The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-12-20

there she believed him to be until his
evil face had appeared before her that
morning.
Such was the story which Marie told
M. Dumont, telling him also what had
passed between herself and M. Germenil
when he gave her the money, and how it
was to avoid telling the sad story which
she had just related that she had wished
to leave that morning before he could
see her to renew his questions.
M. Dumont was deeply moved by the
story she told him and assured her of
his belief in her innocence, saying that
he felt convinced now that Macaire and
his confederate had murdered M. Ger
menil, and that they must leave no stone
unturned to prove her innocence. He
agreed that there was no need that
Charles should know who his father was.
And he went on:
Il am sure that in keeping this knowl-
edge from him and letting his marriage
with Clementine go on | will be best
carrying out the wishes Of my poor
friend. Before it takes place, however,
your innocence must be proved. 1t would
not matter so much did no one but our
selves know, but it is now indispensable
that YOU should be cleared. Clementine
knows nothing as yet, and we will keep
the knowledge from her as long as pos
sible, in the hope that she may hear the
charge and its REPUTATION at the same
time. / fear however, we will be unable
to conceal what has transpired and your
relationship to Charles more than few
hours"
AS he finished speaking Charles came
into the room looking very sad, but he
quickly cheered up when M. Dumont
assured him he was quite satisfied of his
mothers innocence and repeated to him
what he had just said about his mar
riage to Clementine.
AS to me-" he went on, you will
always be my son, my boy. You will
only be SO much the better off because
you will have mother too"
But the proofs of Maries innocence
and Of the guilt of the real culprits were
soon to be made apparent.
Pierre's conscience had been reproach-
ing him for his overzeal ever since Ma
rie's arrest and the discovery that she
was really the mother of M. Charles
He felt that it was principally his fault
that suspicion had attached to her, and
he felt he would like, if possible, to help
to clear her Of the charge.
He was angry with himself for having
been SO easily imposed on by the two
strangers who turned out to be such
villains, and whom he now began to sus-
pect Of being the real murderers
Why, yes, he remembered now that
they had had access for few min
utes TO the bunch of duplicate keys
quite long enough-and he, fool that he
was, had never suspected anything.
Twas surely they who had taken the
key Of NJ. Germenil's room off the bunch.
ITEMS. II he could only find it. Well,
he would search. So off he went to the
room which the strangers had occupied
and there instituted a thorough search.
There was not corner Of the room he
did not thoroughly ransack-every fold
Of the window curtains, of the bed cur
talns. the mattresses the pillows. He
turned up every rug and ran his hand
round the seat Of every chair. He even
examined behind every picture, opened
and turned out every drawer and
press, but all III vain, and disheart-
ened and disappointed he stood look
ing vaguely round him at the disor-
der he had created and scratching his