NOUTIT PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TIU1WKE.
WOODEN
55y VICTOR ROUSSEAU
(Copyright, 1010, by Gcorgo n. Dornn Co.)
us
"WE MUST GET THERE IN TIME TO SAVE HIM."
Synopsis. Hilary Askew, a yountr American, Inherits from an undo a
hundred squnro miles of forest In Quebec. Upon taking possession ho dis
covers all sorts of queer things. Lamnrtlno, his uncle's lawyer, tells him the
property Is comparatively worthloss nnd trios to Induco him to soil. Lafp
Connoll, tho mill foreman, tolls him his uncle has been systematically robbed.
Morris, his manager, Is associated with tho Sto. Mario company, a rival con
cern owned by Uroussoau, tho "boss" of tho roRlon. Madcletno, tho beau
tiful daughter of Seigneur Itosny, original owner of Askow's land, Is pursued
by Brousscau, who has her father In his powor. Tho hero decided to stay and
inanago his property. Ha discharges Morris and makes Connell manager. Ho
whips "Black" I'lorro, foreman of a gang of llrousscau's mon cutting on his
land. He deflcs Brousseau. Loblanc, his boss Jobbor. deserts to tho enemy.
From Father Lucien Askow learns tho story of Mario Dupont, daughter of
tho captain of a lumber schooner. Tho Klrl's mother, now dead, had boon
betrayed, and she herself Is looked on askanco and has few friends. Mario
knows the name of her mother's betrayer, but has nover rovculed It to her
father, Askow finds Madcloirtq Ilosny hostllo to him. Askow and Connell visit
Simeon Duval's danco hall In Bto. Marie. Ilovonuo offlcora raid It and Askew
Is blamed for the raid. Ho and Connoll rcscuo Mario Dupont. Askow saves
Madeleine Itosny when hor horso runs away. Sho glvos tho warning, "Look
to your booml" and then tho mill boom breaks and Askow's logs are carrlod
away to tho Bt Lawrence. Who sawed tho boom? Baptlste, tho Jealous lover
of Marie, deserts Askew. Brousscau brings about a strlko of Askow's mill
hands. Askow and Connell part In anger over tho strlko. Askow starts to
stop Louis Duval from opening a saloon In 8L Bonlfaco. Madeleino asks him
not to go. Askew breaks up tho liquor selling and runs Into a trap, where
ho fights four of his enemies.
CHAPTER IX. Continued.
Pierre reeled, nnd onco ngnln nilnry
lenped nnd cnuglit lilm under tho chin.
But this time he was not quick enough
to repent his former mnnouver. Le
blnnc struck at him from behind. Tho
upward thrust would hnve penetrated
his henrt hnd It struck where Lcblann
Intended ; but, by a mlrnclo of luck, It
passed between Hilary's arm nnd his
body, only Just grazing a rib. Tho
point of tho blade caught In tho lining
of tllo coat nud, before Lcblanc could
withdraw his arm, Hilary pressed his
own left nrm ngnlnst his body, cntch
Ing Leblanc's hnnd thcro and Imprison
ing It.
This movement swung him round,
forcing him to release Pierre, and the
enaulng bovine rush which the outlaw
mndo threw them both against the em
brasure of tho second window, on the
opposite sldo of tho door. Men were
yelling outside, and a furious hammcr
Ing was maintained, but none of the
fighters was conscious either of tho
nhouts or of tho blows. As Illlnry nnd
Leblnnc fell against tho window-shelf
tho rotted wood broko Inward. Tho
second lamp tottered and then crashed
down beside them, going out as tho
first had done, and leaving tho stnblo
In complete darkness. With a swift
movement nilnry mannged to draw Lc
blanc's arm further through his. With
tho pressure of his combined biceps
nnd triceps ho could hold It there In
definitely, if bo had only Leblnnc to
contend with. But ho could not uso
his right hand to force Leblnnc's open
nnd take tho knife, which tho Jobber
was making frantic efforts to use. no
needed his right hand for Pierre ; nnd
Lcblanc managed to twist tho knife so
that Its edgo was against Hilary's side,
nnd with tho sinews of his fingers ho
was scraping It. backward and for
ward, ripping open tho coat lining and
Indicting n succession of scratches
nnd llttlo punctures under tho heart.
Hilary backed suddenly, Jarring Le
blanc's splno against tho edge of tho
window shelf. Lcblanc groaned nnd
made n frantic effort to twist himself
free, hncklng at Hilary's shins nnd
shouting to PIcrro to finish tho Job.
Pierre's forward rush had flung him
between tho two. Illlnry felt him
groping in tho darkness, trying to
gauge tho position ' in which ho was
leaning; Plerro was evidently puzzled
l.v tho position of tho two, and by tho
termination of Leblnnc's shoulder
against nilary's. Hilary sensed thnt
PIcrro had finally satisfied himself and
had raised his right arm to strike. lie
flung nwny tho revolver, which ho still
hold, reached up nnd seized tho hand
as It was ubout to descend.
, Thus holding tho right wrist of each
of his assailants ho plunged forward,
bringing them to tho floor. He let go
BUddenly nnd sprang to his feet.
Pierre's knlfo grazed his solo; as Lc
blanc tried to rlso Ullnry caught him
beneath tho chin with tho other foot.
Leblunc groaned and his head went
back on tho floor.
That left only Plerro In action. Hil
ary withdrew a step or two. Ho heard
tho outlaw breathing heavily ns ho
crouched In tho darkness. For tho first
time ho began to bo awaro of tho
knocking at tho door, It sounded now
ns If n crowbnr wero being applied.
Tho yells of tho lumbermen camo to
his cars; but tho absurdity of his posi
tion did not dawn on him, nor tho fact
thnt, when ho had settled with Plerro
ho would havo to reckon with tho mob
outside. Ho meant to deal with Plerro
as he had dealt with tho others. But
In tho darkness ho could guide himself
only by Plerro's breathing, which
sounded now on one side of' hint and
now on tho other. Further nwny Le
blnnc was moaning.
Out of tho darkness PIcrro leaped
forward. Tho knlfo blow flashed past
Hilary, who got Plerro by tho arms
IThoy begnn to wrestlo ns they had
dono that day In tho woods. Hero
PIcrro was Hilary's superior; his
physical strength was greater, though
ho had no force In his blows; and,
though Hilary had beaten him that day
ut tho camp, It wns by a strategem
which could not bo repented success
fully. Gradually tho strength of
Plerrt's arms began to tell. Tho two
1
panted, straining together, but Plerro
winning. Tho knlfo nrm was surely
slipping out of Hilary's clutch. It
reached upward. But at tho moment
when It was evading him Hilary drop
ped Plerro's left hand and struck tho
outlaw between the eyes. As ho did so
ho heard tho breathing on tho other
side of him.
PIcrro staggered, and In a flash nil
ary had both his hands upon Pierre's
right wrist, kneading tho veins nnd
sinews till tho fist opened. Tho knlfo
cluttered upon tho floor. Illlnry
stooped nnd seized It.
Thnt was the precise Instant when
tho knife that had been dropped by
Louis Duval, wielded by Simeon nnd
thrust upward, found Its homo be
neath nilary's shoulder.
Hilary, who was still bending for
ward, stumbled and pitched upon tho
floor nnd lay there.
CHAPTER X.
Unexpected Allies.
Lnfo Connell, ut Monsieur Trem
blay's hotel, stretched out his legs upon
a chair and puffed viciously at his
pipe, while Monsieur Trcmblay leaned
agnlnst tho wull and listened to his
guest's seml-sollloquy.
"Yep, Tremblny, I'm through now,"
Lnfo was saying. "I'm through for
good, nnd I'm going to wait here till
tho boat CnniOS tnmnrmw nml tlinn
bent it for Shocburyport. Lord, I'll bo
glad to seo Clarice my wife and the
kids again.
"I'vo put up n good fight, Tremblny.
I've dropped eight thousand dollnrs in
tills fool game, and Clarlco and mo
will lmvo to stnrt buying our homo
ngaln when I get back to Shocbury
port, and maybe I won't hear nothing
about It, neither. But when It's a case
of throwing nway n few thousand dol
lars' worth of lumber, Just because you
look upon n strlko as a personal of
fense, and me losing my home, I've
finished. I'vo como to the end. Tho
end flnlsh no more. You under
stand me, Tremblny. I'm golug to
leave him to his fate," continued Lafe,
trying to draw a few more mouthfuls
of tobacco smoke from his burned-out
plug. "It's his fault."
Ho shook his pipe out angrily.
"Qui," said Trcmblay ; and tho word
conveyed any significance thnt Its
henrer might chooso to put upon it.
"Qui," ho continued thoughtfully,
though wlint he was thinking about
was Incomprehensible.
"It ain't my job," Lnfo pursued. "I'm
a family man. I got my wife and kids
to think about, and I'm against pre
paredness. It ain't reasonable to hire
a man for manager and thon expect
him to go round saloon-busting, is it,
Trcmblay?"
"Oul," answered Trcmblay.
"You'ro right," said Lafe. "Of
course it ain't." no filled his pipe
again, lit nnd puffed at It. "I don't
know what in thunder's wrong with
this tobacco tonight," ho said, and
emptied It. Ho crossed his right leg
over his left, uncrossed them, and then
crossed his left over his right. Then
he got up.
"I guess I'll take a stroll up tho road
and see If tho stars are out," ho said.
Lafo's stroll was a rapid one. As
soon as ho hnd loft tho porch ho al
most ran up tho hill road toward the
cliff. As he panted toward the summit
ho heard tho rumble of wheels In the
distance, nnd presently ho saw tho
euro's rig coming toward him. He
hailed.
"Say, Father Lucy, d'you mind giv
ing me u lift Into St, Boniface?" ho
called.
Tho rig stopped and Lnfo perceived
Mndolelnc Itosny seated at tho euro's
sldo. 'Her hands wero clasped, her
fnco ngltnted nnd denthly pale. Lnfo's
hnnd went up to his hnt uwkwardly
"I beg pardon, Father Lucy," he mut
tered.
"Jump In, Mr. Lafe," said tho cure.
"I'm glad that we mot. Wo need you.
Wo nro going to St. Boniface. Jump
In and I shall toll you on tho wny."
Lafo entered tho buggy, ami Father
Lucien urged on the horse; then ho
turned nnd said:
"Louis Duval has opened a saloon
In Baptlsto's old house, and Monsieur
Askow hns gone to stop him."
Illustrations by Irwin Myers
"I guessed so, Father Lucy," an
swered Lufe. "I was Just on my wny
there, In cuso there was going to he
trouble. I guess there Isn't likely to
be, though. Mr. Askew knows how to
tnko enre of himself."
"Trouble?" questioned the euro,
shnrply. "They aro going to murder
him."
"I heard some yarn llko that from
Trcmblay," said Lafe, "but I guessed
that was all talk."
"It was not talk. It Is their nlnn."
said Father Lucien. "MntlnmniKniin
Itosny heard of it from Monsieur
uroussoau uays ago it was on the
uay when you went to Sto. Mnrlo. n
rode with her toward Sto. Marie and
told her so. She did not believe him.
This afternoon she learned of It ntrnln
from llttlo Baptlste, who asked her to
wnrn Monsieur Askew. Everybody
knew he would go alone to St. Boni
face to stop tho salo of liquor. Made
moiselle Itosny rodo up to the camp
tn wnrn Afnnatmin Aolrmir no T)nn,ln,
,.uuwh! .to uuiiiotu
had begged her. He would not listen
to her. She came to mo. It Is a dev
ils' plot," ho said sternlv. "and if thnv
hurt ono hair of his head they shall go
to prison for It."
"We must got thcro In time to savo
him. You will do all von enn tn hhvo
him, will you not, Mr. Connell?" nsked
tno girl, looking earnestly at Lafe. As
their eyes mot Lafe realized suddenly
that her agitation had more than an
Impersonal cause behind It. Tho swift
knowledge camo homo to him with a
shock; It elenred up many things,
among them tho fogs of rancor that
had clouded his mind.
"I'll do evervthlnc thnt's In mv nmv.
er, Mademoiselle," he said. "I'll stand
by him I'll fight for him If there's any
ugnung "
"Thcro will bo none." said Father
Lucien. "But Mademoiselle Itosny
understands now what Broussonu is.
Sho knows his character nnd his ovll
mind. And she hns learned, fortunate
ly, before It is too late."
Not another word was snoken. Tho
buggy descended tho hill and rolled to
ward St. Boniface. As It crossed the
rickety bridge they heard the sound of
distant snouting in Duval's saloon.
About tho front of It was gathered the
entlro male population of St. Boniface.
gesticulating and chattering.
They fell back In dlsmnv as tho rum
leaped from the butrcv nnd assisted
Madeleine Itosny down. Lafo fol
lowed. Ho tried to urge the girl to re
main In tho rlir. but she nald no atten
tion to him. She listened with unxlous
Intentness ns tho euro nddrcssed tho
crowd, her 11ns compressed, hor bosom
rising nnd falling quickly. All eyes
were fixed on Father Lucien, but each,
as tho priest turned to him, tried to
shrink back behind his neighbor.
They wero nolntlnc Insido tho an-
loon. Tho cure hurried through tho
doorway. Madeleino Itosnv Immpillntp.
ly behind him, and Lnfo following
mom. tiio saloon, though lit by an oil
lamp, was emntv. as seemed to ho tho
dark stable beyond It, seen through tho
open doorway.
Father Luelnn snntphnd ilnwn tlm
lamp and carried It lufstlly toward the
stamo door. lie raised It and looked
in. then turned and tried to bar Made
leine from entering. But she pushed
past lilm, saw, cried, wrung her hands,
and ran Into tho middle space between
tno rows or stalls. Lafe. follow ntr hor.
saw her seated upon tho floor, and
unary, covered with blood, lying
Hilary, Covered With Blood, Lying
Stretched Out and Motionless, His
Head In Her Lap.
stretched out and motionless, his hend
In her lap. Sho bent over him nnd
Lnfo never forgot tho look of anguish
In her eyes, or tho tension of the whlto
face.
Still supporting Hilary's head, she
began tearing long strips off her petti
coat, frantically, as If she hardly knew
what sho was doing. Hilary's clothing
was so drummed with blood that It
was tllfllcult to determine whore tho
wound lay. Tl.oro were livid bruises
about his mouth ami cheeks, and on
his forehead, as If his assailants, after
stabbing him, had kicked him.
Father Lucien half turned him over
and, uttering nn exclamation, pointed
to tho shoulder, from which fresh blood
wns slowly welling. Lafo saw that
Hilary was alive; ho breathed very
faintly, but his face was tho color of
death, more bloodless than thnt of
Madeleine. Tho cure began cutting
nway tho cont, then the lining, which
would not como with It ; then the shirt.
Ho looked up.
"Bring some water," ho said.
Lafo hurried out, tho few curious
lumbermen scattering In panic and
scurrying before him. As ho stood
nmong them, shouting, a window in n
nearby house went up, nnd a woman
handed out a pail, three parts full.
Lafe took It. As ho re-entered tho
shanty the crowd slowly gathered be
hind him again. Ho hurried into tho
stable. The cure took a strip of the
girl's petticoat, dipped It In tho pall
and began to cleanse tho wound, purs
ing his Hps nnd shaking his head the
while. Lafo could see that tho wound,
while not long, was terribly deep, and
it was still bleeding. It was Impossi
ble to do more than clean it superfi
cially, owing to tho need for hnsto.
Having dono this, Father Lucien made
n pad and placed it In position, while
Madeleine, working with steady fingers
which gave the Ho to hfcr face, began
to wind the strips over It round the
chest. All tho while she worked her
face was agitated, and yet composed,
and only the tortured eyes betrayed
what she was suffering; but when the
wound was bound she broko down.
"It Is my fault," sho cried In French,
sobbing despairingly. "I warned him
and ho would not hear me, and I rodo
away. I knew It long before and I
would not believe it. I have killed
him."
Tho cure's hand fell on her shoul
der. Lafo noticed, too, and thought It
significant nfterwnrd thnt, wild though
her words wore, nnd untrue, he did not
then deny them.
Mudelelno looked up nnd, meeting
his eyes, grow cnlm. Lnfe stepped for
ward, bent down and gently raised Hil
ary's head from her kneo. Ho placed
his hands beneath tho shoulders, sup
porting them, while Father Lucien lift
ed the lower part of the body, and thus
they carried tho stricken man through
the shanty townrd the buggy.
Tho cure made a motion to Lafe to
enter. "You and Mademoiselle Itosny
will drive to my house," he said. "As
there Is no room for me, I wnlk. I give
you the key, Hecnuse my housekeeper
Is gone to bed nnd must not be fright
ened." "No, to tho Chateau," said Madeleine
Itosny. "Do you think ho shnll go any
where else, monsieur, when ho is llko
this?"
Her voice rang proudly, tho tone ad
mitted of no opposition. The cure wns
silent.
Lafe drew Hilary Into the bottom of
tho buggy nnd crouched there, sup
porting tho hend nnd tho upper part
of his body. But Madeleine, watchful,
uttered a low cry. A little blood was
leaking through the bandage. Sho
hastened to the other side of the rig
nnd begnn adjusting It, whllo the cure
turned toward the crowd, which was
looking on In punlcky silence, broken
only by low words and mutterings.
"This Is a bad night's work thnt you
hnve dono!" ho cried. "You shall pay
for It, every man here, und the nssns
sins too. I know them nil."
Tho man who stepped forward was
the foreman of the mill, by name Mnc
Pherson, a decent workman and n de
scendant of one of Wolfe's Highland
ers who had settled along the coast
and perpetuated their nnmes and
something of their stanch character,
if nothing else of their race survived.
"Wo aro not all guilty, Monsieur Tes
sler," ho said. "I know nothing of this
until tho deed was done, or I should
have used every effort to prevent It.
These people asked mo to speak for
them. They say that they broke down
tho stable door and saved his life when
ho was about to bo cut to pieces."
"Ills life!" cried Father Lucien,
scornfully. "His life hangs by n thread ;
and If ho dies ids murderers shall
hang for it. And you aro guilty equal
ly," he continued, addressing tho
crowd, which seemed to molt under his
burning tones. "You left him Ho there
nnd bleed to death. And listen fur
ther. You think that Monsieur Askew
brought tho revenue ollleers to Ste.
Mnrlo. Do I not hate Ste. Marie more
than he? Yet even I would not bring
tho ollleers hero until I hud used every
means to clean or tlie evil there. It
was Monsieur Morris who brought
them, for ho told me so."
There was a sensation ut tho priest's
words. An excited bubble broko out.
Mudolelne, who hud Just completed
tho bandaging, halted with ono foot
upon tho step of the buggy and turned
to the. lumbermen.
"Yes, you left him to dlol".sho cried
In scorn. "You wero afraid,' and you
forgot that strangers who como upon
our land, upon our bolgniory, are under
our protection." Her eyes blazed as
sho denounced them. "You havo for
gotten your ancient loyalty In these
days, Messieurs. You have no memory
of your Sclgnlcur and what you owo
to him still your Seigneur, nlthongh
you no longer grind nnd how for him 1
You have forgotten I"
There wns another movement nmong
tho crowd. Her words seemed to stir
them even more than tho priest's had
done. "No, no, mndcmolsellcl" cried
several voices. "No I We have not
forgotten I" '
Macl'hcrson camo forward again.
"They thought," he said, "Mndemol
sclle, thnt Monsieur Broussenu's ene
mies were yours."
Lafo saw the girl stagger as If she
had received n blow. Sho put her
hnnd upon tho buggy wheel nnd leaned
thus for a moment, staring Into Mac
Pherson's face. Then, without n word,
sho stepped In, took up the reins and
began to urgo tho horse, very slowly,
along the road. The cure camo to tho
side of tho vehicle.
"I shall como to the Chntenu, then,
Mademoiselle Itosny," ho said.
Madeleine did not nnswer him. Pres
ently Lnfe, crouching In the bottom of
tho buggy, heard her sobbing again,
low, heartbroken sobs thnt sho could
not check for a long time. Sometimes
she took her eyes from the road to look
for a moment Into Hilary's face, and
onco sho stopped for a momeut.
"How Is ho?" she asked.
"Ho Is living, Mndemolselle," said
Lare. Ana that was all ho dared to
say.
Thorn wnntin Inntorn nml Afndnlnlnn
needed all her watchfulness ft) avoid
the stones and ruts In tho road. Lucl
Ily tho moon wns bright and tho horso
steady. Once, as the buggy swung
round a bend. Lnfe. look nc out. saw
tho cure trudging behind, slinking his
nenvy stick. Ho heard Madeleine still
sobbing. His own heart was heavy
Madeleine Was Already Established at
Hilary's Bedside.
enough; he blamed himself for Hll
ary's misfortune, no should have
stood by him. And ho had meant to do
so. But lie had not calculated thnt
Hilary would walk so fast or go to St.
Boniface so soon.
The trees fell away, disclosing tho
Itosny chateau. Tho buggy stopped be
fore tho door In front of which the
Seigneur and the old retainer were
standing, with anxious faces. Made
leine bent swiftly over Hilary and
raised his limp hand ; then sho turned
hor eyes to Lafe's, mutely asking him
that question which could not be
spoken.
"ne is no worse," said Lafe.
Tho Seigneur and his man camo to
ward them. "MacPherson telephoned
to tho post office and they brought me
the news," ho said. "You did quite
right, Madeleine. -Gently, now, Mon
sieur," he added, addressing Connell,
and together they raised Hilary from
tho buggy floor. "Remember the steps.
Now, I will go backward so."
They wero Insido the Chntenu, carry
ing their burden between the rows of
portraits Into a room which had been
a drawing room In bygone days, fur
nished with spindle-legged furniture,
gilt minors and ormolu cabinets. A
bed in a corner showed that Its use had
been converted, probably because tho
upper part of the Chateau was no
longer hnbltablo.
Madeleine Itosny came in with her
nrms full of bed linen, diffusing the
scent of wlntergreen. Lafo and her
father got Illlnry to bed. He was stir
ring now, beginning to toss his arms
and mutter in delirium. The pulse
wns stronger, but the Hush which hnd
supplanted the pallor denoted fever.
Presently the euro entered nnd went
straight to the bedside. The three men
looked at Hilary and at each other.
"I have seen men who wero wounded
worse recover," said Edmond Itosny.
"Ho has bled much, but tho henrt Is
uninjured, nnd unless tho lung Is
grnvcly hurt . . . well, we .shall see
to It that ho gets well," he ended
abruptly.
There was nothing more Connell
could do. He would havo stayed, but
he felt that he must await tho issue
In patience. Madeleine was already
established at Hilary's bedside.
Lafo went in softly. "I shnll comer
early in tho morning, Mademoiselle
Itosny," ho said. "I want to say
about what you said to Father Lucy
tonight I mean it was my fault. I
guess I'm tho only ono to blame. I
ought to havo stood by him, and I
went nwny. You did more thnn me,
mademoiselle, and It wasn't up to
you. I mean, It wasn't your business
to save him."
"No?" whispered Mndelelne, raising
her eyes to his. And Lafo felt like n
blundering fool.
"You'll snvo him," he snld. "We
can't lose him. Wo want him wo all
want him. I guess I didn't reallzo
how white ho jvns till till tills hap
pened." Ho wns half wny to his boarding
house before he stopped ns a thought
struck htm.
VI guess Fnther Lucy docs get re
sults in his own way," ho said.
CHAPTER XI. i
Dreams and Dangers.
Thanks to n constitution Inured by
hard work and healthy living, Hilary
Improved rapidly under Madeleine's
nursing, nlded by her fnther's skilled
treatment of the wound. On tho sec
ond day nilnry wns conscious, on tho
fourth Itosny nnnounccd that tho
crisis was past; upon tho ninth tho
patient wns sitting tip In bed and de
manding solid food.
Lafe was the happiest tnnn in the
world when, at last admitted to tho
bedside, ho asked and received abso
lution for his desertion.
"Now I've got some good news," ho
snld, when Illlnry , persisted In asking
about the work. "We've got that
shipment off, nnd Dupont will hnve
both vessels bnck In n few days for
the next. The mill's working over
time nnd tho gang's back on tho job."
"You paid them two dollnrs?"
"Not a cent more." snld Lafe tri
umphantly. "They asked to go back
to work, and you ought to see them
working I I guess they feel thnt they
haven't given you a sounre denl, nnd
Mr. Itosny's been having a few words
with them, I henr. Anyway, they
know now It's Morris who tipped off
the revenue people, In order to make
trouble for you, nnd tho result Is this
pnrt of tho country hns grown too hot
for him. So he's gone away. I hear
he had a quarrel with Brousscau over
the share of their plunder, and they
almost camo to blows over It. Well,
that's the first of the gang out. And
MacPherson has turned out n trump,
working overtime nnd making the
hnnds work, and It begins to look to
mo ns If we'll win out after all."
This was good news. It was now
September, and in little more than a
month tho snow should extend con
siderably their cutting area.
So they discussed their plans, until
Madeleine, coming in, drove Connell
nwny. Hilary would not ask him
about his nssnllants, and Lafe was
clad to avoid the subject. It was
Father Lucien who took It up later,
when Hilary wns convalescent.
no hummed and hnwed a good deal,
and finally the truth came out. It
would bo ensy enough to get the po
lice up from Quebec, but the. quar
tette would have to be laid by the
heels before ho ndvent of winter
made further action Impossible for
months. Of the four, Pierre had dis
appeared. Leblnnc wns said to have
gone into the woods for the winter to
trap, having apparently nbandoned his
pretense of a sub-lease on the Ste.
Marie limits. Simoon Duval was run
ning his saloon wide open, nnd swenr
lng that, IIilnry hnvlng assaulted him.
lie had struck with his knife in self
defense, while In a halff-stunned con
dlUon. Little Louis, his brother,
scared out of his wits, had been to
see the cure with a view to making his
peace.
Hilary had no desire to punish
Louis nny further, though ho meant to
deal with Pierre and Lcblanc when
tho opportunity nrose. He meant to
rid the community of them and
Simeon; but he hnd n strong mnn's
reluctance to call upon tho law to
avenge a physical assault. In the end
the cure went away with the under
standing that Louis was forgiven, and
with no decision taken ns to further
nctlon.
"But whnt strength! Whnt power,
monsieur !" ho snld admiringly, clench
ing his hand over the muscles of
Hilary's arm. "Do you know, mon
sieur," ho continued thoughtfully, "I
have often thought that a priest In
such a district as this needs the mus
cularity almost as much ns the good
ness! Ah, Monsieur Askew, if I
were your ngo, and of your strength,
what would I not do!"
To nilnry his convnlescence was a
foretaste of paradise. Edmond Rosny
camo In only for formal visits now,
twice or three times a day ; but It wns
wonderful to see Mndelelne, whom ho
knew thnt he loved with all his henrt.
nbout his bedside all day long, and
then about his chair, waiting on him,
anticipating his wishes, until he felt
ashamed to be so helpless, her pride
gone, her scorn gone, her enmity as
well. When Hilary learned of tho
part that she had played in his rescue,
nnd thnnked her gratefully, she could
not meet his eyes.
Then came tho first day on which
he was permitted to leave his room.
Leaning on Madeleine's arm, he had
gone out to feel the wonder of tho
sunshine nnd tho crisp nuturan air.
The gnrdon hnd originally been laid
out, more thnn a century before, In
Imitntlon of tho formnl gnrdens of
France of the period, with terraces
nnd stntunry. Everything was In
ruin; and yet nilnry had the sudden,
inexplicable sense of having como
home.
"Mndemolselle Rosny," he snld, "we
nre going to bo good friends In future,
nren't wo? Tho good-will goes with
your kindness, even If It does not go
with tho trees."
It's hard to keep a good
man down.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Going Too Far.
Tom When shnll wo get mnrrled?
Helen Oh, Tom, why do vou tnn
our engagement bo serlo'-