The Pulaskian. (Pulaski Heights [Little Rock], Ark.) 1915-1929, 1920-02-27


call 1t within. r."
mo, shall never be your wife"
said Madeleine quietly.
Brousseau swung upon Hilary.
"Somc day I'll get you, you lying
dogi' he swore, and raised his hand
overwhelmingly.
Madeleine darted between them.
"You cowardT she cried. '.You cow
ard, to threaten wounded man, whom
you do dare not look in the face In
anger when he is well /"
Brousseau shrugged his shoulders
and turned toward the door. The ma
lignant smile upon his face seemed
frozen there, giving him the aspect of
satyr's mask. Hilary came forward
and tried to draw Madeleine aside,
hut she still confronted Brousseau
with blazing eyes. But it was the
Seigneur's look of agony and shame
that was the most vivid part of the
picture.
Rosny stood like statue beside the
door, watching Brousseau make his
way along the corridor toward the en-
trance. Hilary put his arms about
Madeleine, supporting her. Her cour-
age was gone, and she was weeping
uncontro1lably.
The front door slammed and Rosny
turned back into the room. He burst
out in passionate words.
cit is all gone!" he cried. "Every-
thing-home, lands, inheritance. And
it is well gone. The Rosny seigniory
is nearly everything to me, but you are
more, Madeleine. Our name means
little enough now, but it shall never
become allied with that Of the seoun-
drel who has robbed me of everything
else
He raised his clenched first and
shook it in the air with a passionately
dramatic gesture, as if to register his
VOW. His face was strangely notified
with red and white, and he seemed to
have aged fen years within ten min
Mtes.
: 81 offer you my humblest regrets for
what has occurred this morning, mon
sieur," he said to Hilary. "There was
personal requital. Now, alas, cam
not l can only bear the blame. But
as for you, monsieur, you who came
here in an evil day to cut my trees,
you who are my guest, what have you
to say who have brought this ruin
upon me?'
Madeleine started forward as if to
protest, but he sileneed her with a ges-
ture of his open hand.
81 ask you what you have to say,
monsieur" he repeated. II ask you
how you justify yourself, you who are
q guest in my home and have pre-
sumed upon that fact to turn my
daughter from me?'
sI love her." answered Hilary sim
ply.
The words seemed to sting Rosny
to the quick. "You are presumptuous
monsieur !" he cried. perhaps you
too, thought that the heiress went with
the trees?"
Madeleine cried out and laid hei
hands appealingly upon her fathers
arm; he did not repulse her, but con
tinued speaking as if he were not con
scious of her presence.
"She shall never be your wife. You
have done harm enough here, mon
sieur. When you are well my caleche
is at your disposition, to take you back
to your mill. And henceforward, I'M
less you claim the last inch Of your
legal rights to cut about the Chateau
which do not think you will'' he add
ed with reluctant justice-'let US see
you no more"
'You are unjust!" cried Madeleine
"We love each other. There exists nc
reason why we should not love. Mon
sieur Askew is as good as any man."
IAN American ~ cried Rosny hotly
"This is not his country, and our ways
are not his. He is not one of u.s."
''Yet you were not too proud to
pledge me to that other man, who is
not one of Us either, except by remote
race Against my will. Without my
knowledge"
"Enough!" cried Rosny. at is all
past!"
1.-The memory is not past. Yes, you
pledged me to him ard placed the first
links of the chain about my neck, hop
ing that the understanding, to which
1 was no party, would gradually en-
mesh me, capture me, that l should be-
come his wife and save your land for
you"
The Seigneur turned on her look
in which humiliation struggled with
anger. He seemed stupefied by her
outburst. Hilary interposed.
Monsieur Rosny, / love Madeleine,
and / intend to marry her." he said
calmly. "But / realize your feelings,
and l understand how great shock
this has been. You invited me to de-
part when am well. am well enough
to depart now. But I shall return, to
see her and to plead our cause frank