The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-04-08


saw you; no one could help loving
you"
Julia Redmond was irresistible. The
Comtesse de la Maine had remarked
her caprices, her moods, her sadness
She had seen that the good spirits
were false and, as keen women do
she had attributed it to a love affair
18th the Due de fremont. The girls
frankness was contagious. The Com
tess de la Maine murmured:
Il think the same of you, ma chere
vous etes charmante."
Julia Redmond shook her head. She
did not want compliments. The eyes
of the two women met and read each
other.
couldn't you be frank with me-
Madame? It is so easy to be frank"
It was, indeed, impossible for Julia
Redmond to be anything else. The
comtesse, who was only trifle older
than the young girl, felt like her
mother just then. She laughed.
But be frank-about WHAT"
"You see," said Julia Redmond
swiftly, II care absolutely nothing for
the Due de fremont nothing"
"You don't love him." returned Ma
dame de la Maine, with deep accentu.
alton. us it possible?"
The girl smiled.
"Yes. quite possible. I think he is
a perfect dear. He is a splendid
friend and l am devoted to him, but
don't love him at all, not at all"
"Ah!" breathed Madame de la
| Maine, and she looked at the Ameri.
can girl guardedly.
For moment it was like a passage
| Of arms between a frank young In
dian chief and a Jesuit. Julia, as it
| were, shook her feathers and her
beads.
"And don't care in the least about
being a duchess! My father made
his money in oil. l am not an aristo
crat like my aunt" she said.
"Then," said the Comtesse de la
Maine, forgetting that she was a
Jesuit, "you will marry Robert de
fremont simply to please your aunt?'
But nothing on earth would in
duce me to marry him." cried Julia
Redmond. That's what I'm telling
you, Madame. I don't love him!"
The Comtesse de Ia Maine looked
at her companion and bit her lip.
! She blushed more warmly than is per.
/ mitted in the Faubourg St.-Germain,
bu: she was young and the western
influence is pernicious.
II saw at once that you loved him."
said Julia Redmond frankly. That's
why I speak as l do"
The Comtesse de la Maine drew
back and exclaimed.
"Oh," said Julia Redmond, don't
deny it. I shan't like you half so well!
if you do. There is no shame in be.
Ing in love, is there?-especially when
the man you love, loves YOU"
The Comtesse de la Maine broke
down, or, rather, she rose high. She
rose above all the smallness of con
vention and the rules Of her French
formal education.
"You are wonderful" she said,
laughing softly, her eyes full of tears.
Twill you tell me what makes you
think that he is fond of me?"
But you know it so WE'LL" said
Julia. Hasn't he cared for you for
a long time?"
Madame de la Maine wondered just
how much Julia Redmond had heard,
and as there was no way of finding
out, she said graciously:
HE has seemed to love me very
dearly for many years; but i am
poor; I have child. He is am.
bilious and he is the Due de Ire.
mont"
Nonsense" said Julia. HE loves
you. That's all that counts. You
will be awfully happy. You will
marry the Due. de fremont, won't
you? There's a DEAR"
Happy" murmured the other wcm.
an, happy, my dear friend, l never
dreamed of such a thing!"
Dream of it now" said Julia Red
mond swiftly, "for it will come true"
CHAPTER XIX.