The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15

had mistaken for love and yet he felt that he had solemn duty to provide for Charlottes future. He would make Char lotte's life as easy as possible-but mar riage was out of the question. Belcour saw the waning regard of Montraville for Charlotte and determined to possess her himself. Of La Rue he had already tired That woman had developed cer- tain traits of temper and temperament which brought him to the conclusion that instead of having made a victim he had been victimized himself.
 On board the transport there was gen. erous and kind officer of mature years, Colonel Crayton, a widower and man of wealth. His wife had been a French woman and the marriage had been most happy one. Therefore. he was attracted at first toward La Rue. Did she not be- long to the same race as his departed saint? La Rue took an immediate advan- tage of the colonel's interest. She pre- tended that she had known and admired the late Mrs. Crayton in childhood, and her knowledge of French families en- abled her easily to fool the colonel. Then gradually she began to confide in him. She told a pitiful tale of having been in- veigled into an elopement with Belcour; she feared that his promise of marriage would not be kept. What could such an innocent and distressed damself do? Her tears and sobs touched the heart of the gallant colonel The result was that the day before the ship arrived off Sandy Hook the colonel, before the whole con- pany of officers and passengers, took La Rue by the hand and announced that she was a poor, persecuted being whom he proposed to make his wife upon landing, and that any one who said aught against her character would have to account to him for 1t.
 Belcour was the first to offer his con- pratulations La Rue was all that was in- nocent and excellent. He had intended to make her his own wife, but as her heart was evidently the colonel's, Belcour relin- ouished his own claims. So, upon the landing of the endorsements, Colonel Clayton took to wife the adventures, and Montraville hired 8 little cottage for Charlotte out of the town, somewhere in the rural precincts of Greenwich vil- Iare. There he used to visit her every day, then at intervals of day or two, and finally she saw him only about once a week. Pressure of business, he de- clared, kept him in the city. Belcour, however, was frequent visitor at the cottage. He began an insidious attack upon Charlotte. He told her by insinua- tions that Montraville no longer loved her. and offered to supply his place. He was an honorable gentleman, he told her, and would marry her when she said the word.
 The presence of tho British troops In New York city, moro than half loyal at all times during the war of the revolu- ton. caused the winter to be one of un- usual social festivities. Among the great families of the city at that time was the Frankiins, and Misa Julia Franklin was the acknowledged belle of tho season. she was heiress in her own right and the daughter of an epuient father. The Franklin house stood in the select auar- ter of Cherry Hill, about opposite where a great publishing house now runs It's presses, Montraville saw Julia Franklin and loved her. But there was Charlotte. He could not make up his mind to aban- don the poor girl, He saw that his af- fectien was returned by Julia, but hesi-