The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-03-20

Madeleine was as pale as DEATH but
she stood forward bravely. 81 never
pledged my word to you, Monsieur
BrOuSSeau," she said in a low tone
You know it, You asked me to be
your wife and | refused. You took a
| good deal for granted You took me
for granted. You made a mistake
When you treacherously conspired to
cut Monsieur Askew's boom, when you
planned his death, you lost whatever
chance you had ever had. | shall never
marry you"
Brousseau staggered backward came
up against the table, and stood star
ing at 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 it was the most evil
laugh that Hilary had ever heard He
addressed ROsny; and as he spoke he
continued to advance toward him, I'M
til he was shaking his fist in the old
! Seigneur's face.
81 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. | don't blame your daughter,
Rosny. A woman is easily influenced
by new face. Sos a man, for that
matter
II don't blame her / 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 a hard man.
L 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. Hes 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 afiame. 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 forget myself"
I'll go, then" shouted Brousseau,
and moved toward the door you've
had your chance. Once more is she
willing to be reasonable? / keep my
word, In friendship or enmity. VIII
she keep hers? If so I'll forget. I'll
call it a whim. /"
mo, l 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 wounded man, whom |
you do dare not look in the face in
anger when he is well !"
oh III
and turned toward the door. The ma
lignant smile upon his face seemed
frozen there, giving him the aspect of
q satyrs mask. Hilary came forward
and tried to draw Madeleine aside,
but 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-
rance. Hilary put his arms about
supporting her. Her cour-
ige was gone, and she was weeping
The front door slammed and Rosny
urned back into the room. He burst
tut in passionate words.
ut is all gomez he cried. Every
lands, Inheritance. And
t is well gone. The Rosny seigniory
S nearly everything to me, but you are
more, Madeleine. Our name means
title enough now, but it shall never
'ecOme allied with that of the scOun-
Irel who has robbed me of everything
lse."
He raised his clenched first and
hook it in the air with passionately
gesture, as If to register his
ow. His face was strangely notified
With red and white, and he seemed to
ave aged ten years within ten min
ties.
Il offer you my humblest regrets for :
hat has occurred this morning mon
leur," he said to Hilary. There was
time when l should have exacted l
llffy[