The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-10-17
CHAPTER XIV.
II
Won--and Lost.

DOuTly at HE.
You seem-temporarily-to have
h advantage of me, M. Hewlett" hi
said. II respect your ~pertinacity, anC
now at last / am content In having
discovered the motive Of your enter.
prise. / thought you were hired by
Carson. IL you had been frank with
me we might have come to an under.
standing long ago.
"You may leave us, Nine. d'Eper-
nay" he said to J~acqueline. "No
doubt your absence will spare your
Feelings, for we are going to be frank
IN our speech"
Il thank you for your consideration,
M. Leroux," replied J%acqueline, and
walked quietly out Of the room.
Leroux sat down heavily.
Il will put down my cards." he said.
Il have you here in my power. / have
four men with me. This ~dotard"-he
glanced contemptuously at old Du-
ehaine-"has no bearing on the situa-
ZION. You can, Of course, kill me; but
that would not help you. Where is
Louis d'Epernay?"
II have never seen the man." I re-
piled.
keroux glanced incredulously at me.
II don't know why you are lying to
me-" he said. SIT is not to your ad-
vantage. You must have known that
she was in New York; Louis must
have told Carson, and he must have
told you. And Louis mus have told
you the secret Of the entrance, I'M
less" ,'r
Listen TO mer / cried f~uriously.
Il will not be ~badgered with any more
questions. 1 have told you the truth.
/ met Nine. d'Epernay by accident,
and I escorted her toward the chateau
and followed her after you kidnapped
her, to protect her from YOU"
HE scowled at me ferociously, and
then ne began studying my face. /
returned stare for stare. Finally he
banged his big fist down upon the
table.
"Well, 1t doesn't matter" he said,
because whatever your purpose you
cannot do any harm. And you under
stand that she Is a married woman.
so you will, no doubt. agree to take
your money and departT
II shall 90 If shA-@~n~- ~S co go
Y answered; but even while I spoke my
heart sank, for I had little hope.
"That Is easily settled" answered
Leroux. III will bring her back and
yOu shall hear the decision from her
own lips"
He left the room, and I sat there
alone beside the dotard, listening to
the click of the ball and the chink
af the coins and the o of the twin
cataracts above.
There had been q sinister smooth
ness In Leroux's latest mood. did
not trust the man, for all his blunt
ness. / suspected something, and /
hid not intend to relax my guard.
Leroux came back with Jacqueline
before / could decide.
"If you bid him, madame, NJ. Hew-
sett Is willing to take his departure"
said Leroux to her. as 1t your wish
that he remain OF gor
-Oh, I want you to go, monsieur"
said Jacqueline, clasping her hands
pleadingly.
@Are you saying this Of your own
free VIII, Jacquelinef" / cried.
She nodded. and I saw Simon's evil
face creased with suppressed mirth.
I rose up. "Adieu, then, madame"
said. "But first permit me to restore
the money that / have been keeping
for ycu." And ! took out my pocket
book.
II do not understand you in the
beast now, nj. Hewlett" he exclaimed.
-You are to keep the money. ! do not
20 back upon my bargains"
ut is not. however, your money"
i retorted, though I knew that 1t soon
would be. Naturally I do not carry
eight thousand dollars about with
me-. / shall give you a check"
Leroux burst into loud laughter and
elapped me heartily upon the shoulder.
~Paul Hewlett" he said with genu-
fne admiration, "you are good as n
play. Well. let us take your check,
and It shall be accepted In full settle
ment." He winked at me and thrust
Ms tongue into his cheek.
/ was too sick at heart to pay at
bention to his b~uffoonery. I sat down
Il the table and, taking up q pen
which lay there. wrote q check for
eieht thousand dollars, making It out
- Jacqueline d'Epernay. This ] hand
"a to her.
1Adieu, madame" I said.
sAdieu, monsieur" she answered al
most inaudibly, her head bent low.
/ went out Of the room. still grip
plnx my pistol. and ] took r to let
GSmon see ID as we descended the
etsirs side By side. The noisy laugh
ser ii the ballroom had ceased. but !