Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-20

crushed to death. At parting she tells him She
rat brbs A@ang to the
Marquis de la Trouerie. who had been sent on a
mission to the colonies by Louis XVI. He is to
thas eGenc q
vention.. yI-Anne goes to Winchester, where
the court of Lord Dunmore, the Tory governor,
the Continental congress. An aid of Dunmore
name In the presence of Washington's friend,
seconds Armand. VII-Armand makes love 10
Anne on the evening Of the duel She is coy,
70 stop the duel. VIII-Armand tires Fey out
with skillful fencing. The governors messen-
ger cuts short the duel, but Foy wounds his un-
way Court the home of Fairfax.
Henry held Armand's coat and waist
coat after he had stripped them off and
stood, slight and young, in his shirt.
He looked at him with rising pity. All
Virginia knew of Foy's sword skill.
He had black record in the army of
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick, and
these tales had been whispered wide
in williamsburg There lie had come
to no open quarrel as yet and was
made boon companion by such pot
tipsters as Burnaby Rolph and lesser
toad eaters like young Brooke. But the
better class gave him cold shoulder
character and would have needed little
to have named him to his face for a
sneaFing whelp that smelled strong of
the hangman.
The young Frenchman took Henry's
hand between both his own. II have
been SO occupied these last three
hours" lie protested contritely. "Haye
1 said to you that you are generous and
kind to assist thus in the affair of a
stranger? Have said that l was
grateful?'
Colonel Washington" said Henry,
"is my best friend. An had been in
the iun parlor, sir, had drunk that
toasr with you.'
The night was very still. Scarce
leaf stirred in the vagrant breeze or
shivercd in the haze. Only dull hum
ming chirr of night insects from the
thicket and drifting across this-a gold
snake on sad carpet-the rich, plain
tive bubble Of a whippoorwill
Gentlemen" cried Rolph, sis all
ready?"
"Have you no command, monsieur?"
Henry asked.
sA a:fli were s Sfs ls
he shook his head. "How sweet it
singsw he said. "Listen!'
1t died, and the tapping of a bell,
very faint and far and tenuous, came
over the still valley. Henry knew the
sound. Away to the eastward on
high knoll, stood a long, low structure
of limestone, with wide veranda.
Perched upon it's roof were two wooden
belfries with alarm bells, which had
been hung twenty years before, after
Braddock's defeat, when the Indians
turned their tomahawks against the
white chief that dwelt there. The In
dams had been driven westward long
ago, but the bells still rang whenever
the master, with yelping hounds or by
faring torches, came back to his lodge.
At this moment, while Armand stood
in the moonlight with naked sword
in his hand, my Lord Fairfax, for
whose affront he stood, was come again
saddened to Greenway Court.
Foy's voice broke in, sneeringly
wrathful. "Are we come to string
beads"-
"En garde!" cried Armand, turning
sharply, and the two blades rang to.
gether with a clash.
Foy's attack was wonderfully strong
He had the trick of carrying the head
well back and resting the whole weight
Of his body upon the left leg, a sign of
one whose learning had been without
masks. The others method was as
different from that of his antagonist
as night from day. He fought far for
ward, engaging much with the point.
A maitre d'cscrime might have seen
in his action some of the freedom and
directness which later gave BERTRAND
the greatest fencing master OF Europe
the surname of the Terrible" But tc
the watchers it seemed to be utterly
without method-barren of rule--to be
loose, uncontained. He possessed tho
appearance of child at careless play
with serpent, not conscious of its
sinister intention.
A pain came into Henry's dark eyes
and paler tinge to his cheeks. lie
groaned inwardly as Foy suddenly
came at Armand, pressing him back
in a furious chasse-croisse, first the
right foot forward then the left.
The lieutenant stood close to Henry
his lips parted, watching. "rhcy say
Toy was taught of Angelo" he wills
pered, "and that the pupil could best
his master. Your friend is in evil
case"
So indeed it seemed. Toy was a
brute, and he fought like one, with face
distorted and breath rafting with rage
He came on with the lungc OF hunt.
err at boar, his blade hate heavy, and
the very fury of his rush sent the young
Frenchman back to the verge of tho
bushes.
Armand returned with a stop thrust
parted a lunge and answered by q
riposte Then for moment there was
nothing but the du-tac-au-tac of slim
steel, cutting Maynard blue whitt
flashes where the milky light caught
its edge.
END the cub, Foy," cried Rolph will
an oath, "and let us to town! You
could have spittcd him forty times!'
"By heaven!" suddenly burst Out
Henry. "Bravov'
The Frenchman's blade, beating up q
flanconnade, had nicked crimson
cash on Foy's shoulder.
The latter, smarting from the prick
and enraged beyond measure, came Oh
again cursing, his chin set forward
from his neck and fleck Of foam on
his lips.
Armand had changed his tactics. He
still had the appearance of looseness
and lack of close defense; but, strange
ly enough, Foy's point, though welded
by the redoubtablc swordsman that he
was, had not so much as slit Il ruilie of
his shirt. He was untouched, imnlcu-
late, careless and debonair.