The Springfield herald., 1912-10-18

own. 1t was all the provision he could
make for her.
She laid the paper before Randolph
Mason. then she took newspaper
clipping out of her purse and held 1t
in her hand.
81 found the money packed in big
bills in the tin box. In few days
knew where my husband had got this
money"
Then she read the clipping. 1t was
an ordinary newspaper notice. recit-
ing the death Of the clerk of the court,
and the fact that sum of twenty-five
thousand dollars which had been paid
Into his hands could not be discov-
cred anywhere on deposit in any Of
the banks. This money he had re-
ceived under the following conditions:
The main line of the railroad belong
ing to the clerks father had con-
demned and taken the bottom lands
of the town for q freight yard. and.
the land owners refusing to take the
money allowed In the condemnation
proceedings and the circuit court not
being In session, the railroad had paid
1t into the hands of the clerk OF this
court.
The woman crumpled up the piece
of paper and threw 1t on the floor.
set her elbow on the table. pressed
her open hand once more against her
face and hurried on with her story.
my husbands once accounts were
gone over and this money could not
be found. He was presumed to have
spent 1t. 1 said nothing. 1t was
merely my one hundred thousand
francs with its interest returned to
me, and from the very one who. in
his own fashion. had taken 1t. was
glad. glad of this settlement by the
good God, glad to the very bottom of
my heart. made ready to return to
Paris, to Madame Duroque. to life.
Then I learned another thing"
She moved uneasily In her chair.
her voice sank lower. her fingers
tapped nervously on her face.
There was one honorable man in
this hideous village. From the very
day on which We arrived he did in
credible things to make life possible
for US. He got house, servants,
everything that long patience could
secure for our comfort. came to re-
gard him as an elder brother. My
husband would have been a common
drunkard but for him, and should
have been stark mad from dreariness.
Well. he came to me and said that he
was the surety on my husbands bond
as clerk of the court, that II the
money could not be found the rail-
road would force him to pay 1t. He
was not rich, 1t would take all he had.
He did not believe that my husband
had used the money; 1t ought to be On
deposit in some bank. or locked up in
a box In some trust vault. l set my
teeth down on my tongue and made
pretense Of helping in the search.
Months passed. remained in the
village, unable to decide between this
mans ruin and Madame Duroque."
For the first time in the torrent OF
words. the woman hesitated, her voice
became almost inaudible.
81 learned also in this time thing
that I had not suspected-that the
man loved me. oh. don't mean love
as / have seen 1t all my life long. the
passion of the hunter, hunger to be
fed, l mean something like religion
that carries your burdens for you and
is glad of it, that thinks of itself last.
A thing like the feeling OF that old
conscierge. Mon Dieu! l was mad
then! On tho heels Of 1t l learned
that Madame Duroque was i'll in a
house Of public charity in Paris. Then
1 took the money and ran away to
New York. This man discovered that
I had gone and followed me. ar
rived last night. He came, too, just
behind me to the Dresden. Oh, l was
mad, wholly. utterly. hideously mad!
Now that had decided against him,
wanted to hurt him, l wanted to do
him all the injury could. I wanted
him to believe me low. vile. common,
vulgar. Fate helped me-. l came to
the hotel in hanson with man
did not know. dined with him!"
Her voice went up strong again, al
most defiant.
There was no wrong in 1T. no act
ual wrong in 1t. I made the man get
out at the first landing and return in
the next car to the hotel ONCE; but,
don't you see, made him think was
bad"
She brought her two hands down
clsnched on the table.