The daily Alaskan., 1909-09-07
! WOMAN DUELIST
Hv HAROLD OTIS.


 ciationl
 Serane, fencing master at Paris, when duellng was not only more com mon but more serious there than now. prepared the way for the killing of many men by teaching his art to the Parisians. It was generally under stood that a pupil of Serane was sure to kill his man. If his lessons were really so valuable 1t must have been partly owing to special confidence given the pupil and corresponding loss of nerve on the part of the oppo- nent. At any rate. those whom Serane had taught usually had little trouble In settling their disputes without re- course to the foil.
 One evening Serane was sauntering down the boulevard and on reaching the opera concluded to so in and at tend the performance. One of the singers on the stage was a woman named Maupin. Though she was not singing an important part, Serane's gaze was constantly fixed upon her. Why one woman's personnel will ap- peal to one man when another woman Is the chief attraction for other men Is an insoluble problem. We only know that the fact exists. In MaupIn, Se- rane saw that which appealed to him strongly. At the close of the perform ance he sent bis card to her and re- ceived an invitation to call upon her behind the scenes.
 "M. Serane," she said as soon as he appeared. q deem myself for tuuate in your desiring to make my acquaintance. You are well known to me by reputation as splendid teacher of fencing. and | wish you to give me lessons"
 Serane found the singer as fascinat- ling in the greenroom as on the stage She was young, fairly good looking, and about her was q certain abandon which when not too pronounced is at tractlve to men. Seranc fell desperate ly in love with her, and she permitted him to love her in order that she might get out of him all the skill in fencing he was capable of imparting. She was an apt pupil and, taught by lover, became the most Skillful fencer that had ever been turned out from hlS academy.
 No sooner had Maupin acquired the art than she began to attract atten- ton as a duellst. At first her affairs with the sword leaked out as mere rumorS. One report was that young nobleman who had been devoted to her had fallen by her hand; that, dis guised in mems apparel, she had in- suited him and killed him without his knowing of her identity. Again 1t was rumorcd that she had fought and killed another woman. That she was apply ing her skill in affairs of this kind there was no doubt, though some that were attributed to her had no founda- ton in fact.
 She liked to have Serane with her both on account of his devotion and because his presence gave her addi- tional eclat as a swordSwoman. But he came to understand that she craved blood or the excitement of taking it. and he endeavored to dissuade her from her course.
 One night Serane and Maupin were dancing at a students ball in the Latin quarter when Maupin jostled the belle of the evening, and upon the girls looking at her reSentfully Mau- pin was rude to her. The insulted girl was dancing with an intimate friend of Serane, Gustav Grammont Grammont. supported by two other men. ordered Maupin to leave the room. She said that she would do so provided they would go with her. They did so. and before morning she had killed them all.
 Seranc in this affair refused to sup port Maupin. Indeed. she was obliged to call on another man to act as her second. The day after she had killed Grammont and the others Serane re- ceived note from her accusing him of cowardice in having deserted her in the hour of need and challenging him to mortal combat. Sung to the quick by her ingrattude, he sent hasty reply accepting the challenge.
 The man who had been lover and had taught the object of his love to kill people. filled with a mad remorse, resolved to kill her. thus punishing her and stopping her career of bloodshed. They met in his academy, the doors of which had been bolted and the win dows screened. Maupin stepped out on to the floor with as much composure as a mother would administer food to a babe. She looked at Serane with a stony stare and said:
 "Serane's pupils always kill their opponents"
 There can be no doubt but the wom- an said this to i'll her antagonist with superStitious dread that would take away his nerve If 1t had any such effect, Serane gave no evidence of 1t. A reyulsion of feeling had come over him. Had this not occurred, had he opposed Maupin as a lover, as she had presumed he would. there would have