Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-06-18
:: Roger Vapbrueh's Wife. :
BY ADEI.INE SERGEANT.
BY ADEIINE SERGEANT.


You did not even take the elemen
! tary precaution Of opening the case and
ascertaining whether 1t was the right
! one"
u did not, l acknowledge" said Con
stance, with perfect calm But think
/ the omission was excusable on the
ground Of inexperience. never had
J much practice in burglary"
mo, only in small thieving," said
Rene. ironically. You have done a
good deal of that by way of prepare.
tion, YOU must remember"
Constance flushed and half-rose from
her seat.
"If you are going to insult me.
think | had better go" she said.
Nonsense, child! Who wants to in.
suit you? 1t is not insulting to speak
the truth, | suppose? l say it plainly
you have had enough experience to
make it absurd for you to commit such
blunder."
1T was all for you, Rene"
"The blunder as we'll, suppose? 1t
does not seem to have turned out ex-
actly to my benefit, does it? l wish
could express my full opinion of your
folly. Unfortunately, it transcends
language"
Constance kept silence. She knew
that Rene would have his say.
IF you had let me take the jewel
case with me, instead of handling it
over to Despard, it would have been
better. But you insisted-all out OF
your spite against that girl Madeline,
firmly believe. Such useless folly!'
1T was to save you, not only to i'm
plicate the Despards, said Constance,
in toneless voice. II by chance the
house had b IN aroused by Madeline
and the alarm given, what then? You
might have been followed and arrested
before you could get rid of the jewels
and then"
Bah, As if were not clever enough
to get rid of them in time! You speak
as if I were fooll'
Whereas, we threw the suspicious
on the Despards and Madeline was, at
any rate, sent out Of the house in dis
grace. That was worth while
mo doubt your feminine spite rep
resents the achievement as great. In
the meantime your husband suffers. He
has not even the small amount of the
galnets, seeing that Despard, either
frightened out of his wits or taken
with pious fit, gave them UP to his
daughter, who restored them through
Lancelot Vanbrugh TO your aunt. So
much | know. And the rubies safe in
their cases all the time"
II could try again, said Constance,
family.
ooh, no; better let it alone. You will
only make another mess of the affair. =
mo, indeed, Rene, | would not.
De Marsac smoked in silence for a
minute or two before he replied.
IF you could DO it." he said at last,
deliberately, there would be no OBJ
stacle TO our going off together to so1ne
out-of -the-way place where we could
not be traced too easily"
ooh, together, Rene"
Yes, together, if that would be an
advantage ! myself do not see that
it would. But, perhaps, we could make
the partnership pay.
How, Renee"
He turned and looked at her critical
ly you are a very handsome woman,
my dear, he said.
what has that to do with it, Rene"
Everything. II | go abroad md
have a little villa of my own--on the
Riviera, say shall want to entertain
a party of men now and then. A little
dinner-a little game of cards; they
will COME once or twice for that and
then never again. But give them an
other attraction beautiful woman
that they all admire-and they will
come fifty times AMI pay their money
with smiles for the entree to the
house
and that is the role you intend me
20 play"
"Assuredly. II not, there Is no use
in our living together, But If that
little game with the jewels had been
successful we might have established
ourselves very comfortably on the pro-
ceeds and be Independent of your Eng
lish friends very speedily. We might
have had a somewhat agreeable time
of 1T"
But, Rene, suppose they found It
out-suppose they prosecuted?"
They would not prosecute you. my
dear Look how they behaved with
respect to Miss Madeline, who was not
so closely connected with them as you
are. There is no fear of that"
1T is not for my own sake. meant
that they would be doubly inclined to
prosecute YOU"
ooh, me, Kind OF you to take such
an interest in my fate, said the count,
lightly, but | think | am we'll able
TO look after myself Do your part and
! will do mine.
Constance rose from her seat His
tone seemed to her for the moment I'M
- l.