The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1914-11-12
Ing to make him pay for spelling that


stead of claret.''
At the moment Paul Desmoulins. an
other of Ned's friends. came in. and
Munier communicated the affair to
him. taking care to repress his mtrth
that the American was intending to
fight the foremost duelist in France.
and willingly. since he had spoiled his
shirt DesmOnlins protested against an
encounter in which ThOrne would sure
" be killed. and the picture he drew of
Ned's chances staggered him. But q
glance at his shirt. which he contin-
ued to hold up for inspection. brought
the blood to his cheek. and he swOre
he would have the hearts blood Of the
man who had ruined It.
Half an hour later Munier entered
the room of Louis tsirardet. strug-
Cling artist. and. laughing. said:
ats working famously. He says
he'll have your hearts blood"
"Wby is he SO vengeful? Was 1t the
wine in his face?"
mo. the wine on his shirt. You
ruined the best one in his wardrobe"
5. ibid you tell him that ! only fight
to kill?''
"Yes. and 1t would probably weaken
him II he were not SO enraged about
the loss of his pet shirt"
Girardet looked grave.
1--WE COME said Munier. with
challenge Paul came in as we had
arranged. Opportnnely. and agreed to
act as Thorne's second"
"Rut what are we to dO?"
II don't exactly know. We must
find some way out Of 1t. never
dreamed that he would insist on fight
ing when ] told him you-or. rather.
lie Crux. whose card you used-was
the most noted duelist In France.
Don't you think you could stand him
of with foils till we can persuade
him to cry Enough"
II stand him OF with foils? I'm
no fencer."
That's bad thougbtfully. "Pis-
tolls won't do. Either he or you might
get killed.
what did you fellows mean by get
ting me into this scrape. anyway"
why. we supposed his talk about
dueling was boyish fancy bubbling
up In him. think all would have
gone well II you hadn't made him
mad. You might have called him an
ass or a puppy or anything like that
bat when It came to bespattering the
front of that immaculate shirt it was
too much"
How would It do for me to apollo
gize?"
He says he won't accept any apol-
ogy from the man who ruined his
shirt"
"How about getting him another
one?''
II don't believe we could match It.
''Well. yOn fellows who cOncOcted
this scheme have got to do something.
I'm not going to get killed simply to
furnish you sport"
There was conference on the part
Of the conspirators. and after several
hours of debate it was decided to ap-
peal to the Americans generosity.
When the two dueling parties appear
ed the next morning at sunrise in the
Bots de BOulogne the French princi-
pal appeared with his right arm in a
sling.
what does that meanY' asked the
American.
IN. lie Crnx has had the misfor-
tune to break his right arm"
"Can he fence as well with his
left?''
"Parbleu: He cannot fence at all
with his left
''Then what the dickens do you mean
by standing me up against man who
can't defend himself?"
Perhaps now that NJ. LIE Crux is dis
abled he will offer an apology"
Apology be hanged: Do you sup
pose would wiring an apology from a
man on such terms p
Munier went to the pretended LIE
Crux. conversed in an undertOne and.
returning to ThOrne. said:
IN. LIE Crux is much impressed
with your generosity. He is sorry
for what occurred and would be happy
to replace the shirt be ruined. but he
has just been robbed of all his ready
money"
..Never mind the shirt: how much
has he lost
give hundred francs" ($100l.
Thorne took out his pocketbook and
extracted five 100 franc notes.
Here. tell him he needn't return
this till he gets ready. Ask him II he
will join us at breakfast at the Cafe
d,Orleans."
The message was delivered and the
invitation accepted. An hour later
party sat down In the Cafe d'Orleans
and enjoyed the hospitality Of the
American who begged that the dis
abled duelist would excuse him for
0bjecting even by look to his tax
ing seat at the same table. Before
the evening was over the joke was
to Ned. who by this
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