The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-07
HOT BLOOD.
S[Original1

AGW
[Original.l
On a sunny April morning some fifty
years ago q young man, Edward Page,
and a girl, Della venard. were walking
along the bank Of q. stream in Louisi-
ana Page was q recent graduate Of a
northern university and had gone to
Louisiana as a teacher. Previous to
his coming Miss Venard had accepted
attention from Pierre Legate. a creole
and the son of a planter. Page had no
sooner appeared than the young lady
began to divide her favors between the
two men. Legate, a hot blooded son of
the south, was furious and took no
pains to conceal his enmity toward
Page. Page, who considered 1t the
lady's part to decide to whom she
would grant her favors, paid no atten-
ton to his rivals wrath. He did not
know the danger of interfering with a
man whose inherited excitable French
blood had been heated by the hot sun
of Louisiana.
AS l was saying, Page and Miss
venard were walking on the bank OF
the stream. They were protected from
the sun by the moss which in that
! country hangs in festoons upon the
boughs of the trees. About them was
that fan shaped vegetation peculiar to
! the climate, while here and there scam
! pered a tiny green lizard. Suddenly
from among the trees on the other side
Of the stream the girl saw Legate step
forth, and in an instant he had drawn.
a pistol and pointed it at Page. who did
not see him. Miss Venard sprang be-
fore the %northerner just as a puff Of
smoke appeared at the muzzle Of Lee
gates weapon, followed by a crack.
She sank down, blood trickling FROM a
wound in her side.
Legate, seeing what he had done and
being unable to cross the stream, wrung
his hands, then started to q bridge some
distance above. When he arrived at
the spot where the girl had fallen Page
and Miss Venard were gone. Page had
carried her to her home.
Miss Venard's wound was not eeri-
GUS. The first thing she did after her
arrival at home was to exact q promise
from Page that he would not reveal
the cause of the trouble and that he
would not seek revenge from Legate.
After her recovery Miss venard con-
tinued to accept Pages attentions as
before. Whether she met Legate or
not no one knew. Legate expected
that Page would challenge him, but
since he did not the creole resolved to
force him to fight. One morning the
two happened to meet in the central
square Of the little town where they
lived, and Legate in presence Of 9TH
ers approached Page, called him a
northern mudsill and threw a glove in
his face. This new offense virtually
relieved Page from his promise. Be-
sides, he had now either to challenge
Legate or leave the country, for at
that time public opinion would not ad-
NIT Of any other course. He sent Lee
gate a challenge.
They met in an open space by the
stream on whose bank the outrage
had occurred. Their seconds tossed
for first shot. Legate just before the
meeting had come to his senses SO far
as to see that If he killed Page his pre-
vious attempt to murder him might
come out. He decided to simply get
the better of him.. though he found It
difficult to forego a shooting to kill.
He was a splendid shot and II he won
the toss could wing or kill his enemy,
as he liked. Fortune favored Legate.
He won first shot and struck Page In
his right hand. the hand in which he
held his pistol, knocking the weapon
from his grasp.
This ended the matter, at least TEN
porarily, for Page could not or did not
attempt to shoot with his left hand.
But If the southern blood is quick to
anger the northern blood is sure. Some
months after Pages wound had healed
he sent his enemy word that he want
ed the affair between them finished.
They met again, this time, at Pages
suggestion, on the very spot where
Legate had tried to murder him.
Again they tossed for first shot, again
Legate won, and again he struck bis
opponent in the right hand, rendering
It useless. Legate looked relieved, and
the seconds considered the affair end
ed. But Page took up his pistol with
his left hand and covered his enemy.
"Mr. Legate," he said. "since our last
meeting I have learned to shoot with
my left hand. but l am not going tc
kill you. I have given away your life
not to you. but to a lady you have in
jured. She is now my promised wife
and l warn you that she and | in future
will plan together to defend ourselves
from your hostility. Do you see that
knot on that tree?" He raised his pts
tol and put a bullet in the center OF It
II have shown you that your life Is
mine to give. but l require something
in return. Leave this state and nevel
return. If you are here tomorrow
morning proceedings will be commenc
ed against you to answer to a chargt
Of sattempted-you Know what ant
. with what result"
The villain as he used to be pictured
in song and story has passed out. lie
gate had been mastered by his pas
sions. His love for Miss Venard inter
fered with by another had impellet
him to attempt murder and to untn
%tentionally injure the girl he loved; but
II his southern hot blood impelled hin
to demean himself. in the, end !