The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-08-29
a DI\ILI OUI
STIRRING COURTSHTP
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Her father and mother were plous peo- pie and insisted on Elise maintaining the same rigorous notions that gov. erened them. She was not permitted to dance, and she must keep all the fast days and do penance for the slightest infraction of church rules.
 Henry soulard, the son of neigh boring planter, met Elise one evening at q party and was capuvated by her oval face, olive complexion. black eyes and the long cable of hair reaching nearly to her heels. He was n manly young fellow, without anything mean or selfish about him. He asked Elise | to dance, but she declined, explaining that her parents forbade dancing and if she did 80 and they heard of it she would have to suffer. Henry looked disappointed. but declared that he would not bring trouble upon her for q world. Whereupon Elise was seized with desire to suffer for his pleasure and insisted on dancing with him When he found 1t impossible to dis suade her. he consented, and they danced together often during the rest of the evening. When Elise went home, she told her mother what she had done. Instead of making her do the usual penances Mime. Marcel simply forbade her ever agaln to speak
 .N
 The next time Henry saw Elise he was on horseback and Elise was ahead of him driving her pony. man was riding beside her. talking to her. and 1t was plain that Elise was offended, for she answered never a word. When Henry drew near. he saw that the of fender was Jean Gaspard. young man who had lately inherited a planta- ton. on which he lived q by no means exemplary life. As soon as Henry came up Elise. with flashing eyes and burn. Ing cheeks. told him she desired that M Gaspard would ride on and leave her alone. Henry rode up to her tor mentor and cut him with his riding whip. then cutting Gaspard's horse, high mettled beast. it shot on. carrying the rider fur away.
 Tint afternoon friend of Gaspard's waited on Henry bearing a challenge. In that day duellng was common in the south, and Henry could not have declined 10 light without meeting con sequences as serious as fighting The next morning the two men met with sharp pointed folls. Though Henry was the better fencer he was so indignant with his antagonist that he was under cautious. He received flesh wound in the side. This ended the combat.
 The meeting soon became common talk fin the neighborhood, but as the people were not ayerse to dueling there were no arrests. NJ. and Mime. Marcel not only heard of the affair, but of its cause. Elise, learning that Henry had been wounded. took her pony cart and drove to her fathers plantation. She found him lying on a wicker couch on the yeranda. Though they had seen each other but twice before. the episode in which Henry had defended her and afterward risked his life and was wounded on her account was quite enough to draw them to a climax. Not q word was spoken before Henry had clasped her and she had wound her arms about his neck. When they sepa. rated. they were betrotbed.
 It was a great shock to Mme. Marcel when Elise drove home and told her that shc was engaged to the man with whom she had danced and who had fought q duel for her.
 "Mon Dieu." exclaimed the mother "that should have a child to love one who has tried to kill another! Our pro. tecting saints surely will leave us prey to the devil. Go to your room, wicked child, and if you ever again meet or speak to this would be mur. derer you must leave this house and your poor father and me that you may not jeopardize our immortal souls"
 Elise's love and respect for her moth CT forbade her dlsobeying, and she went to her room, where her meals were sent to her for three days. Then she was told to go to confession. She promised her mother that she would speak to no one but the priest. The promise was sacredly kept, and when she returned she went at once to her room. For e week she remained day and night there, seeing no one, her meals brought to her. Then one morn ing she was called down Into the great hall which served as a living room. There stood Father De Bleek, the par ish priest, and there sat her mother on the old mahogany and halrcloth sofa.
 Embrace your. daughter" said the old man kindly.
 "Are you sure, father. that there will be no contaminationT'
 "There is no sin to contamination. Whatever of sin there may be, if any, would pertain to tho young man. But there Is no sin in defense. Has not our church found her defender fin all gen. erations since she was planted on earthi Arc you not presumptuous to set up your interpretations of our doe trines."
 Forgive me, father"
 Elise stood over her mother and at this point bent down and the two were clasped in each others arms. When they looked up the priest had with drawn.