The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-17
By ALEXANDRA DUMAS

WTlSC Ol Stccl. rl&uC Ou du OCCdSlOuS Fight the more for duels being for. bidden, since consequently there is twice as much courage in fighting. have nothing to give you. my son, but 15 crowns, my horse and the, coun- sells you have. just heard Your moth CT will add to them recipe for a cer- tain. balsam which she had from a lous virtue of curing all wounds that do not reach the heart. Seek M. de Treville, who was formerly my neigh bor and who had the honor to be as a child the playfellow of. our king, Louis XIII, whom God preserve. He is now captain of the kings mus keteers- that is to say, leader of a legion of Caesars, whom the king holds ir great esteem and whom the cardinal dreads-he who dreads noth- ing, as it is said. Still further, M. de Treville gains 10000 crowns a year. He is therefore great noble. He began as you begin. Go to him with this letter, and make him your model in order that you may do as he has done"
 Upon which M. d'Artagnan the elder girded his own sword around his son, kissed him tenderly on both cheeks and gave him his benediction.
 The same day the young man set forward on his journey, furnished with the three paternal presents, which consisted, as we have said, of 15 crowns, the horse and the letter for M. de Treville, the counsels being thrown into the bargain.
 On his way D'Artagnan took every smile for an insult and every look as a provOcation, whence it resulted that from Tarbes to Meung his fist was constantly doubled or his hand on the hilt of his sword, and yet the fist did not descend upon any jaw, nor did the sword issue from it's scabbard. To
 But there. in Meung, as he was alighting from his horse at the gate of the Franc-Meunier, without any one host, waiter or hostler, coming to hold his stirrup or take his horse, D'Arta- gnan spied, through an open window on the ground floor, a gentleman well made and of good carriage, although of rather a stern countenance, talking with two persons who appeared to lis. ten to him with respect. >D'Artagnan fancied quite naturally, according to his custom, that he must be the object of their conversation and listened This time D'Artagnan was only in part mistaken. He himself was not in ques- tion, but his horse was. 5az
 He fixed his naughty eye upon the stranger who made one of his most knowing and profound remarks re- specting the Bearnese pony, upon which his two auditors laughed even louder than before, and he himself, though contrary to his custom, allowed pale smile. to stray over his counte- nance This time, there could be no doubt, D'Artagnan was really insult ed. Full, then, of this conviction, he said, with.a furious gesture:
 T say, sir, you, sir, who are hiding yourself behind that shutter!-yes, you, sir, tell me what you are laughing at, and we will laugh together
 The gentleman withdrew his eyes slowly from the nag to his master and, with an accent of irony and insolence impossible to be described, replied to D'Artagnan:
 'Iywas not speaking to you, sirv'
 "But am speaking to youY' replied the young man.
 The unknown looked at him again with. slight smile and, retiring from the window, came out of the hostelry with slow step and placed himself before the horse within two paces of D'Artagnan
 D'Artagnan, seeing him approach, drew his sword a foot out of the scab. bard.
 There are people who laugh at a horse that would not dare to laugh at the master of it!' cried the young man.
 'I do not often laugh, sir," replied the unknown, "as you may perceive by the air of my countenance; but, never theless. retain the privilege of laugh ing when please.''
 And I,' cried D'Artagnan, twill al low no man to laugh when it displeases her'
 Indeed, sir,' continued the unknown more calm than ever Well, that is perfectly rightw and, turning on his heel, was about to center the hostel ry by the front gate, under which D'Artagnan on arriving had observed saddled horse.
 But D'Artagnan drew his sword en- tirely from the scabbard and following him, crying:
 'Turn. turn, Master Joker, lest strike you behindv'
 "Strike me!' said the other, turning sharply round and surveying the young man with as much astonishment as contempt. Why, my good fellow, you must be madv'
 He had scarcely finished when DAT tagnan made such a furious lunge at him that if he had not sprung nimbly backward he would have tested for the