The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-24
TIMB. RENEB'S
Two SUITORS.
Ernest DaUiat Tells an Exciting Story
Of Rivalry.
& Rich Widow Prevents a Duel and the Rivals
&c 10 the Francc-Prussjsn War-At the
Bottom Of q Ravine at Sedan.
Written for THIS SUNDAY CALL

and. 80 use the language If fairy tales, as
beautiful as the day. We Will call her, if
l.u please, Mmr. Renee.
IIee. without children and quickly con-
sU.el fer the death IF husband eSpouSe1
through calculation rather than love- she
D j soon become the aim Of a round dozen
II dovry-scekers and the object O. ardent
competition. At tile Bots, at tile thcater,
81 the bali. al all points where. after two
years If the most rigid mourning people
lad begun 10 meet her. it was with an escort
otal.rers whom she kept at distance, Tor
tla-matter, less pre0ccupied IN discourage
jig diem than anxious TO justify her reputa-
ti.u as an impeccaOie woman
Among those declared servants was found
avOuuE officer of nussars, Captain DidIer,tle
only son OF a Paris banker, who, over all his
rivals. uessessed tia double advantage of
having been acquainted from childhood
with Nine Renee. who was, ia consequence,
informed rs 70 his merits, and of being
assured In the future OF fortune al least
tVIal 20 hers, which protected MS dlSlhteT-
eS-rdueSS from even the tantest suspicion.
Attractive, Of frank. gay and happy
nature. and well related lt was he VINO, I'D
the opinion If all, had the lead IN this
steep.echase Of lovers.
CAPTAIN Ellie APPEARS,
Euta fav came when this situation was
Iu.tGed and modified through Ills fault
He took q notion 10 present Go his fair
friend one or his regimental comrades,
very brilliant gentleman. Captain Lie, as
Young as he as itch as lie, a tlne type of
silent. dreamy and passionate men, one or
= hose GeaTt-cUDqueroIs over whom women
crow wild.
Beneath n cold exterior he concealed
burning soul. and he became for Didier
I4ys. The more formidable because The latter
Iad not Teen mlsITustful OF him. When he
saw tile peril he himself had created ID was
TIC late 10 yet rid Of il. He could only as
sure himself that now there were TWO Of
them before the fort with equal chances OF
capturing II.
Two chandeliers we're living in peace,
q hen arrived and there was war That
story is as old as tie world. They saw it
TecumMeuce.
twas enc evening at Nine Renea's.
Somewhat intoxicated 10y the homage Of
which size was the object on tile part OF
tuese two men whom she had definitely fay
OTed above all. the young woman SAID sud
denly, understanding LeT language With
pretty laugh.
TRY % come TO an understanding, mes
sieurs; since / cannot marry bnJh OF you.
one should retire and spare me the emDaT-
IassmenL OF choosing
Serious OF not this instissting speech,
which constituted promise 10 one OF them
though they could not divine which one,
Id immediate and terrible effects.
From Il Dl1Ier, who, until that moment
Lad believed himself preferred, learned that
lie bad deceived himself and had a rival
while it revealed u the rival thar his al
fairs were ID better shape than ne had
dared 10 hope.
a DUEL RESOLVED UPON
The violence Of their reciprocal feelings
broke forth Is soon as they were alone to
Eetler.
80 yoa told her you loved her, eL?' de-
was II not nv rightP Could / guess
that you were smItten with her? Why did
You not admit Il to Me2'
Now that you know il you ought Loyalty
"E-uie. It's too late. am iu love-in
love 20 such d CiDt as @ XII. whoever dared
60 i $ ura her with me-.
"Erel he whom hesAaud prefer to you ??
.st man above ALL.
Are you speaking seTiOu5ly?"
BE- Look az NE, Duier! Have l the air Of
''I.ea one If Us is lie trop?"
Z "I jhiD4 SOP
This vas as brutal and rapid as a crossing
4 FEW iustaats afterward duel was re-
solved upon between these two men. who
until L. 81 hour had lived fraternally united,
and the next day they chose their Wit
Lcsses.
But that very day-it was then july
grave news from Germany arrived in Paris;
tie Witnesses had not yet conferred to-
EetLer when Wat was declared, and the reg
Imeut Of which tic two rivals formed part
despatched u the frontier
Bet ~ parting. each Of them solicited
Of Nine Renee the favor Of q rendezvous.
She granted IL 10 them, but the same even
Ing a- Tie sa,Ee ACur. An IudIsCTeti0n had
poster .eT i'm regard 20 tLeir quarrel; she
was in despair about IT,
WIeu they were in her presence, she re-
praa.. ID them Tor having thought, while
they claimed To love her, Of the eternal re-
morse that would have been brought into
her life by the issue OF a murder0us en-
counter, for which society would not have
taaed {. hold LeE responsible.
a PROMISE EXACTFD.
Then she eXacted from them promise to
Tcu.uuce every homIcid3I project
As ,aey hesNaled, she added:
Ell Go uot know that / shall marry again;
d.. u.t know that / shall marry one OF YOU
what know Is that / would never wed a
man VIC came TO- me covered with the
blood II bis fuend.'
The due. IS pa; "a" said Ellie to Older
when they had quit Ell Mme. Renee.
I'VE VIII take 10 up again whenever you
wish replied D.Gier
And that was al for that dav.
SIX weeks ater, the 1st of September. the
$3.50 officers, who lid made the campaign
together since the commencement Of the
war without saying a single word 10 each
ntle. Oh the subject which divided them,
found themselves thrown into the melee of
sedan.
Iue hour was tragic and the action. upon
tIe spot where il had led them with their
regiment was becoming more and more
bloody.
To tie south Of the forest OF the Garenne.
ia space relatively restricted, plOughed by
tie ire Of German batteries established
upon wooded he ghts, the Liebert Division
was dlsputing the ground foot by foot. The
cavalry Of General Marguerite was ordered
TO 60 to Its aid. Nine regiments were there
-hussais, chasseuTs and lauCers. They
took position for a charge AS they were
about to start Marguerite was wounded.
General Gallffet assumed the command in
his place and tie heavy mass spTang for
49, ward.
Eue and Didier were in the first line at
tia lead Of their men.
No sooner had it advanced than this line
was broken by the enemy = artillery and the
fire Of a file Of infantry posted as skirmish-
ers along the slopes,
But such was the violence Of the on
saught that portion Of the French horse
men swept through tie German army ike a
hurricane and halted only at the dede Of
Sajnt-Albert where other battaiiOn5 sud-
denly arose before them
1t was a moment Of madness and fury, q
trghtlul slaughter
AMID WOUNDED AND DEAD.
When our two officers were able to sec
where they were they found themselves at
tile bottom Of a ravine, amid the wounded
and the dead with a rain Of balls and shot
above their heads, which fell further on,
making wide gaps in the French masses al
ready reformed.
Dider had had his horse killed under
him. Fearfully bruised, he had arisen and
was leaning unsteadlly against a fragment
Of rock.
ARE You wounded2" cried Ellie. sprnging
10 the ground and running to him.
He replied IN the negative
The two officers then looked about them
and we're quickly satisfied that it would be
Impossible for them 70 get ouJ Of the ravine
otherwise than az prisoners, supposing that