Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-03

man. A few men develop early and
have then as much sense-though not as
much experience-as when they reach
middle age. But Ned Thorne at TWEEN
ty-one was still a very young man.
He had outgrown the age thirteen to
fifteenl when a boy is little troubled
about what kind of cravat he Will
wear and was much exercised about
the cut of his clothes. His tailor had
great difficulty in pleasing him and
was changed every season.
But there was one object of far more
serious consideration with young Mr..
/ Thorne than clothes. He was ambi-
! tious to fight some one. Probably If
there had been a war when he came
of age he would have Joined the col
ors. But there was nothing but peace
i-quiescent. jog trot peace-and 1t was
entirely out of keeping with his in
| clinations.
Ned spent a great deal of time think
ing about the best. way to settle dis
putes among gentlemen. He favored
| the idea that while fist fights would
do for the unruly they were beneath
persons who were refined. A scrap of
that kind was liable to cover man
with dirt, bloody his nose and make
him look like P scavenger.
Such were Mr.. Thornes views when
he went to Europe, where duels were
then and are still in vogue. especially
in France. He had heard a great deal
about bohemia in the Latin quarter Of
Paris and concluded to take a course
in art; not that he was fitted for that
profession-for a cloud and haystack
on his canvas could not readily be
told apart-but that he might mingle
in the life Of that part of Paris which
was then given over to art students
and grisettes.
So he rented Il room and took lessons
in an art school. He soon became &C.
quainted with other students of diff
ferent nationalities. though most of
his associates were French. To the
latter he regretted that in America
there was no way for gentleman to
settle dispute except through the
courts- A man on being insulted to
obtain satisfaction must get into
scuffie with a person. perhaps a coal
heaven and quite likely very much
stronger than he. Ned expressed him.
self as an admirer of the French meth
cd of the code. =
His associates listened to these
views and gained from them the i'm
preston that Ned was spelling for a
fight. Any body of young men be-
tween twenty and thirty years Of age
living together will become bohemian
and. more than that. will be ready to
play practical jokes on one another.
One evening Ned went alone to the
restaurant where he was used to din
ing His intimate friends with whom
he was accustomed to dine one and all
had engagements to dine somewhere
else. While Ned was eating his dinner
a man came in and. taking a seat OPP
posite him. scanned the bill of fare.
Ned saw no necessity for the fellow to
occupy the same table as himself and
scowled at him. The man. looking up
and seeing the frown. said politely:
Monsieur. you do not seem pleased
with me for vis-a-vis?"
There are other tables vacant, and
1 confess prefer to dine alone
THAT means that you do not con-
slider me a proper person to dine so
near you
There was vim ordinaire (wine not |
charged for, on the Ia BILE. and the man
had poured out a glass of it. With |
his words he threw the contents into |
Ned's face. then. rising. laid a card on !
the ia ble and. adding that he would /
not trouble the gentleman with his |
presence any longer. went to another /
table.
Ned wiped the wine off his face and |
front. hastily finished his dinner and. |
taking up the card. returned to his |
rooms. During the evening one of his
friends. Jules Munier. came in. and |
Ned told him of the incident that had
occurred to him. Muniar asked to see
the card the man had offered. and
Ned. feeling in his pockets. produced
il. When Munier looked at the name
he started.
Antoine LIE Crux" he exclaimed
"Great heavens. man. you are in for
a fight with the most noted duelist In
Paris
You don't mean it," said Ned. catch
ing his breath.
Il do. And the worst of it is that
lie Crux does not fight in the modern
way. simply to show his skill by let
ting little blood: he fights to KILL
1t Is quite likely that the Americans
courage would have oozed out of his
fingers ends IL he had not been anger
ed by what an older man would have
considered a matter of trivial impor-
ance. When Munier entered Ned was
holding up the shirt he had worn at
Inner. which was despatched with
red wine. II there was any one ar
-icle of his wardrobe he was proud of
{ was that shirt. 1t was. indeed. a
beauty. a nesiigee Of harmonious col
,rs. and Ned's monogram was en-
1roidered in large characters on the I
pocket.
81 don't care whether he\is the most
noted duelist in the universe. I'm GO
Ing to make him pay for spelling that
shirt"