The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-25

tnalS 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 care! Do moi
perjure yourself"
'My poor son, you must suffer greatly tt
speak SO cruelty to me-"
81 neither want nor need your pity"
Raymond, pardon you"
"Nor do l want your pardon"
"Great Godr'
"Roger Laroque Is innocent, and it Is moi
that ignominy which forbids me to wed his
daughter"
"How can you certify to his innocenceg'
"a woman played part in this frightful
drama. Do you hear, mother-a womanY
The guilty mother began again to tremble
violently. She stammered:
81 hear, my son."
IA woman whom LaroQue would not anne
though in naming her be might have saved
himself"
Romance"
"Truthl 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 an accomplice, q
tool, named Matthias Zuber, otherwise known
as Luversan."
"How was this discovered?" asked she, in
the same strange voice, which seemed to he,
not to be her own, but some mechanical con.
trivance that spoke for her.
'By Laroque, after all these years."
Ind bo
two guilty ones?"
mot yet, but he will in few days"
"This-thiS woman; does he think her
guiltyg"
HE does not know how far. He knows
that she gave him the money. He knows
nothing of her relations with Luversan nor
the vengeance, which do. The letter which
l found in my fathers pocket was proof
1.-THE letter."
Eyes, the anonymous letter, which re-
vealed"--
"What? whatp
ooh, mere nothing. 1t only said that the
woman who gave LaroQue the money, who
had been a faithless wife, all unworthy
mother, was-was-- Oh, I cannot say itw
"Who, who, Raymond You see cannot
understand My poor head is so confused.
Did l know here Was she friend of ours.
Of Luc'en's?'
"The woman was you, Julia De Noirville,
my mother. You'll"
u hear you. But what singular historyl
What romance. Yes, romance If it
were not SO terrible, could laugh. I do
laugh, hal hal You hear me laugh, Ray
mOnd."
$50 you deny itg
why not, since it Is not truef This is q
calumny, Raymond, an infamous calumny:
and you believe it, against your mother. You
come here and make scene instead of com:
Ing to show me this ridiculous affair that we
might both laugh over it. Do you know I
am almost vexed with you, you naughty
bows?
Raymond was so ashamed for her that he
hid his face.
"And you say nothing, instead of asking
my pardon. You are q wicked and migrate
full SON, for you have nothing to reproach me
with. l have been tender and good to you
and have always loved you with four fold
affection, even SO much that scarcely had
any left for your brother"
$50 you still deny?"
unhappy childi Why should deny such
an atrociOus accusation2 / even ought not
listen to you. but cannot let you believe so
horrible thing"
Raymond took the accusing letter from his
pocket and gave it to her. She tried to read
1t. Then lie said coldly:
"Have you read ita'
"Oh, my poor boy, I, your motherl" Then
she continued wildly: 81 must tell YOU.
There is no word of that true. 1t was a
mans vengeance, not. a woman's That
man tried to make me love him"-
''Whoa Laroqueg"
"NO, the other, Luversan."
"You just pretended not to know him7"
II lied, did know him; he avowed his
love; he was violent, brutal, capable of any
thing, and was afraid of him, but repulsed
him and he kept his word and revenged him
self, as you can see, since your father died
believing me guilty."
"Falsehoodsl Falsehoodsl Do you think
my father would have believed so base an
not had other reasons? NJ, he remembered,
and he was convinced and died W. thout hav-
ing been able to curse you."
raymond what wild imagination has
taken possession of you? Return to your
rid stories"
"Mother, father had written things which
show me that he had suspected"
at is falsel / tell you, false! How you
Islander in accusing your mother. Do you
think of that, Raymond"
"And that is not all, mother. Do YOU re-
member the day showed you photograph
on the back of which wers the dates of Roger
Laroques arrest and condemnation, and
also the day Of Larouette's murder and the
houra You told me then a story which
might have accounted for all that, but that
discovered beyond doubt that that was
Roger Laroque's photograph. Oh, you were
well revenged. You pierced the photograph
even as you pierced the originals heart"
She knew now she was lost She had even
no strength left to frame new lies, and she
abandoned herself and threw herself upon
the floor, where she writhed in sobs and gasp
ing groans, but no tears came to relieve her.
She crawled to his knees, and gasped: sMy
son, my son, do not curse me. Pardon me-
You are on the threshold of life and know
nothing of its passions. Iavow you were not
deceived. You know the truth, but ohi do
not curse me for it. 1t would be horrible
from you, whom l have so loved. Oh, Ray
mond, my son, see how l supplicate you.
have repented so bitterly. II could have
mdone the past; but am only q woman,
and l could not deliver myself up to justice,
ON account of my children. One must not
demand of mothers more than they can do.
As soon as the crime was done I would will
lingly have died, but loved you so well that
hushed my conscience and hoped that by
an austere and devoted mothers life might
buy my pardon But chastisement has over.
taken me, and alas, by the hand Of my dear.
est child
3What would you have me dol" she con