The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-08-20

manded Delphine lie Mere, a girl from
DOchefort.
"Plenty of folk" declared Mignon.
"Old Mere Nannette D'Auria has 800
francs in her purse she sold hers for"
Rene folded her letter. 81 must go
home," she faltered duly. "Susanne
is very ILL.,"
"BOn Dieu" thought Rene In the
train that evening. "When woke this
morning and smelled the hOneysuckle
thought of Susanna and was hap
py."
She had had terrible fall, and she
had only short time to live, Susanna
had written, but whether weeks or
months, the doctors could not tell. But
she must tell Rene her secret. Since
she had come to America Ruders
beauty and tender ways had been con-
stantly on her mind, and now since
she had nothing to do but think, she
had come to know she loved him She
must see him before she died-she
wanted him to marry her and to hold
her in his arms when the life went out
of her.
"Send him quickly. Rene" the letter
ended, "for the love of Bon Dieu If he
has not the passage money, help him
to it, beloved, some way, only send
him soon."
The click of the car wheels resolved
itself into a refrain of three words:
"Send me Rudolf Send me Rudel"
A darkness came before Rene. She
pipched her arms to keep off the faint
ness.
Maybe If Rudel married Susanna the
happiness might make her well. Rene
had heard of such. If when he mar
ried her Susanna got well-ah, she
wanted Susanna to get well! But Ru-
del
Rene reeled in her seat, spent by her
conflicting anguished emotions. "Ah.
mon Dieu, she cried, clasping her cold
hands in her bosom. eff / had but
written Susanna long ago / was be-
trothed to Rudel! Let her live, mon
Dieu! Let me be willing to give her
my beloved"
When Rudel, wet and weary after
an all-night at the fishing, saw her
coming to meet him, he hurried his
feet. But the light went out of his
eyes when she showed him Susanne's
letter.
Don't tell me you won't go, Rudei J!
she besought him. "If You love me.
Rudel. go-make my darling happy the
little time she has to live!'
"I-what If / have not the passage
money!" he faltered, hope and anxiety
strangely mingled in his eyes. II have
but little saved. Rene"
"But II will get it, Rudel!
She pushed his arms away from her
and fled up the path. In an hour she
came to him with the money.
"The money-lending notary advanced
it to me-" she explained. "I-Oh, Ru-
dell sold it for her-for her" She
raised the Golf she wore. The bright
locks were clipped to the roots.
Rudcl caught her to him and kissed
the shorn head. 81 will go, beloved"
he groaned; II cannot let your heart
break, too"
Rene did not sense the woe in his
voice. Radiant, she kissed his hard,
brown hands.
"a letter, which had been delayed
in the mails, was addressed in old
Paul DuFais' cramped handwriting.
81 bury my dead today" it said.
my Susanna went to sleep very hap
py after / mailed her letter to you
last night, and the angels came for her
while she slept. l grieve, for ] am
old and alone, but do not weep for her,
Rene-her face wears the look of the
best"
Rene sat on the sands, clinging to
Rudels hands and sobbing brokenly.
But at last she raised her head. "Oh,
Rudel," she whispered, "she knew you
would GO"
Eyes, yes!" A mighty weight had
lifted itself from Rudel's breast; his
face was sober, but his eyes shOne
out Of it like lamps in the night. He
lifted Rene and held her against his
heart.
"She is happy" he murmurcd, kiss
ing her wet face, 'and we-Oh, Rene,
-