Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-01-23

how they pbrzssd it--and they hare
NOT lived together since"
He was acquitted =
oh, yes: no stain On his character
and 80 on. In fact. he was congratu-
lared in court on hts patriotism and
courage. He thought 81 throwing mp
Bis commission, but vas specially rg-
qaestsd not to DO that. 50 be exchanged
and sent 70 India and / don't think
BE has visited England until now-
Where was /? How long ago Is
it, said LanceIot, in a nlufaed voice
Yoa were then about 5 yeara old.
believe said the count Your
father retained the guardianship: there
vas a private arrangement between
him and your mother and she agreed
to give you up. think she threw
in her lot With her foreign friends and
devoted herself TO plots against tiie
ear
You mean, she devoted herself n
re causs Of the oppressed and the
suffering, said Lance. ia tones that
showed how 1eeply be was moved.
Call things by their right names. n.
De Marsac
II vas speaking as the world speaks.
10 doubt yours Is the truer way to
glew It'll
You mean that the world blames
her. But it blames him-my father.
tor"
Rene shrugged his shoulders. In
an out-of-the- way-couutry place Ike
this. people are censorious," he said.
Some og them thought al the time
thzt be meant 10 kill his wife and
they perhaps remain of that opinion.
His friends. Of course. know better
Lance was silent The noon had
risen and thrown its silvery Light on
his eountenance. Rene could see that
the boys features we're SET like a mask
and that his eyes looked strangely
stern. II mignt be only the effect Of
that dim light, bar be seemed 70 have
grown years older since the afternoon.
Is that the whole Of the story p
he asked, presently.
'sThe whole, 80 far as / know it.
Il am much obliged to You He
still spoke in the reserved and formal
manner which he sometimes assumed
TO the count de Marsae. Can you
also favor ms Nith my mothers adj
dress?"
Eene raised his eyebrows. No,
your father has IL Shall ask him r
iii will ask for ii myself said
Laneelot, quietly Good might, II De
Narsac. will not trouble yol
further
And. nov, said D. Marsae, Iazily
lighting another cigarette, when Lance
had gone into the house. now there
will BIZ storms
CHAPTER TX.
The Mother of laneelot yanbrugh
Roger VanbFugh was sitting in his
study. It was small rom, opening
OUT Of the big library, which was lined
by books. and il had long French
window opening on the garden, but
not IN frolt of the house Ii would
have been more than he could bear to
Sit near window from which he
could have seen the figures OF his son
and OF his friend on the bench upon
the lawn knowing all the time that
his sons Judgment Of his conduct was
in the balance.
Had he done well to leave Rene 10
tell the story Ii would have been
perhaps better. he reflected, to have
told IL himself But he had shrunk
from the pain. In his heart he blamed
his wife more than he choose 10 ack
nowledge and he did not want Lance
To know IT, He was afraid that he
could not speak temperately For he
had kept q black suspicion OF his
wife's truth to him at the bottom OF
his soul, ami he had always believed
that the man who blew out his brains
at Venetia's feet had once teen Ven
etia's lover II was this which made
It impossible for him 10 be reconciled
To her
II was nearly aa X when he went
into his study The shadows were
gathering fast. When he could SCI
nothing but fantastic shapes Of dark
ness in the room and the moonlight
b. gan 70 creep welrdly across the
lawn outside. tie lighted single candle
and placed book open on the desk
before him He did not wish Lance
TO ind him unemployed It would
look as il he feared the judgment Of
his son. And he did fear IL as those
Who are growing old often fear the
keen judgments d their juniors bu
keen judgments of their juniors-but
he aid not want 70 look afraid.
Midnight sounded before the foot
steps came which he had thought
would come. What had become OF
l.ancelo, III the interval between his
leaving DE Marsac and entering his
fathers study no one would ever know
But ~ had cot rid Of some Of his
illusions during the time and he had
felt some Of the deepest anguish that
could ever assail him in his life He
walked straight up 10 his fathers desk
and stood for a moment without speak
ing Roger Nan5rugh closed his book
hut he also ALA not say 4 word