Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-10-31
The Roupell Mystery
Ii r a n v i | e


Her manner was The well-bred one of a
woman thoroughly accustomed to meet
men OF all ages aud dispositions. of all
minds and Compartments.
Monsieur de Yaliar has gone TO play
cards, | feel convinced" she said, look
ing at Cassagne with her soft. liquid
eyes. let US sit here and talk You and
|. Do you know, it is a rare thing for
me 10 have a quiet evening Don't think
my husband discourteous. He has some
peculiar ways He thinks be has dis
charged much of his duty as host when
he has given his guests a good dinner,
and then everybody in this house feels
so much at home. The world has treated
you very nicely" she continued. has it
not? My husband tells me you have
done wonderfully well, and you are not
yet forty, ! should judge. Why don't
you go into politics and make a great
name: l think if I had been man
should have done so. You should have
me talk TO your friend Monsieur D'Au-.
buron''
You think Monsieur DAuburon has a
career before him.
The vicomtesse laughed very merrily
indeed
"A career-your friend Monsieur
D'Auburon. Why, no. he is far too lazy.
That is why we have had such interest
ing conversations. l have kept urging
upon him the necessity for exertion. He
maintains that work of any kind will
kill him."
And yet when he visited me in Swift
zerland he was the most indefatigable
of climbers. | had hard work to keep
up with him, can tell you"
Il thought Monsieur D'Auburon had
never been in Switzerland. At any rate
| know he says he detests mountains"
Our friend possesses the rare merit
OF being modest. Ask him about Chamou-
nix and the Matterhorn when you next
see him. He can tell you few stories
which would surprise you. But let US
talk. OF more immediate things, madame.
Monsieur D'Auburon is not in Partisan
society. AMI just now / am particularly
interested in Partisan society. Your own
circle, for instance. You seem to have
drawn around you some charming people
the Colbert Remplins, for instance"
You like them?'
Eyes: the husband is SO we'll inform
ed don't mean merely on matters of
finance, but on all topics | was greatly
interested in what he was talking about
during dinner-the dissolution of your
second empire. BY the way, what an
ideal lady of the court his wife, with her
white hair and aristocratic features.
would have made under the Third Napo-
Icon"
do you admire her"
"Greatly-in a way Is she not a
woman with a history? She looks like
it."
The words were spoken so quietly and
naturally, that though she started with
surprise at the directness of the ques-
ton, the vicomtesse could not possibly
doubt her guests good faith in putting it,
YES" she replied, ''she has his
tory"
Il thought l was right. l am a read
er of human faces in way. If l had
been asked l should have said looking
at her, There is one who has suffered for
ambitions sake"
The vicomtesse turned around on the
bench, with half smile parting her
lovely lips, and said:
Really, Monsieur Lazare, in addition
to your attainments as mountaineers, you
Swiss gentlemen seem to count that of
mind-reading. Do you know what you
say comes remarkably near the truthW
Then lowering her voice, and first look
ing cautiously around, she added 1T is
not generally known, but it can do no
harm to tell you, who have guessed so
near the mark-but Madame Rempin
sacrificed her heart to her ambitions.
You know what | mean; you are man
of the world. monsieur. There was
young man, with nothing but his profes-
sion, whom she adored, of course. There
was a middle-aged man with a fortune,
whom she tolerated at first, for the sake
of the position he gave her and learned
to like afterward, as all we poor crea-
lures do"
Il understand What became of the
young MANI"
He was foolish He became dissipat-
ed. He drifted away, and went to the
dogs. He fell so low that l understand
he wrote to his former fiancee for money
did it frequently. A woman would not
have stopped to that"
But you have not known Madame Col
bert-Remplin long?"
Something induced him to say the
words and risk what followed The effect
upon the vicomtesse, indeed, seemed cleo
trical. She regarded him for moment
with undisguised astonishment.
How did you know that my acquaint-
ance with Madame Remplin was re-
cent one?"
why" he answered, boldly, you told
me so yourself. You look surprised.
Don't give me credit for being too great
seer. Rather impute to me an excel
lent memory"
1T is great gift" said the vicom-
Jesse, laughing. DO you know, an idea
occurred to me as you spoke just now,
and it was such a funny one, that you
might be someone had known once, and
were masquerading in disguise"
What a funny idea, to be sure re-
piled NJ. Lazare. also laughing. 1T
would not be bad one, would it? Ha,
madame, you should try your hand at a
romance. Something from your pen, l
am convinced, would make a sensation"
They went in together laughing mer-
rily. The first person they encountered
was D'Auburon
"Ha. Monsieur D'Arburon." cried the
vicomtesSe, here is your friend saying
l might write a boow. Let me give him
some coffee, if we can find some"
Half an hour later D'Auburon and his
friend NJ. Lazare took their leave. On
their way home to the Hotel de rAthene,
where D'Auburon, in order to keep up
appearances, had engaged apartments for
his friend NJ. Lazare, the latter re-
marked
Quite a deal of progress FOR the first
evening. Several things are quite clear in
my mind
What are they, pray?" inquired
D'Auburon.
Beyond a doubt Madame Helene Col
bert-Remplin is the Helene who married
Henry Graham, and who consequently is
the mother of Philip Graham, alias
Philip La Seur."
How do you know that?"
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