The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-03-07


same night Luversan, or Matthias Zuber,
went to Larouette's house to rob him. Zuber
knew that he resembled Roger, and thought
if IN tho day mistake in their persons might
be made in the night it would he still easier,
so he copied Rogers clothes, trusting to that
10 make the resemblance complete He had
rot intended 10 kill Larouette, but during the
cd naii's resissancs his hat fell OFF, and so, not
to he accused by tho old man, who called his
ilamc, hc had loss his GOODNESS and shot him
dead
On tho IL Ght OF Ills murder Roger, a prey
t. the most violent emotion, foreseeing moth
ing but ruin before him, felt as IL he could
not bear to see his wife, whose father had left
him prosperous business, which he had i'm
peiiod by his desire to grow rich faster than
the older man would have considered safe,
and, though Henrietta was gentle and loving,
with such a cause for reproach might she not
reproach him, and with justicei She was not
strong, and the privations his bankruptcy
would force upon her would be keenly felt,
and Suzanne, his beautiful little girl, where
would be tho means to rear her and educate
her according to her rare inteliigence2 He
could not face them while still ul.der this UNI
certainty At least let them have one more
night of repose. So he wandered here and
there In the woods near his house. Following
q narrow bride path lie wandered blindly
OH, not knowing or caring where he Went
He threw himself upon the ground, and the
more he tried to think of a way out of his
troubles the deeper they seemed, until at last
his heated brain could SEQ no other way to es-
cape her meifted reproach and the sorrow
and disgrace of bankruptcy but by suicide,
and filled with that i'lea he rose and stag
gered along down to the edge Of the river,
where he stumbled and fell, his pis-
tol, which he held in his hand,
going OFF by accident. His hat
rolled down, and to stop it he put his foot
upon it, and then as he gathered it up, all
bent and dented, he laughed, as though the
accident had happened to another and he had
seen it. The laugh, or the fall, or the pistol
shot, had taken the desire for suicide, for the
moment. from his mind, and he said to him.
pelf: "Roger, be man. This is cowardly;"
and he went directly home, and the rest we
know, as regards what passed in that home.
When, the next morning, still prey to
anxiety, Larouette's murder was not yet
known, he went direct to his apartment in
Rue Malesherbes. In that little apartment,
their winter residence, there were few
valuable works of art, and Roger thought OF
selling them to assist him out of his difficulties.
He was arranging this plan when the con-
cierge came up with letter and a package,
which he SAID beautiful lady had left there
for him O few minutes ago.
One glance at the fine and delicate writing
showed him from whence it came, and the
letter bore the same perfume he knew so WELL
He made an angry movement, yet opened
the letter, which read:
Zone who knows of your trouble, and whom
you saved at another time, wishes to aid you
now in paying you back You will find in
tho package 100000 francs. This is that
| PERSONS revenge"
With trembling hand he broke the seal Of
| the package, and he found he was not dream
| ing; the money was there. II was thus nobly
| Julia revenged herself. Roger, i'll spite of the
| Joy at his deliverance, felt his fault weigh
still more heavily on his heart.
He burned the letter and put the money in
his pocket and fastened to his shops, where he
| gave the money to his cashier, and then with
| his heart lightened of the heaviest pert Of its
| load he tried anew to obtain the $4,000 more
| that were necessary for his next days obliga-
| tions. But nowhere did he succeed. 1t seemed
| to him that an evil breath had spread abroad
| the report that he was about to fail. So, as a
last resource, when night fell he went to the
| club.
There one player seemed to set himself dill
| gently to work to play against him. He did
| not know him, yet there was a faint idea in
| his mind that he had seen him somewhere,
| but he soon forgot that in the excitement of
| play. Tho only other thing that attracted
| his attention was that his friend the Baron
| De Cey, entering the room, came up behind
| Luversan, for it was he, and tapped him on
| the shoulder, saying: "You, my dear
| Roger" But 'Luveisan turned and the baron
| saw his mistake and begged Luversan's par
| don, saying he had mistaken him for NJ
| Laroque.
| "You are quite excusable, sir have been
taken for him before"
| Roger won, and as soon as lie saw that he
had gained what he so needed, resolved not to
| risk one franc of it, and he retired from the
| game and took the train for home, and it was
this night that his wife had heard him sing!
| And the next morning he was arrested.
| The morning after his arrest he was brought
before the Judge His reflections during this
| night were not pleasant, and he tortured his
brain as to how he could save himself without
betraying Julia; for it was impossible to tell
the truth. TO avow that he had lent Julia
| this money was to avow all; to dishonor her;
her unhappy and infirm husband was now
and forever incapable of defending his honor.
Lucien, his friend, his brother; and Hen
riette! No; at the price of his life he would
not tell
Now, questioned by the judge on every and
all points, he could only say:
IL am not guilty. There is a fatality
against me. I can explain nothing more, as
l have already told you all know. AS to
| the money I received, can say nothing.
| You must believe what you will"
II admit for the moment the existence of
that mysterious debtor, but how Is it that
Larouette's money comes into his possessionl
One of you two, then, must be the assassin,
and IL you would not pass as his accomplice,
I beg you to tell his name"
| The insinuation of the judge struck Roger
like the lash of whip. Was Julia the assas-
sina But that idea appeared 80 absurd to
him that he did not entertain it minute.
And yet she had said to him that last day:
az ever you have misfortune remember
shall have had a hand in it,"
any debtor could not have done such a
thing any more than ], and it does not con-
Germ you what the name is have alv avs
and shall always refuse to give it,"