The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-14
SAVED HER LOVER.

Ladouner, one of the most beautiful and
refined girls in Lyons. One night at .
cafe chantant he rebuked Aohille Emaux,
q professional duelist, for ~interrupting a
singer and publicly derided him as a cad
and a revilcr of ladies. A duel was in
stantly arranged to take place next morn
ing.
Mile. Jadouner was in the theater with
her uncle n witnessed the incident.
Jules, whom she loved with her whole
heart and soul, would be d corpse before
another day had passed. That was the
one thought that filed her brain, and for
a time in her distress and agony she was
almost demented. But by degrees she
forced herself to be calm. At whatever
cost her lover must be saved. Half an
hour before midnight, when her mother
had retired, she quietly stole out and made
her way as furtively as q thief to Emau1'a
residence.
He had not returned, and she was oblig-
ed to wait. It was nearly l o'clock when
the bravo came in, humming a funeral
march, as was his custom on the eve OF a
duel.
Good evening, mademoiselle, he said
as she rose on his entrance. "This is an
unexpected pleasure, though I regret to
say 1 do not recognize you, and my man
did not catch your name. Pray be seated,
mademoiselle, and tell me what I can do
for you.'
She obeyed, and he seated himself oppo-
site her. She was trembling and CULVER
ing, and her throat was so dry that she
could scarcely speak. But at the sight Of
him sitting there, gay, careless and smil-
ing, and yet to be in q few hours the
butcher of her beloved, q tempest Of pas
sion shook her, and her tongue was loosed.
Monsieur" she cried, rising again,
"you arc Infamous, a b~east-nay. chat is
an insult to the poor beastsl I loathe you'll
You defle the earth! Pah! you smell
Of blood Even a beast Is merciful at
times, but you-you-you'-
Emaux was utterly taken by surprise,
but he still preserved an unrufaed front.
"Mademoiselle," he said, you are very
good to come at this hour to pay me conf
pliments. What have I done to deserve
them?"
"Donep' she cried. &c. lat are you
about to do, houndS Jules Souvestre Is my
betrothed, and you insult and intend to
murder him. 1t shall not be, I cay. See,
I will fight you in his stead. Get pistols,
and we will stand on either side the room.
I have insuIted you. 1 insult you again.
You are viler than any living creature.
Gomez"
A steely glitter came in his eyes, but he
still smiled.
81 am truly sorry for you, mademoiselle.
But that dog insulted me publicly, and
well, we fight at dawn"
"Insulted your He could not, monsieur.
But you shall fight me-. Get pistols at
once, if you are not a coward"
He still smiled.
II do not fight women, mademoiselle-I
love them. I Am truly sorry, but unless
you can persuade him to an apology as
public as the insult there is nothing more
to be said. 1t is late, mademoiselle. /
will see you out"
"You shall fight me, rufianI"
He shook his head, with an amused
smile. "Mademoiselle's best weapon is
her tongue, and that fortunately doss not
kill"
She looked at him with terrified eyes.
"Do you mean to kill him, monsieur"
YES ne SAID curly.
She fell back into the chair with a
strangled cry, horror in her eyes. For a
moment she sat thus, then she flung her.
self on her knees at his feet.
Monsieur" she cried, "have pity,
have pityl I love him. Monsieur, you
will kill both Of usl Pity, pityl' she
gasped.
"Rise, mademoiselle, I bog Of you," he
said. "You have just told M I have no
pity"
"Have you no heart, monsieur" she
moaned.
"None when a man has publicly insult
ed me. And" he went on in a cynical
tone, "who knows but I may do made
moiselle a favor. Men swear their vows
as lovers, but they 1901 forget them. I
may possibly " mademoiselle from a
life of misery
She flushed in momentary heat at that.
"You do not know him., " she cried.
''His love is as great as the sea. Can you
exhaust the seaP Has your heart never
known love, MONSIEUR"
He frowned. 1t recalled q time ten
years before.
"Ah, I see it has!" she said quickly.
"By that love, monsieur, have pity. You
shall have my gratitude and prayers every
day. AS long as I live I shall remember
you and ask mercy for you, even as you
had mercy on me-"
He did not answer, but gazed on her
beautiful, pleading face. 1t was q girl q
little younger than this one and quite as
beautiful who had died ten years ago, and
all good influences had died with her.
"You have overcome, mademoiselle. he
said. HE shall live for your sake"
"You will spare him2"
"Be comforted, mademoisells. I meant
to kill him, but he shall live. We shall
fight at dawn, but he shall not die. Come,
mademoiselle, it is time you were gone.
Shall I see you safely homer"
"No, no." she cried as he led her to the
door. "You will keep your oath, mon
sieur-you viii not forget9"
No, mademoiselle, and you will not
forget your prsyersH" he said. with q little
laugh. "If you are right, I need them.
Good night and fear nothing"
But she did fear. When she reached
home, it seemed to her almost impossible
to believe that q man with such q ruthless
reputation would forbear to kill the man
who had insulted him.
She went to bed, but she could not rest
and soon got up again and toward 5
o'clock stole toward the spot where the
duel would take place.
From behind a shrubbery, N what state
Of mind may be imagined, she saw both
parties arrive on the field, she saw the
formalities gone through, but she lost con-
seriousness for q minute when they stood
pistol in hand facing one another.
When she recovered and could raise her
eyes, the doctor was binding up the arm Of
how loro, Eppo,v,c bu11at ho6 tpHtctod q