The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-07-09
By EDITH v. ROSS

~ANSou6A oLySS poSSSO I0Sua. Lie
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 60 in 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
we're 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 r%eparation."
Both men were 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 a 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 q reason
calculated to deceive the public, but
Raymond had no inventive genius, and
It 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 a 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 u stop to the proceedings.
Il have heard,' she said. THAT one
Of you gentlemen is about to kill the
other. Since l 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 1t where 1t 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 a 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 a redhead. II Miss Randolph
would decide whether Mr.. F1tz- Highs
hair was red 1t would end the matter.
INF. II z-Hugh's hair is a fiery red"
she said. but that has nothing to do
with, my preference"
Ftx-Hugh colored. Gentlemen" he
said, II see no reason why this a6air
should not proceed"
''lNor II" added Bryce.
Mia Randolph made no interposition
until one OF the seconds had given the
word Ready" and the other stood
ready to give the signal to IRE by drop
ping a handkerchief. This man, expect
i4g that Miss Randolph would indicate
her preference. delayed, keeping an
eye upon her.
She smiled ct him.
"This IL absurd" he said do you
intend to risk losing the man you
love1 Decide"
.How can l." she replied. '.in sgch 4
public fashion,"
Gentlemen. shut your eyes" said.
the second.
Every man except the principals
closed his eyes. Hearing q laugh q
some distance from them. they opened
them to see Miss Randolph walking
sway with her arm through that Ct
III. F5ts-Hugh.