The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29

his hat, Grandet went out and it was not
until noon that he. returned home.
Meantime Charles had arisen and max
Ing his toilet with great care and deliber-
alton, had arrayed himself In his most be-
coming suit of clothes, put on his most
gorgeous waistcoat and come gayly down
to the living room. Eugene and her
mother received the young man with a
tenderness which surprised and hattered
him. He saw that they were sad as well
as tender, but attributed the sadness to
some matter which did not concern him
and in which he was not interested.
Charles was impresisonable and Eugenie
caught his fancy. He exerted himself to
be agreeable 10 her and to win her fancy
In return.
1t was not until Grandet had received
from Paris a confirmation of the news
conveyed to him in his brothers let
ter that he told Charles of what had
happened. The young man, who had
suspected nothing. was overwhelmed.
For several days he was in a state of
collapse and unable to leave his room.
They could hear him sobbing and
grooming there and his grief started
afresh. through sympathy, the grief of
Eugene.
All her life Eugenie had a firm and
steadfast faith in her father. She never
had thought of questioning what he
said or what he did. even in her most
secret soul But the coarse. cruel and
nDfae1fD mo IL
commented upon the grief of Charles
opened her eyes to what sort of man
he really was. All the implicit faith. III
reverence and humble confidence In him
vanished. He stood revealed to his own
child In all the miserable .hideousness
of his sordid soul. This was because
Eugene Though she did not know II,
loved her cousin, and love WORK. .
changes which reason is powerless to
accomplish.
Ola Grandet scolded his family round
~ Tor their sympathy with the young
man. He declared that in his letter HIS
1ather had requested that Charles be
sent out to the West Indies, and that
as soon as he had done with his ween-
Ing out to the West Indies he would
go. He would have no penniless dandy
hanging about his house, and the best
thing Eugene could do was to forget
mat there ever had been such a person
as her cousin. Nine. Grandet though
deeply sympathizing with Charles was
herseif disturbed at the evident great
interest which her daughter took in
him, and warned her that II she was
not careful her sympathy would grow
INTO love, and that her father would
permit her to marry a man without
fortune was something not to be for a
moment imagined.
Meantime Grandet was investigating
his brothers affairs. He found that he
had failed for four millions and the
assets would nowhere near meet the
liabilities, even If the debts were
bought up cheaply. Grandet consulted
De Bonfons In regard to the matter
The lawyer saw that the only thing
which really grieved Grandet, now that
the first shock of his brothers sui
eide was over. was the disgrace which
would be brought upon the family
name by bankruptcy So he suggest.
that, instead of throwing his broth
er's estate into bankruptcy, 1t might be
placed In liquidation. 1t sounded bet
ter, would give more time and was. al
together. the best thing to do. 1t was
with satisfaction and confidence that
the. creditors OF the dead tnsolvent
heard that Grandet of Saumur had
taken up the matter Of his brothers
estate. They had no doubt that, to
save the family name, Grandet of Sau-
muir would pay everything in full. The
financial standing of the old miser was
det of Saumur planned to save the
family name-not to pay. His nomina-
ton Of Des Grassins as one of the liqui-
dators was well received by the credi7
tors and banker of Paris was asso
ciated with him. Then Grandet set
to work to buy mp his brothers debts
for as little as possible and twisted
and turned to make the little the dead
man had left go as far as possible. A.
this sort OF business Grandet was o
wonder.
Charles recovered from his grief, which
after all, had been largely grief for his
own hard fate. The young man had
every appearance of noble ideas and lofty
sentiments without having them-he was
5 man Of the world and a child Of Paris.
He had been rather taken with his