The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-05-05
CHAPTER XIX.

The CLOCK IN the room told ten. and
he was not yet there. The children
slept AMI Betty md her companions
moved restlessly from room to room
Had it not been for Johnny, Larry and
she might have been exchanging a
thousand queries as to when did you
first begin to love me-" and do you
remember that timer" but as it was
they tried to be unselfish and make
general conversation and. as is usual In
such cases they only succeeded In hav-
ing everybody miserable. Johnny as
well as themselves.
Angry voices sounded from the cprri-
dor. One. Enthusiastically that OF De
Malheureux, the other that Of an older
and a mode irate man.
They extinguished the lights. and
Betty cautiously stealing to the door
put her eye to the keyhole and her
eat to the crack. Out in the hall was
LIE Malheureux. with him a bent old
man. white haired and saffron skin
ned
The old man leaned totteringly on a
staff. Il hate you, hate you. a thou
sand times more than ever have done
before. oh wretched SOM" he shrllled.
Vile that you are!"
You cannot. father" interrupted the
harsh voice Of lie Malheureux, in a
sorrowful information. You have long
condemned me to fortunes. What am
you made me-"
The two walked slowly down the
corridor. Motioning to Larry and Bet
ty 10 await his return Johnny followed
in their wake Through the main
building and across to the south room
wing they went. stopping in what was
evidently the old mans sitting room.
There the discussion broke out afresh
Il hate you. 1 say A thousand
times more" repeated the old man.
"Unflial son! But / have outwitted
you! My cohorts. my good black ne
sroes. any one of them worth a thou
sand such sons as you. have found out
your secret castle. the gate TO those
bonanza fields where the diamonds lie
so closely bedded together that a nee
dlepoint could not separate them. / am
free OF you now, forever, free: do yol
understand? That wealth that your
mother and young aunt so long de-
MED me is mine, mine and Cerisse's
All, there is devotion for you, devotion
for you, She is-a-sirl after my own
heart. What vim. What nerve, What
daringl My Cerissel No chicken
nerved fool like you. and you, my son.
Bah. Now that have the path to the
mines. now that 1 need him no longer
Hackleye may go. and his children
with him IL he wishes. They are but
poor offspring for my beautiful daugh-
ter to own. Small wonder she never
loved them. Nor him either Her hear
has long been with one man, and non
with all this new wealth she shall have
him. Money buys anythingl Diamonds
are money! Cerisse shall be rid of this
Hackleye. I hate him, tool"
Another figure stepped out of the
darkness. Johnny recognized the earlS
morning visitor he had trailed from
the Desterle home into the F'lan ders
mansion, months before.
Don't believe that for a moment.
this man rasped. You blithering ole
fool you, Cerisse is dead. Do yol
hear She's dead Deadl'
The old man dropped his staff am
fell back into the arms Of lie Malheu-
reux. who led him to a seat near by
"Hackleye. Hackleyel" walled tn,
old man, you didn't-you didn't. Yot
didn't kill her?"
Hackleye pulled a roll of newspaper
clippings from his pocket and dangleC
them before the old mans eyes. ant
spread them out on the table before
MIN. With quivering lips the stricken
man read, punctuating each sentence
with moan. He saw the headlines
only, then flung the papers from hin
and tried to reach Hackleye with his
staff.
And you, you" he malevolently
called to lie Malheureux, why did yot
not prevent it?"
TOW could II" answered lie Nal.
heureux. land why should /? YOU
know what Cerisse was, father A muir.