The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-27

descendants as should survive him. h
know the true story of their wealth. MAJ.
ime read the paper, thought over 1t fos
while-and threw it into the FIRE.
He then arranged all the matters In
trusted to him and resolved upon his de-
parture. lie would go back to Paris ~
poor as he came, but he felt with his
honor unsulied He took a formal leave
| of Madame Laroque and rode to the
nearest town where he could take the
diligence for the capital, The next NORM
ing there came to his hotel an old servant
| of the Laroques who handed him let.
| ter 1t was from NJ. Laubepin, who haa
| gone to the chateau to draw up the mar
riage contract. and it informed him that
Mademoisellc de Porhoet was dying and
| wished to see him at once.
| In haste he set out upon his return
journey. And had the marriage taken
place? he at length asked the old servi-
tor. No, it had not. What was the mat
ter? Then the whole story was told
! him. The company had been assembled
for the signing of the marriage con-
tract and NJ. Laubepin read it. 1t was
guerite was secured to herself entirely
and absolutely. NJ. De Bevallan had
protested. Marguerite had arisen in q
dignfled manner and exclaimed,
Enough of this, NJ Laubepin-throw
that contract into the fire--there will
be no marriage. l did but seek to test
this man" And she had swept ma
jestically from the room. NJ. De Beval-
Ian had left the castle at once. Maxine
met NJ. Laubepin at the chateau and
together they went to the humble
dwelling of the last descendant of the
ancient kings of Amoria
They found Marguerite already BY
| the bedside of the dying woman. On
the way over M. Laubepin revealed to
Maxine a fact which filled him with
pleasure. Among the old papers Of
Mile Porhoet which Maxine had
found in the ruined pigeon loft at the
corner of the ruined garden had been
letter from Philip V of Spain, de-
claring that the property which the
Porhoet -Gaels should acquire in Spain
should pass to their French relatives
in case of the extinction of the Spanish
! line, even to the exclusion of the
rights of the crown. This Maxine had
sent to NJ. Laubepin without thinking
| that much would come of 1t. Philip
had been a long time dead and govern
ments give up money hardly But the
! Spanish government, although it had
already taken possession of the estates.
had relinquished them to Mile. de
Porhoet Therefore the old lady swaa
dying rich as she had dreamed to be.
They stood at last before the bed
side of the old woman--M arguerite, and
Maxine side by side. Mademoiselle de
Porhoet aroused herself moment, and,
taking Maxime's hand, placed 1t in that
sist. Thus hand in hand they stood
beside the deathbed. and when all was
over the notary handed to Maxine
a win made by Mile. de Porhoet giving
to him absolutely all the wealth which
she had once planned to expend upon
her cathedral Now Marguerite and
Maxine were equal in fortune and
now they were married. Whether they
lived happily ever afterward or not the
story does not say. But from the
character of Marguerite it is safe to
say that once In a while the perfect
harmony of their lives might have been
broken by just enough of a family
Jar" to make life interesting.
| Next weeks one-page classic will be
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
| from the Arabian Nights