Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-12-15
WOMEN nuELlsTs.


Chronicles o. EARLIER Days when Ladies'
used the 10 rs.
While dueling continues 10 b one of
the foremost questions Of the day, says
o Paris letter, II may interest you read
ers 20 learn that in times gone by
French ladies' as well as gentlemen
went out sur 10 terrain to defend their
honor or their love. Perhaps the most
celebrated Of these female encounters
was that which took place between tho
Marquise do Nesle and tho Comtesso do
Polignac. Both foil In love with the
Marechal do Riehelieu and disputed his
favors at least so the old chroniclers
tell u.s. The marshal, however, does
not appear to have been equal To the
occasion, and made great mistake In
dealing with his admirers. He gave
rendezvous to both, but forgot to name
the date and hour, the consequence OF
which was that the two rivals found
themselves unexpectedly face to face in
his salon. A quarrel ensued, and II
was agreed TO fight it out with pistols.
The meeting was fixed for 8 o'clock in
the morning in the Bois de Boulogno,
You can fire first If you like, = said Nine.
de Polignac coolly TO her adversary.
Nine, do Nesle accepted tho generous
offer and fired, but to no effect Rage
has made your hand tremble," re-
sponded tho countess with a sarcastic
smile, and firing in her turn, she split
the right ear Of the marquise, who fell
to tho ground as If she had been killed.
Another lady Of whose exploits the
chroniclcrs are full was Mime. d'Au-
bigny, better known as Mile de Mau-
pin, She was born in the lstter half OF
the seventeenth century. Daughter OF
one of the secretarics of the Comte d
Armagnac, she was married to young
functionary, but soon left him to lead
life Of adventure. She first made tho
acquaintance of q fencing master
named Serane, with whom she fell in
love as he was giving her lessons. They
ran away together to Marseilles, where,
having exhausted their resources, they
Joined n company of strolling players.
On her return to Paris she was engaged
at the opera. 1t was at this period that
She distinguished herself by her eccen-
tricities. She was fond of donning NAL
attire, and going out at night in search
Of amusement. Ono night, while ex-
ploring the Quarter des VICTORIES, she
came across the actor Dumesnil, on
whom she resolved to play n joke.
Drawing her rapier she attacked him,
made him go on his knees, and deliver
up his purse and jewels. The next day
he related to his brother actors how he
had been assailed by band OF brigands,
against whom he fought for some time,
killing two OF them, but finally had to
succumb to numbers Mile de Maupin,
who was present at the story, burst out
laughing, and confounded the braggart
by returning the purse and jewels she
had stolen from him on the previous
night
Among other anecdotes told Of her is
the following: A bali was given at the
palais Royal to which she managed to
obtain entrance in her masculine dress.
During the evening she spotted "A
grande dame, followed her about, and
indulged in such improper proposals
that three friends Of the offended lady
demanded reparation on the spot She
ished for nothing better, and straight
way the party went out into the gar
den, where, it is said, she killed her
three opponents, and then resumed
dancing as if nothing had happened.
Such was the favor she enjoyed that |
nobody thought of prosecuting her, not
the rigorous laws against |
duelling then in force.
A few days after this adventure
Mile. Perignon, one of La Maupin's |
at the opera, was insulted by
a Gascon named Servar. Our heroine,
again disguised as man, took up the
matter, smacxed Gascon's face, and, in |
the duel which ensued wounded him |
seriously in the arm. This was the last |
time she was heard of in the dueling |
world, the police having threatened to
arrest her. She suddenly left Paris for |
Brussels, where she turned all the |
heads of the gilded youth by her sweet
singing and captivating beauty Count
Albert, of Bavaria, made her his mis-
tress but the union did not last long
The count got enamoured of another
siren, and sent La Maupin 40, 600 francs
as a parting gift; but she returned the
and was on the point of attack
ng her rival when she was ordered to
eave Brussels Immediately She then
went to Spain, where she became the
femme dc chambre of a Countess Ma
rino. Ultimately she returned to Paris
and sang again at the opera; but she
was no longer the pet Of the audience.
md tried in vain to please it. Sick and
.irod of her adventurous life, she left
he opera, and, it IS believed, ended her
lays in convent
Coming later down the court chroni-
clers introduced us to several other
ady duelists One Of them talks Of "a
ady who went out on horseback, with
.op boots, sword by her side and pis-
OILS in her holsters" She had numer-
,us encounters, notably one with
5omte de Cordierc, who was guilty Of
her favors. The count, like
gallant man, did not seek to do her
my harm, but merely to tire her out,
n which he succeeded so well that she
iell to the ground exhausted, and was
'orced to demand pardon. This lesson,
however, did not cure her of her pug
lacity, and in her next duel she was
lilled outright. Her sister was virago
# the same stamp; she complained of
Ter husbands infdelity and attacked
lin with a rapier, but she got the worst
II it, being wounded in the arm and
,reast. Chicago Journal.
The Guest-"Say. there's a fly in
his shortcalse." The Pretty Waiter
iirl-"Poor thingl-Chicago News