Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-16
DAILY. STOR Y.
A DUEL IN THE OLOEN TIME.
tOriginal.1

w nat lQuI you Sdy-Nlle. 1OuIe-
! fort is more beautiful than Mile. de
Lafayette?'
II maintain that Mile. de Houtefort
is far more beautiful than Mile de
| Lafayette
VERY we'll There And the first
speaker drew his glove gently across
the face of the second.
Gentlemen" said n youth standing
| by, IT wish to be one of the seconds in
this meeting"
"Bah-a STRIPPING like you!'
You know of the cardinals edict
| and remember the execution of the
Count de Bouteville and his second for
fighting a duel. Well, if you don't ac
cept my services 1 will inform on you
and you will go to the Bastille instead
of to the dueling ground"
Put him on the list"
This was preliminary to one of thou
sands of duels so prevalent in France
in the early part of the seventeenth
century. Indeed, they We're so preva-
lent, so fatal, that Cardinal Richelieu.
virtual ruler fearing all the gentlemen
in the kingdom would be killed, pro-
mulgated an edict against dueling and
when it was broken by De Bouteville
of the famous family of Montmorenci
made an example of him at the block.
Neither of the speakers, two officers Of
the army, cared anything for the
beauty of the two young women men
toned, the one the deposed, the other
the incoming, favorite of the king.
They simply wished a preteXt.
The youth was a cadet, CASTOR Re
nadot, who had just entered the army
and was affected by the dueling craze
He went straight to his sweetheart.
Mile. Leonora de Rueil, n girl of sew
enteen, and told with great delight and
pride that he was to be second at
duel. which at the time meant that IN
all probability he would fight the same
as his principal and, fighting, would
either kill or be killed by his adversary.
Now. Mile de Rueil was at an age,
seventeen, when love is liable to alb
sorb Il girls very existence. 1t was so
with her. To lose her lover she dread
ed far more than losing her life. She
paled at his announcement. but, recov
ering herself, pretended to rejoice with
him. The thought of his retiring from
the affair did not once occur to her, for
she knew that he had far better die
than suffer the odium such a course
would involve. Besides, she knew it
would be impossible to persuade him
TO desist.
"When does the meeting occur?" she
asked.
Tonight at 1 o'clock. We fight by
the light of torches in the wood near
the bridge two miles UP the Seine. The
cardinal has spoiled open meetings"
VERY well; let us have parting cup
together"
She went for wine and, returning.
urged her lover to drink. One bottle
after another was brought on until the
clock struck IL; then RenadOt en-
braced the girl and staggered away.
At the door he was seized by two serv
ants belonging to the house, bound and
gagged and carried to an upper room.
At 1 o'clock the two principals to the
duel and their seconds We're on the |
ground except CASTOR Rcnadot. They |
stood waiting in the glare of torches |
held by attendants. Presently Il coach |
was driven up. and Renadot, masked, |
stepped out.
pardon my delay. gentlemen" he |
said. Il have met with Il detention. |
My sweetheart strove to keep me-"
''Why are you masked?''
"To enable you all to say you did |
not see me here. The lady has gone to
the cardinal to procure my temporary |
arrest. l would advise beginning at |
once. or we may suffer an Interrupt |
item
The advice was needed. and the prin-
cipals fell to with rapiers. 1t was not |
long before two of the seconds entered |
the fray, then two others and at last |
the third pair One of the principals
AMI two of the seconds We're killed.
The rest were severely or slightly
wounded. Renadot among the latter.
As soon as the affair had ended he
entered his carriage and was driven
away to the house of the De Rueils.
Reaching il, he entered and climbed TO
the room where he had been taken by
the servants. Entering, there were
two Renadots. He who entered threw
away his mask and stood before the
other as Mile. de Rueil.
as it you who have disGraccd me?
Here, run your sword through my
heart
81 have not disgraced you You
know how my father has taught me
to fence. Well, went to the dueling
ground as you, only 1 wore my broth
ers clothes. They asked why l was
and told them pretty story
Of your sweetheart having reported
your intention at the Palais Cardinal.
We seconds were soon engaged, !
n rainst an aUkward fallnW whnnn |