The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-11-15

der that I might be able to keep my
VOW"
Tragedy becomes you, madam" he
said, mockingly. "But why talk of
killing when you know that your eyes
have already mortally wounded me?"
will you cease this foolish talk?
Do you still think that love brought.
me here tonight? l have to avenge the
honor of my name. 1t shall not suffer
for want of female kim"
Madam, what folly is this? How can.
I fight a woman?'
She unclasped her cloak and threw
it from her as the maid approached
and handed her two foils.
Il came prepared, you see, Sir.
Harry she said. as she carefully
measured the foils to see that they
were of equal length. "Now, sir.
choose your foil and take your stand"
This is midsummer madness. in
deed! Mistress March, or I~ngledew, if
it pleases you better. And though it
may be pretty fooling when SO fair a.
lady plays part in it, like it not"
"Will you choose a foil?"
"No, madam"
Coward" She held a foil by the.
hilt now, and at the word struck him
lightly across the face with the fiat OF
the blade.
His face was white with anger, save.
where a red line showed where her
blow had fallen.
Had a man struck that blow he.
would not have seen tomorrow's sun!
But a woman is privileged to some ex-
tent. I will fence with you, madam,
since you insist, and when you are dis
armed l will take my revenge in
kisses"
The moon flung their shadows on the
ground in grotesque confusion, n
glittered on the blades of the foils as
they thrust and parted. She fenced
with care and skill that come of long
practice.
At first the man carelessly parted
her thrusts, laughing and jesting att
the strange fate which led him, a
noted duelist, to cross swords with a
woman. But by degrees the jest and
laugh died on his lips, and his gaze
remained fixed on something over Do
rOthy's shoulder. 1t may have been
fancy, or the flicker of the moonlight
on his adversary's uncovered hair, but
he thought the face of Winifred looked
over her sisters shoulder.
He began to falter, and a lunge-
Dorothy made remained impaired.
'Winnie!" he cried, and as the cry
left his lips Dorothy pierced his heart.
He stumbled; then fell at her feet.
For a moment she stood aghast at the
fulfllment of her vow; then, finging
away the foil, she knelt at his side.
His eyes opened and as they fell
upon Dorothy the hooking smile
struggled again to the white lips.
There was no sound but his gasping
breath. His eyes opened again.
"Forgive!" he gasped.
His head fell back, and Sir Harry
Fortescue was dead.
Dorothy flung herself on the body =
and kissed the lips again and again,
weeping bitterly. Her maid tried to
draw her away.
LET m BET" she sobbed. LET me
be! o, my love, my love! I thought
there was room for nothing in my
heart but hate. and l killed him
killed him. Blu I shall love him till
I diet"
Mistress, you forget pleaded Bet
ty. "The watch will be here with the
day"
Dorothy shuddered and allowed Betty
to wrap the cloak around her. The
Waiting woman gave a last searching
glance round to make sure that they
had left nothing to betray them, and
then with the foils hidden under her
cloak, led her mistress away. The
pride and fire that had sustained the
girl during the night had gone, and ="
she was nov all weakness and timid-
ity, obliged to lean heavily on her
maids shoulder, and a brain numbei
to all but the one thought that, in
avenging her sisters wrongs, she had
killed her own lover. His death was
already avenged.-Penny Pictorial
Magazine.
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