Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-02-08

her, madame"
And without further words he drove hur.
riedly away, leaving Julia prey to per-
plexity and fear Why had Raymond vol.
UNFAIRLY renounced his happnessl What
had happeneda She resolved to question him
as to this new phase Of affairs, and she went
to him as he sat with his head bowed upon
his arms by table. As he heard her, he rose
and, taking book, went and sat down by tho
open window, and he silently nerved himself
for the grave explanation that soon must
take place between them, and he was afraid.
He had borne the reproaches of Laroque, tho
grief of Suzanne, and now it was his mothers
turn. He was to hear her questions and
answer them. He was to witness her flushes
Of shame, her tears. His motherl Aud this
was to come to her through him, her best
loved son, who had thus to become her judge.
| 1t was afternoon end already the shadows
were lengthening, and Raymond felt glad
that darkness would soon fall upon them and
so make his task d little easier. He main
tainea silence until he felt her soft band fall
upc-. mis- shoulder.
"You are sad and preoccupied. my sou,
What troubles you?"
Nothing" said he hoarsely, feeling him.
self, after all. incapable Of bringing about
what he knew must take place.
She sighed as she said:
"My poor boy, it is not easy for you to tell
lie. Do not try it with me. NJ Forney
told me you refused the hand Of Suzanne
You do not answer. 1t is true then"
He bowed his head.
"Why this strange and sudden changea |
have right to know. Your duty is to tell
me-"
~ shall not answer"
"What reproach can you bring against that
pure and noble girl9"
"Nothing, nothing"
"Her father thenW
"Nor him, either, poor unhappy mani"
"rhen ! cannot understand you at all.
Why this mystery9 Speak. command you.
Have you any reproach to make against me-
your mother, who has loved you SOL"
! She had said this last, obeying some occult
power, and when she had uttered the words
she stood breathless waiting his answer. What
if har past was known! Why had she said
that2
"You wish to know all, motherl"
II do, for I know there must be some su-
preme reason for this inexplicable conduct on
your part"
He gathered his remaining strength, and
then said slowly:
"There is a grave secret in NJ. Forney's life
His name is not Forney, but it hides another
which is known to you, and which was dis
| honored"
"Dishonored, you say3'
sYes, by an infamous condemnation. For
ney is an escaped convict, condemned for
&a 1,o,,< Io1o
Caledonia, from whence he escaped to
America"
She had been standing, but now fell into
chair, almost fainting.
His name, his real name?" she cried in a
strangling voice.
"Roger Laroque, my fathers friend'
She had known what he was going to say
before he pronounced the words. But a wild
hope made her ask. Perhaps he did not know
all, but when she heard those words, uttered
with steely hardness, she felt that nothing
was hidden from her son. She was so white
that one would have said she had secret
wound from which every drop of her life
blood had flowed. Her son dared not look at
her. Still she did not faint, but tried to over
come her agitation, and lie for his sake, for
| she could not bear to let him believe all he
knew.
"Why, yes, believe I do remember the
fact. This Roger Laroque, the wretch, he
killed man to rob him, and-and the-the
e1ertion of defending him was too much for
your poor father, who was in very feeble
health. But he had an idea that this Roger
had saved his life once, and SO his honor
obliged him to defend the case. But for that
| your father might be alive today"
Raymond turned then and said slowly,
looking his mother full in the eyes, "You see
now why this marriage cannot take place"
eyes, yes; see A convicts daughter.
Of course you could not be expected to think
of it now"
"Of course not" answered be in singular
tone
She breathed he knew nothing then but
this She was so glad that she forgot to be
astonished at the fact that this man was
Roger and she had not known it. She felt
tranquilized and relieved, and gave a long
sigh. She had come so near the catastrophe.
"My poor boy!" said she. "My dearest
sonl'
But Raymond continued:
"Roger Laroque was condemned, but do
you believe he was guilty?"
| 1Ouf ldIueF GEleu III Vdul W
save him, and besides he avowed bis crime,
which perhaps you do not know"
II repeat my question: Do you believe
him guilty9'
"You ask strange question. I have al.
| ready answered"
Every well; tell you he is innocent"
"How do you know! Al convicted Grim.
inals say they are innocent. Everybody
knows that"
He rose brusquely and walked back and
forth two or three times, and then said bit
terly, looking at her with hard and pene-
trating glance:
"Ah, mother, mother, take careI Do not
perjure yourself"
"My poor son, you must suffer greatly to
speak so cruelty to me-"
II neither want nor need your pity"
Raymond, pardon you"
"Nor do want your pardon"
"Great Godr'
"Roger Laroque IS innocent, and it is not
that ignominy which forbids me to wed his
daughter"
"How can you certify to his innocence"
"a woman played part in this frightful
drama. Do you hear, mother-a woman?'
The guilty mother began again to tremble
violently. Sho stammered:
II hear, my son."
"a woman whom Laroque would not name,
though in naming her be might have saved
himself"
Romance"
"Truth! This woman had borrowed money
from him and had been his-mistress; and to
condemn him, to be revenged, she gave him
this money. OF course she could not have
done this alone, and she had IN accomplice, q
tool, named Matthias Zuber, otherwise known
as Luversan."
"How was this discoveredl" asked she, in
the same strange.voice, which seemed to her
not to be her own, but some mechanical con.
trivance that spoke for her.
"By Laroque, after oil these years."
"And he has brought them to justice, these
two guilty ones?"
"Not yet, but he will in few days"
'This-this woman; does he think her
guilty!"
HE does not know how far He knows
that she gave him the money. He knows
nothing Of ner relations with ':lversan noa
the vengeance, which do. Tne letter which
1 found in my fathers pocket was proof
"The letterl'
"Yes, the anonymous letter, which re-
vealed"-
"What? what?
"Oh, mere nothing. It only said that the
woman who gave Laroque the money, who
had been faithlcss wife, an unworthy
r,,ofhar 1yoc-woc- N, T conoot coy itr