Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-07-19


The gravity of her manner and
her evident agitation alarmed me. He
is not dead?' l exclaimed; do not tell
me that
No, nay child, not dead: but he
has been dangerously wounded in a
| duel, and is in a very critical state
| Take me to him. Take me to him.
L cried, bursting into tears.
AS Madame Gardel was endeayor-
| Ing TO calm me, her son entered the
room and said:
'Mademoiselle, he is conscious now.
and has asked for you. The doctors
think It would be better for you to see
| him, but you must endeavor to be
calm, as any excitement may prove
fatal to him
L went up to the room. They had
laid him on the bed; the softened light
of a shaded lamp fell on his face.
On. how changed and i'll he looked. As
l entered the room one of the doctors.
who was seated near him. rose and
oeckoned to me. l crossed the room
softly, and stood beside the bed The
other doctor, who was holding the
PATIENTS left wrist, looked I'D at me
and whispered, Do not speak. made
mOiselle,' [ waited there, with a burst
ing heart, for hours it seemed. At last
his eyes opened. He recognized me.
and, with a faint smile, murmured
my name. 1t was the last word that
passed his lips. AS I bent down to
him | noticed a sudden change come
over his face. One of the doctors took
me by the hand, and said, Come.
away, mademoiseIle' Then [ tainted.
For days afterwards l was quite pros
trate with grief; they We're very kind
to me. Madame Gardel nursed me as
if 1 had been her own daughter.
"Once again [ saw Eustace; it was
on the day Of the funeral AS
looked for the last time on the face
Of my beloved, it was difficult to be-
lieve he was dead-there were. no
traces of suffering there, the pain
drawn expression which struck me
so much when I came to his bedside
on the fatal night had passed away,
and he seemed asleep; but, alas! my
tears and kisses did not awaken him
he was lost to me forever.
when ali was over and l was
calmer, [ asked NJ. Gardel to tell me
the circumstances connected with the
duel. [ knew Cartesi had been Eus-
tace's adversary; they told me at first,
when [ was too i'll and weak to hear
more, but now that the calmness of
despair had settled down upon me
L felt strange craving to know all
IN. Gardel told me that on the
fatal evening Eustace and himself
were at the Literary club. They were
sitting at table in the smoking room
discussing some new book; two gentle
men entered and seated themselvestat
an adjoining table. One of them was
hahitue Cf the Cube, we'll known
Eus1ace and NJ. Gardel; the other was
dark, fOreign-looking gentleman;
they learned his name later-it was
Cartesi. The conversation became
general, though Eustace and NJ. Car
del were not introduced to the
stranger. Suddenly, at the mention of
Eustace's name, Cartesi looked fixed
ly at him and said, in a sneering, in
solent tone, so you are NJ. LafOnt |
must congratulate you on your en-
gagement to be married to CIarice
Gerard, the actress
"Eustace was evidently annoyed and
said, CURLY, Il do not accept con-
gratulatiOnS from strangers, and this
is no place for the discussion Of pri-
vate affairs or the mention OF the
name Of Mademoiselle Gerard
"'Ah,' Cartesi replied, that would
be all very WELL but the lady is an
actress, and they are public property;
the man who marries one of them
should not be too sensitive.
Monsieur said Eustace, it is evi-
dent that this is a studied insult to
Mademoiselle Gerard, and [ warn you
not to mention her name again in my
presence at your peril
Cartesi, who was livid with rage,
sprang forward and struck Eustace
on the cheek with his glove Now
said he, we always meet that kind
of thing with the sword in my country
I am at your service
land L at yours said Eustace,
whenever you please
Tonight, then Kissed CarteSi.-
There is moonlight; it will be light
enough for our purpose
"'All this continued NJ. Gardel,
had passed in a few minutes-perhaps
in less time than it takes to tell At
Eustace's request I undertook to be
his second, and Cartesi's friend, after
using every effort in his power to
bring about a reconciliation, reluct-
antly consented to act for him. The
preliminaries were arranged; swords
were to be the weapons. I knew
nothing Of Cartesi's skill with the
sword, nor did Eustace, but nothing
would have stopped the duel.
"'Within an hour we met in the
Bots de Boulogne. At the last moment
as the two stood face to face in the
moonlight, I stepped up to Cartesi
and said: Signor, your conduct has
been cruel and insulting. Whether
you were under the influence Of wine
I know not, but even now it is not
too late for you to apologize to my
friend. The affair shall remain a Sc
cret'
"'Monsieur," he replied, you are
naturally solicitous for your friend;
but 1 do not intend to APOLOGIZE
'Eustace beckoned me to him and
said in an undertone, II know nothing