The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-07-18
An American View
OF the Code Duello
By JAMES D. WILLIAMSON

far ahead of us In others. That II
which we are far in advance of then
is in having cast off obsolete customs
For instance, there is not nor ha
there been for nearly n century sucl
n thing as the code duello in America
In France and Germany especially ,
mans honor must to this day be de
Tended by the spilling of blood.
Evan Gwynne was an American
through and through. He went abroad
and while there 1t never occurred t.
him when 'in 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 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 the Frenchman'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 card out of his
pocket and handed 1t to him. Evan.
not understanding that this was chal-
lenge to mortal combat, whipped out
his own card, wrote the name OF his
hotel on it and handed 1t 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 IL he was NJ. Gwynne.
He replied that he was.
II have come" said the other, ito
arrange the matter with M. de
Fourche."
who is M. de Fourche?" 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
itr'
He wishes to know the place OF
meeting and the weapons you select"
A ray Of light began to permeate
Evans skull. He was challenged to-
fight duel.
Tell Mr.. de Fourche," he said, that
our place of meeting will be wherever
he 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 Bots
y
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"
"Well, Mr. de Fourche doesn't have to
fight IL 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 over
here? Not much. No thimbleful OF
blood for me, When land my knuck-
les on a mans nose bring out pint
of claret at least"
But, monsieur, consider. A gentle
man can't fight like pugilist."
"He doesn't have to fight at all IL he
doesn't want to-"
Come, come, monsieur; / demand re
place Of meeting and re weapons"
"Well, you can just take 1t out In
You can tell Mr.. de
Fourche that I'll be in Paris for few |
days yet, and IL he wants to see me
about anything he'll usually find me
here up to 10 O'Clock in the morning"
Then you refuse to grant my friend
you tell him that II he wants salts
faction to come and take it,
m. de Fourche will publish you as a
coward"
II wouldn't mind a little thing like
that. / once ran for political Office
at home and was called every name
from a jackass to jailbird."
you have no pride? You care moth
Ing what the world thinks Of you"
II reckon the world isn't troubling
Itself much about an ordinary indi-
vidual like myself Your world over
here is running after mobiles. princes
md kings. They haven't time to think
about any one else"
II 60 to report to my friend Eat re
Americans have no honor to defend.
Zey are like re pig. He cannot get
from you without coming |
nto this hotel to make scene"
"rll tell you what you do. Say to
.fr. de Fourche that I'll be at the foun-
ain in the garden of the Tuileries at
O'Clock tomorrow morning. There1l
,e no one about at that hour, and I'll
i've him the goldarnest thrashing he
yer had In his life. You tell him that,
will you"
The next morning Evan kept the ap-