Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-02-17

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.
bui NOT so .ow 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 l forget myself"
I'll go, them shouted Brousseau,
and moved toward the door. You've
had your chance Once more, is she
willing to be reasonable? l keep my
word, In friendship or enmity. Will
she keep hers? If so I'll forget. I'll
call it whim. T."
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
threateningIy.
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 70
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.
hit 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 a statue beside the
door, watching Brousseau make his
way along the corridor toward tie en-
trance. Hilary put his arms about
Madeleine, supporting her. Her cour-
age was gone, a. she was weeping
uncontrollably.
The front door slammed and Rosny
turned back into the room. He burst
out in passionate words.
ut 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 scoun-
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 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
time when I should have exacted
personal requital. Now, alas, l can
not 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 silenced her with a ges-
ture of his open hand.
81 ask you what you have to say,
monsieur" he repeated 81 ask you
how you justify yourself. you who are
a guest in my home and have pre-
sumed upon that fact TO turn my
daughter from meF"
81 love her. answered Hilary sim
ply.
The words seemed 10 sting Rosny
to the quick. You are, presumptuous,
monsieur y he cried Perhaps you.
too, thought that the heiress went with
the trees?"
Madeleine cried out and laid her
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 we'll 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 no
reason why we should not love. Mon
sieur Askew is as good as any man."
"An American" cried Rosny hotiy.
"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. 1T is all
past"
THE memory is not past. Yes, you
pledged me to him and 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 should be-
come his wife and save your land for
you
The Seigneur turned on her look
in which humiliation struggled with
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