The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-07-09
His Visiting Cards.
[Original.]

miguel was young gentleman OF
Madrid whom every one loved His
tastes led him to manly sports, and it
was said Of him that he had appeared
in the bull ring in disguise. He was
expert with all weapons, especially the
rapier.
Miguel loved Donna Anita, the
daughter Of Spanish grandee. and
Anita loved him. Her family consent
ed to the match, and the pair were to
have been married within very few
weeks when the Count de Barillou, a
wealthy Frenchman, appeared, took a
fancy to the girl and proposed for her
hand. Anita, whose father was dead
was under the guardianship of an elder
brother, Felippo. Felippo, thinking to
benefit himself through his sister, ar
ranged scheme for getting rid of
Miguel. Then Anita married the count
This was their plan: A few days be-
fore the wedding appointed to take
place between Miguel and Anita Mi
guel was arrested for conspiracy
against the government and was car
L
Roderigo, whom Miguel had esteemed
his friends, bore false witness against
him, the judge convicted him and sen.
fenced him to ten years Imprisonment.
He served his sentence, and while he
was in prison the Count and Countess
de Barillou were divorced. The count
ess had discovered the conspiracy.
One day-it was eleven years after
Miguel's misfortune-the Count de
Barillou entered cafe In Paris. When
he was passing one Of the tables a
man put out his foot and tripped him.
The act was so plainly intended and
was seen by so many persons that the
count felt obliged to resent it. The
stranger simply replied that he would
not deny him satisfaction. Barillou
could not choose but fight and met the
man who had insulted him the next
morning at daylight. The weapons
chosen by the stranger were rapiers,
and the two men were scarcely in po-
sition when Barillou fell, pierced to the
heart. The stranger disappeared, and
when the counts body was exposed
the wound instead Of being a slit was
found to be circular hole.
A few months later NJ Gautier, a
Partisan, appeared in Madrid, where
he spoke French badly and Spanish
very well. One night at ball at
which Nunez was present Gautier ac-
cidentally so it appeared : spilled
claret on Nunez's waistcoat. Nunez
was irritated and made disagreeable
remark about the Frenchman's care
lessness, whereupon Gautier threw the
remainder of the wine in the bottle over
him. The two men went from the ball
room to the field Of honor, where Nunez
met his death. The surgeon on tearing
open his shirt was astonished to see
that the wound was crescent shaped.
Gautier was not seen in Paris again.
The next spring a Moor came up to
Madrid from the south and achieved
considerable popularity socially but
his stay was not long. One night at a
club he accused Roderigo of cheating
at cards. They fought, and the mark
left on Roderigo's body where his op-
ponent's sword entered it was the
shape Of scimiter. Roderigo died Of
the wound, and the Moor left Madrid
before he could be arrested.
After the duel an item appeared in
a Madrid newspaper mentioning the
marks left on the body Of Count Baril-
lou, on that Of Nunez and on Roderigo,
the writer claiming that in each case
the unknown victor was one and the
same person. This he proceeded to
prove from the character of the
wounds and the fact that the mysteri-
GUS person always contrived to be the
insulted party and invariably chose
swords for the fight
One night Felippo was smoking in
his library when a man whose face in
Dictated that he was about forty years
old entered at the door leading from
the veranda
what do you wish, signor?" asked
Felippo, half rising and looking anx-
1ously at the stranger, who had thus
entered unannounced.
"Have you heard of an unknown
man who killed the Count Barillou in
a duel?"
Il have" ,
'He left his mark in the wound
Felippo stared at the stranger with
out reply.
''Then there was M. Gautier, who
also left mark on our mutual friend,
Nunez'
II remember" said Felippo, almost
in whisper.
"And the Moor"
Felippo sat with terror stricken eyes
fixed on the stranger.
Sand now comes myself Having
left my card with your three friends,
have called to leave one with you"
Il do not know you, signor. I have
never seen you before
"You are mistaken. I was once be-
trothed to your sister,"
At the moment the door opened and
the Countess de Barillou stood on the
threshold.
Miguel
The man had half drawn his sword
To r,k l. 4. q