Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-11-09
AN AFFAIR
OF HONOR
By THOMAS R. DEAN
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

! y SNA0 10
Briton was seventeen years old when
the ~Confederacy collapsed, and he ever
after regretted that the fight hadn't
been kept up long enough for him to
get a smell of powder.
When Peter was twenty-one this
| spirit developed with a desire to take
part in a duel. He maintained that
affairs among gentlemen would better
be settled by the code than by bloody
noses. though why blood coming from
a place where there is little or no IAN
ger rather than one where death may
be instantaneous did not appear in
Peters logic. He mistook himself.
The reason he believed in dueling was
| because he rather fancied getting into
a duel.
When this fad with him was at his
height he went abroad. Dueling has
| always been more or less in vogue in
all the countries in Europe and is so
on the continent today. Peter went to
London, but no n insulted him there,
and he continued on to Paris. Even
in the French capital he saw no
chance to participate in his hobby, so
he went on down into Italy.
The middle class Italians are a peace
| full people, and Peter found himself as
| far as ever from a duel. Fearing that
| he would be obliged to return home
| without a scrap, he resolved to pick a
| quarrel with some M In a restau-
| rant in Rome he saw a man at q neigh
| boring table eating macaroni in a man
ner d%ispleasing to q well bred Ameri-
en-. Peter signiied his ~displeasure by
calling to the man not to make q pig
| of himself. The man. instead of Civ
| ing a verbal reply, tossed the contents
! of a tumbler Of wine in Peters face
| and went on exiting his macaroni. Pc
| ter wiped away the wine with his
! napkin and laid his card on the maca-
! roni eaters table. receiving one in re-
turn.
Picking up the mans card, Peter took
| it to an American friend of his, Gun
| ter, and told him the circumstances.
| Gunter looked at the card and ex-
claimed:
"Good gracious, man. you've chal-
lenged Castell1!"
"And who is Castelli?"
1.-THE principal of the fencing SCHOOL,
Peters face fell.
Hes not only that" Gunter went
on; "he's a noted duelist.'
Peter turned very pale.
"He's not only a noted duelist, but
he kills his man every time. There is
a great deal of prejudice against him
in Rome. but he finds all the pupils
he cares to have among the young
Roman swells who may possibly some
time need to use his instruction. They
find him a splendid teacher"
"But can't we use pistols?" asked Pc
ter. I've done a lot of good work
with the pistol"
"You. having challenged the follow.
will have to fight with any weapon he
may select
"That's Sc. didn't think of that"
"Of course he'll choose foils or ra-
piers. though he is Il dead shot with
the pistol"
II don't like this fix" said Peter. Civ
ing Il SILVER What can | do to get
out Of it?"
81 don't see what yon can do. but I'll
think it over and try to hit on some
plan. Since you are the insulted party
yOn don't have to fight niles you wish
to. but you don't care to put yourself
in the position of a coward. l suppose"
"No." said Peter. II don't wish to
do that"
We'll. stay here till yop hear from
me-"
Peter passed a terrible half day; then
and two men entered and babe him go
with them. They placed him in a car
rage and took him to q large building
that he thought was a hospital. 1t was
a lunatic asylum. He was put into a
room by himself with an iron grating
on the windows and locked in.
Peter never experienced such joy
Of relief in his life as he now felt
locked up in . madhouse. where the
fencing master could not get at him.
He recognized in his Imprisonment a
scheme Of his friend Gunter,, who had
doubtless taken out papers to have him
confined as n lunatic.
The next day Gunter came to see him
and admitted the plan as his own.
Gunter told Peter that he had seen
Castelli and advised him that Peter
was not responsible for his acts, Cas-
tell was very much disappointed at
not being able to add one more to the
list Of those he had killed.
Peter asked Gunter how long 1t
would be necessary for him to remain
a maniac and could get no definite
response. But one day Gunter brought
him a letter Of apology from Castelli.
Peter. greatly surprised. asked how he
had, secured it.
81 circulated a report" replied Gun
ter, "among Castelli's pupils that he
had insulted a ~lunatic, and most Of
them left him. Meanwhile | had agreed
to take lessons Of him. and he asked
me what he should do. I advised him
to write you an apology, which he did,
Peter smiled a slckly smile. He went
home. but kept very quiet about his