The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-02-21

was open TO him, and nc sWore thai
Valentine should bc his
He confded all his matrimonial
plans to an old friend of Nine. de la
Nerbcrie. who had no sooner broached
them to the matchmaking mamma
than the alliance was arranged.
During the courtship the GO, ntess
conduct was n masterpiece.
She suddenly ceased TO importuna
her daughter, and With fearful resig.
nation said she would not attempt to
influence her decision, That her happy
settlement in life was the only anN.
iety that weighed upon her mind.
But she went about the house sigh
ing and groaning as If she were upon
tina eve Of starving 20 death. She also
made arrangements to be tormented
by the bailiffs. Attachments and no
tees to quit poured in at Ia Verberie
which She would show TO Valentine
and, with tears in her eyes say:
God grant we may not be driven
from the home of our ancestors be.
fore your marriage. my darlingl"
knowing ,hat her presence was suf.
ficient to freeze any confession on her
daughters lips, she never left her
alone with rlre.
"Once married" She thought, they
can settle the matter to suit them
selves. l shall not ,hen be disturbed
by it,"
She was as impatient as Andre, and
hnstened the preparations for the
wedding. She gave Valentine no op
portunity for reflection.
Eighteen months after her mar
Iiage Mime. Fauyel presented her hus
band with son. But neither this
child. nor a second ss1n. born q yeat
after. could make her forget the first
one OF all. the poor. forsaken babe
who had been thrown upon strangers.
mcrcenarics. Who valued the money.
but not the child for whom it was
paid.
She would look at her sons, sur
rounded by every luxury which money
could give and murmur TO herself:
"Who knows if the abandoned one
has bread to eat?''
Louis dc Clameran was given no
news of his brother by Valentine, and
like all the rest. he believed that his
life was lost in the river. He was
the more inclined to believe, as ne
had long chafed under the burden OF
being the younger son. Now be was
the heir, by the two removals OF
those who stood between him and en-
joyment of tie patrimony.
An the unjust precautions taken by
the marquis to elude the law, and in
sure beyond dispute the possession
of his entire fortune 20 his eldest son.
turned against him.
BY means Of a fraudulent deed of
trust, drawn by his dishonest lawyer
NJ. de Clameran had disposed of every
thing. so that, on the day OF his death
every farthing he owned would be
Gastons
Louis alone was benefited by this
prccaution. lie came into possession
without even being called upon foi
/ the certificate OF his brothers death
lie was now Marquis Of Clameran;
I ne was free, and comparatively rich
lie who had never had twenty-five
rrsVns i'm his pocket M once now
found himself the possesor of tive
/ hundred thousand francs.
This sudden, unexpected fortune SC
completely turned his head that he
| felt fcttcrcd i'm the country. and hast
ened. after disposng of nearly every
tl.ng, to Paris. He plunged into the
sea OF dissipation until the day cam'
when he dragged himself out on tn,
shore. pennuess, and glad To live qui
city, while meditatlug any means u
regain wealth. Forced to quit hi
country. he was eighteen year
abroad. living from hand O. mouth fo
the most OF the tiu, when at a gam
ing resort be broke the bank AM
| Thought that he might see his hon
once more, where perhaps the evil h
had done had not lived after his dc
parture.
lie had been twenty-five years ali
sent sut the old c-.mts rcmembere'
him, and warmly gave their welcome
lie, the udventurer, the bully, tn
base acromplicc OF London sWindler'
delighted In these marks of respec
and yencration. bestowed upon hin
as the representative of the house q
ClaIneran, il seemed to make him one
more feel little seti-rospect, as'if Tn
future were not utterly hopeless
One of the farmers was eager I
buy piece of land watch he had reni
ed so long that he almost felt il wa
his own; Louis disposed of it "a
ready money, and, already tired Z
= usticity, hurried again 10 the ga
! city.
, Besides. he had lcarHcd the secr'
/ of Valentine; he knew of the sham
ful offspring Of his brother and n
a SHINING girl who was now the wife &
one of the most opulcnt of PARISH
o. bankers. Louis meant Go levy blac