River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-12-26


from the horrible position in which he -
placed. / can vouch for his honorable
ness.
.Yours gratefully
Il. de v"
After had read it / glanced at the
bearer, q young, MISUNDERSTANDING
mn
With slight tremor in his voice, he
said
= am In great trouble"
III see you are" replied; "and !
hear you are English. What brings
you here?"
He paused an instant, and, passing
his hand across his forehead, re-
peated:
i am in great trouble"
With a gesture, as if anxious to
throw off his secret, he continued:
MY name is Allen B, and my
father is one of the largest colliery
owners in the north Of England. Six
months ago / came to Paris to study
painting"
Again be paused, staring at me.
Then suddenly he asked:
DO | look like a sWindler-a sharp
err"
No: you do not Why do you ask"
because, a fortnight ago | rose in
the morning with an untarnished rep
utation, and. although I had commit
ted no wrong whatever, | went to bed
a disgraced man"
He was laboring under strong emo
ton; and as he remained silent, |
said:
Tell me what has occurred"
1T fell upon me like a thunderbolt,
at the house of Madame j, where
/ used to 20 once week for game
Of cards. was playing piquet, in
the smoking room, with a young fell
low called Bernard tt, and had
wen the first game. We had just be
gun the third, when Bernard jumped
up and shrieked:
u have caught you at last You
are cheatingl
The men at the other tables crowd
ed around us, and Madame j, her
daughter Genevieve, and their guests
came running in from the adjoining
drawing room attracted by the noise.
Il had grasped Bernard by the
throat, calling out, 'Retract what you
said, you villain, or | will kill you!'
They dragged him away from me.
lie was as white as sheet; and the
moment he had caught his breath, he
shook his fist at me, and bawled:
You say you'll kill me? You want
me to retract? | tell you, you are a
cheat, a dirty cheat, Gentlemen, ask
him to empty his pockets, here be-
fore YOU and you'll see whether / am
right"
4 put my hands in the pockets of
my smoking jacket, and pulled out a
dozen cards, corner-bent, like those
used by professional sharpers.
There was a moment of silence,
and then the Viscomte de st. - said
to me: This is a very serious affair.
Have you any explanation to offer?'
Then the horror of my situation
came upon me- / tried to rush at
Bernard, but they laid hold of me.
Frantic with rage, | shook them off,
Its lie! It's a lie!' | shouted
Gentlemen, this fellow, or some other
Rcoundrel, has-heavens knows why
slipped these cards into my pocket
1T is a fiendish trick some one has
played; and call upon those here who
know me to help to unmask the cow
ard who did it,
They looked at me in silence, and
after whispered consultation, the Wis
comte de ST. - spoke again:
Mr. b, think it will be best If
YOU and M. Bernard tt withdraw
for few minutes to allow us to dis
Cuss this matter, and decide on the
course to take.
Bernard went upstairs to Madame's
boudoir, and | to the drawing ROOM,
where / found Mademoiselle Genevieve
alone. For q while she took no notice
OF me as | nervously paced up and
down the room, but when | stopped she
remarked in a soft voice:
Monsieur Allen, am sure you are
Innocent
Il pressed her hand
God bless you, Mademoiselle Gene
We've: | shall never forget your conf
dence in me. But. since you do not
doubt me, | implore you to tell me
whether you have any suspicion, any
idea, as to who could have laid this
trop for me?'
she thought moment, and then re-
piled:
No, Monsieur Allen, have not the
faintest idea. | wish | could help
YOU
She looked up and / could read in
her eyes that she had spoken the
truth.
At that instant a gentleman asked
me to come into the next room. where
the Vicomte de st. - addressed me
as follows:
Having been the unwilling wit
nesses of this affair, we consider
1t our duty as gentlemen and
men Of the world. to prevent any un-
. necessary scandal. M. Bernard T
has accused you of playing unfairly,
which you deny. Marked cards have
been found in your pockets, and your
explanation is that some one had
placed them there. We now have
pledged ourselves not to divulge what
has occurred here this evening. so as
to give you time to r.fute this charge.
You can rely on our absolute discre-
.tion; and call upon NJ. Bernard T
to promise US not to breathe word
about this to any one
4 give you my word, said Ber-
nard.
:. tIris x,yordt, r axclaimad. shov, ,,,,,,h