The Press., 1911-04-12


 would return and relieve her of an em- barrassing position. To this the baron replied that he would be at home on a certain date, arriving on a midnight train.
 The evening of Won Hilderschoff' s expected arrival the baroness wrote a note to her protector and one to the | man from whom she was being pro- tected, asking them to call upon her. They met. The seowl that lowered upon Manteufel's brow was like a thunderstorm in the Alps. Believing that he acted in the interest of his friend instead of from the promptings of jealousy, forgetting that he had not been commissioned to pick a quarrel with the man his friend disliked, he walked right into trap and before he had been in Won Gethart's presence half an hour had in the most gentle manly manner in the world insulted him. It happened in this wise: "I do not think" said the baroness, ''that your men in Germany have the respect, the reverence, for women our men in America have"
 "You are right, baroness" said Man. teufel, looking fiercely at Gethart. ''We have here in Berlin men who would not hesitate to take advantage of a woman left unprotected by her husband"
 A brief silence marked this throwing Sown the gauntlet, after which the lady turned the conversation into oth- CT channels. A few minutes later Ge- thart bowed himself out, and the bar oness indicated to Manteufel that she would prefer to be alone. As soon as he had gone she called in a manserv- ant and said to him:
 Heinrich, have very delicate job for you"
 What is it, baroness? ?'
 Count Gethart and Captain Manteu- fel are about to fight duel. I wish you to inform me as to the time and place of the meeting"
 'I could not well do that, baroness, except that the valet of Count von Gethart is my friend. This may help me out" @
 At 12 midnight Baron von Hilder- schof returned and found his wife waiting to greet him.
 Well" he said after exhausting or dinary matters that had occurred dur ing his absence, "how about this Won Gethart? Has he been offensive in his attentionsT
 Not at all, but your friend Captain Manteufel has been more loyal to you during your absence than has been necessary" ..... s..
 "How sop
 He evidently knows that you don't like the count and has assumed to keep him away from me-"
 "So?"
 ''Yes. They met here this evening. Manteufel insulted Won Gethart, and they are going to fight"
 ''So" repeated the baron, opening his eyes very wide
 ''Yes. The affair win be the talk of Berlin"
 "Great heavenp' exclaimed the bar on.
 eve must interfere.'
 "Howf'
 q have sent Heinrich to discover the time and place. I am expecting him back every moment"
 "Himmel, may he be successfully It was 2 o'clock when Heinrich re- turned, and all he knew was that a I carriage had been ordered by Count l von Gethart to be at his door at l o'clock in the morning. But this was | not enough. The baron and his wife ordered their own carriage to be ready | at half past 3, drove to a point near the counts residence, saw him leave | and followed him to a grove near ! the city, where his carriage stopped | and he and a companion alighted. l Another carriage had just arrived. The baron and baroness alighted some dis tance from the others. The day was breaking when they saw two men talk ing positions for duel. Then they ad- vanced. ,. Gentlemen" cried the baron, twill you kindly inform me as to the cause of this quarrelr
 Both men, astonished, stood mute.
 '1 have been informed by the bar oness," continued Won Hilderschonf, "that there has been trouble between you two. If my wife has anything to do with 1t I beg you to put up your swords. Neither of you need be con- cerned about her. alone assume to The party left the field in the con- veyances by which they had come. After a brief nap the baron, at his wife's request, called upon Gethart and Manteufel and persuaded them to meet as friends at her house.
 Something of this may leak out" he said, "aDd if you two men meet at dinner under my roof the story will be nipped in the bud"
 This was an argument that struck home with both the men addressed, and in the evening they met at the dinner under at least the guise of or dinary friendliness.
 The next day the baroness sent Gap tain Manteufel the letters he had written her during her husbands ab- sence, and, reading them over, he was astonished to see that he had shown every evidence of jealousy and infat- uation for his charge.
 In the Beginning.
 Adam-What are you thinking about? Eve-Tm wondering if you and couldn't play two handed game of