The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-03-26


Madeleine was aspaIe q DEAN. b,
| she stood forward bsavely. II nevel
pledged ms word to yoa. Alonsieul
Brousseau." she said In Z low tone
'You know 1t. You asked me to Be
your wife and refused. You took q
good deal for granted. You took me
for granted. You made mistake
When you frcacherously conxp.red to
cut Monsieur Askew's boom. when you
chance you had ever had. I shall never
marry YOU
Brousseau staggered backward. came
mp against the table. and stood star
ing mt her In incredulity. In fear, in
fury. his own face whittier than hers
The Seigneur sat down in his chair
heavily. seeming to collapse there.
Then Brousseau flung his fear aside
and laughed, and II was the most evil
laugh mat Hilary had ever heard. He
addressed Rosny; and as he spoke he
continued to advance toward him. un-
til he was shaking his fist in the old
Seigneur's face.
II understand now" he sneered
This fine American has been at work
In this matter. 1t is he who has been
spreading these lying stories about
me. l don't blame your daughter
Rosny. A woman is easily influenced
by a new face Sos a man, for that
matter.
II don't blame her. I expect my
wife to be true to me after We're mar
ried-no more and no less. I'll take
care of the love. amt hard man.
I can make allowances for human ma
ture. expect to mold her and to
keep watch over her. Maybe she'd
do the same with me.
But this is different Rosny." he
shouted furiously. He's been telling
her lies about me. He came up here
and started In to crush me. He wants
to drive me out of Ste. Marie. I'm not
the man to allow that. Rosny! You
know what l mean. I'll deal with him
when the times comes. I'll speak to
him again presently. I'm speaking to
you now. Is she going to marry me or
amt she? You know what it's going
to cost you If she goes back on her
word"
Rosny CROPPED her way to his feet.
The old duelist, who in his younger
days would fight at the drop OF the
hat, had been brought pitiably low,
but not so low as Brousseau thought.
His face was aflame. He opened his
mouth, suffered, and pointed toward
the door.
You can go. You can go. Monsieur
Brousseau.'' he stammered. Custom
custom and courtesy fOrbid-insult
guest-go before l forget myself"
I'll go, them" shouted Brousseau.
and moved toward the door. you've
willing to be reasonable? / keep my
word. In friendship or enmity. VIII
she keep hers? If so I'll forget. I'll
call ii within. +"
mo, / shall never be your wife,"
said Madeleine quietly.
Brousseau swung upon Hilary.
"Some day I'll get you, you lying
dog!' he swore, and raised his hand
threateningly.
Madeleine darted between them.
you coward !" she cried. You cow
ard. to threaten a 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
a satyr's mask. Hilary came forward
and tried TO draw Madeleine aside,
hut she still confronted Brousseau
with blazing eyes. But 1t 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
supporting her. Her cOur-
age was gone, and she was weeping
The front door slammed and Rosny
turned back into the room. He burst
out in passionate words.
1T is all gone," he cried Every
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 !t<shall never
become allied with that of the scoun-
drel who has robbed me Of everything
else"
He raised his clenched first and
shook IT in the air with passionately
dramatic gesture. as If to register his
vow. His face was strangely notified
With rod apd urbffo apd ho Soov,od m
have aged ten years within ten min
utes.
Il offer you my humblest regrets for
what has occurred this morning. mon
sieur." he said to Hilary. There was
n time when / should have exacted
lff|