The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-05-12
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TIE WIDOW
ER0UCE !.
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CHAPTER XXVI


What" he exclaimed, the Wis
count was at your house? Your grand
| mother, your companion, your SER
! wants, they all saw hun and spoke To
him?"
NO, sir: he came and left In Sc
he desired to be alone with me-
"Ah," said the magistrate, with
sigh of relief
The sigh signified: It's all clear
only too evident She is determined
{, TO save him, at the risk even of COM
promising her reputation. Poor girl!
| But has this idea only just occurred
| to her?"
The "Ah!" was Interpreted very
differently by Mademoiselle d'Arlange.
! She thought that M. Daburon was as
tonished at her consenting to receive
Albert
Your surprise Is an insult, sir"
said she.
"Mademoiselle!
"a daughter of my family, sir, may
receive her betrothed without danger
of anything occurring for which she
would have to blush.'
Il had no such insulting thought az
you imagine. mademoiselle," said the
magistrate. Il was only wondering
how M. de Commarin went secretly to
your house, when his approaching
marriage gave him the right to pre-
sent himself openly at all hours. /
still wonder, how. on such a visit,
he could get his clothes in the condi-
ton in which we found them"
THAT is to say, sir,'' replied Claire,
bitterly. that you doubt my word"
THE circumstances are such. made
moiselle-'
you accuse me. then, of falsehood,
sir. Know that. were we criminals,
we should not descend to justifying
ourselves; we should never pray nor
ask for pardon"
above all, mademoiselle," ne ans
wered, severely, Il am magistrate;
and have a duty to perform. A crime
has been committed. Everything
points to M. Albert de Commarin as
the guilty man l arrest him; 1 ex-
anime him; and I find overwhelming
proofs against him. You come and
tell me that they are false: that is
not enough. So long as you addressed
me as a friend, you found me kind and
gentle. Now, it is the magistrate to
whom you speak; and it is the mag
istrate who answers. Prove it.''
my word, sir
prove it."
Mademoiselle d'Arlange rose slowly,
casting upon the magistrate a look
full If establishment and suspicion.
Then, sir, help me to prove the
truth of what / have said. / will tell
you everything
M. Daburon was fully convinced
that Claire was seeking to deceive
him; but her confidence astonished
him. He wondered what fable she was
about to concoct.
"Sir." began Claire. you know what
obstacles have stood in the way Of
my marriage with Albert. The Count
de Commarin would not accept me
for daughter-in-law, because l am
poor, possess nothing. 1t took AL
bert five years to triumph over his
fathers objections. Twice the count
yielded; twice, he recalled his con-
sent, which he said had been exrorted
from him. At last. about month ago.
he gave his consent of his own accord.
But these hesitations, delays, refusals,
had deeply hurt my grandmother. You
know her sensitive nature; and. in
this case. must confess she was right.
Though the wedding day had been
fixed, the warehouses declared that
we should not be compromised nor
laughed at again for my apparent
haste to contract q marriage SO adj
vantageous, that we had often before
been accused of ambition. She de-
cided therefore. that, until the publ
cation OF the Danns. Albert snoulu Oh
ly be admitted inoo the house every
noon, and in her presence. We could
not get her to alter this determination.
Such was the state Of affairs. wnen,
on Sunday morning, a not came to
me from Albert. He. told me that
pressing business would prevent his
coming, although 1t was his regular
day. What could have happened to
keep him away? feared some evil.
The next day I awaited him impa-
Mently and distracted, when his valet
brought Schmidt a note for me. In
chat letter, sir, Albert entreated me
to grant him an interview. 1t was
necessary. he wrote. that he should
have a long conversation with me,
alone. and without delay. Our whole
future, he added, depended upon this
Interview. He left me to fix the DAY
and hour, urging me to confide in no
one. / did not hesitate. sent him
word to meet me on the Tuecday even
ing. at the little garden gate, which
OPENS into. an unfreaueg.ed street.
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