Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-03-20

| listen 10 me-.
He had not time to say more. The
door was violently thrown open, and
M. Fauvel, revolver In hand, entered
the room.
"Ah," he said. you thought you
could abuse my credulity foreverv'
Raoul had the courage to place him.
self before Mime. Fauvel and to stand
prepared to receive the expected bullet.
II assure you. uncle he began.
"Enough!" interrupted the banker,
with an angry gesture. Cease this act
ing, Of which am no longer the dupe."
II swear to you
"Spare yourself the trouble Of deni-
| ais. / know all. l know who pawned
my wife's diamonds. know who com.
mitted the robbery for which the inno-
cent Prosper was arrested and impris.
oned."
Mime. Fauvel. white with terror, fell
upon her knees
At last 1t had come-the dreadful day
had come! Vainly for years she had
added falsehood to fasehood. Vainly
she had sacrificed herself and others.
All was now discovered.
Pardon, Andre! l conjure you, for
give me.'
At these heartbroken tones the bank.
er trembled. This voice brought be.
fore him the twenty years which he
had spent with this woman, who had
always been the mistress Of his heart,
whose slightest wish had been his law
and who by look could make him the
happiest or the most miserable of men.
Unhappy woman he said. I'm
happy woman. What have done that
you should act thus? l have loved YOU
too deeply"
Raoul, who listened with attention
saw that II the banker knew some thinge
he certainly did not know all. He saw
that erroneous information had misled
the unhappy man and that he was still
victim Of false appearances. He de-
termined to convince him of his mis-
take.
Monsieur be commenced.
But the sound Of Raoul's voice was
sufficient TO break the charm.
"SlenceW cried the banker. with an
angry oath. "Silencew
! The stiffness was only broken by the
sobs Of Nine. Fauvel.
II came here" continued the banker
with the intention of killing you both
but courage fails me to kill woman
and l will not kill an unarmed man."
Raoul once more tried to speak.
nj E,,t oh, i,,fo
vel Your life is in my hands. The
law excuses the vengeance Of an in
| iured husband but refuse to take ad
vantage Of it. l see on your mantel q
revolver similar to mine. Take It and
defend yourself"
Never"
defend yourself" cried the banker
raising his arm. IF not
| Feeling the barrel of NJ. Fauvel's re.
volver touch hts breast, Raoul took his
own pistol from the mantel.
place yourself in that corner Of the
room, and will stand in this" contin.
ued the banker, land when the clock
/ we will both fire"
| They took the places designated. But
the horror of the scene was too much
for Nine. Fauvel to witness any lon.
ger without interposing. She under,
stood but one thing--her son and her
| husband We're about to kill each other
before her very eyes. Fright and hor.
ror gave her strength to start up and
rush between the two men, with ex.
tended arms.
"Have pity, Andre" she cried, wiring
ing her hands in anguish. LET me tell
you! Don't kill''-
This burst of maternal love Nj. Eau.
defending her lover He seized his
wife by the arm and thrust her aside.
But she would not be repulsed. Rush.
ing up to Raoul, she threw her arms
! around him and said to her husband:
xiii me, and me alone, for l am the
guilty one"
At these words NJ. Fauvel glared at
the guilty pair and deliberately taking
aim, fired. Neither Raoul nor Nine.
Fauvel moved The banker fired sec
ond time, then third. He cooked the
pistol for fourth shot when man
rushed into the room, snatched the pis.
tol from the bankers hand and ran to
Nine Fauvel. 1t was NJ. Verduret.
Thank God" he cried, "she Is I'm.
hurt! Do you know who that man is
that you attempted to killW
"Her lover!"
mo: her sOnw
The banker looked wildly from Raoul
to NJ. Verduret, then. fastening his
haggard eyes on his wife. exclaimed:
1T is false! You are all conspiring
to deceive me! Proofsw
you shall have proofs" replied M.
Verduret. But first listen"
And rapidly with his wonderful tai.
ent for exposition, he related the prin-
cipal points Of the plot he had dscov.
cred. The true state of the case was
terribly distressing to NJ. Fauvel but
nothing compared with what he had
suspected. His throbbing, yearning
heart told him that he still loved his
wife. Why should he punish fault
committed so many years ago and
atoned for by twenty years of devotion
and suffering? For some moments aft.
er NJ Verduret had finished his ex.
PLANTATION NJ. Fauvel remained silent.
So many strange events had happened
in the last few days. eliminating in the
| scene which had lust taken Dlnce that