Evening journal., 1907-02-23

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 a 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 sultOr OF hers--a sultor she had
no intention OF accepting 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 10 give Du Pont a chance to win
her by dnding 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 Thihadeaux. she, supposlng
he had come TO bring her fan. met him
with throbbing heart. When he fail
ed to speak OF the matter. she said i'm.
patiently:
my fan-has It been found?"
1T viii be found" he replied sen
tentiously.
A servant entered with the fan and
a note from Mason say ng: Il claim
the first part OF the rev. J. The sec
ond. your fortune, ! do not claim"
Miss Thibadeaux was vexed. Hav-
ing done one foolish thing. she proceed
ed 20 reinforce It by doing another.
Il viii give myself" she said excit-
edly, 'to the man who will prevent my
having to break and yet not keep my
promise"
And then" said Du Pont. you win
give yourself to the man who will en-
able you to break honorably with the
new winner"
THE next winner shall receive the
reward and It shall be given willing
IT,"
II was the averted face rather than
the words that gave him her meaning.
] lie understood It perfectly. but with.
out word OF reply left her and went
10 the rooms Of Albert Mason.
Mason" be said. you certainly are
not going 70 take an advantage OF Miss
Thibadeaux In the matter OF her fan q
Mason looked surprised. What Is
that to you?" he asked
"This / saw Miss Thibadeaux drop
her fan and saw you pick II up. You
had 1t when you suggested the re-
ward"
Mason paled. 81 certainly shall not
cannot-force Miss Thibadeaux to keep
her promise" be said.
"You should release her from IT,"
THAT suggestion should come from
her"
"she is just the person it should not
come from"
"And suppose I refuse7"
II shall make known the fact that
you have taken an unfair advantage
OF a lady"
Have you witnessesT
''None that know Of"
'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 dlshonorable act
l suppose you Will not refuse me salts.
faction"
Certainly not"
Every well. after we have settled the
matter between ourselves you are al
liberty to go to Miss Thbadeaux with
your accusation against me-"
This was equivalent to saying thai
Du Pont would be prevented, for Ma
son had been out several times and
had always killed bis man. The &C
cusation would die with the accuser.
The next morning at sunrise the two
principals were being placed at q
point short distance up the Missis
Blppl under the levee when a clattei
OF hoofs was heard. and Miss Thiba
deaux. mounted, dashed In between
them.
"Gentlemen." she said. Il know
something as to the cause OF this az
fair; can infer something. aud Of the
rest / am ignorant Last night lady
came TO me and said that she had seer
you. Mr.. Mason. pick up my fan soOr
nfter had dropped It."
There was silence for a moment
Then she continued:
III this affair has to do with thu
finding OF my fan ! beg that It be dis
continued"
Mason handed his pistol to a secon'
and, making a ,ow bow to the lady
went to his carriage. Then the part.
separated, returning to the city. Di
Pont walking beside Miss Thibadeauz
who IN the nick OF time had save
him from almost certain death.
Mason left New Orleans never 10 rt
turn. He was killed on the Confed
crate side during the civil war ID
Pont received the promised reward
b the hand OF Miss Thihadeaux.
SILVIA LEWIS BALDWIN.