Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-09
DAILY. STORY
HOW SHE WAS WON.
tOriginal.1

Friends or relatives of his victims had
several times sought to take life for
Il life, but they had all been wounded
or killed. The truth was that Normin-
din was so skilled i'll all weapons, so
touch and nerve, that he was invinci-
BILE
One evening Normindin was sitting
with friends in a cafe adjoining Il hall
where masked ball was in progress.
A man dressed to represent Mephs-
tOpbcles and wearing IL mask entered,
walked straight up to the table where
Normindin was seated, took up glass
Of wine standing on the table before
the duelist and threw it in his face
Normindin paled. This was the first
time in his life that he had been thus
deliberately insulted. Wiping the wine
off his face, he half arose and asked:
"WhO are you, sir?'
"Thc devil"
''Take off your mask"
THAT l will do when 1 have killed
you. You shall look upon my fac, as
you pass below to my kingdom"
Il do not fight with unknown per-
sons"
You shall do so now or 1 will kill
you where you sit"
"And if fight?"
81 will kill you anyway"
Those sitting about noticed that Nor
mindin was not his usual self. At
tempting to look unconccrned. he put
his thumb and finger on the stem of a
wlneglass and raised it to his lips
His hand trembled
when and where can my seconds
find you?" he asked of his enemy.
''Now and here" Turning to two
gentlemen in evening dress who had
entered with him, he added. These
| will accommodate you" Then he
went and sat down at table in Il
| corner Of the room while the arrange
| ments were being made. NOrmindin
| wished delay, but the stranger said
'NOw." Normindin, however. though
| the challenger, was allowed the choice
| of weapons. for his enemy said that
since he was going to kill him it
made no difference with what weapon
| lc hlNl TIC httb. HIS uNlubb ~ -NOI-
| mindin's loss of nerve. He had in
| tended to choose short sword, with
| which few persons were practiced and
with which he was an expert. but he
| had never before known case where
the challenger had been given the
choice of weapons. This was supreme
Indifference.
Within an hour after the insult had
| been given the principals We're fight
ing in large unfinished room form
ing the whole top story of a dwelling
house. lighted by lamps. The stranger
still wore his devils dress and was
masked. Short swords were in the
hands of both adverSarieS. The stran.
| ger showed skill in fencing. but not
extraordinary skill. Normindin was
plainly out of nerve. This made an
even contest of it. They fenced fol
some time without either getting the
advantage. But there was certain
spring in the stranger which increased
| while Normindin was heavy and grow
| ing heavier. There was something
uncanny in the devils costume. The
mouth of the mask was cut to repre-
sent q leer, and through two holes
above Il pair of glittering eyes looked
out. it seemed to Normindin, in ma
licious triumph.
you can't kill me, nor l you," sale
Normindin presently. 1T is a draw
Normindn's seconds looked at eacl
other in surprise.
Il shall kill you" replied the otheI
confidently.
"When?'
"Now'
Gathering his strength. he made :
lunge and showed his sword up to thu
hilt in Normindin's breast. AS Nor
mindin fell the stranger took off hi
mask.
Il am the friend" he said. "Of youni
Alphonse MERCER, the last of your vic
tins. In killing him you broke tn
heart of the young girl to whom b
was engaged. I determined to aveng
her. 1 knew you to he only vulnerabl
through your nerve. l have attacle
your nerve and have beaten you. l Al
, but fair swOrdsman."
Il Normindin made no reply, for h
was dying He continued to stare a
the speaker till his eyes became gla7
) ed. Then the latter, handing hi
I weapon to his second, got into cal
) rage and was driven away.
Z This was neither the first nor tn
{ last act in a drama of which it was
Z part. The first is this:
Alphonse MERCER. young man VIII
had just come of age. wooed and wo
( Eugene Lefevre, the daughter of
wealthy cotton broker of New Orleans
Another sutton was Captain Roswe
3 Tracy of the United States engineer
on duty In the Crescent City and fl
3 teen years older than MERCER Whe
< Tracy heard that his successful riv;
had fallen n victim that Normindi
< might keep up in New Orleans IL
!: role he had played in Paris. he bega
( a series of investigations, with vie
3 to furnishing the murderer. He foun
& that Normindln was a wonder wit
) every weapon. Proceeding, howeve
( on the theory that such men are d