Rock Island Argus., 1907-01-05
DAILY. STORY.
A COMPROMISED FEE.
lOriginal.1

| LOUISIANA, where the cilInute is less
rigorous than in the north. The slav-
cry agitation was on, and the north
erner found making an entry either
socially or professionally slow work.
But there is one field in which at the
age of twenty-three progress is never
slow-the field of love- Otis and An
| toinette lie Bert, the daughter of a
sugar planter, met. and their hearts
fused as readily as if there was no
war cloud gathering between their
respective sections.
But, while Antoinette's father had
no objection to Otis on account of be-
ing a northerner, he had serious OBJ
jections to him on account of his pow
erty, for the young man on his ar
rival at his new home had not 800
in the world. Nevertheless Mr.. LIE
Bert was friendly to his daughters
lover, probably because Otis was too
manly to pay court to a girl he was
not able to marry. Indeed, Otis con-
sidered marriage with Miss lie Bert
as impossible as did her father. Mr.
lie Bert gave him what little law busi-
ness he had and was impressed with
the ingenious methods the young man
employed to gain his ends.
One day Mr.. LIE Bert placed u col
lection for a goodly sum in the law
yer's hands and in doing SO said to
him:
lie Grand Bouvier, who owes me
this debt, Is fire eater of the worst
kind. He hates northerner as he
hates snakes. He is duelist, dead
shot, and has killed several men under
the code duello. There is no lawyer
hereabout who will take the collection.
The amount is $4,000. If you will find
way to force or persuade him to pay
it you shall have half for u fee. But
remember you must exercise the great
est care not to offend him, for if you
do he will challenge you. and if you re-
fuse him satisfaction sentiment here
will be against you, and you will have
TO go elsewhere. Besides, do not care
to antagoniZe lie Grand Bouvier my
self-not that fear him, but we south
erners consider it beneath us to press
a claim for debt, especially from one
of our own class"
Otis took the papers in the case and
said that he would look into it. He
neither spoke to Mr. lie Bert about it
nor Mr.. lie Bert to him till one morning
a week later when the client rushed
into Otis office with letter in his hand
and threw it down before him. 1t read:
Sir-I have received an insulting letter |
from n young gutter snipe from the north |
demanding payment of my Indebtedness |
to you. in which he uses the word dead |
beat" and accuses me of having obtained |
your property under false pretenses." 1 |
desire know If rpSnOnSihiI- |
ity for the puppy's insults. 1 have the |
honor to be your most obedient servant,
LIE GRAND BOUVIER.
lie Bert expected to see Otis pale |
when he read the letter, but he did not. |
He wrote ON the face of it:
My note was written without the knowl-
edge of Mr.. lie Bert, and / alone am re-
sponsible for it. OLIVER OTIS.
Handing it back to lie Bert, he re-
sumed the work at which he was EN- !,
gagged as if nothing unusual had Oc-
Cured.
Are you aware" asked LIE Bert,
what this means?"
Perfectly
very well. If you want to get a hole
n you, go ahead"
That evening a gentleman with very
y
the creole dialect called upon Otis
with a demand for satisfaction on the
part of Bouvier. Otis asked if he
would be expected to fight under the
Louisiana code The visitor said that
his principal was so enraged that he
would fight under any code, where
lpon Otis said that in some states the
,ode especially stipulated that there
should be no meeting between two
persons wherein one owed the other
money; that he was personally interest
,d in the debt due from Mr.. Bouvier,
therefore, his challenger was his debt
,r. He could not accept any challenge
rom Mr. Bouvier until the debt had
been paid.
The visitor departed, and nothing
more was heard of the affair for ten
lays, when Mr.. lie Bert received
heck for the full amount of his claim
with interest. The payment had not
been made five minutes when Mr..
3ouvier's second called at Otis office.
hr. LIE Bert came in at the same mo-
nent with his check The second po-
itely informed Otis that. there being
lothing in the way of the meeting, his
principal expected it would take place
without delay.
Then Otis placed his hand on his
leart, made profound bow and said:
MAY 1 ask you to convey to Mr..
3ouvier my sincere and humble apol-
'gy? / supposed him to be what l
allied him, but l see 1 was mistaken.
have proof in the payment of this
lebt that he is an honorable man.
The creole looked surprise through
lis soft black eyes, bowed, turned and
eft the Office. And that was the last
# the prospective duel between Oliver
)tis and LIE Grand Bouvier.
That afternoon Mr. lie Bert sent
)tis check for S6,6S3.74, exactly half
he amount of the collection. Otis re-