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

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/ girl would occasionally regard him in
tently, he knew the governess had made
good her threat. But no word came
| from Marguerite to betray the fact of
her new knowledge OF the steward. As
for Madame Laroque, Maxine had been
for some time pretty we'll assured that
she was in the possession of his secret,
but he saw that his rank was news to
Marguerite. Madame Laroque, he was
convinced, had been told of the real
personality of her steward by old Ma
demoiselle de Porhoet. And this is how
Mademoiselle de Porhoet knew.
| One evening, as the company at the
chateau sat at cards and Maxine was
playing partners with the old Made
moiselle, that stately old maid had said
to the local physician VINO was Of the
card party and had rather ridiculed the
old ladys literal castles in SPAIN:
That Spanish wealth is mine and it
shall build my cathedral. Never with
my consent shall it go to people WHO
are as unconnected with my family as
.
eating Maxine by a nod of her head.
Now, Maxine knew that in previous
centuries the Porhoet-Gaels and his
own family had several times inter-
married, and before he thought he
blurted out: 'As far as 1 am con-
cerned, mademoiselle, you are mis-
taken, for my family has had the honor
to be connected with yours, and vice
versa" The old lady bent her pointed
chin over her cards and changed the
subject. But when she left the chateau
that night for her walk home-the poor
old gentlewoman could not afford to
ride-she asked Maxine to escort her.
As they walked across the park saa
was silent-and SO was Maxine. Final
ly she exclaimed: well, speak, mon
sieur; am waiting. You said that
your family had been connected with
mine and an alliance of this kind forms
for me quite a novel incident. / shall
lie greatly obliged if you will throw
more light upon it,"
Maxine tried to say that his remark
was jest. but the stern old gentlewoman
would not admit the subterfuge. And
pray, monsieur, how do you character
lie such jest, uttered in the presence
of poor, unprotected old woman -
Maxine. trapped, confessed all to her.
but begged that she would keep h.s
secret. He entered her ancient dwoi.-
ing and they talked long. She called
him cousin. But as to keeping his
secret she would not promise. She was
evasive and he was convinced that she
had told Nine. Laroque. From some
thing that Mademoiselle Helouin had
said in her anger he was sure that
her knowledge of his rank had been
attained by the simple expedient of
listening at the kephole when Made
moiselle Porhoet and Nine. Laroque
had been talking privately together.
TO Mademoiselle de Porhoet Maxine
conflded his love for Marguerite, aiiu
also the resolution never to offer her
his hand unless she was as poor as he
or he as rich as she.
Sc matters stood when one day Maxine
and Marguerite went out for a walk
The whole place is beautiful and pic
tuIesque," said Marguerite Maxine i'm
politely complimented Marguerite upon
at last finding something to admire and
praise in beautiful things.
She turned on him with: 81 hate-I
r,ean to hate-everything that Is beau
thul-cverything that is lovely. God has
placed in my heart all the treasures that
have desired-that ] curse every hour
OF the day. But when He punished me
by heaping wealth upon mo He with
drew with one hand what He had
lavished on me with the other. or what
avail is my beauty? OF what avail the
tenderness, the enthusiasm that ] feel
burning within me? All 1t is not to
those charms that the homage of the
roor weddings who poster me is adj
dressed. feel it'll know it'll know it
only too well. And IL some disinterested,
heroic soul should ever love me for what
am and not for What / am worth--t
should not know it'll should not believe
IL. Eternal distrust--that is my portion
my 'punisiiment. So il is settler | shall
never love. Never shall / risk wasting
,iron base. unworthy. yenal heart the
rure passion that burns in my breast.
Well, am resigned But everything that
is everything that makes me
dream, everything that speaks to me Of