Middletown transcript., 1914-08-15

t1V1ty for the Comte d'YVes.
One day, when was almost well,
suddenly thought Of the bonds which
had brought back from Corsica;
those famous bonds without which this
history would never have been written
4 nor Charles and ever have met.
asked for them, and Charles mother
who had been anticipating such a re
i quest, rose and brought them to me
from the drawer Of her escritiore.
as it not strange" said, that Mag
niff has not inquired for them? Or has
1 he?"
Charles looked at his mother inquir.
| ingly, and she nodded her head. "TeIl
her, Charles" she said.
"Magniff will be here tomorrow" he
answered. Then he will require
them"
] "But what is he coming for besides p
| asked. And then the dreadful
knowledge flashed over me. For Gil
chy?" demanded.
4 Charles nodded. "The interest fell
due yesterday" he answered. There
is no hope of meeting it, Anne. Clichy
must pass out of our hands; we have
grown, in a way, reconciled to the loss
and have already planned our future.
We have packed everything and start
tomorrow evening for Paris"
HAS not the tragic death of his son
softened him ?" asked.
Charles laughed. 'Tt has embit-
tered him." he answered. ''The fact is,
Anne, he has aged greatly during the
past month; he seems to be approach
ling a mental and physical breakdown;
but with the death of Leopold he has
concentrated all his thoughts upon the
fulflment of his long ng-cherished re-
venge for the affronts which he claims
my grandfather put upon him so many
years ago. have pleaded with him to
make some arrangement which would
leave Clichy to US. Some of our for
eign investments have turned out un-
expectedly profitable and would per-
NIT us to take a new mortgage and
keep up the estate. But Magnifrs sole
thought is his revenge-and so, to-
morrow, Clichy surrenders to the
enemy for the first time in her his
tory"
Il could not restrain my tears. "If
only l had not sold him the bonds"
said. Charles, grandfather, can such
bargain hold, seeing that did not
know the incalculable value that they
were to him? Why, 1 could have OBJ
tanned millions. You told me that he
must have the bonds to deliver to the
American government; that they are
already sold. Why, could have bank
rupted him"
THE word of the DIVES has never
been withdrawn, Anne" answered my
grandfather. What the law is, mat
ters nothing. You sold the bonds; un-
less the sale itself were invalid in law,
it were better to lose Clichy than to
try to reclaim them upon the grounds
you mention"
But" said angrily, "he owes me
$4,000 francs for the bonds-the price
at which l sold them. Can he not be
made to pay this before we lose Clichy,
SO that we can meet the interest upon
the mortgage?"
Charles shook his head sadly. "Un-
der the law" he said, che need not pay
for the bonds until the forInalities con-
nected with their transfer have been
completed. That is the reason why
he has not asked for them before. He
does not mean to pay for them before
Clichy is his. You appealed to him up
on this subject once before in vain.
And we-well, I asked him again fruit
lessly"
We said no more. wished to leave
before Magniff's arrival, but the 9TH
ers vetoed this proposition emphatic
ally.
I'VE must stay and surrender in per-
son. Anne" they told me. Wen haul
down our flag"
And so, the following afternoon, we
sat in the reception room awaiting
the old bankers arrival.
He came at two o'clock It was the
first time that he had set foot in Gil
chy in some five and twenty years,
and he did not conceal his sense of
triumph. Shocked as l was at the
change in him-for he presented the
aspect Of extreme old age-I could not
but feel disgust at the insolence of his
bearing, at the scarcely yelled con-
tempt with which he treated US. His
first word was as to the bonds; and
when had handed them to him, he
scrutinized them for long, reading each
letter carefully, as though to assure
himself that I had not tricked him
with a forgery. At last, satisfied, he
handed me his receipt.
eff you will send me your future ad- |
dress, mademoiselle," he said blandly, |
"a check for fifty thousand francs will |
be sent to you within week upon the
conclusion of the legal formalities."
And he sat back and gloated and
rubbed his thin hands together, chuck
ling over our discontinue.
My indignation overcame my DOW
ers Of repression. I could not hold |
back the words that poured forth from
my lips.
$50 you have achieved your life pur-
pose, your long-sought revenge"
cried. you turn an old man from his
home, the home Of his ancestors dur
ing eight hundred years-and for some
fancied slight in the long past. Well,
make the most Of your triumph during
the few years of life remaining for
you. But when he meets you before
the judgment seat Of the Almighty,
how will you justify yourself? Hasn't
life taught you anything? It's hard
enough for all, but unless it teaches
forgiveness and justice, compassion