. an
air OF nobility and pride which. with
his fine mustache and soft eyes. made
him attractive to wOnen He was
asked about n great deal. being much
sought after for his good dancing.
lie had been suspected OF several
love Affairs. capable Of giving n very
GOOD opiuion u n young fellows abili-
ties in that direction He lived. psaee-
ful and happy. in a state Of perfect
moral ~welI-being- Il was known that
he was a fine swOrdsman and IN ex-
celent shot
When I fight he would say. Il
shall choose u pistol; | am sure to kill
nv man with that
Now. n evening. having taken two
young married women. friends of his.
10 the theater with their husbands).
he asked them after the play To 20 and
take an ice AZ PortouTs.
They hal been there but a few mo-
ment- when be noticed that a gentle
man seated at a u~eighboring table was
staring Pe~rsistently at one Of the ladies'.
She seemed annoyed and disturbed.
bent her head. and finally said to her
husband
There i a man here staring me- out
Of -cognteuance. I do not know him.
DO your
The husband had noticed nothing.
but he looked at the man, and an
swered- emphatieally.
No. not a. ALL
Then his wife said half-amused. half
vexed.
1T IS really very embarrassing that
man spOils my Ice for me-
Her husband shrugged his shout
ders.
Bah. never mind him II you be-
gin by paying attention to al the Inso-
lent people you meet there's no know
ing where you will stop
But the Yieomte had risen abruptly.
He would not permit this unknown TO
spoil an ice which he had offered The
insult was addressed to him. since il
was through him that his friends had
entered the cafe. That made It entire
ly his affair.
HE crossed over to the man and said:
You have sir. n fashion of looking
at those ladies' which will not permit.
/ beg you to be 20 kind ~ to cease.
The answer came sueeringIv.
Why. you are making game OF me,
you are
The vicomte said sternIy. through
his shut teeth:
Take care, sir. take care not 10 try
my patience beyond endurance
The man answered with one word. a
vile word, which rang from one side
OF the cafe to the other. All the pes-
pie at the tables started as though
Jared by an electric spring All those
whose backs had been turned looked
around-the others raised their heads.
three walters whirIed around like -
many tops with their heels a. ptvots
the two ome at the desk Jumped,
then twisted their whole bodies a.
though they had been two automatons
worked BY the same crank
A silence had fallen on every thing.
Then all Of a sudden a sharp. dry
noise struck on the air. The vieomts
had struck his adversary Every one
rose to interfere. Carts were ex-
changed
When the Vicomte had gotten homs
he paced Up and down his room with
rapid strides lie was far too excited
10 reject on any thing. He had a vagus
idea OF one thing. "a duel. but as vel
the idea aWoke no emotion in him o.
q KIN or another he had done
what he ought 70 have done. he had
shown himself 70 be what he should
be- They would talk about il. praise
him. compliment him He r~epsated
aloud speaking as one does IN rreai
mental troubles. What a brute thai
Ean isr-
Then he sat down and began :,
think He must As soon a. it wa,
morning. ind two seconds. Whom
should ne choose He searched hi
memory for the most swell and mos
noted men Of his acquaintance. A
last he decided on the MARQUIS de I;
Touruoire and Colonel Bourbon.
great Lord and a soldier That wa
doing very well The names wouI,
have weight with the journals. The,
he noticed that he was thirsty and b
drank oue after the other three gIasse
Of water. then turned 10 pacing th
ssor again He felt tGII Of resources
II he showed himself full Of nerve. T,
solved to have his war, exaeIug striC