The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-04-06

4 self from the charge OF having opeheu
4 the letter
..Thank you,'' he said; II daresay you
are right. Captain Estcourt must have
forgotten That will do, Jane, and you
needn't trouble yourself about 1t.
The girl fed with alacrity, ana M.
Wickerby turned to Dick, who was
| tuning with impatience.
.sWell," he asked, what do you say
! to that?'
.sWhat confounded nonsense all this
is.' cried Dick; ''as if I didn't know that
7 never set eyes on the thing till this
| afternoon, just two minutes before you
| came in! | shall think no more of it. :
.erhat is all very WE'LL replied his
| companion, ''but the question is, will
all these other people think no more Of
| it, too?"
"What other people?
"Well, there is first the gentleman
who sent the invitation, and no doubt
| supposes you to have accepted it with
| vollr ewes open: secondly, these French
| men he mentions-did you meet Them,
| too?'
ooh, hang them, yes!" groaned Dick.
| .eThirdly, the person or persons, I'M
| known. who opened andN read this let
| ter: and fourthIy-let me see--oh, yes
the lady spoken of as my sister-in-
law"
| Dick turned crimson, and his compan-
| ion fixed penetrating glance upon him.
"Do you know" he said, Il think, my.
| dear Estcourt it might be better for
| YOU if you made clean breast OIL It.
| I'm an old confidential friend of Your
| people, and you know 1 will keep your
counsel"
81 give you my word" cried Dick,
| there's nothing more to tell than this:
I know Colonel de Montaut-the1 man
who wrote this letter, you know-pretty
| we'll; and as for Madame de Montaut-"
"Yes?" inquired Mr.. Wickerby. "And
as for Madame"
ooh, you understand" said Dick,
with desperate embarrassment, "she's
| the only woman in the world; but no
| one could ever think me capable of dis
| loyalty, and she least of all.
Hmm" said the lawyer, II
couldn't, perhaps; but women have
| high estimate of their own power, and
some of them love to exercise it, too"
"Some of them!" Dick burst out, in
| dignantly; "shes not some of them
| She wouldn't accept the help of a trait
or, much less ask for it"
He was becoming irritated beyond his
self-contro1, and Mr.. Wickerby hast
ened to leave this part of the subject.
"'The question now isl he remarked,
| what you are to do"
"Dor' cried Dick. ST shall write to
| Colonel de Montaut at once, and call to-
| morrow morning to explain the mis-
| take
| "Stop a moment" said the lawyer.
| I'm not quite sure that that's your
| wisest plan, though, Of course, it is the
natural one to think of first. Let me
| just put the case before you as it looks
| to an outsider-not to me, mind you,
| but to an impartial stranger; to a judge
or jury, for instance
| Dick looked nervous and sulky, but
said nothing, and Mr.. Wickerby went
on in clear precise tone, marking off
the points on the fingers of his left hand
| as he proceeded:
can English officer" he began,
| "makes friends with a Frenchman-a
| strong Bonapartist-and falls in love
| with a relative of this gentleman, much
| attached to the same cause. He goes
often to their house, and is frequently
| seen in their society.
"On Saturday, March "a, 1921, he
|
mediately afterward letter from his
Imperialist friend arrives, referring to
| previous conversations, and asking him
| to join in a reasonable plot. A refusal
| is to be easily implied by mere silence,
but the consent, which is plainly ex-
pected, is to be evidenced by attendance
| at II o'clock at a certain place for the
purpose of meeting two fellow-conspira-
| tors.
"By II o'clock this letter has been
| opened and read. No one has entered
the house since our friend left it, unles,
! indeed, he returned himself The maid
who received the note, with seal intact,
is positive on this point; and to save
herself would probably, under pres
sure, swear that she heard him come in
/ again.
"At II o'clock he is at the place named
for quite different purpose, he says,
but admittedly at the invitation of these
same Bonapartists. The other conspi-
rators are there too, and a cordial in
| PRODUCTION takes place. His conduct
| does not appear to have aroused any
| doubt in their minds as to his accept
| ance of their overtures.
Confronted with this array of facts
our friend proposes to put himself right
by explaining matters to the Bonapart-
lists and even to commit the imprudence
of expressing his regrets on paper.
L1tera scripta manet.' My dear Est
court. no prudent man ever writes a let
ter when he can avoid it. Your disan-
| pointed friends would have YOU in q
trap here. You'd much better run a.wav
quietly, and take holiday somewhere
without leaving your address. When