Smyrna times., 1912-10-02
AnAmerican View
Of the Code DuelIo
By JAMES D. WILLIAMSON

which we are far in advance Of them
is in having east off obsolete customs.
For instance. there is not nor has |
there been for nearly century such |
a thing ais the code duello in America. |
In France and Germany especially a |
mans honor must to this day be de- |
Tended by the spiliing of blood
Evan Gwynne was an American |
through and through. He went abroad,
and while there it never occurred to |
him when lin Rome to do as the
Romans do" In entering France with
his family. including his wife and sew
eral little children. custom house Of
fetal made seizure of his baby's milk
bottle. Evan swung his powerful arm.
and the man dropped. This caused the
American great delay and trouble. but
the next time any one interfered with
him or those under his care he acted
exactly in the same way. Refusing to
pay the extortionate demands of por-
ter, the fellow seized a satchel. He
measured his length on the floor and
dropped the bag.
One day Evan took his wife out to
Versailles on an omnibus. A man sat
In front of the couple smoking bad
cigar Evan asked him in a mixture
of French and English not to puff
tobacco smoke in Mrs. Gwynne's face.
The man looked at him superciliously
and continued to smoke. Evan reached
forward. seized the cigar, pulled 1t
from between tie Frenchnan'S lips
and threw it down into the street.
No greater insult could have been Of
fered any European. The man glared
at Evan. then pulled a card out of his
pocket and handed it to him. Evan,
not understanding that this was a chal-
Ienge to mortal combat. whipped out
his own card. wrote the name of his
hotel on it and handed it to the out
ragged smoker.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gwynne enjoyed Yer
sailles and returned to Paris. having
almost forgotten the alteration. He
was smoking in the Office of the hotel
when a man with a waxed mustache
and goatee stepped up to him and
asked in English if he was NJ. Gwynne.
He replied that he was
81 have GOMEZ said the other, Ito
| arrange the matter with NJ. dc
| Fourche."
"Who is NJ. de FourcheY' asked
Evan.
"Have you not his card? He said he
gave it to you on the omnibus this
morning"
"Oh, that fellow! Well. what about
it?"
| HE wishes to know the place Of
meeting and the weapons you select"
A ray of fight began to permeats
Evans skull He was challenged te
nght a duel
Tell Mr. de Fourche," he said, "that
our place of meeting will be wherever
be happens to find me and the weap-
ons fists"
But. monsieur" protested the other
apparently much embarrassed at the
Americans ignorance Of foreign Gus
toms, there must be place-the Boii
de Boulogne is customary-for re meet
ing. and there must be weapons-ze
pistol. re sword. re foil"
That's the European custom. We
use our fists entirely in America"
"Ze fist! Eat is brutal"
"Wen. Mr.. de Fourche doesn't have tt
fight if he doesn't want to, but that's
the only way I'll do it. Do you suppose
an American can be roped into one Of
these little absurdities you have owe
here? Not much. No thimbleful o
blood for me. When l land my knuck
les on a mans nose bring out pin
of claret at least"
"But, monsieur, consider. A gentle
man can't fight like pugilist."
| "He doesn't have to fight at all II III
doesn't want to-"
| "Come. come. monsieur; demand z
| place of meeting and re weapons"
"Wen, you can just take it out Il
1 demanding. You can tell Mr.- q
4 Fourche that I'll be in Paris for fey
days vet. and if he wants to see m
about anything he'll usually hnd M
here up to 10 O'clock in the morning.
/ "Then you refuse to grant my frien
L satisfaction"
1 You tell him that if he wants salts
faction to come and take it,
| IN. de Fourche will publish you as
coward"
4 'T wouldn't mind a little thing ik
that. once ran for political othc
at home and was called every nam
from a jackass to a jailbird.
"You have no pride? You care noti
4 ing what the world thinks of you?"
1 81 reckon the world isn't troublin
itself much about an ordinary ind
vidual like myself Your world ovt
1 here is running after mobiles, prince
i and kings. They haven't time to thin
about any one else"
1 'I go to report to my friend Eat
\ Americans have no honor to defen'
=. Zey are like re pig He cannot g
satisfaction from you without comm
n into this hotel to make a scene
N "PH tell you what you do. Say
Mr.. de Fourche that I'll be at the fou'
tain in the garden Of the Tuileries
s O'Clock tomorrow morning. There
be no one about at that hour and /
Iaf 90 fhrouhfnU \