The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-12-13
AN EPISODE
OF HESOUTH
By JAMES BRAINARD

In antebcllum days Edgar Forsythe,
young man from the north, and his
sister. Edith. orphans. settled in Louisi-
ana.
Edgar Forsythe had recently been
graduated from law school, so he hung
out his shingle as an attorney. His
sister, who was an accomplished musi-
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 $25 and was of very
long standing.
Now, De -Four had taken a fancy to
Edith Forsythe and was beginning to
show his liking when her brother
called upon him. stated that a note Of
his had been placed in his hands for
collection and asked him when it
would be convenient to pay it. De
-Four colored, looked hard at the note
which Forsyihc handed him and said
that he would pay it the next day.
In those days duciing was q p?otec-
ton for all kinds of knavery. De -Four
was fire eater. and Lii Fitte had hes
, itated to press him for payment for
fear Of offending him. De Four went
to La Fitte and ask ed him why he bad
insulted him by placing the note in the
hands of lawyer. La F:tte apollo,
gized for doing so aud said that he
would withdraw the order for collec-
ton. Instead Of doing SO he took
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 Fours
displeasure
The day after the tilst demand Edgar
made second one This time De -Four
was very wrothy. He told Edgar that
he had seen La Fittc 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 if it was
not paid by a 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 it personal insult.
One reason for De Four's displeasure
was that this second demand was made
in presence of several of De Fours
friends. This was unfortunate, for it
compelled 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 the position in which
he was placed and begged her to per
suade her brother to withdraw the
suit before it should be known, prom
Using to settle the matter out Of court
as soon as this had been DONE
When Edgar came home his sister
said nothing about the visit of De
Four. but urged him to attend to some
law business that had been put into his
hands requiring visit to the county
seat. He consented and left early the
next morning. Soon after his depar-
ture Edith sent word to De Four that
her brother would not withdraw the
suit
DE -Four, hoping to accomplish by
threat what he had failed to effect by
persuasion. inclosed a challenge to Ed
gar in u note to his sister. stating that
his action gave him Uncomfortable pain.
but that his word had passed before
witnesses and il lie did not make good
he would he considered henceforth as /,
pOltroOn.
De -Four was surprised and annoyed
to receive an acceptance of his chal-
lcnge. 1t was purported to have been
written by Edgar. but had been forged
by his sister. There was nothing Tor
it now but to fight. De -Four sent a
friend to the Forsythe home to make
arrangements for the meeting, and he
was instructed to protest on the part
of the challenger against it. stating
that he had no other means Of saving
himself from being condemned by his
friends and acquaintance as cow
ard
The emissary was received by Edith,
who her brother being absent. said
that as soon as she cccld communi-
cate with him she would send re-
ply. Later in the day she wrote that
she had heard from Edgar. He had
chosen pistols at thirty PAGES. the time
to he 3 o'clock the next morning, the
place a certain onen space near the
bank of the Mississippi river.
De -Four was surprised at the early
hour. for at 3 o'clock it was barely
dawn. He was very much disgruntled
at the course the affair had taken, be-
cause he had been on the eve of pro-
posing marriage to Edith Forsythe and
now he was called upon to meet her
brother iii mortal combat
He walked the floor till after O'clock
in the morning. when his second called
for him aud they proceeded to the
ground. Shortly after reaching it car
riage drove up, and a young man alight-
ed and handed cut Edith Forsythe.
Approaching De -Four and his second,
the young man said:
MIR. De -Four, you will be obliged to
accont mo for an antagonist thiS morn