The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-12-24
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but courage fails me to kill a woman,
and 1 will not kill an unarmed man."
Raoul once more tried to speak.
Let me finish!" interrupted NJ. Eau
vel. "Your life is in my hands. The
law Excuses the vengeance OF an in.
jured husband, but i refuse to take ad.
vantage Of 1t. l see on your mantel a
revolver similar to mine. Take 1t and
defend yourself"
Never"
defend yourselfp cried the banker,
raising his arm. eff not
Feeling the barrel of nj. Fauvers re.
volver touch his breast, Raoul took his
W pistol from the mantel.
"Place yourself In hat corner Of the
room, and l will stand In this contin-
ued the banker, "and when the clock
strikes. which will be in a few seconds,
we will bothSare."
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 were 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, Andrea" she cried, wiring
ing her hands in anguish. Let me tell
you! Don't kip
This burst of maternal love M. Eau
Eel took for the pleading Of a criminal
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 sold to her husband:
"Kill me, n me alone, for / am the
guilty one!'
At these words NJ. Fauvel glared ut
the guilty pair and, deliberately taking
aim, fired. Neither Raoul nor Nine.
Fauvel moved. The banker fred a sec-
ond time, then n third. He cooked the
pistol for q fourth shot when a man
rushed into the room, snatched the pis-
tol from the bankers hand and ran to
Nine. Fauvel. 1t was M. Verduret.
"Thank God" he cried, "she is un-
hurt! Do you know who that man is
that you attempted to killT'
"Her lover!"
"No; her sonr' .
The banker looked wildly from Raoul
to NJ. Verduret, then, fastening his
haggard eyes on his wife, exclaimed:
at is false! You are all %conspiring
to deceive mel Proofsw
"You shall have proofs" replied NJ.
Verduret. "But first listen"
And rapidly, with his wonderful tai.
ent for exposition, he related the prin.
cipal points of the plot he had discov-
cred. The true state OF the case was
terribly distressing to M. 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 a fault
committed so many years g and
atoned for by twenty years Of devotion
and suffering? For some moments aft
err M. Verduret had finished his ex.
PLANTATION M. Fauyel remained silent.
So many strange events had happened
in the last few days, eliminating in the
scene which had just taken place, that
NJ. Fauvel was incapable Of thinking. If
his heart counsele1 pardon and forget
fulness, wounded pride and self respect
demanded vengeance. If Raoul, the
baleful witness, the living proof Of n
NohSA o'ht "ShS " III SAAclSllSSy u
Fauvel would not have Observation-Disclosures
ton de Clameran was dead-he would
have held out his arms to his wife and
said:
"Come to my heart! Your sacrifices
for my II shall be your absolution.
Let the sad past be forgotten"
But the sight of Raoul prevented.
$50 this is your son." he said to his
wife "this nan who has plundered
| you and robbed me!'
Nine. Fauvel was unable to utter n
word in reply. Happily NJ. .yerduret
was there.
"Oh," he said, madame will tell you
that this young man Is the son of Gas
ton de ,Clameran. She has never
doubted 1t. But the truth is"-
"What"
Gin order to rob her he has perpetrat-
ed q gross im%posture."
During the last few minutes Raoul
had managed to approach the door,
hoping to escape while no one was
thinking Of him. But NJ. verduret,
watching him out Of the corner of one
eye, stopped him just as he was about
to leave. p.
mot SO fast, my pretty youth" he
said, dragging him into the middle Of
the room. Let us have n little CONVEX
sation before parting. A little explana.
ton will DO edifying."
The jeering words and hooking man.
ner of M. Verduret made Raoul turn
deadly pale. He started back as IL
confronted by n phantom.
1.-THE clown!" lie gasped.
"The same, friend" said the fat man.
"Ah, now that you recognize me, I con.
fess that the clown and myself are one
and the same. Yes, 1 am the jolly
clown of the Jandidier ball. Here is
the proof"
And, turning UP his sleeve, he show.
ed n deep cut OF his arm. "If you are
not sure, examine this scar" he con.
tinued. II imagine you know the vii
lain that gave me this little decoration
that night I was walking along Bour-
daloue street. That being the case,
you know I have a slight claim upon
you and shall expect you to relate to
us your little story"
But Raoul was too terrified to utter
a word. St
NJ. Fauvel listened without under.
standing.
Into what dark depths of shame
/ have xyo falIaptD ha nroonoH