The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-01-04
A Compromised Fee
[original.l


rigorous than in the north. The slav.
cry agitation was on, and the north.
erner found making an entry either
socially or professionally slow work.
But there is one field in which at the
age of twenty-three progress is never
slow-the field Of love. Otis and An.
toinette lie Bert, the daughter Of d
sugar planter, met and their hearts
fused as readily as If there was no
war cloud gathering between their
respective sections.
But while Antoinette's father had
no objection to Otis on account of be.
ing northerner, he had serious OBJ.
1ections 10 him on account Of his pow
erty, for the young man on his ar
rival at his new home had not 500
in the world. Nevertheless Mr.. lie
Bert was friendly to his daughters
lover, probably because Otis was too
manly to pay court to a girl he was
not able to marry. Indeed Otis con-
sidered marriage with Miss lie Bert
as impossible as did her father. Mr..
LIE Bert gave him what little law bust
ness he had and was impressed with
the ingenious methods the young man
employed TO gain his ends,
One day Mr. lie Bert placed col
lection for a goodly sum in the law
yer's hands and in doing so said to
him:
lie Grand Bowler, who owes me
this debt, is fire eater Of the worst
kind. lie hates northerner as he
hates snakes. He Is a duelist, dead
shot. and has killed several men under
the code duello. There is no lawyer
hereabout who will take the collection
The amount is $4,000. II you viii find
way to force or persuade him to pay
It you shall have half for fee. But
remember you must exercise the great
est care not to offend him, for IL you
do he will challenge you, and II you re-
fuse him satisfaction sentiment here
win be against you, and you will have
TO go elsewhere. Besides, do not care
to antagonize lie Grand Bowler my
self-not that fear him, but we south
erners consider II beneath us TO press
claim for debt, especially from one
of our own clnss'
Otis took the papers In the case and
said that he would look into 1t. He
neither spoke TO Mr. lie Bert about it
nor Mr.. lie Bert to him till one morning
week later when the client rushed
into Otis Office with a letter fl his hand
and threw it down before him. 1t read /;
Elr-I have received an insulting letter
from a young gutter snipe from the north
demanding payment or my Indebtedness
10 you, in which he uses the word dead
beat" and accuses me OF having obtained
your property under false pretenses" /
desire TO know II you assume responsible.
ity for the puppy's insults. / have the
honor TO be your most obedlent servant.
LIE GRAND BOUVIER.
lie Bert expected to see Otis pale
when he read the letter, but he did not.
He wrote on the face OF It:
My note was written without the knowl-
edge OF Mr., To Bert, and ] alone am re-
sponslble for it. OLIVER OTIS.
Handing it back to lie Bert, he re-
sumed the work at which he was en-
gagged as il nothing unusual had oc-
CURED.
Are You aware" asked Le Bert,
"what this meansg'
Perfectly"
Every well If you want to get hole
In you, go ahead"
That evening gentleman with very
black hair aud eyes who spoke softly
the creole dialect called upon Otis
with demand for satisfaction on the
part of Bowler. Otis asked if he
would be expected TO fight under the
Louisiana code. The visitor said that
his principal was so enraged that he
would fight under any code, where
upon Otis said that in some states the
code especially stipulated that there
should be no meeting between two
persons wherein one owed the other
money; that he was personally interest
ed in the debt due from Mr.. Bsuvier,
therefore his challenger was his debt
or, He could not accept any challenge
from Mr.. Bowler until the debt had
been paid
The visitor departed, and nothing
more was heard Of the affair for ten
days, when Mr. lie Bert received a
check for the full amount of his claim
with interest The payment had not
been made five minutes when Mr.
Bouyier's second called at Otis office
Mr.. lie Bert came In at the same mo-
ment with his check The second po
litely informed Otis that, there being
nothing In the way of the meeting, his
principal expected it would take place
without delay
Then Otis placed his hand on his
heart made profound bow and said:
MAY | ask you to convey to Mr..
Bowler my sincere and humble apol-
ogy? supposed him to be what
chilled him. but see was mistaken.
! have proof In the payment of this
debt that he Is an honorable man"
The creole looked surprise through
his soft black eyes, bowed, turned and
left the Office. And that was the last
Of the prospective duel between Oliver
Otis and lie Grand Bowler
That afternoon Mr. lie Bert sent
Otis check for S6,8s3,74 exactly half
the amount Of the collection Otis re-
turned it with bill for legal services
for SOS. Mr.. lie Bert strove in vain to
induce him to accept the larger
Rmount without success. Otis averred
that 1t was not In the north consid-
cred at that time professional to take
cases on shares The matter was
finally compromised by the check be-