The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-09-13
AN EPISODE
OF
By JAMES BRAlNARD

In antebellum days Edgar Forsythe,
a young man from the north, and his
sister. Edith, orphans, settled in Louisi-
ana.
Edgar Forsythe had recently been
graduated from a law school, so he hung
out his shingle as an attorney. His
sister, who was an accomplished must
clan, taught music. Between the two
they made a modest living.
One day Arnold La Fitte, a man Of
the older Louisiana type, called upon
Edgar Forsythe and employed him to
collect a 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 Forsythe handed him and said
that he would pay 1t the next day. +
In those days dueling was a protec-
ton for all kinds Of knavery. De -Four
was a fire eater, and La Fitte had hes
itated to press him for payment for
fear Of offending him. De -Four went
to La Elite and asked him why he had
insulted him by placing the note in the
hands OF q lawyer. La Elite 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
d~ispleasure.
The day after the first demand Edgar
made a second II 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 a lawyer to
NEEDLE with it. Edgar told him that
he had been employed to collect the
money due on the note and II it was
not paid by a certain date he would sue
for 1t. De -Four was very angry and
replied that If Edgar sued or bothered
him again about the matter he would
consider it a personal insult.
One reason for De Four's d%ispleasure
was that this second demand was made
In presence of several Of De Four's
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 ont of court
as oon 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 a 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 d note to his sister. stating that
his action gave him uncomfortable pain.
but that his word had passed before
witnesses and if he did not make good
he would be considered henceforth as a
p%OltroOn.
De -Four was surprised and annoyed
to receive an acceptance of his chal-
lenge. 1t was purported to have been
written By Edgar but had been forged