The Springfield herald., 1913-01-31


room.
have seen some
handsome women. but never one to
approach her. A lovely. graceful fig-
ure. her golden hair like an adreole
round the shapely head.
Pray take seat" said. what
can do for. you?"
She sat, or rather dropped. down
into the projected armchair, trembling
from head to foot, convulsed ty sobs.
] pretended to look over some papers
to give her time to recover. Then.
after two or three Intellectual attempts
to speak, she said: g.,
81 am Madame R; my name,
think, is not aRfpAwn to you"
l nodded. for 1 had often seen 1t
among those OF our brilliant society
women.
"But"-and then, she again burst
into tears-"I am lost, lost! What
shall l do unless you help me?"
Calm yourself" said, holding
glass Of water to her lips, the tumbler
clicking against her small white teeth.
She rocked herself to and fro. and
then. after violent effort, unfolded
her tale-the old, old tale of wom-
ans folly and mans wickedness. In
low voice she began:
II will not trouble you with the
story Of my wretched youth, in lone
iy country house, my father always
away In. Paris on some business or
other. and myself given over to the
Nf
aunt. supposed to replace my mother,
whom 1 have never known. When
was nineteen l married NJ. R.
hardly knew him. but longed to get
away from the maddening. dull life in
that melancholy country house. with
no other company than that Of my
old aunt, and a few old ladies of the
same stamp"
She clenched her little fists. and,
fixing her eyes on me with frighten-
ed stare:
Monsieur Goron," she cried. you
come across terrible misery and trou-
BILE, but none of the wretched beings
whom 1t is your duty to arrest can be
any worse than those who deliber-
ately wrecked a woman's life. The
scoundred, the scoundrel-"
She had risen from her chair.
My marriage" she continued, was
farce. a grotesque farce. My ia
Their had neglected me: horses, wom-
en-, the baccarat engrossed him. Two
days after my wedding. l realized
what marriage would mean to me! My
husband. as you know, is a distinguish
ed antiquarian"
She paused a moment, with her
hand to. her throat. and then resumed:
II rank after the old coins and
musty manuscripts on which he
wastes his money and time. Again !
was left to myself, but l was free;
and, with money at my command.
plunged ipto the so-called pleasures OF
society. II only God had given me a
child, darling could have loved. all
this misery would have been spared
me. But that, too. had been denied
me. Courted and fattered. had plen-
ty OF opportunities to console myself
like many ladies' of my acquaintance
but had the strength to resist.
have a letter my mother wrote to me
nineteen years ago, when she knew
she was dying, wherein she exhorts
me, when grow up. to think Of her
and act rightly. have always this
letter with me. 1t il talisman.
But"
She stopped and looked away.
II can guess" said soothingly,
"only tell me what brings you here,
and what can do for you"
She shuddered, as II in recollection
of something nauseous.
Yes, you can guess met him at
Trouville last summer. and was fas-
cinated by his looks and his manner.
/ forgot all; my mothers letter. my
good resolutions. all, all, all! I
only thought of him. loved and
thought was loved For the first
time in my wretched existence 1 knew
what happiness meant. And then"
But only inarticulate sounds came
from her
Monsieur Goron," she cried, that
man Ia a monster, a fiend. found out
his treachery and told him would
never look at him again. But he holds
me in his grasp. wrote him four let
tiers, and what letteTS! Anu, uuuef
the threat of delivering them to my
husband, he has already had three
thousand pounds from ne. He wants
another four hundred. by tomorrow
night. ! have no more money at my
bank. and have parted with all my
Jewels. What am l to do, what. am l
to do? If you do not help me IN my
trouble and rid me of that man. l
shall be disgraced, and must kill my
self. And want to live. to expiate.
to repent, and earn my mothers for
eivene... want to live. Monsieur
Goron, will not die! In the name of
your mother, save mel" She stopped.
She was quite exhausted.
The poor woman's case was. unfor-
tunately, not an exceptional one. Black
mailers-of both sexes-carry out
their nefarious trade in every class Of
society. Success, in fact, emboldens
them; for 1t is rarely that the VIC
tins, unless driven to despair. like
Madame R, have the courage to
come forward.
,"My dear madame,"iI said. Il see no
cause for alarm. That man is COM
mon blackmailer. and, before this eve