Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-04-30

l.
Il am willing. detest Madeline
Despard. But / don't see how to get
her into trouble"
Then, my dear, you are positively
dense. Don't you see that the materi-
ais lie close to your hand?"
What do you mean, Renee"
There was a moments pause, low,
wild wind went sobbing through the
branches of the trees and the rustling
leaves of the underground responded
to the sound. Constance shiyered and
i drew nearer TO her husband.
/ Il thought | heard STEP" she said.
Speak low, Rene, we must not be over
4 heard"
ut was nothing, only the wind. You
are nervous, my dear Would it not
4 be very easy, if the rubies were miss
ing. to throw suspicion on Madeline
4 Despard?"
( -don't--know"
4 you are very dull tonight; what is
the matter with you? A very little
+ thing would do it. Put one of the
cases in her room or let her post the
packet which contains them, there are
hundred ways Of doing it. The jew.
els have gone, let us say; who took
them? Who but the person in whose
possession some of them are found?'
But who is to take the rubies-
really?" said Constance, in a whisper
i You, of course"
/ Rene. Rene. | cannot | have done
many things for you, but this is too
I hard"
You know the alternative" said De
Marsac. coolly. He was prepared for
an outburst of indignation for tears
and for strife; but in the end he knew
that Constance WIS sure to yield
] "In small things have not minded, :"
she went ON. you have told me you
would borrow them only and give them
/ be elk in time. but with the rubies II
would be impossible to do that Why,
they are celebrated, they are the finest
stones of the kind in England; If they
were missed description of them
would be circulated at once and they
+ would be recognized at once by any
/ jeweler; you would have to destroy the
setting and take the stones out before
/ they would be of any use at ALL"
I Precisely, my dear You are recov-
ering your usual perspieacity. I have
not word to say except that do not
know why you choose to rehearse these
/ little facts to me"
1T would be stealing-not borrow
irg," Constance gasped.
Nonsense, ma belle. 1t would be
borrowing still The rubies will be
yours in time, will they not?"
I'm perhaps"
Certainly. you know they will. And
Lady Esler never wears them. You
are merely anticipating the time when
these beautiful jewels will be your
own. And that will not be very long
way off, ] believe. Lady Esler is fail
ing, she has something the matter with
her heart; she might die very shortly.
Now do YOU not see my reason for
putting off the acknowledgment of our
marriage as long as we can? If she
dies without knowing it you will be
rich woman If she hears of it you
will be left pauper."
Rene, who told YOU that my aunt
was ill.,"
Never mind know it For fact.
Don't be sentimental about her, Con-
stance. Remember that the jewels and
the money will all be yours one day
il YOU play your cards we'll and one Of
the first things you must do is to get
Madeline Despard out Of the house.
could do 1t myself. | dare say" he add
ed, musingly, but l don't want TO in
terfere just now"
You know something about Made
line Despard that the world does not
know said Constance, jealously
If | do it is nothing to you. Il is
time for me to go. Tell me before
90 whether YOU mean to carry out my
SUGGESTION
May | think over ii for day or
two?" said Constance, humbly.
NO. my dear. you may not. | have
no time to waste. Your conscience need
not take up SO much of your attention,
surely The rubies are practically
yours and you do not harm your aunt
by taking them II you can manage to
involve Madeline Despard, so much the
better YOU will be killing two birds
with one stone
i suppose must do what you wish, y
Constance answered. Then, in lower
tone III can get Madeline out Of
the house 1t viii make up for good
deal.
we owe her something. do We not?'
said De Marsac, in Il dry tone. "If l
could come across the father | would
bring him into the matter, too. He is
a clever hand at disposing of jewels
and ii anything came out afterward
there would be a fitness in the dangh-