St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-03
MY FIRST DUEL.

y
they stood under the arcade Of La Con-
fiterla del Aguela. in Gale Florida, in
the city of Buenos Ayres.
Both young men belonged to the
gilded youth of our city. and, having
very little to do, were amusing them
selves by watching all the pretty girls
pass along the Gale Florida.
'Why do you smlle?" asked DR.. Fed
| erico Pinares, who had been the first
one to speak
you would also smile," answered
Carlos. "if you had made fool of your
self about woman, sent her enough
flowers every day to adorn church,
stayed awake all night to write few
lines of poetry to>send her; danced with
her so often that every one said. oh.
yes, they are going to be married.
fought a duel for her. and then had that
very same woman pass you in the street
with cool bow and completely ignore
you otherwise"
You fought duel why2" asked Fed
erico.
ut is long tale, and it happened
while you were in Paris studying medi-
cine. presume you never heard of it?''
"lf l did, do not remember now"
answered Dr.. Pinares. Now, Carlos,
tell me all about it,"
ut is nearly $50. Let US go to the
| Cafe de Paris and have dinner. There,
after dinner, will tell you the story"
he two young men proceeded toward
Piedad street and entered the brilliantly
| lighted restaurant Of the Cafe de Paris.
After costly dinner, for in Buenos
| Ayres everything is costly, they asked
for their coffee and chartreuse, and Car
los Gonzales commenced his story:
Three years ago | would have gone
fighting windmills, flock Of sheep, or
worse, like Don QuiXote. had any one
told me that Carmencita Ellaurl was not
| the prettieSt girl in BuenoS AYreS: but
| for that matter | could name you half
dozen men who thought the same thing,
and among them was Ernesto Frias.
"You perhaps remember what great
! friends ErneSto and l once were, but
| when we both began counting Carmen
all our friendship few away upon the
wings of the wind.
Carmen certainly gave me reason to
| think that she was serious, aud / sup
! pose she did the same to FriaS. for many
! people believed she would marry him.
zone night--it WAS really 2 O'Clock in
| the mOrning-We were playing cards at
! the Club de Progreso, when between
| two games one of the men remarked:
| BY the way, Frias, when does the we'd
| ding come off p
wv hat wedding? ne asked.
"'Why, your marriage with Carmen
tcita Ellauri.'
"'Now, don't be foolish Frias calmly
! said; go on; give me my cards.
..Atl the men laughed, and one of them
said:
| ".Silence gives consent, and so we
| may believe that you are engaged to
! her. Well, let me congratulate YOU
| And so saying, he slapped Frias on the
| shoulder.
'Frias only smiled complacently, and
| they continued their raillery until l
! could stand it no longer, inasmuch as l
had been on fire during all the converse
| ton, so | lifted my head and said as
calmly as | could:
Gentlemen. it is IN very bad taste
to thus use the name of lady. and any
one who does it or allows 1t without re-
senting the insult is coward
''EernestO turned pale, and pushing
| back his chair, rose to his feet.
| cam l to understand that this insult
is directed to me?' he asked.
80 care not what you understand l
answered; L expressed my sentiment
"'And do you know what my senti-
ment tsp he asked. L think you are
| the greatest coward for daring to take
that lady's name as basis for scandal
and quarrel
"Blind with fury, advanced toward
Frias. and with my open palm smote his
cheek lightly. ErneSto clinched his fists
| and made move toward me, but some
of his friends held him back, as others
were holding me. ErneSto took out his
card case, and with trembling fingers
opened it, got card, threw it on the ia
BILE and said: i hope Senior Gonzales
will not be coward enough to refuse to
meet me. Tomorrow, or rather today,
| at 10 o'clock in the morning, l will send
| him my seconds
Mine will be ready to meet those of
Senior Frias,' tremendously answered.
"'Well, [ thought on leaving the
club, here am engaged in duel, but
l don't care; | was defending her: pc
sides shall have the choice of weapons,
and certainly | shall choose swords
81 was an expert with the sword, as
had taken lessons from the celebrated
Italian professor, Sgr. Spadachini, so
my mind was perfectly at peace.
"When reached nome wrote two or
three letters to friends of mine, who
knew would be my seconds. ordered my
servant to take the letters to their re-
spectiye addresses as soon as it became
light, and then went to bed and slept
calmly until o'clock.
''At about saw my seconds, and
gave them my instructions. / was
rather excited until [ saw them again,
nearly four hours later, when they &C
quainted me with the result of their In
! terview. We were to go to MOntevideo
to fight, for, as you know, dueling is
forbidden on Argentine soil. The meet
ing would take place next day at
O'Clock p. m, in the country house Of
friend of one of my seconds.
''1n the meantime the story of our
quarrel had become public property,
and the afternoon papers were full of
it. | managed to elude all the reporters,
and, safe from annoyance, took the
steamer bound for Monteyideo that
evening. Next morning | landed in
that city very much the worse for ter
rible storm that we had encountered in
crossing over.
Il slept nearly all the morning, and at
1 noon they called me to dinner. | could
4 not eat mouthful of anything, and by
Els | stepped into the carriage that was
to convey me to the meeting place.
1--WE arrived there all too soon, it
4 seemed to me: but no. Ernesto Frias,
with his seconds. was there. and also
physician ready for whatever emergency
might arise.
when all the usual formalities had
been observed we began our duel.
"ErneSto is good Swordsman and so
am l. e>both went through the forms
OF attack and defense with such skill
that it would have made glad the heart
Of our teachers had they seen us.
lone mortal hour elapsed, and not
scratch had either of us received. The
thing was getting to be, TO say the
least, slightly monotonous. and so | be-
gan to charge more lmpetuously. Frias
defended himself in a mastery manner.
bigan to lose my head. Presently l
felt something cold and sharp pierce
my upper arm. In drawing out the
sword blood followed 1t. Our seconds
Immediately stepped between US. and
the doctors tore off the sleeve of my
left arm and disclosed to my eyes a
small wound between the elbow and the
shoulder.
"Frias declared that he was satisfied,
| and so was |. So OH seconds snemnlY