Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-12-28

lau history. lou are DOtO me repre-
sentatives Of a splendid race Few
women have been honored by choice
between two such offers. Can you
blame me for not being able to choose
between the two? must ask you to
decide which shall defer to the other.
l will leave you in this room and ask
you. when you have decided. to let me
know
She went out of the cabinet and shut
the door,
For few minutes there were low
voices. gradually rising till they rang
cut in trumpet tones.
Meanwhile Ned Sackett. a young St.
Louisan. who had been counting Jean
nette Louton for several years. fearing
that among the princes and dukes
abroad she might slip away from him.
had decided to follow her. arriving in
Florence on the very day the young
lady had suggested to the two princes
to settle between themselves which
should give way to the other.
The same afternoon he sauntered up
to the PalaZZiO Y. He was admitted
to surprise. The door to the cabinet
Of arms was open. and two men were
fighting with swords as long as the
antagonists themselves. while Jean
nette WAS making frantic efforts to in
duce them to desist The two princes
had come from words to blows, and
each had caught up weapon. Prince
Visconti. having been hurt in the head
seized helmet and put it on. Prince
StroZ2i. seeing a piece Of armOr of the
thirteenth century, in order to get
even with his enemy caught it up and
got it partly on his thorax. Visconti
picked up a shield used in the cru
sades. Strozzi defending himself with
an andiron 700 years old, but as Sack
EFT entered he dropped il and replaced
it with an immense iron punch bowl
that had belonged to Visconti
TO add to the terror of the scene
Visconti's face was bloody and Strozzi
limped from a wound in the leg. Wis
cont holding the longer sword. his en-
envy dropped his own and grabbed
pike. This gave him such an advan-
tage that it enabled him to drive his
enemy into corner. But near Wis.,
CONT in rack was gun with barrel
nearly as long as the pike. Selling 1t
and deriving an advantage owing to
his own superior length. he began to
poke his adversary with it on some
thing like equal terms. In this way
the cOrnered man gradually forced his
adversary to the middle of the room.
These changes in the situation re-
quired but very little time. 1t required
more time by far for Sackett to re-
cover from his establishment at this
medieval struggle in the opening of
the twentieth century. He didn't know
whether to be the more amused or
astonished. The scene may have been
laughter. Jeanette gave Sackett an
imploring look Selling a battleax. he
ran up to the combatants and began to
beat down their weapons. He was
not so furious as they. and this alb
sence Of anger gave him decided ad
vantage. Finally he secured position
between the two.
'Gentlemen." he said. what means
this unseemly row in the home Of
lady,?
''They don't understand English"
said Jeanette. In a word she ex-
planned the situation.
Sackett understood no Italian. but
he was capital at pantomime. Putting
his left arm about Jeanette. he waved
his right in the air. while sublime
look rested on his face. as much as to
say: Il am the victor in this case.
The lady falls to me-
Jeanette. fearful that if she denied
his right to her the two princes would
renew the fray and kill each other.
denied nothing. Indeed. she chung to
the party of the third part as her only
refuge.
"Senorina. said Visconti. do we
! understand that this gentleman is your
betrothed:'
This being in Italian. Sackett did
not understand a word of it. and the
lady was free to say what she liked.
Il have loved him since l was lit
tie girl" she declared.
Then. senorina" interposed Strozzi.
may l ask what is the use of this
combat:'
mo use whatever, assure you"
Both men had words Of reproach on
their lips; but. to do them justice.
they were too gallant to speak them.
They threw down their weapons,
threw off their accouterments and.
| making bow to the lady. in which
they nearly bumped their heads
| against the floor. turned and marched
out with all the precision. stiffness
| and seriousness one sees in the por-
traits Of their ancestors in the Petit
gallery.
Ned Sackett asked Jeanette what
had passed between her and her suit.
ors after he had separated them. She
| said she had told them that Ned was
her brother and would kill both of
them unless they kept the peace
Sackett took her back wir1 him ~
his wife all the same.
A Royal ExiIe's Reception.
In the memoirs of Princess Murat
there Is an indignant description of
the reception accorded Napoleon III.
in England in 1871:
| "When the emperor went to Wind
| sor by the queens invitation, accom-
panied by the Due de Bassano and
the officers Of his suit, he found that
only small pony carriage had been
sent to meet him-all that was thought