Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-11-07
Two Rings
The One Led to the
Other
BY r. A. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

! Copyright by American Press Asso-
+ e,ation. 1871. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the city Of Charleston during the
middle Of the last century young girl
sat in a window opening on to gar
lien. She was not one Of the delicate,
willowy creatures Of whom poets love
to sing, but a magni6cently formed, tall
woman with q remarkably handsome
face. Though the year was nearly
spent, the leaves on the trees had not
yet all fallen, and q balmy breeze came
up from the. south. The garden Into
which Margaret Lemoine looked be-
longed to an adjoining house, and two
gentlemen were smoking on rustic
bench almost directly beneath the win
dow she occupied. They were both
young men Of the world and were chat
ting about social matters. Charles Thi-
badeaux was speaking.
1.-THE northern city I most fancy In
America" he said, "is New York. At
least it is to me less Objectionable, puri-
tanically considered, than other north
ern cities. But my delight Is our own
beloved New Orleans. In the Crescent
City the men are brave to recklessness
and the women are beautiful. 1 spent
last winter there"
"Who was the most beautiful woman
in New Orleans society last winterr'
asked the speakers companion, Ed
ward Remington.
'The most beautiful woman, to my
thinking, was a widow-a Mrs. Le'
moine. Though nearly forty, she retain
ed her youthful appearance. She was
queenly beauty, tall, splendidly formed
and with n face devoid Of single
wrinkle. But 1 am sorry to say there
were unpleasant things said about her
Some past indiscretion had cast q
blemish upon her good name"
Margaret Lemoine paid no attention
to what the young men were saying
till she heard her mothers name
spoken; then naturally she pricked
up her ears. When she heard the as
persion cast upon her mothers good
name the blood rushed to her cheeks
and her eyes lit with sudden fire
She leaned forward to hurl back the
accusation, but words failed her. The
young men, unconscious Of what was
above them, smoked on. Miss Lemoine
withdrew from the window and began
to pace the floor.
'It Is time" she said, that this
woman's slanderers received check
But how? Oh, that she were a man and
| were man! Women are defenseless
against each other. Men can ut leas,
die in defense of their good name. II
Tom had lived he could have made this
man who has treated mothers good
name so lightly eat his words. Why
was l not born masculine!
Yielding to an impulse, she seated
herself before a writing desk and
dashed off the following:
have overheard your aspersions on the
good name Of one / love and respect.
demand whatever Of satisfaction you may
be able to afford me. Since / prefer to
remain incognito I shall coniu iuct my own
side of this affair If you are not cow
ard write me making an appointment for
| q meeting. MARK RENARD.
Hastily folding the paper on which
this communication was inconsiuer'
ately written, Margaret went to the
window and tossed it at the feet OF
| the young men. Both reached for 1t
but Thibadeaux secured 1t. Then aftel
a glance upward and with no sight OF
any one who might have thrown 1t he
read its contents aloud to his friend
The two looked at each other with
a serious expression.
"Ned." said Tbibadeaux presently.
IT don't like the situation"
"Nor 1. In listening to your re.
marks I am as culpable as you who
have made them"
"You have nothing to do with the
matter The responsibility rests on
| me-"
After a conference it was decided
that Thibadeaux should write q note
to this Mark Renard, whoever he
might be, and it should be left ut the
door Of the house from which the note
had been thrown. 1t said that the
writer acknowledged himself to be
blamable in repeating scandal fol-
which he had no proof and apologized
therefor. If after this apology Mr.
Renard still insisted on meeting his
demand could not be denied. A reply
would be looked for the next after,
noon, sent in the same way as the
first message.
Naturally Thibadeaux was desirous
Of knowing something Of the mystic
rious challenger. Early in the after.
noon appointed for the reply he took
position behind the blinds Of a win.
dow commanding a view Of the house
from whence 1t should come. In time
he saw a shutter open just far enough
FOR a hand to pass through and toss q
note on to the bench on which he had
sat the day before. The distance was
too great for him to discover that the
hand was delicately formed, but he
saw something that astonished him
The sunlight striking 1t was sent back
In q bright fash. Evidently Mr.. Re
nard wore q jeweled ring.
Men seldom wear rings unless they
nre seals, which are not likely to spar
kle. Therefore Charles Thibadeau1
was not long In divining that his
correspondent was woman. All
thoughts Of a bloody encounter van
ished, and in their place came a Dc
sire to know more of his fair chai
!enger. BE sauntered into the gardea
picked up the note and, returning t
his room, read 1t:
Only one devoid Of q sense OF honor VII
speak lightly Of woman's good name.
am determined to show those engaged II
spreading this calumny that 1t cannot
done with impunity. I therefore Insist OF
satisfaction.
| Thibadeaux after much though
threw the note down, saying to him
J self:
! 1.-THE satisfaction ! will give you
dear lady, If 1 find you as attracdv
as my Imagination paints you, is ar