River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-03-26

laughing, I9nC-nearted girl, put IneJ
were both young and hot-headeG.
"At the supper Her Majesty was
deliciously beautiful and mad. | cam
not say that / blame Griswold nor do
I blame The Rival, for believe every
man there, married and single, was
in love with her that night. As the
guests were leaving the table there
came the act which almost ended in
a tragedy. Her Majesty called for a
wishbone it was brought and she
becloned to GriswoId and The Rival.
What could they dc under the cir
cumstances? Their breeding would
not permit them to display the least
of bad humor. AS they advanced,
smiling grimly, she said:
81 hear that you two gentlemen
were first in the hunt to-day which
was quite true, as both were fine
horsemen and had striven to Guido
each other, only to finish together (,
and it is but fair that you should re-
ceive the courtesies of the hour. As
you were both first / cannot choose
between you; / must ask you to
choose for me-
$50 saying, she placed a prong of
the wishbone in the hand of each.
AS they stood there before all the
crowd, holding to the tiny ends of
turkey bone, they looked somewhat
embarrassed, and 1 am sure that it
was plain to every one that The
Rivals hand was shaking.
"'When / count three she said,
pull. The one retaining the longest
piece L shall ask to be my partner for
the EVENING"
"This piece of capriciousness was
greeted by burst of laughter from
the ladies and gentlemen. 1t may be
that The Rivals nervousness proved
to be his good, or bad, fortune, as
the case may seem, for when Her
Majesty called 'Three!' he gave a
quick twist with thumb and finger,
swapping the bone short off in Girls
wOld's hand. There was another
burst of laughter and medley of
goOd-natured taunts were hurled at
Griswold as The Rival, bowling low,
passed into the ballroom with Her
Majesty on his arm.
at was a small matter, The Rival
thought, but he did not know how it
ranked in Griswold. And, no doubt,
during the dances he cast eXultant
chances in the others direction.
After the fifth dance The Rival, while
getting the air on the veranda, was
accosted by Griswold, who accused
him of wrenching the wishbone I'M
fairly. Hot words ensued and Girls
void slapped The Rivals face. The
result was a mutual agreement to
fight duel at daybreak. The ball
was not over uRtil after four o'clock,
so they quietly selected seconds then
and there and awaited the hour.
cit came all too soon, and the duel
lists repaired to an open space in a
grove of tall pines. 1t was near the
road, but no interruption was antici-
pated at that hour. GriswOld and
The Rival, pistols in hand, were fac
ing each other at 20 PAGES, and two
of the fatal three had been counted
when there was a thunder of horses
hoofs on the road and a carriage
came into view, dashed by, and van
ished almost at the same instant.
While all were yet looking in the di-
rection it had gone and wondering
two horsemen appeared i'll hot pur-
suit. At sight of the dueling party
the foremost rider drew rein, and
Her Majesty's father was recognized.
The other was a slave.
Didn't you see her.? he shouted.
Didn't you see her? Why in the
name of the queen didn't you stop
hero
"'See whom?' one of the seconds
asked.
'Whom!' he shrielled, as he dug
his spurs into his horse. Whom!
Why, Her Majesty, of course. She's
clipping with that renegade Spence"
''The last words were borne back
on the wind as he, followed by the
slave, sped away bent on overhauling
the clippers.
"'Spence! Spence!' said first one
and then another of the party in
blank astonishment. Who's Spence?
The name was unknown to all. The
hoofbeats were still ringing on the
frosty air when heavy thud caused
everybody to wheel about. Griswold
had fallen in q dead faint.
'"The dueling party dispersed i'm
mediately. Griswold was taken home
and The Rival went to Her Majesty's
mother to wait for news. 1t came
late that afternoon. The clippers
reached Baltimore in safety and were
married and gone good hour before
the pursuers created a scene in the
streets of the quiet old city.
''That incident, of course, brought
out all the others. 1t seems that
Her Maiesty's father left England
| for no other purpose than to avoid
| Spence, against whom he had a
| grudge. But the lovers had been Sc
cretly corresponding all the while
and had carefully planned the elope-
ment. Spence was lying in wait
with horses and carriage at the very
time she was playing off Griswold
| and The Rival to such desperate
end. To be just to her, however, /
| doubt if she would have done it had
she thought her dupes would have
| gone so far as a duel, or, to express
| the view she would have taken Of it,
| displayed such bad taste, fault she
was ever ascribing to men, as the
portrait there indicates. The pair
went to New York and sailed for
| Y oolo3 uar Mo iaStU'S 20 bar xxoS in