The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-08-31

night, and /"
$40, no." interviewed Fell. II gave
them To you. my dear-in fact.
gave them TO you two years ago, and
kept them until now, You have worn
them; they are yours, ana you be-
come them better han even did poor
Queen Hortense, So say no more"
Lucie leaned forward and imprinted
a kiss upon the cheek Of the little
gray man. There, that Is all the
thanks | can give got dear uncle: the
gift makes me very happy. and I'll
not pretend otherwise. only, | feel as
though had no right TO wear them
they're so wonderful"
Nonsense, But all this isn't WHY
you summoned me here. you bundle
Of mystery! What bothered you last
night. or, rather, who?"
LucIe laughed. There was a fran
clscan who tried to be very mysteri-
Gus, ana 70 read my mind. He talked
about oil, about Il grasping, hard man.
ana mentioned you as my friend.
Then he warned me against a pro-
posal that Bob might make; ana sure
enough, Bob did propose To buy what
land is left 10 me on Bayou 1'erre-
bonnie, saying he'd persuade his oil
company that there was oil on it, and
that they'd buy or lease 1t. | told him no..
The franciscan, afterward, proved to
be Henry Gramout; ! wondered if you
had mentioned"
%"lIeaycn Forbid" exclaimed Mr..
Fcll, piously. Il never even met era
mont until last night! DO YOU like
HING
every much" The girls eyes met
his frankly. "Do you?"
VERY much said joachim Fell.
Lucie'S gray eyes narrowed. searched
his face. I'm almost able to tell
when you're lying" she observed
calmly. you said that a trife too
hastily. Uncle joachim. Why don't you
like him."
Fell laughed, amused. perhaps |
have a prejudice against foreign
mobiles, Lucie. our own ]aristocracy
is bad enough, but"
Hes discarded all that. He was
never French except in name"
You speak as though you'd known
him for some time. Have you had
secrets from me?"
Il have!' laughter dimpled in the
girls face. For years and years
When / was in New York with father.
before h war, we met him he was
visiting In Newport with college
friends. Then, you know that father
and | were in France when the war
broke Out-father was III and almost
helpless at the time, you remember.
Gramont came to Paris to serve with
his regiment, and met us there. He
helped us get away, procured real
money for us, got us passage to New
York. He knows lots of our friends,
and I've always been deeply grateful
to him for his assistance then.
We've correspondent quite frequent
ly during the war; she pursued. 81
mentioned him several times after we
got home from France, but you prob
ably failed to notice the name. It's
only since he came to New Orleans
that | really kept any secrets from
YOU; this time l wanted to find out
If you liked him"
joachim nodded slowly. His face was
quite innocent of expression.
"Ies, yes" he said. "Yes-of course
He's a g%eologist or engineer, | think 2"
Both, and a good one. Well, about
last night-he probably guessed at
some of my private affairs: I've writ
tenO or spoken rather frankly, perhaps.
Also, Bob may have blabbed to him.
Bob still drinks-prohibition has not
hit him very hard!"
"No," agreed Fell, gravely. "Unfor-
tunately, 10. Lucie, I've discovered n
most important fact. Joseph Maillard
did not own any stock in the Bayou
OIL company at the time your land
was sold them by him, and he had no
interest at all in the real estate con
Germ that bought your st. Landry
swamp lands and made a fortune Off
them. We have really blamed him
most unjuStly. / do not believe that
he has profted I'm the least from you.
His investments in the companies con-
cerned We're made afterward, and l
am certain he sold the lands limo
Gently"
Lucle drew a deep breath.
81 am glad you have said this" she
returned simply. Its been hard for
me to think that Uncle Joseph had
taken advantage Of me; l think that
he honestly likes me, as far as he
permits himself to like anyone"
He'd not loan you money on it,"
said Fell. Friendship isn't a tangible
security with him."
"Well who really did profit by my
loss? Anyone?"
Fell's pale gray eyes twinkled, then
cleared in their usually wide inno-
cence.
my dear Lucie, Is there one person
In this world to whose faults Joseph
Maillard is deliberately blind - one
person to whom he would refuse moth
ing. in whom he would pardon every
thing, of whom he would never believe
any evil report?"
"You can Lucie drew a quick
breath-"Bob?"
Eyes, I mean Bob. That he has
profited by your loss I am not yet in
a position to say but l suspect 1t.