Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-23
IMPULSE
IOriginal.l


possible for us who live in this com
mercial age to understand how much
of the cavalier spirit at that time re-
manned, though it fiickered like a can
die before going out.
1t was in the fifties that Heloise
IhibadeauX. q young creole of Lou
isiana, while attending garden party
in New Orleans lost a fan that some
one Of her ancestors had received as
mark of favor from the king of France.
A diligent search was made, but the
fan was not recovered. Miss Thiba
deauX was very much exercised over
the loss and in a moment of impulse
said to several gentlemen who stood
about her discussing the probable
whereabouts of the fan, Il will give
to whoever finds i'll will give
"Yourself?" asked one of the men.
Eyes, and my fortune"
The words were no sooner uttered
than the lady regretted them as fool
ish. Besides, in those times they were
more liable to be taken seriously than
they would now be, and lady would
feel it to be more incumbent upon her
to stand by them. The man who had
made the suggestion, Albert Mason,
was a sutton of hers-a sutton she had
no intention of accepting-and among
the men in the group was Henry Du
Pont, whom she felt very much in
clined to accept. The reason she had
not done so was because he had not
asked her, and the reason he had not
asked her was because she owned by
Inheritance several sugar plantations,
while he was poor. Possibly she had
fallen in with Mason's suggestion in
order to give Du Pont chance to win
her by finding her fan. There would
at least be an exciting rival search be-
tween him and Mason.
When the next evening Du Pont call
ed on Miss Thbadeaux, she, suppOsing
he had come to bring her fan, met him
with a throbbing heart. When he fail
ed to speak of the matter, she said i'm
patiently:
''AIy fan--has it been found"
1T will be found" he replied SEN
tentiously.
A servant entered with the fan and
a note from Mason saying: Il claim
the first part of the reward. The sec
ond, your fortune. do not claim
Miss Thibadeaux was vexed. Hav
ing done one foolish thing. she proceed
ed to reinforce it by doing another.
Il will give myself" she said excit-
eddy, Ito the man who will prevent my
having to break and yet not keep my
promise.
"And then" said Du Pont, you will
give yourself to the man who will ep-
able you to break honorably with the
new winner"
1.-The next winner shall receive the
reward, and it shall be given willing
~"
1t was the averted face rather than
the words that gave him her meaning
He understood it perfectly, but with
out word Of reply left her and went
to the rooms of Albert Mason.
Mason" he said, you certainly are
not going to take an advantage of Miss
Thibadeaux in the matter of her FAM"
Mason looked surprised. What is
that to your he asked.
"This: | saw Miss Thibadeaux drop
her fan and saw you pick it up. You
had it when you suggested the re
ward"
Mason paled. Il certainly shall not
cannot-force Miss Thibadeaux to keep
her PROMISE, he said.
"YOu should release her from it,
ATM
her."
"She is just the person it should not
come from
"And suppose l refuse?''
II shall make known the fact that
you have taken an unfair advantage
of LADY,
Have you Witnesses?
None that know off,
'Then it is your word against mine.
But it is not necessary that the lady
should be brought into the affair. You
have accused me of a dishOnorable act.
l suppose you will not refuse me salts
faction
Certainly not"
VERY well, after we have settled the
uIuIIGI4 DClWCGn OuISS4NGS JOu dAG a.
liberty to go to Miss Thibadeaux with
your accusation against me-
This was equivalent to saying that
Du Pont would be prevented, for Ma
son had been out several times and
had always killed his man. The ac-
cusation would die with the accuser
The next morning at sunrise the two
principals were being placed at
point a short distance up the Missis-
sippi under the levee when a clatter
of hoofs was heard, and Miss Thiba
deaux, mounted, dashed in between
them.
Gentlemen" she said, II know
something as to the cause of this af
fair; can infer something, and of the
rest am ignorant. Last ght lady
came to me and said that she had seen
you, Mr.. Mason, pick up my fan soon
after had dropped it."
There was silence for moment.
Then she continued:
IF this affair has to do with the