The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-04


 1 he should seek her out and ask her tc provide for the youth Mime. Fauvel knew nothing of the fate of her son Her mother had removed him from h CT soon after his birth. She was filled with dismay at the sudden resurrec- tion of this, her old, unfortunate af- fair, and also with great yearning to see the child which had been the result of that old, old, dead love between her self and Gaston.
 At the same time she felt that now, in her ripened years, she esteemed her husband and her two sons by him be- yond all thoughts of injuring them through a revival of such an old scan dal. She was one of those women who never take decided step, who tempor ize, hoping that time will work out the solution. So she agreed to see Raoul and had submitted for many months to the extortons of De Clameran and her alleged son. The great dread that M. Fauvel would find out about her past "a threat which was constantly held over her-kept her in subjection.
 It had so happened that upon the oc- casion of the visit of De Clameran--- that visit upon which he made his first demands-Madeleine had been behind the portiere in an adjoining room and overheard the conversation between her aunt and the blackmailer As son as he was gone she had rushed into her aunts arms and. telling what she had heard and weeping upon her bosom. had sworn to help her to the utmost in | her great difficulty. The aunt and the niece then began contest as to which should sacrifice most. De Clameran lgrowing bolder after a time, demand cd that, as a price of silence, Made leine should become his wife. Even this was agreed to. Then Raoul and De Clameran decided to ruin Prosper so he could not by any possibility become an obstacle to the union of the Marquis with Madeleine. Madeleine hal given Prosper his conge when she first found out that De Clameran was determined 1 to marry her. But that was not enough--he must be ruined. So, also, | Rauol was beginning to get anxious and restless about the spoils-De Clam- eran was not dividing square. He got | the money and spent a larger part of it, but now that Louis had inherited his | brother Gastons great wealth, why should he not have all? To ruin Pros per and get Raoul into his clutches en- | tirely at one stroke De Clameran planned the robbery of the safe of M. | Fauvel.
 Raul, at the instigation of De Clameran, had gone to Mime. Fauvel at night and threatened to commit suicide unless he had three hundred thousand francs pre- tending he had lost that much gambling. De Clameran had arranged. as has been seen, by telling Prosper that he must have the money early In the morning that this sum should be in the safe.
 The night before Raoul and De Clame- ran had been at dinner given by Prosper in the apartments of Nina. Nina had re. preached Prosper for not loving her, and he had replied: Why, 1t is your dear name that now guards my employers money" That was how the conspirators knew the secret name which, as well as the possession of the key, was necessary to open the safe. They had all been drinking and Prosper hat' forgotten tnis incident-but Nina had remembered 1t and told Leeoq of 1t.
 Mme. Fauvel, mortified at the threats of Raoul. had said: There is no money in the safe, bu, here is the key, see for yourself" The two had gone down the private stairway into the room where the safe was. and, to the surprise of the weak Mime. F'auvel Raoul had turned the let ters so that the key opened the strong box AS she sas,t him ra ally going to Onnn .thn