The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-10-12
She rushed Orer to her fGthcr and thre,y
herself ut his feet.

herself at his tcCt
Her father put his hands to his head,
with a motion as though it were to save
it from falling to pieces. He gazed in
wild eyed amazement at the helpless
form crouching at his feet and then
stopped to raise her. But as he did so
his hand met the heavy bulk of the
money in her pocket He let her go, in a
sudden revulsion of feeling. almost cast
ing her from him, to the great indigna-
ton of the sergeant. who muttered to
himself:
1.-The brute! to treat the poor girl like
that and she in such condition, even
supposing that she was thief"
Marie felt like death. The relief of
swooning was denied her, for she felt
that some effort was absolutely neces-
sary on Her part. If suspicion were once
cast on her husband las it would be if
she told the truth and gave the motive of
her taking the money!, he might be in
some way held accountable for the death
of Pierre-a risk which, with her mem
DRY of the night when he left home, she
dared not face.
The sergeant spoke very gravely now.
''This is very terrible matter, but
have my duty to do. No one must stir,
and the inquiry must proceed in due
form. Young woman, you must answer
my questions. What is your name?'
''Marie Macaire."
"Where is your husband?'
"He is there beside you to the left"
The sergeant muttercd under his
breath:
"Oh, You are the husband, are you? A
nice sort of husband you are to let the
poor girl without word of help or com.
fort have to speak in such way to he1
father. III bet that you are no better
than you should be-" Then he went on
aloud. Tell me what you have to say
about this matter?'
Marie was now determined to take all
the blame on herself, and so she an.
swered with cold determination.
II took the money. saw my father
hide it, and as had seen him / thought
chat some one else might have seen him,
too, and so took the money that might
make it SAFE"
What did you do with it?" broke in
her father in rage. Where is it now.
you wicked girl?''
Marie was silent She had some vain,
desperate hope that this question would
not be asked of her now that she had
confessed and when her father had ac-
tually felt it in her pocket. The silence
seemed to exasperate the old man still
mora. He did not know for certain that
it w:A the money that he had felt, so
once more he interrupted with remark.
Il tell you. officer, that she has the
money in her pocket. l felt it there.
Search her, and you will find it"
Turn out your pocketsw said the
gendarme.
With a gesture of despair and heart
breaking sob, she put her hand into her
pocket and said in low voice:
| "Oh, father!'' .
"Comei Be quick!" said Beaumont,
in harsh voice.
| Marie went to the table and emptied
her pocket of the sad weight which for
so long had borne her down. The money
was of all kinds, some of the coins were
furnished and some were green with long
lying in the damp earth. Others were
bright and had evidently only been late
~ added to the store. When the old
man saw them he rushed at them greedi-
~ and turned them over in his hand, au-
thenticating them as he went along.
''There is the louis dor which my
father gave me on my birthday. There
is the Italian gold piece with the nick. in
it which had for the wine which sent
over the frontier. These are my coins.
This is all my money, which has been
stolen from me-"
He said this all in such heartless way
that it hurt poor Marie almost as much
as her own shame to find that her fathea
had quite forgotten that it was his own
daughter whom he was 80 pitilessly &C
cusing.
i The sergeant now spoke:
This unhappy matter seems clear
enough. You have made a charge Of
robbery. The crime is confessed"
i Here Marie broke in:
"Crimel Oh, do not say that! never
confessed to crime; the good Lord knows
that am innocent"
j Here again the sergeant struck in:
i You do not confess. You affirm tina,
| you are innocent. Then you must bt
II screening some one else. Who so likely
to be screened by wife as her husband
Stay where you arel' This was spoke,
] to Robert, who had risen and was quiet
i II leaving the room. Nov, please t.
tell me, did your husband know that yor
had the money!"
"Oh, mol A thousand times nor There
was such 9 ring Of truth in her voic'
that all who heard it were satisfied OF
this point at least.
I The sergeant went on again:
HHow did you know where the none.
was hidden
, 81 saw my father hide It.
why did you think that it was i
!, danger Of being stolen?
ri feared it"