The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-10
AN EPISODE
OF THESOUTH
By JAMES BRAINARD

AZ dHLtUeHuu uu9s EuEuT Tolsgt uc
young man from the north, and hi'
sister. Edith, orphans. settled In Louisi
ana.
Edgar Forsythe had recently beer
graduated from a law school, so he hung
out his single as an attorney. His
sister, who was an accomplished must
clan, taught music. Between the two
they made modest living.
One day Arnold La Fitte, a man of
the older Louisiana type, called upon
Edgar Forsythe and employed him to
collect debt from Antoine De Four.
The amount was SIS and was Of very
long standing.
Now, De Four had taken fancy to
Edith Forsythe and was beginning to
show his liking when her brother
called upon him, stated that note of
his had been plnced In his hands for
collection and asked him when 1t
would be convenient to pay 1t. De
Four colored, looked hard at the note
which Forsythe handed him and said
that he would pay It the next day.
In those days duellng was protec-
ton for all kinds of knavery. De Four
was fire eater, and la Fttte had hes
itated to press him for payment for
fear of offending him. De Four went
to LIE Fitte and asked him why he had
Unsettled him by placing the note In the
hands of q lawyer. La Fitte apollo
gized for doing so and said that he
would withdraw the order for collec-
ton. Instead of doing so he took a
steamboat that passed early the next
day for New Orleans, thus getting out
of the fire eaters way and leaving the
lawyer to bear the brunt of De Four's
displeasure.
The day after the first demand Edgar
made second one. This time De Four
was very wrothy. He told Edgar that
he had seen La Fitte and the matter
was between creditor and debtor and
there was no occasion for lawyer to
NEEDLE with It, Edgar told him that
he had been employed to collect the
money due on the note and IL 1t was
not paid by certain date he would sue |
for it. De Four was very angry and |
replied that If Edgar sued or bothered
him again about the matter he would |
consider 1t personal insult
One reason for De Fours displeasure
was that this second demand was made
in presence of several of De Four's
friends. This was unfortunate, for 1t
him to make good his threat.
The day after the suit. had been en-
tered De Four called on Edith Forsythe
and stated to her theposition in which
be was placed and begged her to per-
suade her brother to withdraw the
suit before it should be known, prom
Sing to settle the matter out of court
Is soon as this had been done. Ii
When Edgar came home his sister
laid nothing about the visit of De t
FOUR, but urged him to attend to some e
aw business that had been put into his {
lands requiring visit to the county
eat. He consented and left early the
ext morning Soon after his depar- :
er brother would not withdraw the a
uit d
De Four, hoping to accomplish by il
hreat what he had failed to effect by
ersuasion, inclosed a challenge to Ed u
ar in note to his sister, stating that =
is action gave him inconceivable pain, :,
ut that his word had passed before i
illnesses and if he did not make good 7
e would be considered henceforth as a n
oltroon. fl
De -Four was surprised and annoyed v
D receive an acceptance of his chal-
,nge. 1t was purported to have been =
7ritten by Edgar. but had been forged :. :.
y his sister. There was nothing for - :,
now but to fight De Four sent a h,
.iend to the Forsythe home to make ci
for the meeting, and he A
'as instructed to protest on the part lii
the challenger against 1t. stating 81
lat he had no other means of saving tr
lmself from being condemned by his III
lends and acquaintance as cow -
ID. ~
The emissary was received by Edith, m
no, her brother being absent, said or
lat as soon as she could communi- W,
tie with him she would send q re- II
Y. Later In the day she wrote that ia
lie had heard from Edgar. He had ma
losen pistols at thirty PAGES, the time es
be 8 o'clock the next morning, the =.
ace certain open space near the II
INK of the Mississippi river. ne
De Four was surprised at the early di
,ur, for at o'clock it was barely
WIN. He was very much disgruntled Re
the course the affair had taken, be- re-
use he had been on the eve Of pro- te!
sing marriage to Edith Forsythe and 30 30
W he was called upon to meet her -;
other In mortal combat =,
ae walked the floor till after o'clock an
the morning, when his second called be
r him and they proceeded to the
pund. Shortly after reaching ii car ma
ge drove up, and young man alght- for
and handed out Edith Forsythe sol
preaching De Four and his second, me
> young man said: W.
MIR. De -Four, you will be obliged to 70
cept me for an antagonist this morn aii'
: instead of Edgar Forsythe. who Is ~,
'ay and knows nothing Of your chal- con
ge. His sister, my flancee. conceal bee
ii from him, intending TO meet you Ere
his place. she called on me TO act wit
her second. but / insisted in taking and
m - ~ a -,-ipcfpal TS aworvtbfn, par