Connecticut western news., 1901-07-11
THE DUEL WAS FOUGHT ACCORDING TO
 THE CODE.

THE DUEL WAS FOUGHT ACCORDING TO
 THE CODE.
 tion as a gentleman it was with Pay son Graham's wife. He was also a dawdler, dandy and a gentleman. This affair was his only lapse, and he lived to regret it. When he found him. self in love with his friends wife and realized that the wife reciprocated. he acted the part of u gentleman. Where his lapse occurred was in falling in love. All that followed was according to the ethics of gentility. He naturally suggested an elopement. His sense of honor suggested that it was his duty to remove the wife as far as possible from her husband. The gossip over an elope ment is always unpleasant, but 1t does not sting like the gossip over the dis covery of liaison under the guise of friendship. It was agreed all around that Stafford acted like a gentleman in bearing the unfaithful wife away on his yacht. Some gentlemen pursue an eloping wife, and some sit calmly down and seek to forget her. 1t is for him to choose, and he loses no prestige. Graham decided to pursue, and it was recorded in the books of society that he was quite within his province as a gentleman. He was also yacht own CT. and when he discovered which way
 his late friend had headed he took up
 his watery trail.
 Luck, accident and Providence were
 all on the side of the pursuer. Stafford
 had headed for the Mediterranean,
 meaning to make q trip of a couple of
 years. It is a good bit of a voyage from London to Gibraltar. and it had
 not been completed by half when the yacht witE the elopers on board was
 overloaded. No gentleman who elopes
 with another mans wife must seek to skulk away when fairly overloaded,
 and as Stafford was a gentleman he
 calmly waited for events to take their course. Perhaps the loss of some of his spars in storm, thus leaving him rather badly crippled aided him some what in being philosopher. As a gen. tleman and an injured husband it was Graham's place to make the first call and he did it. He was rowed off to Stafford's yacht in his gig. and as he went up her side he was received with all due respect. His wife bowed to him, Stafford lifted his hat and hoped he was we'll, and if the sailors had been looking for a brawl they were disappointed. Unless a gentleman's wits have been driven out by wine, and | that occasionally happens, he does not roll ill the mud in public. The wife had no tears. mysteries or excuses. and Stafford did not put forward any re- grets over his conduct. On his part Graham did not ask why this or why that and then pull a dagger and tear his hair
 It was all very quietly and nicely arranged. The trio descended to the cabin and even lunched together. There were no hot words or loud voices. At the end of about an hour 1t was settled
 what should be done. The wind had died out, and the sea was calm. and there must be an affair of honor. Noth- ing less could be reasonably offered | and accepted in reparation. The cap | tafns of the yachts were to act as sec | onds as far as they could, but 1t was not to be duel on board of either yacht. When all was ready, each prin- ctpal entered his gig and pulled away to distance. and the two captains fol-