The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-04-08
CHAPTER I.
A u 8 t y n


part of May. During the daytime there
had been clouds over Paris; but on the
approach Of evening the sun had come
out, and, descending in blaze of glory,
| tinged the housetops with a fiery glow
and FURNISHED the waters of the Seine
with a golden. mellow light. The small
suburb of Villeneuve, distant from the
French capital but fourteen miles, shared
| this generous halo of brilliant colorins.
| It lacked just fifteen minutes of eleven
| o'clock when the moon, which was nearly
| at the full, rose with slow and majestic
motion above the horizon, and hung sus-
pended between earth and heaven like
| huge silver lamp. The great trees which
almost surrounded the chateau Nilleneuve
| cast across the smooth and velvety lawns
| their deep shadows. From the chateau
| itself, the light of solitary lamp, pal
| Ing to few mere twinlsling rays, shone
| ftfully. 1t came from q window in the
| left wing of the building. Remote from
| the great metropolis. the hush of pro-
! found peace was here upon everything,
| save when stirred by the soft breeze from
| the south, the leafy branches OF tenderest
green rustled and moved gently to and
| fro.
In the deep shade of an enormous oak
| which seemed to keep watch and Wafd
over the sleeping inmates, stood young
man named Charles Van Lith, to whom
every familiar object but conjured up to
| his ardent ina gination the interior or
that family illuminated apartment inns
silent watcher continued to gaze for some
moments in the direction of the chateau.
His deneanor was that of one undecided
as to " hat course to pursue. Twice he
stepped from the shadow of the tree and
| placed his foot upon the gravel walk, ana
as many times retraced his footsteps.
At length he issued forth more boldly,
though not without caution, to prevent
the crunching of his shoes upon the
gravel, and stood beneath the window.
Picking up two or three small pebbles.
he threw them against the glass. His
heart beat somewhat faster than it's wont
as, after the third essay. girl of abou:
nineteen years of age, who had been read
Ing by the light of the lamp, left her
seat and, opening the swinging easement,
looked out upon the night.
/ "Who is there? she asked in tone
which indicated some alarm, but slngu-
larly sweet and musical.
Its Its Charles replied the young
fellow; don't be frightened. l must see
you, if only for a moment. am going
away. I am leaving France. I return
to America tomorrow"
"Oh, nonsense exclaimed the girl.
"You are saying this just to try me-"
II am not. upon my word Harriet"
answered Van Lith. MY passage is al
ready taken. | sail from Havre to-mor-
row afternoon"
"Why did you not let me know
earlier?" she asked.
II was afraid TO write. You know
your aunt strictly forbade it. But, Har
riet, can't l get in, if only for few
moments?"
II really don't see how you can--'
Harriet Weldon began, when the faint re
monstrance died away upon her lips.
Selling the strong stem of q thick vine
which ran near the window. and assisted
by the trellis work, the young athlete be-
low commenced an ascent which to ar
older man would have proved an impossi
BILE feat. In few moments his hand was
on the window sill and the next instant
; he had leaped lightly into the chamber
Harriet, the first raptures of their meet
} Ing over, begged him to be gone; but he
| sitting beside her on the low window seat
urged his plea for further time so elo
quently that she yielded, and could no
find it in her heart to dismiss him a
= once The lovers, too, had a hundred
condolences to interchange. Harriet toll
Van Lith how, since his quarrel with he
aunt, the prosecutions of certain NJ
/ Chabot had become well-nigh intolerable
! She was afraid, moreover, that Nine
4 Roupell favored his suit.
"And now you are going to America
l Charles, and there will be no one t
stand between us. l am sure the ma
has not even the excuse Of loving me.
is nay dowry he is after. He is, no doub,
aware that Madame Roupell has made
will in favor of Emily and myself"
Charles Van Lith could only clench hi
fist in inlpotent rage. To the house whel
be had once been an honored and we
come guest he now had to come like
4 thief In the night to seek farewell il
terview with the only being on earth WI
yet loved and trusted him. In his min
Il
l The cold and severe tones in which Nm
l Roupell had dismissed him seemed sti
J ringing in his ears.
"Do not CO." pleaded Harriet. II a
certain that it will not be long before II
= aunt will relent; that, after all, she real
1 thinks a great deal of you; stay, and
| will myself so to her on the first oppo
tunity which offers and plead yol
/ cause"
You are more hopeful than I am
replied Van Lith, bitterly. If l hi
been treated with any show of iustic
why, / would not care. But your au
is prejudiced against me. | am WI
aware that Monsieur Chabot has sous
to undermine her confidence in me, al
he has succeeded. | tell you, Harrit
when l think of all these things it max
4 me a desperate man.
He had been pacing the floor restless
with long. impatient strides. His ia
. was flushed with anger. With the me