The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-10-25

TIE Case Of
I Nine. Damon.
Loriginal.l

Two genf!sDen q chatting In q gar
den incloscd III one OF those high
wallis with which the antebellum peo-
pie Of New Orleans were used to sur
round the rear parts Of their dwellings.
Fabian Marchand had just returned
from Paris md was telling his friend,
Edgar Brossian, Of the French capital.
II saw there" he said, "a very beau
tiful woman, Mime. Dumont. Though
she was middle aged, she had more
attention than most Of the young girls.
But there was n special reason for
this besides her beauty"
Certainly 1t could not have been a
discreditablc reason. Nine. Dumont
has lived in New Orleans, and we e
er had a more respected woman in So
ciety here"
what she may have been here !
do not know; what she is in Paris l
do know. If she had a good reputa-
ton, she has lost it."
A snothered exclamation came from
an upper window of a house extending
back into an adjoining garden. Both
men looked up. A young man about
twenty years old was staring down
upon them with an expression Of hor-
ror. For n moment his eyes were fixed
on Marchand; then he disappeared
from the window.
Great h~eavens!' cried Brossian.
"What is it?" asked the other eager
~. "Who is he?"
ERNEST Dumont."
"a relative?"
"Her son. Let us go in"
mo; l will wait here. In addition
to the pain l have given him, l will
not put him to the trouble Of hunting
for me-"
The men had not long to wait. An
intimate friend of young Dumont was
in the same house with him, and pres
emily this friend came into the garden
through a front gate and back toward
where Marchand and Brossian We're
sitting. He presented his card, bear
ing the name Sidney Mason, and said:
81 am the bearer Of q message from
Unrest Dumont to- He looked from
the one to the other.
"Mr. Marchand drew a card and
handed it to him. "This is Mr.. Bros
sian. You will represent me, Brossian,
will you not?"
Brossian assented, and Marchand
withdrew. Brossian chatted a long
while with the young mar in the hope
that amends might be made. But in
such n case amends are impossible. A
meeting between the two principals
was arranged for the next morning In
a. wood above the city on the Missis-
sippi river.
Marchand, as the challenged party,
had the choice of terms. He chose pis.
tolls, the two principals to be stationed
fifty PAGES apart, then to advance, fir
ing at will. At the meeting when the
word was given to advance and fire
Marchand stood still. He never raised
his pistol. Du1nont, white a. a sheet
advanced firing, but sent three bullets
at his mothers traducer before hitting
him. On being struck Marchand fell
dangerously wounded. Then boil
parties left the field.
For a long while Marchand hung be
tween life and death. Then he recov
cred. AS soon as he was able to stand
he sent word to Dumont that he wa
able and ready to give him further sat
isfaction. Dunont asked if his enemy
would fight or stand up to be killed
and when Informed that he wculdsac
as before the matter was dropped
Then Marchand left New Orleans t
go no one knew where.
The cause of the duel WIS kept sc
cret. Sympathy went with Marchand
who was universally beloved. 1t wa
considered that 1t was a cas- Of TIL
hot blood Of youth touching upon tn
good sense, forbearance,. of middle age
Young Dumont shut himself up fron
society, and it was generally believe,
that the blame attached to his actor
was killing him. 1t was not that. /
vas a doubt that Marchand's word
were false, a doubt that when 1t ono
fastened itself upon the sons brain b
could not shake itaoff.
One day-it was some months afte
Marchand's departure - Dumont RI
ceived a note from his mother, VIII
vas n widow, that she was in Ne,
Orleans and wished him to come I
her. Tor. a time he refused, but sine
she was gently persistent he final
consented to nm Interview. When b
) was ushered into the room where hi
mother received him he was astonisl
ed to see Marchand with her.
''The tables are turned said Ma
chand. II am novr your mothers d,
fender. There were two Nine. D,
monts in Paris. / did not know thu
there was but one. I have made ever