The Elbert County tribune., 1916-04-28

on tne OCCASION OF our l6St encounter
certain things derogatory TO his char
acter. You refused to hear me. Lis
ten now! He has q reputation for
wildness second to none IN Paris. It
was to pay his gambling debts. debts
which he had concealed from his
grandfather from very shame. that he
sold the draft OF the Anglo-French
treaty to the triple alliance Doubt
less he has accused me"
And ! believe you did. liar and
thief" cried.
He only laughed.
IF you persist In your refusal to see
things as they are. Miss Ives" he
said with intense earnestness, then
| must abandon you to your fate.
only warn you that the net of evil
dence has been woven around him.
He cannot escape 1t. His arrest is
imminent Only you yourself can save
him. Say the word that will avail, and
will see to it that the vital evidence
Is missing. that he remains unscathed
Marry mel"
"Never!" 1 cried. "I loathe you and
despise you"
Il am unfortunately aware OF that"
he answered. Nevertheless, you shall
have the completest liberty. Until !
win your love shall never molest you.
You will be free to come and to go;
only ask you to go through the form
of the ceremony with me-"
You may plead forever" / an
swered, but you will waste your
breath do not believe word OF
your concoction of falsehoods. and. II
did, would not marry you"
Not to save Clichy?"
"How-how-?" | stammered
Marry me and. on the day of the
ceremony-as soon as the union has
been pronounced-I will present your
grandfather with q full and free re
lease"
you will induce your father to fore
go his revenge?" / cried. you lack
the power monsieur Not for thou
sand worlds would he be balked now,
after these years of echeming."
HE must" answered Leopold. 81
have him In my power. He knows It;
that is why he made terms with me-"
"How?"
Because | hold your bonds" he an
swered. You know their value now"
They are his; have sold them"
Anne" said by prosecutor. I'VE are
wasting words Can l never convince
you? Listenl Give me your solemn
promise to marry me and. on the morn
ing Of the ceremony l will restore Gil
chy to your grandfather. And the chew
alier shall go free"
,rio1
trying to pierce the tangled net OF
cunning that surrounded me. Give
me until tomorrow to make my de-
cision"
Suddenly he seized my hand.
"O Anne, be wise." he cried. 81 love
you; l worship you; you are the one
woman l have loved out of all who
have come into my life. You can re
deem me with your goodness. Marry
me and / swear to heaven that will
adore you, will be your slave. l will
consecrate my life to you. love you
Anne"
And falling at my feet, he poured
forth more impassioned plea to me.
1t was impossible to mistake the sin
cerity of his passion; l could not bu,
recognize that in this, at least. he was
not base. l turned away and left him
kneeling in the path.
In the hallway | met Charles.
feared that he would see my agitated
face, but his own was SO distressed
that | feared that the greatest of eor-
rows must have come to him.
THE comte!" i gasped; and then
noticed that in one hand he held q
can of kerosene.
MY monoplane." he answered wild
ly. II am going to burn her, Anne.
She shall never fall into his clutches.
she who bore us aloft that splendid
day"
81 took the can from him. Wait
until tomorrow. Charles" whispered.
Much may happen by then"
left him standing irresolute and
went up to my room and sat down in
a chair. l did not weep. My brain
was in a whirl, and thousand
thoughts and doubts oppressed me.
Magniff's threats, his infamous sugges-
tions as to the honor of my fiance, the
imminent loss of Clichy-all this pre-
sented aspects and ! strove dimly to
pierce to the heart of the problem
which confronted me.
If l married Magnin. Clichy would
at least be saved. That seemed the
chief consideration. My happiness
that of Charles. even, was nothing
compared to the preservation of the
old home that had withstood so many
vicissitudes. Other women, braver
than l, had sacrificed themselves in
the past for Chateau Clichy. Then
why not l. even though should kill
myself afterwards?
Then. in the midst OF these cogita-
tions there flashed into my mind, in
the most incongruous way. the mem