The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-19
FOLLY AND FATE

repulsed-before 1 accepted such fabrication
as gospel truth
Il deny the truth of everything you have
brought against HE, and what is more, 1 defy
you to prove that l was ever married to you
or ever made love to you'll
Odllle stepped forward gave him one
glance of>unutterable contempt, then, turning
her back on him, she put her hand in her
pocket and drew from it letter. which she
handed to Lord Roseraye.
AT sight OF it, the Frenchman sprang for
ward with cry of rage that more like
the snarl of an angry tiger than any sound
that could issue from a human throat
clever and cunning as he was, he had for
gotten the one damning proof of his villany
the one letter he had written confessing all.
Perhaps he took for granted that Odie
would have destroyed it. True that it was
not signed, and that the handwriting was
carefully disguised, but the wording of the
letter gave him away, and long before the
earl had finished reading it the Frenchman
saw plainly that the game up, and that
the best thing he could do, if he had any re-
spect for his skin, would be to get clear of
the premises and make his escape. His
mother, being wise woman, had already left
the room
Furtively he glanced towards the door, but
before he could reach it, the earl crossed the
room and held it open for him.
Plunging both his hands into his pockets
he gave Odille a murderous glance then
staggered towards the door.
The sight of his insoence was too much for
lLC pdlleuC6.
AS Rene Laroque passed in front of him.
the temptation-so thoroughly British-proved
too strong for him.
Lifting his foot he gave the miserable cur
a kick that sent him spinning into the hail.
Where he fell his full length on the marble
floor Then he closed the door, and left him
to pick himself up at his leisure.
That he did not take long about it was
evident for when. q little later, Lord Roseraye
and the Thornes left the drawing-room to re-
tire to their separate apartments for the
night, the PROSTATE Frenchman had disap-
peared, and when, on the following morning
the quartet assembled usual at the nine
o'clock breakfast, the earl able to inform
them that Madame Laroque and her son were
making arrangements to leave the neighbour
hood.
Il ought to scod you for having deceived
me and your mother as you have done
Odille" said Fergus Thorne, to his daughter
a few hours later, when they were alone;
but have not the heart to do so. You have
been punished enough already by the con-
sequences of your own great folly, and trust
that. it will be lesson to you, my child, for
assuredly the earl could no longer wish to
marry you now"
4 know that, father and the thought of
the great happiness 1 have lost by that one
mad act in my past is the worst and hardest
punishment of ALL
Her mother, gentle loving soul, only took
her in her arms and tried to comfort her with
kisses and whispered words. Perhaps she,
being a woman, and therefore gifted with
that fine intutive faculty which is worth all
the reasoning in the world, knew that
things were not so hopeless for her daughter
as they appeared.
And she was right.
Later on in the day Odille was pacing the
garden paths feeling very spiritless and dis
consulate, for it seemed to her as if her life
were like the dull November weather. dark
and chill, or like the wintry garden in which
she walked, and in which sweet flower
bloomed, and the bare trees lifted their leaf
less branches, shivering in the cold bleak air
She had hope of earthly happiness, nor
did she complain of her lot
After all, had she not brought her misfor-
tune upon herself by her folly?
AS a well known writer has said
Man works half his own doom, and cir
cumstance works the other half
The fate that had befallen her was the
work of her own hands.
Not that this knowledge brought any COM
fort with it.
On the contrary, it filled her with a sort
Of dull rage against herself.
Her one consolation lay in the thought that
she had done her duty at the cost of great
sacrifice, and by revealing the secret of her
own shame and sorrow she had saved the
sister of the man who had never been so
DEAR SO cruelty dear, to her now that he
was-as she firmly believed him to be-lost
ito her forever. a4.
Suddenly she turned at the end of the
path that led into the shrubbery, she found
herself face to face with Lord Roseraye
He did not speak to her for a moment, but
they walked on in silence side by side
"Odille,' he began at last; Il came out on
purpose to find you. 1 think you can guess
pretty well what 1 have to say to you
Yes, you have come to say goodbye I'M
derstand," replied the young girl, very quiet
lly. Il am leaving Roseraye tomorrow, to
spend a few weeks in London with my aunt
You can go to London if you like, Odille
but not before you have answered question
1 have to put to you. Now that you have told
your terrible secret" he added with a very