The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-15

"You do not know what You are asking
me 10 do. Yon cannot imagine such in
fanny, such u fearful sin. Oh. il the cham
oinesse were herer
"Why the chanoinessc, Valentine, and
not the man who has sworn 10 protect and
defend your"
'Oh, / do not know. Something seems
to tell me that she could help me. This
secret may drive me mad. i do not know
how to live through the long night with
il pressing on my brain. Henri, do mad
people tell their secretsGs
She caught his arm, staring at him with
dismay in every feature.
valentine, do not know, but il you
are suffering thus, would it not be better
70 relieve your mind by confiding it to me,
than to risk telling it aloud to those who
could not all you after hearing it'll"
"You would not betray him; you would
give him an opportunity to repair the
wrongf Think, Henri, my own fatherw
"My darling. are not our interests the
same3 How could I injure your fathers"
81 tell you that is over. If confde in
you, it is because can trust to you to
right terrible wrong, should anything
happen to prevent me doing my duty.
He must leave France, and / shall go
with him if-if / do not die! But if l
should, Henri, or il, as fear, my reason
should give way. promise me TO save Ad-
rienne's father"
"Adrienne's f.theri The convict
"Yes; but an innocent man, suffering in
another's place-and that other is"
The girls white face grew convulsed
with horror Mt what her own tongue was
about to put into words. She shrank
away from the shocked surprise Of her
lovers face, and put her shaking hands
over her own. The hot blood mounting
to her temples, her dropping eyes, her
whole expression OF shame and anguish,
could have Int one meaning; but even
while comprehending it, Henri de Calonne
utterly rejected such an idea, He even
tried to smile as he answered her.
valentine, you must he under the in
fuence of terrible delusion. What! ac-
cuse your own father, the Count de Nor
nasse7 What could possibly put such a
wild fancy into your sensible brain3"
"Then you think that may I've wrong
mistaken Oh! l wish l could think
so; but no, I am right, and my promise to
Ad,ienne must be kept. I say must be,
no matter at what hazard. The saddest
part of il all is this, that nothing can now
atone to her father for his twelve long
years of unjust shame and suffering /;
nothing that we can do-nothing."
valentine, your imagination is driving
you crazy on this horrible subject"
"Oh, no; imagination is powerful
enough; but it does not make tangible
proofs"
proofs! One was to be your fathers
confederation Of the convict's statement ;
that was shown TO be false. The other is
-"
ais here, in my hand"
"valentine drew the necklace from her
pocket. and put it in Henri's hand.
He looked at her. then at it, as if doubt
ing the evidence Of his senses.
'You are sure that this is the one he
meant3'
"Perfectly sure. See, even the duchess
described it. declared IL had no duplicate,
and showed her certainty OF the fact by
telling me the secret of this spring. Do
you wonder now that am ne arly wildT
"You have not told ME yet where you
found it."
The marquis now spoke slowly and
coolly. Here was something real to Crap
pie with and explain, not mental phan-
tom that he could neither grasp nor COM
prehend. His sudden return to his usual
quiet decision of manner had the effect OF
quieting Valentine. She brought him the
ieweEcasket, and showed him where the
necklace had lain with the other gems,
which the marquis examined with curl
osity.
Their resemblance 10 those described
by Jean Renaud at once set him thinking.
~ cannot see any proof of what your
fears suggested, Valentine" he said, after
some moments. "This necklace has come
into your fathers possession since that
awful murder. II no doubt attracted him,
for il is very beautiful, and he has added
ii to his collection" F.F
Valentine shook her head.
~ thought Of that explanation, but he
insisted that it was my mothers, that she
wore it on her wedding day. Oh, no!
there is no explaining it away! 1t is only
too true! His violence with me, his face
when accused him!"
,"You accused him"
ayes, appealed to his better feelings,
! begged of him to have mercy on this
poor soldier who once aided him; on my
poor Adrienne. When he refused, /
threatened to use the proof in my possess
sion against him. Then he asked for it,
and when would not give it to him, he
was going to choke me; but the duke and
duchess arrived in time 10 save me; then
he declared that was mad"
"You say that he insisted that this
necklace was your mothers; he saw it
with your
"Yes; / had it in my hand
sand when he demanded your proof,
did he not mention thisr
"No; he did not suspect that referred
to this, I am sure. He seemed surprised,
4 "