ve_, I was in the household of Monsieur Delatour. I had seen
Mademoiselle Lucie grow up from childhood. She was charming. But she
married and passed largely out of our life. Monsieur Delatour grew
old. He had made his will leaving the property chiefly to his
daughter. But there was a nephew, a spendthrift--what you call in
English the black sheep--and after Monsieur Delatour died this _mauvais
sujet_ offered me money to swear that there was a later will. The
object? To tie up the estate, to delay the settlement, to force a
compromise with the daughter. I took the money. I perjured myself.
There was no later will. The property belongs to Mademoiselle
Lucie--pardon, Madame Sheldon."

He fell back exhausted on his pillow. Tom was shocked, but he was also
greatly excited at the prospect of the wrong that had been done to
Frank's mother being righted. At Martel's request the confession was
reduced to writing with many details added, and then a number of the
prisoners signed their names as witnesses.

Tom was not sure how far the confession would stand in law, but he felt
reasonably certain that it would be regarded as good evidence and he
was jubilant at the chance that had made him of such great service to
his chum, Frank.

The confession was made none too soon, for that same night Martel died.

"Well, Frank, old scout," said Tom to himself the next day, as he
carefully read and re-read the important document, "that alarm clock
played me a lowdown trick, but it's sure been a good friend of yours,
all provided I can get this confession to you!"

CHAPTER X

A MIDNIGHT SWIM

"A pretty tight place we're in," remarked Bart to Frank as the Army
Boys stood side by side behind a barricade of logs where they had just
repelled a German attack that had surged up close before it fell back
in confusion.

"Tight is right," grunted Bart, as he reloaded his rifle which was
getting hot from firing.

"We ought to be used to tight places by this time," put in Billy,
stopping long enough to wipe the perspiration from his face. "It seems
that when our division has a specially tough job to do they always call
upon the old Thirty-seventh to do it."

There was no exaggeration in describing the position the soldiers were
holding as a tight place. While the great drive had not yet begun, the
enemy was carrying on a nibbling process in the attempt to improve his
position before the start of the big offensive.

Ther