The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-12-17

p0TnapS, you Will De SO BOOo d5 10 tell
US OF your previous visit here"
VERY well, madame" and Julie set
tied into q more comfortable posture.
1T was one day on the boat as was
looking down at the passengers or the
third class that / perceived Georges
M. Drouet-strolling about. was
bouleversee-what you call upset with
amazement, and then he looked up and
| our eyes met, and he came beneath
me and commanded that I meet him
that evening. 1t was then that /
learned his plan. 1t was to secure
those letters for him and to dispose Of
them" ...nN
ITO whom?" asked Godfrey.
ITO the person that would pay the
greatest price for them, most certain
ly," answered Julie, surprised that IL
should have been thought necessary to
| ask such q question. They were to
be offered first to madame at 10000
francs EACH should she refuse, they
were then to be offered to M. lie Due
he would surely desire to possess
| them!"
The yelled lady shivered q little, and
her hand instinctively sought her
bosom to assure herself that the prec-
| ious packet was safe.
THAT night" continued Julie, "in
| my cabin, / tossed and tossed, trying
to discover a way to prevent this; for
had seen long since that M. Drouet no
longer cared for mel knew that 1t
| was upon some other woman that
| money would be spent. / decided that,
| at the first moment, / would hasten to
this house; would explain the matter
| to M. Vantine, / would persuade him
to restore to me the letters, with which
I would fly to madame. 1 knew, also,
that could rely upon her gratitude, "
added the girl. After all, one must
rrnvfda for OnQaalfO
She paused and glanced around the
room, smiling at the interest In our
| faces.
you have at least one virtue-that
Of frankness," said the yelled lady.
Continue"
ut was not until evening that 1
found an opportunity to leave mad
ame," Julie went on. II fastened
there; rang the ball; but confess I
should have failed, ! should not have
secured an entrance, IL II had not been
| that 1t was my husband who opened
the door to me. Even after 1 was in
side the door. he refused to permit me
| to see his master; but as we were
debating together, M. Vantine himself
came into the hail, and / ran to him
and begged that he hear me. 1t was
then that he invited me to enter this
room"
She paused again, and a little shiver
| Of expectancy ran through me. At
last we were to learn how Philip Van
| tine had met his death!
IT sat down." continued Julie. Il
told him the story from the very be-
ginning. He listened with much in
| terest; but when / proposed that he
should restore to me the letters, he
hesitated. He walked up and down the
room, trying to decide; then he took me
| through that door into the room
L haVnn6
the center Of the floor. and all the lights
were blazing.
els that the cabinet? he asked me,
and when / said that most assuredly
It was. he seemed surprised.
1T is an easy thing to prove I
said. and / went to the cabinet and
pressed on the three springs, as 1 had
seen madame do. The little handle at
the side fell out, but suddenly he
stopped me.
Eyes, it is the cabined,' he said. I
see that. And no doubt the drawer
those letters do not belong to you. They
belong to your mistress. / cannot per-
nit that you take them away. for, after
all, do not know you. You may in
tend to make some bad use Of them
II protested that such a suspicion
was most unjust. that my character
was Of the best, that was devoted to
| my mistress and desired to protect her.
| He listened, but he was not con-
| WINGED. In the end, he brought me
back into this room. could have cried
| with rage!
Return to your Mistress he said,
and inform her that shall be most
happy to return the letters to her. But
1t must be in her own hands that I
place them. The letters are here, when
| ever it pleases her to claim them
Il saw that II was Of no use to argue
| further; he was of adamant So left
the house. he himself opening the door
for me. And that Is all that I know.
madame"
There was a moments silence; then
heard Godfrey draw a deep breath.
I could see that, like myself, he was
convinced that the girl was telling the
truth.
"of course" he suggested gently, "as
soon as you reached home you related
to your mistress what had occurred p
Julie grew little crimson.
mo, monsieur" she said, II told
her nothing"
II should have thought you would
| have wished to prove your devotion"
| went on Godfrey. in his sweetest tone.
II feared that. without the letters,
she would misunderstood my motives"
said Julie. sullenly.
And then, of course, without the
| letters. there would be no reward"
Godfrey supplemented.
Julie did not reply, but she looked
very uncomfortable.
The yelled lady rose.
Have you any further questions to
ask herr" she said.
mo, madame" said Godfrey. The
story Is complete
Julie resumed her veil, shooting at
Godfrey a glance anything but friendly.
The yelled lady turned to me and held
out her hand.
\ II thank you, Mr.. Lester, for your
kindness" she said. Come, julie" and
she moved toward the door, which Rog-
ers FASTENED to open.
Mr.. Hornblower nodded and passed
out after them, and Godfrey and were
left alone together.
We both sat down, and for a moment
neither OF us spoke.
Well" said Godfrey, at last. "Well!
what a story II would make! And
can't use 1t! It's a bitter reflection,
Lester!"
1T would certainly shake the pillars
of society," 1 agreed. I'm rather shak-
en- myself"
80 am II was all at sea for a
while-I was dumb with establishment
when heard you and the yelled lady
talking about the secret drawer-I
could see you laughing at me! I don't
know the whole story yet. How did she
happen to come to your"