The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-08
How She Was Won


nlE4ll came TO New orleans from
Paris He had fought sixteen duels
and had killed nine of his antagonists.
Friends or relatives of his victims had
several times sought TO take life for
a life. but they had all been wounded
or killed. The truth was that Normin-
din was so skilled in all weapons, so
especially Cited with eyes, delicacy of
touch and nerve, that he was invinci-
be.
One evening Normindin was sitting
with friends in a cafe adjoining a hall
where a masked ball was in progress.
A man Dressed TO represent Mephis-
topheles and wearing mask entered.
walked straight up Il the table where
Normindin was seated. took up a glass
Of wine standing ov the table before
the dneI.s3 and threw it in bis face.
Normincla palef This was the first
time in his lie that he had been thus
deliberately irssi4e5 Wiping the wine
of his face, he half arose and asked:
who are yeu, sir?"
THE devil"
Take or your mask"
THAT / will do when i have killed
you. You shall l5ok rpon my face as
sou pass below TO nay kingdom"
Il do not fight with unknown per-
sons"
You shall do so now or L will kill
you where you Sit
And if / fslt?"
Il viii kill you anyway"
Those sitting about noticed that Nor
mindin was not his usual self. At
tempting to look unconcerned, he put
his thumb and finger on the stem of a
wineglass and raised 1t to his lips
His hand tremhled
when and where can my seconds
find your" he asked of his enemy.
Now and here Turning TO two
gentlemen in evening dress who had
entered with him, he added, These
will Accommodate YOU Then be
went and sat down Mt a table in a
corner of the room while the arrange
ments We're being made. Nermindin
wished delay, bur the stranger said
Now" Nofr1iasiti. however. though
the challenger, was allowed the choice
of weapons, for his enemy said that
since he was going TO Kill him il
made no difference with what weapon
he did the deed. Ink ad5eo TO Nor
mindin's loss of nerve. He had in
tended to choose a short sword, with
which few persona were practiced and
with which he was an expert. but he
had never before known case where
the challenger had been given the
choice OF weapons. This was supreme
Indifference.
Within ais hour after the insult had
been given the principals were fight
ing in a large unfernisA.ed room form
ing the whole top story of a dwelling.
house. lighted by lamps. The stranger
still wore his devils dress and was
masked. Short swords We're in the
hands OF both adversaries. The stran-
ger showed skill in fencing. but not
extraordinary skill. Normindin was
plainly out of nerve. This made an
even contest of it. They fenced for
some tine without either getting the
advantage. But there was certain
spring in tie stranger which increased.
while Norrnindin YVES heavy and grow
ing heavier. There was something
uncanny in the devils costume. The
mouth of the mask was cut to repre-
sent leer. and through two holes
above pair of glittefing eyes locked
out. it seemed to Normindin, in ma
licious trump
You can't Kill me, nor l you,' sai-
Nornn Sa61n presently. 1T is a draw
Nor1ni..din's seconds looked at each
other in surprise.
Il shall kill you," replied the other
confidently.
"WheHp'
New
Gathering his strength, he made .
lunge and &ai.pe5 his sword up to IL,
nilt In Nar2&a4sr's breast. As Ncs
uliaatn fell the stranger took Of hi
mass
Il agn the friend" he said, 'of yoGai
AlrfIonse ssfercieEi the last Of your VIC
tins. IN RiFiiR@ hiu you brske IT,
heart Of the young girl 10 whom X
was engaged. / determined TO ayeiiTf
her. Isknaw you to be only vulnerahst
through yo:sr nerYe. / have attacEee
your nerve and have beaten you. al
but q fair swordgnian."
Normindin made no reply, for he
was dying. He continued to stare AZ
the speaker till his eyes became glaz-
ed Then the latter, handing his
weapon 10 Ills ScCVUu, kOl ihlo a "a
riage and was driven away.
This was neither the first nor the
last act in drama Of which it was 2
part The first is this:
Alphonse MERCER. a young man who
had just come of age, wooed and won
Eugene Lefevre, the daughter Of
wealthy cotton broker of New Orleans
Another sutton was Captain Roswell
Tracy of the United States engineers.
on duty in the Crescent City and if
teen years older than Mercier When
Tracy heard that his successful rival
had fallen a victim that Normindin
might keep up in New Orleans the
role he had played IN Paris, he began