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"Please do not touch me, and do not argue with me. I know that I am right, and that what I do is for your best happiness. I don't think I am a heroine-I hope not. But listen, and then I must leave you. I refuse your suit. If you love me, if you respect me, then you will not press me, for this answer is the only one I can give. And, dear, you will leave here, won't you? Go back North. This is no place for you, and you cannot add to my happiness by staying." She moved to the door, as if to protect herself, not from her lover, but from herself; then returning, she held out her hand and said "Good-bye," and with a sob she added, "Would it make it any easier for you if I told you something? I do not know just how to say it. Perhaps it is unwomanly, but I do love you-yes, I think ever since that first meeting so long ago. How could I help it? And now again good-bye, and for the last time." She glided out of his hands, and was gone before he could answer

frightened at her own passion. She felt herself understand the other. To tell the truth, I supyielding, and glad to yield. But she recovered, pose the whole moral question to be a matter and, standing erect, her face full of determina- of education, and we have been brought up in tion, said, but not harshly: different schools. I have nothing against Major Algier. If he would mind his own business, I should have no quarrel with him. Please tell him from me, that I consider him an officious ass, and am ready to fight him at any time or place." Vernaff began coolly enough, and had determined to refuse with dignity, but as he went on, his passion rose. The thought of his lost love, and the smirk on the face of his visitor, exasperated him. In desperation he turned to the old savage idea of fighting, and accepted the challenge. But he determined that Miss Algier's name should not appear, and so asked Dupont if he was acquainted with the original cause of the dispute. On being assured that Major Algier had made it a point that this should remain a secret between the principals, Vernaff felt easier, and angrily agreed to accept any arrangement that might be made. He insisted, however, that he should go to the ground without a second. "If I do choose to make a fool of myself, I 'm not willing to involve any one else in this medieval absurdity. I want as few witnesses as possible to my idiocy in paying any attention to the vaporings of this man. So tell him what I say, and fix things to suit himself. Let me know when you are ready."

her.

V.

SHORTLY after this, the colonel was visited by one of his acquaintances, bearing a note from Major Algier, which read:

"SIR: In our interview of the 11th inst. you made use of certain expressions which were offensive to my honor. I have waited, hoping that you would see fit, without motion on my part, to apologize for your language. The fact that you have acceded to the request I had the honor of making does not excuse your conduct to me on that occasion. Nothing remains for me to do but to say that my friend, the bearer of this note, will receive the apology which I demand, and your assurance of continued good conduct in connection with the matter of which we spoke; or, you refusing, he is authorized to make the arrangements for the meeting due to outraged honor. Hoping that one of these alternatives-it is indifferent to me which onewill meet your approbation, I remain your obedient

servant."

In the afternoon Dupont came again, and proposed that the meeting should take place at dawn on the following morning, but Vernaff demurred to this, saying:

"I shall not get up to please you or go without my breakfast. I recognize the fact that I was a fool for entering into this thing. I am sorry that I consented, but now I'll keep my agreement. At 11 o'clock, at the place you mention, I'll be there. If it is any comfort to you, you can go at sun-up,' as you call it, and wait for me, but I shall not hurry to suit you. I am ashamed of myself for pandering to your ridiculous customs so far as I have. Perhaps it would be better not

"This is a challenge from Major Algier?" to try me further." asked Vernaff.

"That," answered the other, "is as you choose to consider it. I understood from him that if you were willing to make a satisfactory apology, and to grant his request, nothing further would come of it."

“Sit down, Mr. Dupont," said the colonel. "First, as to any apology from me, or any attention to his impertinent demand, that is all nonsense, and I suppose he knows it. And as to being forced into fighting a duel, no man can do that to me. I do not put it on moral grounds. You and I probably look upon it from such different standpoints, that neither would

"I suppose," said Dupont, taken aback, and misunderstanding the fierce irritation of the colonel,-" I suppose my principal would still accept an apology."

"I will fight him now, if I have to follow him to Texas. I despise the whole race to which he belongs, and him as a particularly offensive specimen of his class"; and the excited agent showed his visitor to the door.

At the appointed hour the Northerner rode to the designated place. His opponent was already on the ground, and had brought with him a gentleman who was to act as witness for Vernaff, who carelessly accepting the prof

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fered service, only asked that all possible haste be made in arranging the preliminaries.

The principals were posted and the question asked, "Are you ready? Fire! One!" At the word "One!" Major Algier fired. His intention was to wound his adversary but not to kill; but the ball went whizzing past, and Vernaff stood unharmed. He covered the major with his pistol while the second continued "two! three!" and it was too late to return the shot. Then he dropped his weapon and said: "Do you want to try it over? Algier was too much astonished to reply, but stood glaring, his red face redder than ever before. At length he gasped out, "I cannot understand your conduct, sir."

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"It is not necessary that you should," returned the other. He halted an instant, then, with a sudden start, threw his pistol on the ground, and advanced towards his late antagonist.

"Major Algier," he began, "if I said anything improper to you, and I know that I did, I say freely that I am ashamed of myself. You ulant ass." up to your light, and I acted like a pet

acted

VOL. XXXV.-29.

" cried Algier, ad

"No more, sir; no more! vancing with extended hand. "Even so much is more than I can ask of a brave man. Let us be friends now, and I, too, will ask pardon for my attempt at interference in affairs which probably I had better left alone. Come out to my place and see me; and, for God's sake, don't let my wife know about this scrape!"

At this moment General Algier dashed through the woods, and drove his horse directly between the speakers. "In the devil's name, gentlemen," he shouted, "what are you doing? Royal, I am ashamed of you! Can't you see that any injury to Colonel Vernaff would bring upon us the most terrible retaliation, and upset the little we have been able to do to get going again? You call yourself a patriot, and would do more harm in a moment than you could undo in a lifetime."

Then turning to Vernaff, he said, with less heat, "Colonel, I am old enough for you to listen to my advice without being offended. I had expected, from the good sense you have always exhibited, that you were above, such escapades. Now, let me pray you, forget this matter, and remember that your life is not your own. It belongs to us all, if for no other reason, from the position you occupy among

us."

The old man drew a long breath, cleared his throat, and smoothed his features. "I saw," he continued, "that you boys had made up before I came; but I was so full of it that I could not stop my remarks on that account. That is right; I don't intend to inquire into the merits of your quarrel. Of course, now, there can be none between you. Shake hands again, and both of you with me. Vernaff, I can't say that I respect you any more than I did, but I like you none the less. Only, don't do so any more. Royal, you fire-eating boy! I wonder when you will grow to years of discretion! But, now mount your horses; I promised Claudine to bring you both to lunch, safe and sound. So come along."

"If you will excuse me," said Vernaff, "I will deny myself the pleasure, and go back to town."

"I can't let you off; you must come," exclaimed the general. Then speaking in a more serious tone, he added, "I make it as a particular request, and as your oldest friend in the county. And how should I account to Claudine for your absence? She expects you."

So they mounted their horses and galloped across the country to the plantation.

"Here, Claudine!" cried the old man as the party arrived at the house and saw her standing on the step. "Here are two foolish boys

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who have quarreled, and have made friends. They have come to eat salt together in token of a new peace. So hurry the lunch all you can, dear; and in the mean time I suppose they would like to wash their hands. I'll take Royal to my room,-I have yet some scolding left for him, and please have some one show Colonel Vernaff to his apartment."

"My pardon is nothing. I have no right to blame you. But when I heard of the affair, I did feel that you were not just kind to me. And when I knew that, even indirectly, I was the cause, I felt how wrong we had been these past six months, and I spoke to my father about it. Perhaps I ought not to have done this without your consent, but it was all so

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As Vernaff left his room, after making his toilet, he met Miss Algier, who evidently was waiting for him in the hall. She did not hesitate, but began speaking as she stepped towards him.

"Colonel Vernaff," she said, "do you think it was right for you to fight a duel with my cousin ?"

No," he answered boldly, "I don't think it was right; and to you I can say how sorry I am. I think I must have been crazy with your Southern fever when I accepted his challenge. I am not ashamed to ask your pardon and I do."

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sudden and terrible that I was overcomeand told him all."

"And what did he say?" asked Vernaff eagerly.

"He mounted his horse and rode to stop the duel," she answered.

"Yes, I know. But what did he say when you told him all?"

She blushed, looked down, then, with some return to her old provoking manner, said, "I fear I have forgotten his exact words." Then she looked up, and, with a tearful smile lighting her eyes, continued, "I suppose you might ask him yourself. He may remember."

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At the smile and the words hope sprang up his arms, trembling, frightened at his tender in Vernaff's heart. In an instant she was in violence, but unresisting.

J. G. Perkins.

Edith M. Thomas.

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NOTES ON PARISIAN NEWSPAPERS.

ONE

LANGISTR

present not so much the minor details of a fact, but the best possible opinion on the fact. Of mere brute news, minute particulars of scandals, crimes, and horrors, such as we here in America have dumped upon our breakfast table every morning, with all the accompanying repetition and accumulation of uninteresting. fact, of all this the reader of the Parisian journal sees little or nothing. The childish or unintelligent thirst to know what has hap-pened, regardless of the importance of the event, has not yet been developed in France by the rivalry of scrambling editors; and it may be asserted without fear of contradiction that even if they could have it without cost and without trouble, French editors would, refuse to print most of the trivial trash which. cumbers the columns of even the foremost. American papers.

NE of the most characteristic street-cries of London and of New York is never heard in Paris, nor is one of the most picturesque figures in the streets of London and of New York ever seen in the streets of Paris, for in France the noisy and pertinacious newsboy is unknown. The functions of this unstable disseminator of intelligence are filled in Paris by the staid old dame who sits at the receipt of custom in a kiosque. A Parisian kiosque has nothing oriental but the name. It is a little sentry-box of glass, just large enough to shelter the news-vender from the changeable weather of the French capital. On a little stand in front of the kiosque are tiny heaps of the countless newspapers of the city, and on strings on each side are pendent numbers of the chief illustrated journals, artistic and comic. These kiosques are scattered along the boulevards, and from them the Parisian buys his "Figaro" in the morning and his "Temps" at five in the afternoon. This difference of attitude between the hurrying American, who has to have his newspaper brought to him in haste hot from the press, and the leisurely Frenchman, who is content to pick up his paper when he goes abroadthis difference is far more than external; it is essentially typical of the irreconcilable difference between the French journal and the English or American newspaper. For one thing, the French journal is not a newspaper in the American sense of the word. and of a truth it does not pretend or desire to be. The "Figaro" now and again makes a ludicrous claim to the ubiquitous omniscience of the London "Times" or "The New York Herald," but this is not to be taken seriously. The fact is, that while the primary quality of a good English or American daily paper is news, the primary quality of a good French paper is not news, but criticism,-criticism of politics in the first place, of course, and in the second, criticism of commerce, of law, of finance, of science, of art, of literature, and of the drama. The aim and ideal of the best French editors is to

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It is not that some Parisian papers do not. print trivial trash and trash worse than trivial; the difference is rather in aim, the French editor thinking first of criticism and the American editor only too often thinking of mere news- first, last, and all the time. Yet the leading principle which should govern even in news-gathering is better understood in Paris) than in London or New York. This is the principle which has been aptly called the "perspective of news," and by virtue of which a trifling accident in the immediate neighborhood is of more importance than a great calamity a thousand miles away. As Villemessant concisely put it, "A dog run over on the Boulevard des Italiens is of more consequence to the 'Figaro' than an earthquake in Australia." If we substitute for the injured dog a picture exhibited or a new play produced, we have just the things about which the Parisian papers give the most news.

In the eyes of foreigners the "Figaro" is the typical French newspaper, just as the London "Times" is the typical English newspaper and "The New York Herald "the typical American newspaper. Perhaps the "Figaro" is indeed as fairly representative of the French character, or, at least, of certain predominant traits in it, as the "Times" or "The New York Herald" is representative of English or American character. In so far as it is representative, the "Figaro" represents Paris rather than France; and in Paris it represents the boulevards, and not the faubourgs. It is the organ of society and of the stage; it is fashionable and frivolous; and it affects to be royalist and re

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