The Van Buren press., 1895-06-01

vss aanosneed sd fAs weddine day
Approaehed
Harding had been to yev FORK; hs
rssasned lases IN November. r.dians
viii h1PH aspirations, and took
rooms A. before. bat now in the 81
charleA he brought some friends
With him, and his parents would b
eamsng little Later.
fhave said that . lover 10 p fool
His vanity. moreover, cannot be over
estimated. and the selfshnezs OF his
passion plays him small jet irrssissibls
tricks Harding had desire 70 20
again 20 the old book store in tGarcia.
on Royal street. and have his Hrst
meeting over once more 10 his innagina-
ton. He slipped away from the hotel
fursively and with . foolish stir in his
blood
The morning was like a summerV
dream, clothing the old city in flms Of
chastened splendor. Up and down the
narfow streets clAcked the high-heeled
boots of the 1.-the CreoleA Fruit stands
heaped with luscious oranges, bananas,
apples, dashed the air with 8 rich bou-
quet. and there were roses everywhere
Harding held his head high and walked
swiftly.
When We 90 to seek an illusion we
are pretty sure to find Q reality. 1t 10
not the scheme OF nature to humor us
in luxurieA AT Garcin's door Harding
came abruptly face to face with Fran
co.'s Rapin. whom he had not seen since
the announcement of the coming nup
tiala- Somehow 1t was . surprise, but
Rapin's face showed quick smile.
Harding stopped short in hid tracks,
and would have probably put birth his
hand in friendly offer Of salu Ion; bat
just then his hat was lightly tapped
from his head by Rapin. who inmedi-
ately picked IT up and handed it to him,
saying:
M. Harding will now remember his
promise TO teach me the mysterious
stroke Of n. DuvaL"
He bowed low and was gone, while
a card futtered down at HardiDg's feet;
1t bore Rapin's address,
At first Harding's heat Of temper was
great, but reflection led him toconsult
his-frisads.swho.ridiculed the thought
of a-dpel He was- glad. to escape. for.
although born tighter, this was no
time TO Be risking his life or TO be kill
ing man. le ftss NEs,u as'
He had, however, consulted but one
side of that advisory board which
always exists in such cases. His udrth-
ern friends were unanimously otposed
to the duels. but now he must - hank
and lay the matter before his f1aucee's
family. a
"Yonnnet fight him, sir, said Mont.
ma e6lI7 - 10Y 70
"0f cosirss tlere is but one way open
to gentleman" sighed Marie, you
must challenge him"
The Montmartin housekcld and all
the Montmartin circle were as unit
on fhia point No eyAsion was to be
considersd. since Rapin smilingly re-
fua to ppologize,fp - SO Harding
sen " 81 Urge, xhiSA wss promptly
They met at sunrise under the
..oaks'' 30 we'll known 70 dueling his,
tory. sMerrily lclinked their rapiera
for honor's sake, and Marie's. That
was but about forty years ago; and yet
what . distancel What p far spin the
world has made down the groove of
change" since then! Farragut and
Butler have been in the city; the re-
construction terror has come and gone;
the reassertion of state authqtity fol-
lowed the victory Of the eitiS16s over
the alien soldiers; the lot1 Zone;
the city Ia RmogSs The Sales
Of cotton, EshsI ~ III barrels,
the bagspn 1stesf ~ there are
Yesterday,a a white -haiN man whose
shoulders 8 a5ooped Angely and
who's two ser1ns dan2133 half. para
lyzed beside him walked down Royal
street. ~ fN so 'sHF - ]
THAT is Francois Rapin, i" said Gre
ole to some friends. "He got that
wound in the celebrated duel with
Harding 81 az > 10 ss ~
"Y-e-e-s," drawled another Of the
group, with queer little, shrug,
''y-e-e-s, Mr.. Harding taughtsfiim the
stroke Of ruin,' ha! hal shel cest rraii
NEST CT pasp"
followed with curious gsze the.re-
treatipG51ssNs Of Rapin, recalling at
tho S4ls tine TINT Boyle Hsrding and
his wifi were now living in Nice,
where, ~ most comfprtskb circum-
stances and we'll loaded With fame,
Harding writes his novels and plays
with his grandchildren. His wife is
said " be still beautiful snd very do
meatic. Vanity. S