Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-01-24
Ii r a n v HE e


could go wrong. If the vicomte's idea
ol an ONCE was rather a loud one, the
unuoubted good taste of his wife cor
rected these things at home.
Those deep blue eyes of the yicomtesse
were not the only attraction at the de
Nallar mansion. There was always high
pay for those who relished that kind of
thlng' and a sprinkling of those ladies
"hoih SUCH woman as the de Valiar.
as she was Familiarity called at the clubs.
would be sure to gather around her. They
were women OF great personal attractions,
some OF them divorces, others on the
high road to that enviable state. the
quasi-separation, which leaves the wife. In
position to enjoy herself without dan
ger OF comment, and supplies her. under
the French law, moreover, with the means
of doing so.
Of the many frequenters of the vicom-
tesses establishment in the Avenue Wag-
ram perhaps NJ. Jules Chabot was as well
come a guest as any. His undoubted re-
spectabllity made him an exceedingly de-
sirable acquaintance. NJ Chabot, on the
other hand, liked the free-and-easy at
mosphere of the de Valiar mansion. De
Nallar was man who always had some
young, rich fool dangling after him, de-
slrous OF seeing life. certain portion
OF the money only of these innocents
could be diverted to the innumerable and
mysterious uses of the Mutual Credit
and Trust Company. They were then af-
forded an opportunity of losing the resi-
due at the card tables in the Avenue
Wagram.
Many, doubtless, who frequented the
vieomte's establishment were totally un-
aware Of the risks they ran. These were
rarely suffered to go behind the curtain
Nj. Chabot was one of those who had for
some time not been admitted to the priv
lleged circle without great care. To do
him justice, it is highly probable that If
the veil had been removed all at once. he
would have ceased his visits altogether.
lie lived in bachelor apartments. Pro
foundly impressed with sense of his
personal dignity, he endeavored on a very
small income to keep up appearances.
Lately, however, he had joined de Vaiar
in more than one isvestment by which
ne nau pronted.
The willy de Valiar, who had allowed
his friend to pocket something handsome
as his share of these enterprises Of
course, had his object in view. What
other, indeed, could it be than to discover
all about Chabot's rich friend, Nine.
Roupell, concerning whom NJ. Chabot was
not at all 10th to impart information,
for he would in his turn be able to dis
cover what probable dot the old lady
would be able to give whichever of the
girls he should choose to marry.
Such inquiries, the vicomte, whose DO
sition in the world of finance enabled him
to make better than Chabot, willingly
set on foot TO oblise his friend. He as
sured NJ. Chabot that report had not ex-
aggerated Nine. Roupell's wealth That
portion of a million and a half of
francs had been set apart for the We'll
don sisters. In the opinion of NJ. Cha
bot. it only remained for him to declare
himself to one or the other Of the young
ladies, and he had been, as the reader
will have seen, on the very eve of max
ing such declaration to Emily Weldon
when the tragedy occurred.
The question which now arose in the
mind of NJ. Victor Lablanche the astute
prefect of police, was this Had NJ. Cha
bot sought to precipitate matters by the
removal of the proprietress of the Cha
teau Villeneuve? He had discovered al
ready that inquiries regarding her fortune
and her intentions respecting it had been
set on foot by Jules Chabot. A little
further research revealed the fact that
the Frenchman's finances were in des-
perate condition. In his later enterprises
with the Vicomte de Valiar, fortune had
not been so kind. He had lost heavily.