The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-07-17
ond endurancel Prosper, II you or,-@

Esyg@AtA AAAAOW OuI OAC lu1uS, MdOelo10e,
snd that is that you no longer love me
md that love your
He was silent. He hoped for an an.
,Wer. None came. But suddenly the
v,lence was broken by a repressed sob.
= was Madeleine's maid, who, seated
~ corner, was weeping.
Afosper had been so moved at find
fsre Madeleine that he had not noticed
boz He turned in surprise and look.
% vt the weeping woman. He was not
n:1ktaken-this neatly dressed waiting
nxrtd was Nina Gypsy.
slowly and almost unconsciously
Madeleine had put on her wraps, which
we're lying on the sofa. When she was
r.ady, she approached Prosper. e
why did you come here?" she said,
we both have need of all the courage
sFe can command. You are unhaDpv.
Prosper. am more unhappy. You have
4 right t. complain. have not the right
To shed a tear: While my heart is
slowly breaking must wear a smiling
face. Xou can seek consolation in the
bosom of friend. can have no con.
/HuduC OUT 200.
Prosper tried to make a reply, but
his pale lips refused to articulate. He
was sitting.
Il wish to tell you,' continued Made
ie1ne. "that I have forgotten nothing.
But oh, let not this knowledge give
you any hope. There is no hope for
us. But If you love me you will live.
You will not add to my already heavy
burden OF sorrow the agony of mourn
Ing your death. The day may come
when can Justify myself in your
eyes. And now adieu, adieur'
She kissed his forehead and rushed
from the room, followed by Nina Clip.
sy.
Prosper was alone. He seemed to be
awaking from troubled dream. He
tried to think over what had just hap
pened and asked himself if he were
losing his mind. When M. Verduret
entered the little parlor, he strobe to-
ward him and in harsh, threatening
voice said to him:
"Who are you?"
The fat man did not show any sur
prise at this burst of anger, but quiet
~ answered:
"A friend of your father. Did you
cot know it?'
"This is no answer, monsieur. l
pave surrendered my will to stran-
ger, and now .
do you want my t,iography-what l
have been, what IN and what NAV
be! What difference does it make to
you? told x"ou that l would save
you. It is essential that save you.".
"Made!*ix: has ceased to love me,
and Of ~Iat Importance is anything
elseT'
His 4eartbroken tone aroused Nj.
Verd:set's sympathy, and he said in
a lk'z4e!, soothing voice:
''fhen you suspect nothing? You did
n0E fathOm the meaning of what she
said?'
'You were listening" cried Prosper
Rsrcely.
81 was It was presumptuous
thing : to do, perhaps, but the end
justified the means. l. am glad I did
listen, because it has enabled me to
say to you: Take courage, Prosper.
Mile. Madeleine loves you; she has
never ceased to love you.'
"She loves me, she is free, and yet
she shuns me''
'She is not free. In breaking off her
engagement with you she was govern
ed by some powerful, irrepressible mo-
tive. She is sacrificing herself-for
whom? We shall soon know. and the
secret of her self sacrifice will dis
cover to us the secret of the plot of
Which you are the victim.''
AS NJ. Verduret spoke Prosper felt
all his resolutions of revolt slowly
melting away and their place taken by
confidence and hope.
IF what you say were true!" he
mournfully said.
"Why do you persist in obstinately
shutting your eyes to the proof I place
before you? Can you not see that
Mile. Madeleine knows who the thief
is?
'Impossiblev'
''She does, but no human power can
SSeAA IAC SCC1CL uCI. Ole SdCr1-
fees you. But, then, she almost has
the right, since she first sacrificed her
self.''
Prosper was convinced, and it nearly
broke his heart to leave this little par
lor where he had seen Madeleine.
"Alas," he said, pressing M. Verdu-
ret's hand, "you must think me fool!
But you don't know how suffer-
For a moment Prosper was silent,
then he said:
81 have finally decided. Ny honor is
a sacred trust for which I must .ac-
count to my family. I am ready to
follow you to the end of the world.
Dispose Of me as you Judge proper"
That same day Prosper, faithful to
his promise, sold his furniture and
wrote a letter to his friends announc-
ing his intended departure for San
Francisco. In the evening he and M.
Verduret installed themselves in the
Archangel.
Chapter TX