Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-23


And do Won know what my senti-
1nrrt Is be asked. 4 think that You are
the greatest coward fer daring 70 take
that lady's name a. , basis for scandal
AID . quarrel
sBiiad with fury, advanced toward
Fsi..s. and with my open palm smote his
cheek lightly. Ernesto chnchei his fists
and made a move toward nae, bat souse
OF his friends held hian back. - others
we're holding ne. Ernasto took out his
earslcase, and with trembling fingers
opened 1t. got card. threw II ca the "a
bio and said: i hope that Senor Gonzales
viii not be coward enough 70 refuse To
meet me. Tomorrow, or rather today.
at 10 o'clock IN the morning, viii send
hirn my seconds
mime VIII be- ready 20 meet those Of
Senior Frias. tremendously answered.
We'll, thought on leaving the club,
here | am engaged in duel. bat don't
care; was defending her; besides shall
have the choice of weapons, and GER
tainly / shall choose swords
II was an expert with the sword. as .
had taken lessons from the celebrated
Italian professor. signor Spadaehini, SO
my mind was perfectly at peace.
When reached home / wrote two OF
three letrera 10 friends of mine. who
knew would be my seconds. ordered my
servant 10 take the letters TO their re
spectiye addresses a. soon as il became
light, aud then went To bed and slept
calmly until o'clock.
''At about | saw my seconds and
gave them my instructions. Twas rather
excited until / saw them again, nearly
four hours later, when they acquainted
me with the result of their interview
We were 70 20 10 Montevideo TO fight,
for. as you know, dueling is forbidden
on Argentine soil. The meeting would
take place next day at . o'clock p. m. in
the country house of friend OF one of
my seconds.
''m the meantime the story &c our
quarrel had become public property and
tho afternoon papers were full of it.
managed 10 elude all the reporters, and,
safe from annoyance, took the steamer
bound for Monteyideo that evening
Next morning landed in that city
very mach the worse for terrible storm
that we had encountered in crossing
over
Il slept nearly all the morning. and
at noon they called ine to dinner.
could not eat mouthful of anything,
and By quarter past | stepped into
the carriage that was TO convey me to
the meeting place.
I'VE arrived there all too soon, il
| seemed TO me; but no, Ernesto Frias, with
his seconds, was there, and also physi-
clan ready for whatever emergency
might arise.
When all the usual formalities had
been observed we began our duel.
"Ernesto is good swordsinan and so
am l. We both went through the forms
of attack and defense with such skill
that 1t would have made glad the heart
OF our teachers had they seen us.
lone mortal hour elapsed and not a
scratch had either of us received. The
thing was getting to be, to say the least,
slightly monotonous, and so began to
charge more impetuously. Frias de-
Tended himself in mastery manner.
began 10 lose my head. Pr~1ntly felt
something cold and sharIS ierce my
upper arm. In drawing out the sword
blood followed it. Our seconds imme-
| iiately stepped between Us, and the doc
tore tore of the sleeve of nv left arm
and disclosed 10 my eyes small wound
between the elbow and the shoulder.
"Frias declared that he was satisfied,
and so was |, so our seconds solemnly
said, The honor of both gentlemen is
indicated Our courage was now I'M
questionable. We shook hands, and SO
ended my first and only affaire d'hon-
neur."
''Yes, but what of the rest, the lady,
etc. +" asked DR.. Pinares.
''Oh, the papers were full of it-some
praising, few censuring, but on the
whole it was very fattering to Frias,
and little 10 myself. AS for her-well,'
laughing, that is what amused me. She
would not see either OF rs after the af-
fair, and a month later she married Don
Pablo Garcia, very wealthy merchant
It seems that she was engaged to him
during all the time when she was max.
ing fools Of Frias and me. Translated
from the Spanish Of Paul \. Tebareo
for Romance by Arnalia Solano.