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

, i....s.ht ruin her own hopes with regard
Il that gentleman. would at least wrealS
h.,r vengeance upon him who had re-
! fused her love. But he knew that f;e--1f-
, -.ne hate is not calculating-that it
! ell adventure everything recklessly,
nd waited on her part for the nes,
rapid and blindest of vengeance-a-s
re was not disappointed
A considerable company was gathered
in the chateau one afternoon when the
question of what carriage should be
used to take some of them to a ball at
a neighh oring castle came up. 1t was
decided that the american" carriage
should bc ordered out, and Marguerite,
turning abruptly to Maxine, said:
] Monsieur Odiot. go tell them to har-
ness up" She gave the order insult
ingly, abruptly and turned her back.
/ Mnxime rang the bell. A servant came.
Il believe Mile. Marguerite has some
orders for YOU" he said. Marguerite
. listened in the utmost surprise, and
with a nod of her head motioned the
servant away. NJ. de Belavan stood
; looking on with an insulting air. Upon
my word" he muttered. this is odd"
Marguerite said something to him in
low voice, and De Bevallan replied:
) 4 bow to your wishes, Mademoiselle.
. though 1 regret not having the right
to interfere" Maxine walked up 60
him and said: The regret is super
huous since, although I have not seen
J tit to obey Mademoiaelles commands,
F; ) am entirely at your service and shall
expect to hear from you" Nothing
could be better replied NJ de Beval-
Ian with bow--and Maxine left the
room.
: duel would have relieved Maxi1nes
Feelings. But there was no duel. That
e"ening came to him in his apartments in
the tower NJ. de Bsvallan. who said: .erbls
proceeding is somewhat irregular. but
heaven be praised-my record places nv
courage beyond question. In short am
this evening enjoying a degree of salts
faction that leaves no room in NV heart
for enmity or revenge. l am obeying the
order of her who has just promised to be
ny wife when / come to you and offer
you my hand" Maxine bowed gravely
and they shook hands.
II was HOT long after that-only a day
or so-when Maxine. riding out into the
country, came across Marguerite riding
toward the ancient ruin in the neighbor-
hood-the Tower of Elven. She greeted
him smilingly and cordially and he turned
MS horse and rode with her to the ruin.
They left their horses outside the great
gate of the castle and together, in happy
converse, explored it's recesses. AS night
began to fall they remembered themselves
and went down to the gateway. only to
md that the caretalSer who had charge Of
the ruin had closed and locked the en-
trance, being ignorant of their presence
within. They sought for some other means
of esress, but found none. 1t grew dark
rapidly. In vain Maxine shouted and
called from a window. No one heard.
Marguerite, as it grew darker was sud-
denly obsessed with her old suspiciol1s
spirit. She fancied that Maxine had
planned this trap, and turning fiercely
upon him. exclaimed: Monsieur de Mar
quis de champecy d'Hauterive, were there
many towards in your family before
you?'
Maxine tried to reason with her. but
she was furious. When he said: Mar
guerite, my poor girl, listen to me. 1t is
true I love you and never did love more
ardent, more unselfish, more sacred enter
human heart. And you love me in return.
You love me. wretched girl, and you are
killing me. But by my honor | swear to
you that, though you fell on your knees
before me, I should never marry YOU un-
less you were as poor as l or as rich
as you. And now pray God to perform
a miracle-for it is time' He left her
and, going to window, reached out with
his riding whip and pulled toward him
the topmost branches of a tree which
grew in the moat. Selling it he leaped
forth. The limb broke and he landed on
the ground, breaking his arm. But the
slight resistance OF the upper limb had so
broken his fall that he was not killed.
AS he lay for moment in the moat he
heard Marguerite exclaim in agony:
Maxine! Maxine! for PHYS sake in the
name of the good Father pardon me-
He arose and told her to be patient for
an hour only-he would send rescue And
be assured" added he. ST will keep your
secret and will save your honor, as l
have just saved 1nine'
He mounted his horse and rode back to
tho chateau. There he found the family
In anxiety regarding the absence of Mar
guerite, Maxine said that, as he rode
out that afternoon he had met her and
she had said she was riding to the Tower
of Elven-had they looked for her there
He tried to mount his horse to accom-
pany the search which set out. but faint
ed, and doctor who was present de-
clared upon examination that he had a
broken arm. "Why, my horse, as | was
mounting, threw me and stepped on it,
said Maxine, but had no idea it was
SO serious" They rescued Marguerite, and
Maxine was laid up for a week with his
broken arm. Meantime the preparations
for the wedding OF Marguerite and NJ de
Bevallan went on. FASTENED by the fact
that the old privateer up stairs, NJ La
rogue. was evidently nearing his end. In
order that some legal affairs might be set
tied before the marriage, Nine. Laroque
brought to Maxine a mass of papers
which she had. without her father-in-
laws knowledge, taken from his desk.
Among them Maxine found one which
caused him the greatest establishment.
1t was document signed by Richard
Savage, and deposed that he had been
steward of the Marquis de Champecy
d Houterive in the West Indian possess