Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-11-05

that the Baron gave Up his threatening
/ tone. and muttered complacently-
Tanned already J"
The woman Barbe, who seemed to
act rs h0nsekeeper, was not without
clever fingers, for she had drawn from
some antiquated wardrobe and fitted
and decked anew before evening g0r-
geous brocaded dress of thick silk such
as Valerie de kergadec's great-grand-
mother wore-bronZe-green and gold.
! With plenty of soft lace that had turned
yeritably brown with years, it made a
| rich quaint setting for the graceful girl
l ish figure, and showed o perfection the
auburn of her hair, while the flush of
excitement gave coloragajn to the dark
eyed face
/ at may be like fairy tale on both
sides, after all. The Marquis de Rouge
mont will admire me and rescue me,
and 1t VIII be better for him to marry
/ silyersmith's daughter than poor lad
/ Valerie de Kergadec And | shall be
married to Marquis, and live in Is
! tie by the sea as beautiful AS this place
would be if they had not let everything
! in it 20 to rack and ruin. How g,ad
and amazed my dear father Will be
And Pierre-he Will make a pair of sill
yer bracelets for me. and say, 'Hnw
could have hoped TO marry girl who
is now La MarquiSe p Aud my faith
full Ludwig HolZ--he promised so fer
vently last summer to be devoted to me
alone All, | am sorry for Ludwig
HOlZ ~
Sophie was thinking thus when the
Baron met her at the foot of the tur-
ret-stairs, told her that she looked
charming, and, with grim smile of
satisfaction, baae her follow him.
Just as they reached a faded drawing
room, the Marquis stepped in from
garden-terrace 10y enc OF the windows
that stood open TO the ground. he
bowed and kissed her hand, after leer
OF admiration, exclaiming, with co;-rse
tiattery-
"Mademoiselle Valerie, all destined
brides should be sent 10 that school.
They have taught you to be more and
more beautiful"
Sophie, instead Of blushiug, turned
pale; she was even more frightened
than angry. The Marquis de Rouge
mont was coarse heavy-looking mIn,
with face bloated and blOtched from
dIssipated life. Ii was only in Ter
first bewilderment that Sophie had stood
lifeless while he seized and kissed Ter
hand. When be offered his arm, sue
turned TO the old Baron and cluIg TO
him; and De ROIgemont followed,
laughing loud, and asking .if she Lad
learned bashfulness too.
Not morsel of dinner could Sophie
touch. After every stolen glance, she
shrank more than ever from the repil-
sive man with the red face and the Gn-
steady hand. As soon as she could, she
withdrew by the terrace TO the draw
ing room, leaving the Marquis laughing
loudly at his own stories and drinking
glass after glass of wine. In the draw
ing-room Sophie found crumpled ne VS.
paper that he had brought from Paris.
She would have shrunk from it b. in
Sti2ct, as from everything else be4vnc-
ing TO him but in ore of the columns
she caught sight CT her own name.
There was paragraph telling of the
fatal accident 10 the only daughter of
Monsieur Larique, of the well-known
firm of Larlque, Brun, ct Gle. Madem-
oiselle Sophie Larique had been at
school at PontignOn. While bathing,
as 1t was supposed, for a venturesome
freak at a dangerous spot and out of
the usual hours, she was accidentally
drowned. The body was found three
days after, and was conveyed to Paris,
''where, the report concluded, 'the fu-
neral took place yesterday at Pere La
chaise."
A loud cry broke from Soph,e-"My
poor father !" At that moment he
was grievins for her. In her anguish
for his sake she was almost mad. 1t
was all clear to her. They had found
her dress, and Valerie de kergadec had
been drowned.
The Marquis had stepped out on to
the terrace. Sophie ran straight to
him.
''If you are gentleman, listen
Dom, let Monsieur le Baron interfere.
Rescue me ~
The Baron came rushing from the
dining-IoOm and tried to stop her but
Sophie cried out the louder. even above
his angry voice
al have been kept here against my
will. | am not Valerie, but another
girl. ran away from school. wearing
Valerie's dresS-I found IL on the beach,
and changed mine for it to escape. No,
no'-to the Baron-''you cannot silence
me l will be heard Valerie de Ker-
gadec was drowned they found her
and my dress, and think | am dead. 1t
was only to tell you this that consented
to meet YOU, Monsieur le Marquis Oh,
If You have any feeling of goodness or
kindness. believe me-help me Write |
to my father, Monsieur Larique, in
Paris, or write to Madame Dupin, at
Pontignon-do something for me !"
screamed Sophie, with claSped hands. !
my poor father is mourning for me as
dead. | am wild-wild TO send him |
word, TO get back to him -
What a tragic actress she would |
make ~ said the Marquis, with a roar
of laughter. She is playing the old |
tricks with me. Ha, ha, ha, it is as
good as play My little beauty, ysu |
need not try TO confuse our wits and |
laugh at US. | happen to know you |
have just studied your part out of the |
newspaper in the next room"
But" said the Baron, after a mo-
ment's hesitation, ''she has told that |
same story since she came. All, yes. 1 |
know now We have a clever coQuette. |
as well rs a wild one. to deal with. OF |
course Valerie, being at school at Pom |
tignon, heard of that other girl"
You must let me go I" cried Sophie |
desperately.
But they only laughed at her.
II see," SAID the Marquis de Rouge |