The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-02-07
IMPULSE
IOriginal.l


the south has passed away. 1t is inn
possible for us who live in this COM
mercial age to understand how much
of the cavalier spirit at that time re-
| NAMED, though it fiickered like can
die before going out
1t was in the fifties that Heloise
Thlbadeaux. young creole or Lou
isiana, while attending garden party
In New Orleans lost 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 mu> exercised over
the loss and in q moment OF impulse
said to several gentlemen who stood
about her discussing the probable
whereabouts of the fan, II will give
TO whoever finds it, will give
"Yourseli?" 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 serousy 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 s. question. Albert Mason.
was sutton of herS-a suitOr she had
no intention of accept. g-and am0.. g
/ the men in the group was Henry Du
POnt, whom she fe.t very much in
clined to accept The reason she had
not done so was lecause he had not
asked her. and the reason he had not
asked her was because sh,A OWNED by
Inheritance several sugar plantat .ons,
while he was poor PoSs bly, she had
fallen in with Mason suggestion in
order to give Du Pont d chance to win
her by finding her fan There wol!d
at least be an exciting rival search be
tween him and Mason
When the next evening Du Pont call
ed on Miss Thibadeaux she. supposng
be had come to bring her fan. met him
with a throbbing heart When be fail
ed to speak of the matter. she said i'm
patiently:
MY fan-has it been found?"
1T will be found" he replied SEN
tentiously
A servant entered with the fam and
a note from Mason say ng: II Claim
the first part of the reward Tie 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
II 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 viii en-
able you to break honorab.y with the
new winner.
'"The next winner shall receive the
reward and 1t shall be given willing
H."
1t was the averted face rather than
the words that gave him her meaning
He understood it perfectly. but with
out a word of reply left her and went
to the rooms of Albert Mason
"Mason." he said. you certainly are
: 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 1t up. You
, had 1t 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,
THAT suggestion should come from
her"
"She is just the person it should not
come from
"And suppose refuse?"
II shall make known the fact that
you have taken an unfair advantage
Of a lady
Have you Witnesses
"NOne that ! know off,
''Then it is your word against mine.
But 1t is not necessary that the lady
should be brought into the affair." You
have accused me of a dishonorable act
! suppose you will not refuse me salts
faction"
Certainly not"
very WE'LL d. LCT we nave ScCCleu the
matter between ourselves you are at
liberty to go to Miss Thibadeaux with
your accusation against me-"
This was equivalent to saying that
Du Pom. 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 O
point short distance up the Missis-
sippi under the .levee when 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 night a 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 a moment
Then she continued: