Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-08-05

another cigar, the men were loafing
around DuyaPs room, talking, when
suddenly in came Eugene She had
left her maid in the hall and had
come i'll alone-to confront a roomful
OF men, She just stood still a second,
painting with terror She saw Belfon
tame and knew he recognized her. If
he once let out the secret OF her pres
ence there she was disgraced forever
The visit was innocence itself; but
the whole world would condemn her
unheard."
How did she get out of it? What
did Rel-what' s-his-name
Before Belfontaine could say a
word, Duyal used almost the same
words | did to that Washerwomans
girl. tonight. He asked if she had
come for the wash, or some such ques-
ton, and sent her away, leaving the
other men to believe she was really
some working-girl.
And Belfontaine?' asked Van Loo
Denton laughed
Why, he said, that's the very
point of the whole story; and that's
just where this miserable memory of
mine fails me. | don't remember
what BeifOntaine did. You see, Eu-
genie's safety, her whole future, hung
on Belfontaine. All the other men
present were strangers to her. But
Belfontaine was a different PROPOSE
ton. Why, Barrett, the poor girls life
lay in the hollow Of his hand
Denton's voice had lost it's habitual
carelessness and there was ring of
genuine appeal in it,
I'll tell you what Belfontaine did,"
suddenly announced Barrel.
What! Do you
Yes. | remember the story per-
fectly now. | must have read it in
the same magazine that Denton did.
| suppose, Denton the magazine may
have been lying about your rooms
somewhere and l picked it up"
NO doubt, no Doubt" assented his
host eagerly. And l.
What did the man do?" broke in
Van Loo.
Barrett sat silent a moment before
continuing. His face was very white,
and there were in it lines that had
not shown earlier in the evening. He
was looking out of the high window,
across the city.
you forget one point in the Seal
of Silence Denton" he began at last,
his eyes wandering over the distant
river-lights as he spoke. cor perhaps
you never grasped the point at all;
Belfontaine loved Eugene"
Denton started, then tried to cover
his confusion with laugh.
HE loved her., went on Barrett
"They had been friends all their lives,
and from childhood he had worshlped
her. She knew nothing of his love. He
had tried to succeed in life with the
wild hope of winning her. Then came
that horrible evening when he met
her face to face in DuvaPs rooms. He
knew nothing, at first, of her motive
for coming there. All he knew was
that his idol and his life-hopes lay
crushed in the dust. Then Duval
found a means of telling him the
whole truth, and he"
and he-"echoed Denton.
Say" broke in Carter this is
fake story from first to last I've read
Balzacs works from beginning to end,
and he never wrote a story on such
lines. The plot, the style, the han
ding, are utterly unlike Balzac. | be-
lieve it's a story Denton made up, and
that he told it to us by way of try
ing it on the dog before sending it to
a magazine. And I believe Barrett
knows it's fake, too, and is just try
ing to help Denton out"
Pardon me-" remarked Barrett,
"but | happen to know it is not a.
fake as you call it."
well, then" said Carter trium-
phantly as the men rose to go, "how
do you reconcile your knowledge of
the story with what you said half
an hour ago about never having read
anything of Balzac's?"
Laughing to think how easily he
had detected the fraud and routed his
foe, Garter shook hands with Denton
and left the room without waiting for
Barret's reply. The others trooped out
after him, Barrett going last of all.
Barrett turned as he reached the
doorway. For a moment he and Den
ton stood face to face.
"Duval was a cad-a miserable, con-
temptible cad, Denton" he said SLOW
". ito permit a girl he loved to take
such a terrible risk"
Denton bowed his head in silence.
Then he stretched out his hand ap-
pealingly toward the departing guest.
"But Belfontaine-what did Belfon-
tanned do?" he implored.
Barrett ignored the proffered hand.
"BeIfontaine? he replied. why, he
kept silence What else should he do?
But, of course, it was hard for a cur
like Duval to understand that. Good
night, Denton Bon voyage!"
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