The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-01-14
By F. A. mitchell

would be happy to deliver any mes
sage Herr Lieutenant had for him.
"Will you kindly give your brother
my card?' he said.
Anything for him to dol"
HE will understand"
care you sure? Is there not some
thing that will make his understand
ing the matter sure?"
Herr Lieutenant glanced at the cell
ing for inspiration.
You might say. freulein, that it con-
Germs an occurrence last night at the
officers quarters"
with whOmw
Captain Koch"
IT will give him the message with
pleasure" said the young lady, and
Herr Lieutenant marched away con-
graduating himself that he had acquit-
ted himself with great discretion.
Fraulein Anna had learned from him
all she wished to know, which was
that her brother, hot headed youth
who was bitterly opposed to her en-
gagement with Captain Koch, had
picked quarrel with him, had insult
ed him and the. visitor had brought
challenge from the latter.
Fraulein's first act was to send her
brother away ON a fools errand by
sending him a telegram with his
sweethearts name attached. saying
that she must see him at once. But
since the sweetheart lived fifty miles
from Berlin Lieutenant Becker must
second move was to send word in her
brothers name that he would meet
Captain Koch the next morning at
o'clock at certain place where duels
between army officers were usually
fought.
Now, though Anna Becker's features
were not very like those of her broth
er, her height and weight were nearly
the same. That evening, dressed in
one of his uniforms and with dozen
of his cards in her card case, she sal
lied forth to put in practice a certain
plan she had conceived. Entering a
restaurant, she ordered a dinner with
bottle of wine. Presently she arose
and threw the contents of her glass In
the face of quiet looking gentleman
sitting near her.
"What does this meanY' he asked.
ut means that you stared at me in
an insulting manner" replied Anna,
and, throwing her brothers card on a
table, she left the restaurant.
Two hours later when Anna returned
to her home she had insulted six per-
sons, and between 8 o'clock and mid
ferent persons for Lieutenant Becker,
two Of them from army officers, all of
whom fraulein agreed to meet the next
morning at the time and place she had
agreed that her brother should meet
her lover.
When midnight came and Carl did
not return Fraulein Anna felt sure that
her ruse to get him out Of the way had
been successful. But it had only been
partly So When Lieutenant Bornges-
ser returned to Captain Koch and re-
ported what he had done the captain
sent him out to find Becker himself.
He came upon Becker in the billiard
room of the officers club just as he
was reading the dispatch from his
sweetheart that had been sent him by
Anna. Consulting a time table. he
found he could keep both appointments
and agreed to meet Captain Koch at 6
o'clock the next morning at the usual
place for the settlement Of affairs of
honor among officers of the army.
Koch noticed a discrepancy in the
time of meeting between the written
and verbal reply to his challenge, but
thought little of lit, though, that he
might surely be ON hand for the fray,
he went to the ground at 5 o'clock. A
quarter Of an hour later gentleman,
with attendants, appeared and inform
ed the captain that he had come to
meet Lieutenant Becker, who had in
suited him the evening before.
While Captain Koch was disputing
with this man as to which of them
should fight Lieutenant Becker first
another party arrived on the same err
rand. and before 6 o'clock three diff
ferent persons had arrived, each de-
sirous of ''pig sticking" (as they call it
in Germany Lieutenant Becker. At
quarter before 6 Becker himself ap-
peared, having been travelling all night.
to find five persons waiting to avenge
themselves upon him. four Of whom he
had never seen.
Amid a babel of tongues a carriage
arrived, and Fraulein Anna stepped
out in the ordinary costume of WON
an and stood looking at the disputants
and laughing. When she had explain
ed that she had replied to the captains
challenge and had insultrd the four
other challengers all except Koch and
Becker joined in the laugh. But to
please the lady the four strangers in
sisted on the two most interested max
ing up their quarrel, and they shook
hands.