The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-11-21
Her Champion.

|
[Orfginall
Miss Wedgewood an American girl
travelling abroad, found it necessary to
| journey from London to Paris attend
| ed only by her maid. On reaching
| Calais she was ushered into a compart-
ment already occupied by two English
| men who, from the dress and the airs
| they put on. might be London swells.
| Before the train started third man
| entered. took a seat at the farther nd
| of the compartment from Miss Wed s5e-
| wood. opposite the swells, and. taking
periodicals and newspapers from his
pocket. began to read He did not even
glance at Miss Wedgewood. who up
preciated his not doing so inasmLc h
as the .swells stared at her continually
No sooner had the train started than
they began to discuss her in Indifferent
Spanish. Mis-; WedgeWood spoke
French. German, Spanish and Ital
ian. This is what they said translated
into London English:
shes veWy pwetty." said one.
III OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Amewican.
saw cleveland on her tWunk. That's
somewhere in Amewica. | believe
They haven't the generations of re
nnement over there TO make beauty"
Look at the way she does her hair"
and the hat. It's last seasons
make. | fawncy she's rich, but new To
fashion,
Miss WedgeWood noted a lowering
on the brow of the gentleman sitting
opposite her critics. Indicating that he
not only understood Spanish but that
their criticisms annoyed him He held
a newspaper before him 50 that the
men opposite could not see his face,
though it was visible 10 Miss Wedge
wood, occupying Il different position.
He glanced aside as though desiring
20 satisfy himself of the Justice OF
their structures. but Miss Wedgewood
fortunately, she considered it, was at
the time just turning her eyes from
his side of the coach to her own. as
Stunning an imperturhable countcnance
apparently unconscious of what was
going on.
reading lowered his paper and adj
dressed the critics in Spanish.
Gentlemen, ! am surprised that
Enslishmen, whom | Judge by appear
ances to belong to the upper classes.
should crticise a lady"
One of the men addressed apologiZed
stating that they had supposed no one
in the compartment understood them
The other seemed inclined to resent
the strangers Interference
4 wish YOU to understand, sir. he
said, that a bit of private conversa-
ton between two gentlemen is not a
matter for remark by a third person.
You are very impudent to object, I
would have you know sir"
Very well. sir said the other pro
coed to make Il cad of yourself. only
don't go so far as to force me TO take
the lady under my protection.' And
he resumed his reading
The man who had last spoken re
sumed his remarks about Miss Wedge
wood. making them far broader and
bolder than before. Miss Wedge
woods champion again laid down his |
paper and said:
The presence of the lady renders an
insult impra cticable. VIII you kindly |
consider yourself insulted" And. first |
glancing at Miss Wedgewood to see
that she was not observant, he tossed
his glove at the man; then. drawing a
card from his pocket. handed it to him |
Before looking at it the man handed |
him one of his own cards.
Count Lichtenstein," exclaimed the |
Englishman.
and you, l perceive, are Lord Bat
terton, | will be ready to receive any |
friend your lordship may send at the |
Grand hotel within two hours after
our arrival in Paris
Il know you by reputation-the repu-
tation you made at your university
with the small sword-but as the chal-
lenged party l prefer pistols. will
teach you Germans, whose counts are
as plentiful as tram drivers in London
that you can't have your own way
with a British nobleman."
ANY weapon you prefer. Lord Bat
terton." And the count resumed his
reading as though nothing of conse-
quence had happened Batterton in
structed his companion, Mr. Older
shaw, to act for him, and the count
agreed to a meeting at a spot near
Versailles at 6 o'clock on the morning
after their arrival in Paris. Older
shaw was to visit the counts friend,
Edward Wedgewood, an American, and
with him arrange the minor details.
The most astonishing part of this
singular affair, every word of which
Miss Wedgewood understood, was that
her defender S second was to be her
own brother When the preliminaries
were all settled she turned to the par
lies in question.
"Gentlemen," she said in excellent
Spanish. there is no occasion for this
quarrel. If l needed to be championed,
ny brother. Mr.. Wedgewood.. would ;