The Detroit times., 1909-06-02

Come. comet" he protested. "You
know that you and have common In
terests under my uncle's will, don't
you? And on what condition? I've
taken lot OF trouble to help you TO
your fair share OF ten million dollars.
Iand-I must say ! don't think you're
Treating me very handsomely In re-
turn. Sit down and act sensibly. I'm
not a bad sort of chap. as you'll find
out In time, but you mustn't rub me
the wrong way too much or I'll
scratch"
He threw himself into a chair. pull,
ed cigaret-case out OF his pocket. and
struck a match.
| sit down. and act sensibly," he
repeated between puffs, but she re-
NAMED as she was, very lovely In her
disdain. and he looked up again with
a scowl which changed to an appre-
ciative leer. Arendsen was still
standing sentry beside the closed door.
We've only "a hours left to get
married in" Seager said sullenly,
land We might just as well carry the
thing through on a friendly footing. I
want
Il don't think you can be aware.
Mr.. Quaintance. she interrupted,
that am the Duchess des Reeves"
"Oh cut that out" he cried harsh
ly. You're not fool enough, surely, |
to take that fellows fairy tales on |
trust. Duchess des Reeves! You're |
not the first by a long chalk who's |
tripped over that lined twig, and | |
wouldn't have twitted you with II |
either II you had said nothing about |
it. You were Miss Lorraine when you |
left the Rue des Trois Freres a few |
hours ago. and you're Miss Lorraine |
still There's more than a ring need |
ed to make you Duchess des Reeves. |
don't know why women are always SO
simple,"
She WINGED as though he had struck t
her and bent her head as she heard !
the repute in which her husband was
held.
Listen. now" he went on more
composedly, having settled that point
to his own satisfaction. There's no
reason why you and | shouldn't pull
together. Five millions will more
than make up to you for the loss of a
title you'd never have been allowed
to wear and-I'm not a bad sort of
chap. Give me a fair trial and IL
don't suit you I'll quit-honor bright.
You can easily get divorce, or I'll
disappear and send you a death GER
tificate. You'll never see me again
after you say go. | can't make you
any fairer offer than that, now, can
II"
| II was very bitter to her to have to
imprement her plain statement, but
his blind disbelief in it was so evi.
dent that, for her own sake, she must
try to convince him that she spoke
truth, that the dead mans millions
were neither for him nor her. And she
felt devoutly thankful then that she
had taken the step she did to prevent
such a contingency as that which now
presented itself. OF two grave evils
she had unwittingly chosen the lesser.
Miles Quaintance's nephew, the man
he had never seen and to whom he
would yet have sold her, was worse
in reality than she had even imagin-
ed him.
Hear me, please, Mr.. Quaintance."
she begged, her glance once more
meeting his so steadily that his eyes
dropped again in spite of himself.
land try to believe what | say.
have no desire to deceive you. | want
you to understand why | married the
Due des Reeves"
He uttered an impatient ejaculation,
but she continued quietly.
1T was only six months after my
education was finished that I heard OF
Mr.. Miles Quaintance's death. was
here, In Paris, then. He had hidden
me remain until he could come over
and take me back with him to San
Francisco. With the news came his
letter explaining that he had offered
me to you In marriage. | don't know
whether you can realize how | felt
about that. butt made up my mind
stthat moment that no power on earth
would induce me to marry you. And.
to make my resolution still safer, |
married the Due des Reeves.
He was a poor cavalry officer then,
and did not know he would ever in
herit a title. l was little more than a
school girl and I thought | cared for
him. That seemed sufficient to me.
left the house in which | was living,
ostensibly to sail for America but real
ly to meet him. We were married i'm
mediately, and you will find record OF
that fact In the registers of the Ar
reimbursement de rElysee and at the
church of st. Yves-de-Suresne."
She started back, said no more, for
Seager had sprung to his feet, was
glazing at her with murderous malev-
olence. Arendsen had raised clenched
hands, his white teeth showed be-
tween his black beard and mustache
like those OF wild beast. Both men
uaro etirred m q degree of Dassion