Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
AN EPISODE
OF SOUTH
By JAMES BRAINARD

In anteDeilum Gays Edgar FOrSythe,
a 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 LouisiAla type, called upor
Edgar FUrsytbc and employed him tc
collect debt from Antoine De Four
The amount was $50 and was of very
long standing
Now, De Fo.lr had taken fancy to
Edith Forsythe and was beginning tc
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 F'orsythe handed him and said
that he would pay it the next day.
In those days dueling was protec-
tion for all kinds of knavery. De Four
was fire eater, and La Fitte had hes
itated to press him for payment for
fear of offending him. De -Four went
to La Fitte and asked him why he had
insuited him by placing the note in the
hands of a lawyer. La Fitte apollo.
giZed for doing so and said that he
would withdraw the order for collec.
tion. 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 Fours
displeaSure.
The day after the first demand Edga,
made a second one. This time De Fou,
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
meddle 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 q 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 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 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 bad been put into his
hands requiring a visit to the county
seat. He consented and left early the
1ext morning. Soon after his depar-
.Ure Edith sent word to De Four that
her brother would not withdraw the
suit
threat what he had failed to effect by
persuasion, incoscd challenge to Ed
gar in note to his sister, stating that
his action gave him inconceivable pain,
but that his word had passed before
witnesses and If he did not make good
he would be considered henceforth as a
poltroon.
70 rrN,icn
to receive an acceptance of his chal-
lenge. 1t was purported to have been
written by Edgar, but had been forged
by his sister. There was nothing for
1t 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 acQuaintances as a cow
ard
The emissary was received by Edith,
who, her brother being absent, said
that as soon as she could communi-
cate with him she would send a re-
PAy' A@olCl LII IHc Sut WIOtc IudI
she had heard from Edgar. He had
chosen pistols at thirty PAGES, the time
to be 3 O'Clock the next morning, the
place a certain open space near the
bank Of the Mississippi river.
De -Four was surprised at the early
hour, for at o'clock it was barely
dawn. He was very much disgruntled
1T 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 in mortal combat.
He walked the floor till after o'clock
8n the morning. when his second called
for him and they proceeded to the
ground. Shortly after reaching it a car
riage drove up, and a young man alight-
ed and handed out Edith Forsythe.
Approaching De Four and his second,
Che young man said:
"Mr, De Four YOU will be obliged RI