Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-19
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TNHE paddock had rusted in the au-
= tumn rains. Those rains had packed
the dead leaves on the sill and into
the door corners--Nature's seal for a
house untenanted
The misshapcn man lodged in and
out of the tie-up, and snarled the ever.
lasting answer that he knew nothing
about Fetal Beaulieu. His work, he
explained, when questions had stirred
his snappy temper, was to care for
the cattle and the horses of Vetal
Beaulieu and let Vetal Beaulieu's
other business alone.
Aldrich searched long through the
countryside for the sullen youth who
had driven home Beaulieu's horses
That person must know more than he
had revealed. But Aldrich could find
K no trace of the youth.
The officer probed this case with
his thoughts while he rode upon his
business.
He was unwilling to believe that
harm had come to Vetal Beaulieu. The
anonymous note to Evangeline and
the sneering whispers in his ear only
assisted his belief that Vetal Beaulieu
had gone in hiding for purposes Of
his own, hoping that this bit of craft
might accomplish in his affairs
what brutal force had failed to bring
about. Perhaps he hoped that his
ness of his daughter; perhaps he
hoped, with Rois connivance, to ere.
ate trouble and suspicion for Aldrich.
The note and the whispers would in
dicate that sort of a plot. 1t was
crude and clumsy intrigue, but Beau
lieu had never shown himself to be
master of craft.
Beaulieu had many enemies: threats
against him had blown about the hor.
der like thistledown on the breeze.
But Aldrich did not attach much
weight to those threats-he estimate
them merely as so much thistledown
Of language-for the Gallo tongue is
Quick to threaten in times of stress
and the hands are slow to execute
when the sudden anger cools. 1t could
not be that violence had been done
to this man. A crime would have
been revealed, the officer was certain.
vetal Beaulieu was hiding away;
that was it.
But why did he hide so long?
Aldrich viewed the several facts of
the affair. Beaulieu had been collect
ing money with all his might and
main. Was it not probable that he
had decided to leave the section for
time until the matter of the at
r tempted abduction blew over? Beau
lieu was undoubtedly away giving the
world bit of looking-over; but he
truly was staying away a long time!
On the other hand, Beaulieu might
be hiding nearby where he could keep
an eye on affairs; after all, that would
be more like Vetal Beaulieu the Off,
GER decided.
But Beaulieu seemed to be a long
time, working out the plot, whatever
1t was he had planned.
Aldrich guessed one thing rightly:
yetal Beaulieu was hiding.
Aldrieh. was correct. in another sur
mise: B-aulieu was hiding close at
hand. ~
He was patient in that hiding. In
u cleft between the lodges on the top
Of hillock, stones throw from the
side of lonesome road through the
woods to the east of Monarda clearing
there was his hidlng-place.
The coppice at the brow of the
hillock was a dense growth-wtch
and thickly leaved moosewood. II
D shielded the cleft in the lodges. Ant
the cleft concealed Vetal Beaulieu
where he hid
He was very quiet as well as patient
in that hiding. place. He did not stii
even to count the money that stuffec
his fat wallet, nor to paw over tnt
notes and the pledges of payment
and that was unlike Vetal Beaulieu
The weeks passed, and he did no
W move, ana ne ulN iipL NAiiiN Iii' SoAi
In his trousers pocket. He did no
even raise his hand to assure himself
that his fat wallet was still safel!
buttoned under his coat
Yes, very quiet and very patient ii
+ his hiding place in the heart of th'
thick coppice was Vetal Beaulieu.
Then at last came the autumn rain
ana the winds which tore away sum
mer's gay Graperies.
For little while Beaulieu was eve
( more >securely hidden, for the falle
leaves covered him. Later the leave
were washed into the crannies Of tn
ledge. ano other leaves grew scar an
.- we've blown away by the winds Of NJ
+ MEMBER, and then yetal Beaulieu wa
y ,,o ionger hidden.
one day hunters climbed the MI
oc,s There were four hunters. On
ef them lad urged the others TO mour
S ,he little HUI with him in order
xca,. the country roundabout for
/. B slen Of deer. The three had proteste
Z that this was not the right way