The Elbert County tribune., 1916-04-21

try. And here was, the guest OF
my grandfather and his widowed
daughter. and engaged to my half
cousin, Charles.
But for the present the engagement
was to be kept secret That in
sisted upon. l determined that would
win the hearts OF his relatives also be.
fore allowing him to present me to
them as his future bride. could not
but fear that the old comte might trent
him as he had treated my father.
On the third morning after my ar
rival | wrote to Mary Jenner. my
roommate In Winnipeg. for the frst
time since my departure
When tell you that am actually
In my grandfather's chateau" / wrote,
you VIII open your eyes wide, In that
taking way you have. and be glad that
| am not there to say. I told you so
For were you not the ringlcader In the
conspiracy to keep me at home till the
close of the school year. when we
were to make up party to see Eu-
rope? And. Mary dear ] do hope that
scheme has not fallen through. Come
to France. and royal welcome awaits
you
Have you pursued your acquaint-
ance with little Mr.. Spratt? Poor lit
tie mani ! have not yet glanced in
side the covers OF the monumental
work OF his upon the Code Napoleon,
which he presented to me so proudly
at the moment of my departure. Be
good to him, Mary. and make man
Of him. He's timid with ladies'. 80
don't be afraid to give him encour-
| agement.
And now you'll want to know about
Castle Clichy. Mary. 1t is the very
quaintest place-all early Norman.
with bastions and moats and battle
ments, set in the midst OF an enor.
nous park. and most delightfully."- feud.
al. But by the time you receive this
II won't be In the possession of our
family any longer. Fancy being turned
out of your home after you have in.
hsbited 1t for eight hundred yearsi
But we're wretchedly poor and In the
hands of an INSCRIPTIONS banker, one
! Magnln by name who owns mort.
gage on us. and unless we can obtain
twelve thousand francs-$2 40O-with.
In few days. to meet the interest.
| Clichy passes out OF our hands forever.
| This Magniff is the most avaricious
scoundrel imaginable. except his son.
| who's worse, Mary, he's agreed to pay
me $4,000 for those bonds of mine
you always laughed about. when the
| safe is opened next week. And so
thought | might just as well pay OF
the interest on the mortgage out of IT,
| wrote to him. asking him to advance
me $1,000. and he curtly refused He
has grudge against my grandfather
and means to turn him out of his
home. went to Paris to plead with
him. and he sent out word he would
not see me. Think OF 1t; my grandpa
ther must lose his property when. less
than week afterward, shall receive
enough money to have saved 1t many
times over! Well. I've done my best
and there's no use crying over 1t now.
| Come to France. Mary. and all OF
you. right soon. | embrace you and
salute you, as we French say.
"P. s. I'm quite French nowi"
| did not convey in this letter tho
sense of impotence. the burning anger
with which the bankers conduct had
inspired me. When had proposed to
my grandfather that he let me meet
the interest due out OF the proceeds
| from the bonds. he seemed to realize
the futility of the attempt
Its no use, my little Anne" he said.
81 thank you from the depths OF my
heart. But you will be beating against
a granite wall. Magniff means to have
Clichy. and he won't advance you .
penny until the vault is opened. Then.
nothing can be done"
And. as l have described In my let
ter to Mary, beat in vain against the
granite wall of Magniff's vindictive
hatred. Now we were already setting
our affairs in order, packing our few
cherished mementoes, ready to leave.
There was pitifully little that ws
could take with us. The castle was In
deed. as Magniff had SO graphically
portrayed 1t. 'as bare as hounds
tooth" All the furnishings of It's sew
en- and forty rooms had long since dis
appeared, save those of the half dozen
in the right wing where we lived, at
tended only by old servants who would
not be dismissed. Costly pictures, tap
estries. armor. whole sets OF Sevres.
had gone into the NAV OF Magnif. be-
ing eacrificed to meet the ever-recur.
ring indebtedness. For twenty years
ever since the failure of the original
Panama company had ruined the comta
this process Of depletion had been
continued. Now our sparse furniture
would barely have accommodated .
family in six-room fat.
But they shall never take our mono
plane" said the chevalier, as we stood
within the hangar and looked at the
gigantic. graceful bird, which seemed
| To Rnat airllY nnnn the nIanLinn that