Middletown transcript., 1909-06-19


to his carriage, and placing me
in it, asked our servant our ad-
dress, and drove me home. He
was young, handsome, and in
manner so facinating as to have
been able to dispense with being
either, Marie. The next time /
went out met him. | have seen
him often since; he loves me; !
love him.
Well, if he is an honest man,
true and sincere in his love, why
should you be unhappy You
know your father will consent
He is the Due Octave de Bios
sac.
The Due de Blossac, Jeanne ?
Yes.
But not an honest man, or be
would never have dared to speak
to you of love.
He is an honest man, for when
he spoke to me of love, he told me
that he could not marry me, but
he offered to devote his life to
me; he offered never to marry,
But he did not offer to marry
you?
You know that was impossible.
So we are parted, ! suppose for
ever; and that is why l am
Wretched.
Jeanne, said Marie, if he loved
you-but no, | will not talk thus
to you; you are blinded by
love-I will tell you to think of
our father, whose only hope we
both are, whose only love we
both are.
Yes; my father, my own dear
father; but his love cannot be
the only love of my life.
At this moment the door open
ed, and Pierre himsef entered
the room. His daughters rose
and rushed up to him, throwing
their arms around him.
Ny dearest father, you look
sad; tell me what is the matter
with ycu.
Ah, girls, girls, my own two
children-for you are both my
children, are you not?
Yes.
Something has happened that
/ felt would happen one of these
days. 1t is proved to me that
some one beside me has the right
to love one of you.
All, father, what do you mean9
You know you own history
you know that one of you is not
daughter.
We have never liked to think
of il.
Well, children, this evening
l had an appointment, Of which
l told you nothing, SO much did
/ dread it. 1t was with an emf
nent lawyer. He has proved dis
tinctly to me the person who
claims one Of you; told me the
whole story; but how am l to
part with either of you?
Which of US, father, is not
your child?
Here precisely is the puzzle;
we cannot tell; but I cannot give
up either of you, for I love one
as well as the other.
We both love you as our father;
we do not want to leave you; we
can love no other father but
you.
The daughter that is not mine
has neither father nor mother;
it is her mothers mother who
claims her. But she will give her
what l can not give-a great
name, riches, and a position in
society far above the one l have
placed herin. Which of you is it?
Jeanne and Marie both kissed
his cheek; neither spoke. Jeanne
was thinking that the advantages
he set before her would have re.
moved the obstacles which sepa.
rated her from Octave, she only
sighed deeply; not for an instant
did she dream that she could ever
lay claim to all this brilliant for
tune; but Marie, taking her faith
er's hand, calmly asked him if
there was no sign by which they
thought to recognize the rightful
heir.
The heiress of the Marquis de-
Valbourg has a sigp-so says a
letter from her mother. | do not
think it is love that makes them
so anxious to find her, but the
Due de Blossac is heir to proper
ty, and the revenues of all the es.
tates have been for years accu-
mulating; until the death of this
girl is proved, the Due de Bios.
sac cannot touch penny. Jeanne,
-6ok - Al.a o