The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-01-17
A DUEL IN THE
OLDEN THE
IoriginaLl

toft y more peaur1ul than Nile. de
Lafayetteg'
q maintain that Mlle.' de HOutefOrt
is far more beautiful than Mile. de
Lafayette"
"yery well Therer And the first
speaker drew his glove gently across
the face Of the second.
Gentlemen said youth standing
by. Il wish to be one OF the seconds in
this meeting"
'Bah-a STRIPPING like your
You know Of the cardinals edict
and remember the execution Of the
Count de BouteyilIe and his second for
fighting a duel. Wen, If you don't ac-
cept my services / win inform on you.
and you win 90 to the BastilIe instead
Of to the dueiing ground
Put him on the list"
This was preliminary TO one Of thou
sands Of duels so prevalent in France
in the early part OF the seventeenth
century. Indeed. they were so preva-
lent, so fatal, that Cardinal RichelIeu,
virtual ruler. fearing all the gentlemen
In the kingdom would be killed, pro
mulgated an edict against duellng and
when 1t was broken by De Bouteville
Of the famous family of AIontmorenci
made nm example of him at the block.
Neither of the speakers, two officers Of
the army, cared anything for the
beauty Of the two young women men,
toned, the one the deposed. the other
the incoming. favorite of the king.
They simply wished a pretext.
The youth was a cadet. Castor Re
nadot, who had just entered the army
and was affected by the dueIIng craze.
He went straight to his sweetheart.
Mile. Leonora de Ruell. a girl OF sew.
enteen, and told with great delight and
pride that he was to be second at a
duel, which ut the time meant that in
all probability he would fight the same
as his principal and, lighting. would
either XIII or be killed by his adversary.
Now. Mile. de Ruell was at an age.
seventeen. when love is liable to alb
serb girls very existence. 1t was so
with her. To lose her lover she dread.
ed far more than losing her life. She
paled at his announcement, but recov-
ering herself, pretended to rejoice with
him. The thought Of his retiring from
the AFFAIR did not once occur to her. for
she knew that he had far better die
than suffer the odIum such a course
would involve. Besides, she knew 1t
would be impossible to persuade him
to desist.
when does the meeting Occurr she
asked.
Tonight at o'clock. We fight by
the light Of torches In the wood near
the bridge two miles up the Seine. The |
cardinal has spoiled open meetings."
Very well; let US have parting cup |
together"
She went for wine and, returning,
urged her lover to drink. One bottle
after another was brought on until the
clock struck IL; then Renadot EN-.
braced the girl and staggered away.
At the door he was seized by two serv-
ants belonging to the house, bound and
gagged and carried TO an upper room.
At o'clock the two principals to the
duel and their seconds were on the |
ground except CASTOR Renadot. They
stood waiting in the glare Of torches
held by attendants. Presently 4 coach
was driven up. and Renadot, masked.
stepped out
Pardon my delay. gentlemen" he
said. II have met with a detention.
Ny sweetheart strove to keep me-"
why are you maskedY'
ITO enable you all to say you did
not see me here. The lady has gone to
the cardinal to procure my temporary
arrest. would advise beginning at
once, or we may suffer an Interrupt
t1cn."
The advice was needed, and the prin-
cipals fell to with rapiers. It was not |
long before two of the seconds entered |
the fray, then two others and at last
the third pair. One of the principals
and two Of the seconds were killed.
The rest were severely or slightly
wounded, Renadot among the latter. |
As soon as the affair had ended he
entered his carriage and was driven
away to the house Of the De Rueils.
Reaching It, be entered and climbed to |
the room where he had been taken by
the servants. Entering. there were
two RenRdots. He who entered threw
away his mask and stood before the
other as Nile. de Rusil
rs It you who have disgraced met |
Here, run your sword through my
heart"
Z have not disgraced you. You
know how my father has taught me |
TO fence. Well, l went to the duellng |
ground as you, only I wore my broth
er'R clothes Thew aRkad WHY I vna