Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-23

myself uiii, ptIuGllS. SWOTuSulaIl
enough to satisfy the impudence and
vanity OF NJ. Beverley, lieutenant in
the American army
Pardon me. mademoselle; forgive
me, | beg of you" he exclaimed, ear
4 nestly modulating his voice to sincerest
beseechment Il really did not mean to
be impudent, nor"
Her vivaeity cleared with merry
laugh.
mo apologies. l command you," she
| interposed. I'VE will have them after
l have taught you a fencing lesson"
From shelf she drew down a pair
of foils and, presenting the hilts, babe
/ him take his choice
There isn't any difference between
/ them that | know Of" she said, and
I then added archly, but you will feel
| better at last, when all is over and the
sting of defeat tingles through you, IL
you are conscious of having used every
sensible precaution."
He looked straight into her eyes. try
ing to catch what was in her mind, but
there was bewildering glamour play
ing across those gray, opal tinted wells
of mystery, from which he could draw
only mischievous smile CLINT, direct,
daring. irresistible.
Well" he said, taking one of the
foils, what do you really mean? Is it
challenge without room for honorable
retreat?"
1.-THE time for parley is past" she re-
piled. Follow me to the battle ground"
She led the way to pleasant little
court in the rear of the cabins yard, a
space between two wings and vine
covered trellis. beyond which lay
well kept vineyard and vegetable gar
den Here she turned about and faced
him, posing her foil with fine grace.
Are you ready?" she inquired.
He tried again to force way into
the depths OF her eyes with his, but he
might as we'll have attacked the sun,
so he stood in a confusion of not very
we'll defined feelings. undecided, hesi-
tating. half expecting that there would
be some laughable turn to end the at
fair.
Are you afraid, NJ. Beverley" she
demanded after a short waiting in
silence.
He laughed now and whipped the air
with his foil.
You certainly are not in earnest? he
said interrogatively. do you really
mean that you want to fence with me?"
IF you think because I'm only a
girl you can easily beat me, try it"
she tauntingly replied, making level
thrust toward his breast.
Quick as fash he parted, and then
a merry blinking and twinkling of steel
blades kept time to their swift move
ments Instantly, by the sure sense
which is half sight half feeling-the
sense that guides the experienced fenc-
er's hand and wrist-Beverley knew
that he had probably more than his
match, and in ten seconds his attack
was met by time thrust in opposition
which touched him sharply.
Alice sprang back, lowered her point |
and laughed
''Je vous salue NJ. Beverley" she
cried with childlike show Of delight. /
Ibid you feel the button?'
Eyes, l felt it, he said with frank |
acknowledgment in his voice 1T was |
cleverly done. Now give me chance
to redeem myself
He began more carefully and found |
that she. too, was on her best mettie; I
but it was short bout, as before. |
Alice seemed to give him an easy open
ing and he accepted it with thrust.
Then something happened that he did
not understand The point of his foil
was somehow caught under his oppo-
nents hilt guard while erblade seemed
to twist around his. At the same time
there was wiring and jerk, the like
of which he had never before felt, and
he was disarmed, his wrist and fingers
aching with the wrench they had re-
ceiyed
OF course the thing was not new: he
had been disarmed before; but her
trick OF doing 1t was quite mystery
to him, altogether different from any
that he had ever seen.
'.Vous me pardonnerez, monsieur"
she mockingly exclaimed. picking UP
his weapon and offering the hilt to
him. Here is your sword"
keep It," he said, folding his arms
md trying to look unconcerned; you
have captured it fairly. am at your
mercy; be kind to me-"
mime Roussillon and Jean, the
hearing the racket Of the
foils, had come out to see and were
agape.
You ought to be ashamed, Alice
said the dame in scolding approval OF
what she had DONE Girls do not fence {
with gentlemen"
'1This girl does" said Alice.
"And with extreme disaster to this ,
gentleman" said Beverley, laughing in s
q tone of discontinue and resignation.
"Ah, m'sieu, there's nothing but dis
aster where she goes" complained
Nine. Roussillon '.She is destroyer {
If everything. Only yesterday she
dropped my pink bowl and broke it,
he only one l had" {
UAp,1 A,.--'- - e.s.1 por-c-,f---
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