The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-27
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XVTHEN his father died the world
M O. Maxine 0diot, Marquis OF
w Champecy d'Hauterive, came
trmblns about his ears. Reared in lux
ury. heir OF sn ancient name and of vast
estates. he had no idea. until the blow
fell of how that name lad been long
known 10 the financial world as that Of q
falling mouse OF how these estates had
been encountered. Owing % what he had
tier considered a within OF his mothers =.
hut which ne now knew 10 be a desire
arising from her knowledge OF the family
Frances, Maxine had studied law, but
lad never practlccd it. and had been
travelling and enjoying himself in the
best and gayest society of the European
capitals when he was summoned home to
see his father die. He had gone TO the
family man OF business. NJ. Laubepin. in
Paris. rather haughtily. as a young noble
man OF splendid prospects should, to in
cure after his affairs. and had been dazed
when The lawyer had told him that he
not only had nothing coming to him from
the estate of his father but that by ac-
oepting the estate he had. according to
French law. made himself liable for some
$1,000. that being the amount which would
remain due the creditors after everything
wag sold out even under favorable cir
cumstances.
But the notary added that Maximes
mother. prior TO her death some years
before, had placed in his hands jewels
to the value of $4,000 to be sold for the
tcneht of her son and her daughter,
Helene, a young girl now in a convent
school in Paris. I'm order to avail our
selves of this insignificant sum- said M.
Laubepin. 1--WE shall make use of the
legal subterfuge which l shall now have
the honor to submit to you. Monsieur lie
Marquis" Maxine had by this time got
his wits sufficiently together to think
conneetediy and replied: "lt is useless,
NJ Laubepin, l am only too happy to be
able, by the aid of this unexpended BAR
ance, to pay off my fathers Indebtedness
entirely and l shall ask you to use it in
that way.
$50 be it, returned the notary dryly,
land I would impress. upon you that in
TINS event lke lpIluHt VI SO1iSCtl anu
sister will combined amount to 5000 or
less. Maxine bowed. "And what do
you propose to do for a llving?" asked
Laubepin. The young man stared at
him blankly. why something-any
thing" was all he could say helplessly:
II am lawyer, you know" Hum" re-
Piled Laubepin, Monsieur lie Marquis
~,
puElic?r No replied Maxine frankly,
81 doubt if I could utter two consecu-
tive sentences in public on any subject"
Clearly the young man would not sue
coed as a lawyer Then III. Laubepin an
rouneed in business-like manner that
he had already two propositions to lay
before his client.
One was from a promoter who wanted
the use of his name to float speculative
financial concern. and the other was from
a rich bourgeois who wanted him as a
husband for his daughter Both PROPOSE
tsons were rejected by Maxine with
ecorn. And by the way. NJ. Laubepin,"
said he. Il am no longer the Marquis
Cbampecy dHauterive-I am henceforth
simply Maxine Odiot" The old notary
war. delighted; called the youth Maxine
and told him that he had still another
proposition which in a few days he would
lay before hin-one which, he thought,
would meet with his approval. Also he
said that some of his fathers creditors
were extortioners, and that by springing
the terror of the law upon them he would
increase the little remnant which would
come to the two children of the late
spendthrift. his father
Then Maxine went back to his Paris
garnet and tried to think things out.
On one thing he was determined. He
1ene should never know of the utter
collapse of the family fortunes; he
would somehow &c to make
enough to- keep her for few years
more at the convent If he starved HIM
self in the attempt. lie had not much
money with him when he came to
Paris, and what he had soon gave out.
He found himself absolutely penniless-
he who @. few months before had led a
dance In the palace of grand duchess
and was hungry. He went TO the
house of Laubepin to ask for a small
advance and found that worthy man
gone out of town-gone to Brittany.
There were many people whom he
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