Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-06-11
An Incorriigible
Coquette
By EDITH V. ROSS

the southern states in defense of their
honor, the causes of which were usual
ly published to the world. But when
a woman was the subject of dispute
some other cause was invented in or
der to keep her name out of the mat
ter. At times when the ingenuity of
the participants failed them in invent
ing a cause they would resort to alb
surd expedients.
Miss Cary Randolph many years
ago was a belle in Charleston, S. c.
Among her suitors were Robert Fitz-
Hugh and Percy Bryce, both South
Carolinians. Miss Randolph was not
averse to setting her suitors against
one another. 1t gratified her amour
propre. But in this case she went too
far.
One day while she was walking with
Fitz-Hugh Bryce passed them. The
lady smiled on him and invited him
to join them. She knew that neither
would relish the presence of the 9th
er, but this did not trouble her; she
wished her friends to see her with
one of the men who were known to
be devoted to her on each side of her.
Having paraded her lovers before
her friends she turned in the direction
of her home and on arriving there
dismissed them. Had she asked them
to go III with her there might have
been no unfortunate result. Had she
asked one of them in it would have
been tantamount to an expression of
preference This, too, would have end
ed the matter, for they were both gen
tlemen and either would have taken
his dismissal as final Leaving them
to walk away together was the worst
thing she could have done.
They proceeded some distance, re-
marking upon the weather and such
other makeshift topics; then when they
were about to part FitZ-Hugh said to
Bryce:
II was surprised at your Intrusion.
The lady invited me-
THAT was common politeness."
IF you think yourself aggrieved you
have a right to reparatiOn.'
Both men We're ready to explode,
but Fitz- Hugh repressed his feelings
for the time and. turning on his heel,
walked away. AS he proceeded jeal-
ousy got the better of him, and, seek
ing his friend Walter Raymond, he COM
missioned him to take a challenge to
Bryce. Raymond asked the cause and
when told of it replied that he would
have nothing to do with an affair that
would bring in the name Of a lady,
whereupon FitZ-Hugh told him to
make up Il preteXt to be given to the
world as the cause of the duel. Ray
mOnd, after some thought, decided that
the ostensible reason for the quarrel
was to be that Bryce had called FitZ-
Hugh a redhead. Fitz-Hugh's hair
was auburn. This was not reason
calculated to deceive the public, but
Raymond had no inventive genius, and
il was the best he could do.
/ Miss Randolph had made choice be-
tween these two men-a very decided
choice. She was ready to give herself
to one of them. But she desired to
prolong the pleasure Of being courted
by both and make herself more val
liable to the man she loved by render
ing her winning more difficult
Despite the effort made to keep the
coming meeting Il secret from her. she
got wind of it. On the morning ap-
pointed for the duel she mounted a
cob and rode TO the grounds, ar
irving there Just in time to see the
rivals for her hand standing facing
each other with deadly intent. Her
presence put a stop to the proceedings.
Il have heard" she said, that one
of you gentlemen is about to kill the
other. Since | have made up my mind
to accept a proposition of marriage
from one of you | object TO the other
killing him.
The rivals glared at each other, but
said nothing. The seconds, who were
opposed to the meeting, saw an oppor-
tunity to stop it where it was.
Perhaps" said Bryce's second after
an awkward pause, Miss Randolph
will deign TO remove the cause of the
quarrel"
What is the cause| asked the lady.
Again there was pause, more awk-
ward than the first, at the end of
which Fitz- Hugh's second said that her
principal had been insulted by being
called redhead. If Miss Randolph
would decide whether Mr.. -Hugh's
hair was red it would end the matter.
Mr.. Fitz-Hugh's hair is a fiery red, "
she said, but that has nothing TO dc
with my preference"
Fitz-Hugh cOlored. Gentlemen" he
Eaid, 81 see no reason why this affair
should not proceed"
"Nor l." added Bryce.
Miss Randolph made no interposition
until one of the seconds had given the
word Ready" and the other stood
ready TO give the signal TO fire by drop
ping a handkerchief. This man, expect
ing that Miss Randolph would indicate
her preference, delayed, keeping an
no