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

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Everybody left, and l was on the sofa.
pretending to be asleep
Who's that?" / heard the vicomte
ask.
'Oh, it's chap from Limoges. He
came tonight for the first time" was
the reply.
l jumped up and said to the vi
comte:
Il want few moments converse
ton with you"
| He looked hard at me, and conduct
ed me to the next room. / took off
my wig; but before l could utter a
word, the vicomte placed himself in
front of the door.
Get away from there!" I command
ed. II am M. Goron. Don't attempt
any nonsense. or l call up my men.
and have you and your croupier taken
to the depot"
He could not suppose that I had
come unaccompanied, and silently took
a chair.
Perhaps you Will tell me what all
this means?" he asked.
Certainly. But first ring the bell
and send away your servants"
| My orders were obeyed..,
And now" / continued, follow me
into the card room."
led the way, and from the mantel-
piece took the fifth pack left there
when the vicomte had dealt the cards.
The croupier, who had remained be-
hind, moved toward the door
Come here!" | shouted 10 him.
Take off your coat and waistcoat, and
hand them to me-"
He did so, trembling with fear, and
out of several long pockets, lined
with velvet to deaden the sound,
took handful of counters.
"You scoundrel!" | said, 81 watched
you do this. And now, clear out;
want to talk to your master-and ac-
complete"
| handed the vicomte the pack OF
cards had taken up, and said:
Let me call them over to you with
my back turned Seven, nought, five,
nine, nought-I forget the rest; but
| think this ought to be enough. I
have seen the lightning Flash done
before. Do you want any more rea-
sons why | came here tonight?"
He seemed stunned. and shook hiu
head
Cannot this scandal be avoided?"
he asked.
Expect nothing from me, until you
have N1yhn s1hn
the Allen B affair at Madame
is. What was the object of that
conspiracy, and who is at the bottom
of it?"
He looked at me with cunning ex-
preston.
L think | see your game. Monster
Goron. Allow me to compliment you
on your skill. In other words, you
want me to make certain disclosures.
In that case, it is but right should"
gave him no time to finish his
sentence, but, Selling him roughly by
the arm. shouted:
Il arrest you, you scamp!"
What | expected happened. The
coward in him came to the fore. He
cringed and crawled, and then told
me he had instructed Bernard T
to slip the cards in poor Allen BIS
pockets.
Whose orders did you carry out?"
can Englishman's"
Harold W, or, in reality, Ed
ward K-?"
| He gave me a surprised glance.
Eyes"
| For what reason?"
II don't know, You can believe me.
1t is a secret between him and Allen
B, and / would never have done
ks hands. He compelled me to
do It,"
He put his statement down in writ
! ing, and then took me to his apart
ment, where, at my request, he hand
ed me two letters from Edward x.
was on the point of leaving when
l remembered Mademoiselle Marthe.
"Sit down again, and write note to
the police commissary in your district,
that you wish to withdraw your charge
against Marthe D"
The vicomte, who had given up feel
ing surprised at anything, wrote the
note, and handed it to me.
1t was six o'clock and broad day
light when / reached home. / at once
sent for Allen B.
"Who is Edward K-?" asked be-
fore he had even time to sit down.
| "a distant connection. Why?"
| tWhat object had he in disgracing
you?"
"He? Impossible-he belongs to a
first-class county family"
"Blow your county families Read
this!" and | handed him the vicomte's
statement
| I never thought it possible that de-
light and horror could be expressed
at the same time on anybody's face.
Allen B performed that extraordi.
nary feat. Then he shook me by both
hands until my arms ached, and ex-
claimed:
"What a scoundrel Who could
have dreamed this? Monsieur Goron, it
all dawns upon me now. Three years
ago that man proposed to lady to
whom I afterward became engaged.
She rejected him. and he"
"That will do. These are family sc.
crets. | don't want to know more
than can help Leave at once for
England This document and those
two letters will clear you, and If any
hodv Ivantc more information refer