Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-02-05

when IL wanted some money, ana IOunQ
out that my seven thousand five hundred
tfrancs.were gone Thank your stars that |
am your godfather as well as your uncle"
he added, I'M menacing voice. "Thank
your stars, I say /" l"-~0r ~.
Henri sank on a chair, and thence look
ed at him, then from him to his father.
At first it seemed as if words would not
pass his white lips. When he spoke at
length itlwas to- address the notary and
say:|-a ~ { \ s~ =! - ~
.'.'Father, what do you say to this2"
Monsieur Roussel raised his trembling
hand towards him. ..,,.. ..r..,.,,,. .ll.gr =,
| "God forgive you, Henri" he said in a
| broken voice.
Henri leaped up from the chair on.
| which he was sitting; his blue eyes flashed
| like fire, his pale face grew still paler with
! wrath, as iron is at its hottest .whenitisi
,whitest, and in voice of thunder he
cried, ssFather father what do you
mean?" - uLL tiiH
"Dol-threaten your father after dis
| honoring him." cried Madame Roussel,
starting upin mingled fear and hate. 9
| Henri gave his stepm0ther look of in
dignation and scorn but before he could
/ open his lips to reply, Charlotte went up
to the notary, and, laying her hand>on his
arm, she said, in a low. indignant voice,
whilst her other outstretched hand
pointed to Henri Roussel, !" Uncle, uncle,
do you not see thatyour son is innocent?"
| ~ g Innocent,p p gasped the notary, staring
| round the room; chow so 2"
| Chow so look at him and see it. Henri
| Roussel is innocent-I tell you he is inno-
cent" she added, her eyes flashing with
/ generous indignation, and that you
| ought all to die with shame at having
doubted him." r" iadl 'a9iiino' sf.il,
eyes, 1 am innocent" sternly said the
young man; "and, what is more, can
prove it. That money which uncle so
| kindly accuses me of having taken from
his desk, I already had when [ saw him.
l borrowed it on my vineyard above
Verrieres. Ask Farmer Grange, and see|
if hewilll denyit." q + & - = g |
"Then who took my money!" cried |
Joseph Roussel, looking very wild.
"That is your business, not mine," bit |
terly replied the young man then look |
ing round him, he added 81 have learned |
this evening what trust in my honor I |
may expect in this house. Let none of |
you wonder that | shall henceforth make |
my home eamong strangers leave Yer 4
rieres this very, ,night-now, this moment |
and it will be strange indeed if ever set |
foot in it again"
He looked round the room once more !;
then going straight up to the spot where |
Charlotte stood alone, r" God bless your |
he said with much. emotion. T. <
She did not answer. She stood there |
before him, passive and like one in a |
dream. He said no more, butturned away, |
and was gone. AS the door closed upon
him, as they heard his steps rapidly going
up the staircase, the notary, recovering |
from his amazement, turned angrily on his |
brother, Chow dare you come with your |
cock and-bull stories to nae 2" he cried with |
fury. "How dare you accuse my son of |
robbery?"
Monsieur Joseph Roussel slapped his
forehead. Then sudden light seemed to
break upon him.
81 know who did. it," he cried-"I
know" and he rushed out Of the house
like one distracted
The notary threw himself down on a
chair, and addressing his wife, said, very
ruefully, "Louise, you should have told
me not to believe it-1youshould have told
me-" FaZE7E 3f So
Madame Roussel raised her pocket
handkerchief to her eyes, and, speaking
from behind it, said, in melancholy voice,
"It all falls upon me because / am not his
mother.o -st1-el S'a Al OIL
Charlotte signed to Marie to follow her
out of the,r room. When they both stood
outside the door, she whispered, "Go and
beg Of your brother not to leave the house
tonight"
81 dare not" replied Marie, whose eyes
were red with weeping; "Henri never
aTfy, Marie, try, n u urged Charlotte. 400
g The girl went reluctantly, and very
anxiously. Charlotte waited for her at
the foot of thestaircase. Marie soon came
down again; Henri's door was locked, and |
he had refused to admit her. Madame
/ Roussel, who now Joined them, heard this, 4
and looked piteously at her niece y VI 7
F "Do try, Charlotte" she said; do try"
"Il" said Charlotte, with. start.
eyes do. My poor husband is broken |
hearted, but will not say a word to keep |
him and Henri would not mind me !; but |
he will at least hear you. If he would |
only stay tonight! Do try, Charlotte !
You can go and sit up stairs and speak to |
him when he is coming down"
She put light in hersnieee'ss hand, and |
Charlotte took it like one in a dream.
She went up to the room on the first floor |
and sat down, leaving the door ,opea d
Everything looked very gaunt and dreary |
in the pale light of the wax candle, burn
ing quietly on the table The tall, ledger
like books, the dull iron safe, the stiff |
black chairs, were very grim and forbid |
ding of aspect; but Charlotte, if she saw, |
did not heed them. She was listening to
sounds in the above-sounds Of hur-
Tried footsteps and moving furniture, which |
ended at length in the unlocking of
door and a step coming down the stair
case Without leaving her chair, or even
looking round. Charlotte said, in .ow
voice, "HenriW
She spoke 80 low that he might not
have heard her. but he did. He came in
at once. He threw; the carpet-bag he was
carrying on the floor; he drew a chair
near hers and. sitting down upon it, he
took the hand that hung loosely in the
folds. of her black dress, and he raised it
to his lips { Ssk sksg 80
"God bless you for your faith in meF'
he said, in low voice; I shall never for
| get it-never."
"I trust you are not going" she said,
without looking roupd at him. I" Your
/ father, your mother are deeply grieved."
"Do not believe it," he interrupted, bit.
! terly; "they never loved me, CT they could
not have thought me guilty SO readily.
What have ever done to deserve such
/ an insult as this?"
7 "Ah! nothing, nothing, indeed" Char
| 1o+to oo,,Id nat holm eaVinp. Hbut thew