The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-31

frequently At the cluD. on the stree
| and IN divers places. Indeed ii seemed
| to him that It was the intention OF tbs
| Mexican TO throw himself constantly
! In his way. but between them on tbs
occasion of such meetings there was
always exhibited the utmost ccrdiality.
/ Escudera retained his quasi member
| ship in the club. and always Wyndhanl
watched hin; furtiyely while he await
ed replies 70 certain inquiries he bad
| sent out to Mexico and to other places.
1t seemed To him that Escudera had
the air of one who was killing time as
best he could while he awaits the hap
| pening of some expected event. but
what that event might be Wyndharn
| could not even conjecture.
] The interview between Wyndha N
and old James had taken place = in
| fact. several of them-but at this point
1t is necessary only to refer to one or
| them.
They had. as usual. at such times
been engaged in discussing the Incl
| dents that had happened to Pendleton
| in Mexico and for the third or fourth
| time referred to the duel. Wyndham
| had already connected the name OF Ro-
nero WIFI IldI Ol LScUucTd anu WIS
| of the opinion the two were related.
Did you ever see the man with
whom your master fought the duel:"
he asked of James.
YES, sir; l saw him two or three
| times"
Ibid the man who was with Mr..
Pendleton the evening we found him
resemble the duelist at all?"
mot at all. that l remember"
"Now. James, 90 back to the moment
you first knew that a duel was to be
fought. How did you know about it =
"Mr. Burr told me-"
"Tell me how he told you; tell me
just what he said
HE asked me IL l remembered an
incident that occurred one afternoon
on the Paseo when he defended a lady
from the attentions of man who had
offended her. T.
"TelI me about that incident. James"
1--WE were on the Paseo together
walking. / was few feet behind Mr.
Pendleton. We were near what is
known as the Indian statue, which s
located rather farther up the avenue
than pedestrians usually go. \ little
way in advance of us was a lady and
her maidservant. When we got near
the statue. a man appeared suddenly
from behind it or one of the big cypress
trees, l don't know which. He walked
rapidly toward the lady. and she stop
ped still. as il she were frightened but
/ do not know if that was the reason.
although l think it must have been"
What time of day was that. James"
"About > o'clock in the afternoon.
The sun was shining. and there were
hundreds of people within call; SO l
do not think the man really meant any
thing like violence"
"Well, go ahead. What happened
them"
''The lady was Il hundred feet or 50
in advance of US when the man con
fronted her. We We're walking slowly
toward them. Whether Mr.. Pendleton
was looking at them or not l do not
know. but | was. for I thought the ac-
tons of both rather strange. | noticed
that they talked rather excitedly and
that they seemed to be known to each
other. In the meantime we were draw
ing nearer to them. We had almost
reached them when the lady turned
suddenly away. as if to leave the man.
and he reached out and seized her by
the arm.
"That was more than Mr.. Pendleton
could stand. as you know, sir. He
stopped instantly, raised his hat. ad
dressed the lady in Spanish. as though
he had known her all his life. and at
the same time utterly ignored the man
AS FL hn inS
l never saw such a fiendish expression
on the face of a man as that which
swept over his at that instant. But he
did not say word. Instead he turned
away and walked rapidly down the av-
enuc.
THE lady murmured few words to
Mr.. Pendleton. l think they were
words Of thanks. He raised his hat.
said two words in reply. and we con-
tinued on our way.
That. sir, is all there was of that
incident. but the man who afterward
insulted my master and thus compelled
him to send a challenge was the same
man, Captain Romero. who Is called
the deadliest duelist in Mexico: so you
see. sir. there must have been some
connection between the two affairs"
Undoubtedly, James"
"And now. sir, if you will permit me
to surmise a little. have an idea.''
LET me hear it, by all Means
THE evening before the duel Mr..
Pendleton was busy for some time pre-
pairing his affairs. Then he went out.
ostensibly to the opera. but / know be
did not so there, for about midnight
or little after Captain Agramonte
who was to be his second. called anC
told me SO, inquiring for him. The fol
lowing morning ! received a note 1,
his handwriting telling me TO defer 81
action twenty-four hours longer tha
he had told me TO do when he wen
away, and the note was brought by I'll
same person who on the preceding day
delivered one TO my master in tn
pateo OF the hotel just as we were sc
ing out for luncheon. and. sir. what Is
more important. it was the same per
son who came to me few hours be
fore Mr.. Pendleton's return and gay
me verbal message to have ever