Charlevoix county herald., 1919-06-20

face before my eyes.
The room was completely dark. 1
heard Leroux tramp In and his voice
mingllng with the click-click or the
ball in the rouette wheel
"Who is here2" he demanded.
81 am" answered Jacqueline.
"Maudit !" he burst out explosively.
"Where is d'Epernay? / am tired OF
waiting for him"
81 have told you many times that
I do not know" answered Jacqueline.
"How long will you keep up this
pretense. madameT cried LerouI an
grily. "What have you to gain by con-
cealing the knowledge Of your husband
from mel"
IN. Leroux, why will you not be-
lieve that l remember nothing| an
swered Jacqueline. After my father
had turned NJ. Louis d'Epernay out Of
his home, whittier he had come to beg
money to pay his gambling debts, you
brought him back. You made my ia
Their take him back In. He wanted to
had no love for him. But you insisted
should marry him, because he had
gained you the entrance to the seign-
Tory and helped you to acquire your
power over my father"
go on" growled Leroux, biting his
lips. perhaps l shall learn some
thing"
Nothing that you do not already
know, monsieur" she flashed out with
spirit. my father came here, long
ago, a political fugitive, in danger Of
death. You knew this, and you played
upon his fears. You drained him Of
his last penny, and then offered him
ten thousand dollars TO gamble with
in Quebec, telling him Of the delights
of the city and promising him immu-
nity" the girl went on remorselessly.
"And for this he was to assign his
property to Louis, thinking, of course
that he could soon make his fortune
at the tables. And Louis was to marry
me, and in turn sell the seigniory to
you. And so l married Louis under
threat of death to my father.
"Oh, yes, monsieur, the plan was
simple and well devised. And l knew
nothing of 1t. But Louis d'Epernay
blurted 1t all out to me upon our
wedding night. think the shame Of
knowing that l had been sold to him
unhinged my mind, for / ran out into
the SHOWS.
snow you know all, monsieur, for
remember nothing more until l found
myself travelling back with NJ. Hew-
lett In the sleigh. You say was In
New York. Well, / do not remem-
Der 1t.
And as for Louis d'Epernay, know
nothing Of him-but l will die before
he claims me as his wife !"
And then l had the measure Of Lee
roux. He laughed and he beat down
her scorn with scorn.
you have underestimate your
price, madame" he sneered. "Slnce
you have learned so much / will tell
you more. You have cost me twenty
thousand dollars, and not ten; for be-
sides the ten thousand paid to your
father Louis got ten thousand also,
upon the signing Of the marriage con-
tract. So swallow that, and be proud
of being priced so high And the
selgniOry is already his, and am
waiting for him to return and sell me
the ground rights for twenty-five thou
sand more, and IL / know Louis
d'Epernay he will not wait very long
to get his fingers round It."
"Listen to me, Simon Leroux," said
Jacuueline. standing up before him. as
indomitable in spirit as he. "All your
plots and schemes mean nothing to
me. My only aim is to take my father
away from here, from you and NJ.
dEpernay, and let you wrangle over
your spoil. There are more than four
legged wolves, M. Leroux; there are
human ones, and, like the others,
when food Is scarce they prey upon
each other"
"Pardieu, like your spiriti" ex-
claimed Simon, staring at her with
frank admiration.
And Jacqueline's head dropped then.
Unwittingly Simon had pierced her
defenses.
But he never knew, for before he
had time to know the graybeard rose
upon his feet and rubbed his thin
hands together. chuckling.
Never mind your money. Simon"
he said. I'm going TO be richer than
any Of you. Do you know what l did
with that ten thousand7 I gave It to
my little daughter, and she has gone
to New York to make our fortunes at