Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-04-25

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II came here" continued the BANKER;
with the intention Of killing you both,
but courage fails me to kill q woman,
and will not kill an unarmed man."
Raoul once more tried to speak.
LET me finish!" interrupted M. Eau.
vel. "Your life is in my hands. The
law excuses the vengeance of an in
jured husband, but refuse to take ad-
vantage Of it. see on your mantel a
revolver similar to mine. Take it and
defend yourself"
"Never."
"Defend yourselfv' cried the banker,
raising his arm. III not
Feeling the barrel of NJ. Fauvels re.
volver touch his 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
| strikes, which will be in few seconds,
WEI w1ll both fire."
| They took the places designated But
the horror OF the scene was too much
for Nine. Fauvel to witness any Ion
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, Andre" she cried, wiring
| ino ho,r hor in oh, ~
you! Don't kill''-
This burst of maternal love M. Eau
vel took for the pleading of 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 said to her husband:
! kill me, and me ;.ione, for 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 a man
rushed into the room, snatched the pis-
|
Nine: Fauvel 1t was NJ. Verduret.
'Thank Cod" he cried, "she is un-
hurt! Do you know who that man is
that you attempted to kill?'
"Her lover!''
"No; her son!'
The banker looked wildly from Raoul
to NJ. Verduret, then, fastening his
haggard eyes on his wife, exclaimed:
ut is false! You are all conspiring
to deceive me! Proofs!'
''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 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 rev days. eliminating in the
scene which had just taken place, that
NJ. Fauvel was incapable Of thinking. If
his heart counsele&l pardon and forget:
fulness, wounded pride and self respect
demanded vengeancea If Raoul, the
baleful witness, the living proof of a
farOff sin, were not in existence, NJ.
Fauvel would not have hesitated-Gas-
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 honor shall be your dissolution.
Let the sad past be forgotten"
But the sight of Raoul prevented.
$50 this is your son. he said to his
wife - this man who has plundered
you and robbed me!''
Mme Fauvel was unable to utter a
word in reply. Happily M. Verduret
was there.
"Oh," he said, madame will tell you
that this young man is the son of Cas-
ton de Clameran. She has never
doubted it. But the truth Isl
"What?"
I'm order to rob her he has perpetrat-
ed gross imposture."
During the last few minutes Raoul
had managed to approach the door,
hoping to escape while no one was
thinking OF. him. But M. Verduret,
watching him out of the corner of one
eye, stopped him just as he was about
to leave.
mot so fast, my pretty YOUTH" he
said, dragging him into the middle of