Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-25
the DuELlST'S
WATERLOO
BY Stewart b. Stone.

When Monsieur Paul Eugene Leroy
| LedeauX. chevalier of the order OF the
| Red Broadsword and the most ia
| nous, most persistent duelist in Paris
informed Arthur Dunlap that the Gal
lie honor Of the former was outrag'
eously touched. and that only the
! sight of the American gentleman
blood could at all appease him. 1t was
| Mr. Dunlap's time to be veXed.
1t was all q foolish, airy trifie about
a lady-about a little blonde lady of
the daintiest charm, 1t is true; bat
! still 1t was the merest nothing, and
! Mr. Dunlap was very busy just then
turning little, green certificates OF
stock into good hard money. Mr..
, Dunlap. who knew the lady very we'll,
had winked at her in the course OF
funny story at the box party; and
Monsieur Paul had jumped to his
feet and there had been flung glove
! and the boiling of bluest Latin blood.
Monsieur Paul repaired to his
apartments at the Durham and made
ready his shining Instruments OF car
mage. There was just room on the
rapier's slim point for the insolcnt
Yankees red blood, unused mon
sieur; and, If the American chose
pistols, monsieur had pair that giis-
tened like brass in the sunlight.
Arthur Dunlap. after he had figured
out the deal in Dubuque 4 Northern,
partook of a sizzling drink or so, and
! proceeded to devise the matter OF
! weapons and things. for he was The
challenged party The devising was
finished Just as the brass-satyr clock
on the mantel jingled two O'Clock in
the warm, dark morning. and at this
time Mr.. Dunlap clambered into bed
with a smile Of content-this was
the sizzling drinks, no doubt.
This was the fashion of the com
bat of honor outraged. az borne by the
representatives Of Mr.. Dunlap TO the
fiery Frenchman at the Durham next
morning The principals were to seat
themselves on stools, side by side. in
the pitch dark convention room at the
Durham The flip of coin BY the
seconds should decide which OF the
combatants should depart from the
great room. leaving his rival IN the
still dark, black chamber. The Loser.
seated on the STOOL should press one
of two buttons. releasing one OF two
doors at the end of the hall. Behind
one OF the doors would Turk the little
blonde lady of the boisterous box
party; behind the Other-grim. white
old Boxer, the polar bear Of the ZOO
logical gardens In the matter OF
whether the lady or the bear should
come forth to embrace the man on the
stoo! in the dark. the great god
Chance should say. You know where
Mr.. Dunlap got the conceit; his rival
did not.
To the terms of this duel Monsieur
Paul made most voluble. shrug shuui-
dered Latin objection.
"Eet ces rideeklous-I will not han
Get so-zee idea-Zee deesgrace. he
chartered, but the seconds were in
exorable, and Monsieur Paul vas
obliged to submit.
When the hour for the duel arrived
the combatants took their places on
the stools in the big. empty room and
the lights were switched of. There
was a mumblirg in the small ante
room. and voices Of the seconds were
heard announcing:
Heads win. Mr.. Dunlap will leave
tie room. Monsieur Paul will remain
seated and press the button"
There was the sound Of n man de
scending from a stool and his quick
stride across the floor until Mr.. Dun
lap joined the party in the anteroom
then silence and darkness in the as
sembly room Of the Hotel Durham.
The scraping Of the Frenchman for
the button on the stool was heard. and
then the swinging of a door at the
end Of the gloomy hall Something
stepped out upon the bare noor and
there came the noise Of body shut
fling its way up the hall toward Mon
s:eur Paul on the stool. A sweet. bar
fling smell-say OF garden In old
Araby-became evident, and then
"Msdemoisclle," the Frenchman
shrieked in the darkness, are you
there-answer-myG God.
The great hail 'ared up in second.
and there stood revealed the immense,
shaggy form Of an Arctic bear In the
act Of embracing a pale. perspirins
dandy-a dandy Who toppied the next
second in a swoon to the floor, while
the only bear that ever laughed ard
waited old world pcTfrme walked
away on the shoulder @! her rance,