The Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1919-current, 1919-12-05

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map of the limits2"
But II is entirely Irregular Mr.. AS.
kew. Really"
Let me have the papers, please"
said Hilary. smiling. And you need
have no fear that you will be held re-
sponsible for my anticipating my In
heritnnce. / Imagine have as much
right there as Mr.. Norris"
"Of course. II that is your decision,
there Is nothing more to say" an
swered the other brusquely. He
pulled out drawer and removed an
envelope containing some documents.
You will find the statement here" he
said. "Mr. Morris has the books and
the map Of st. Boniface. | wish you
a pleasant Journey, sir. You wish me
TO continue TO represent your"
For the present. yes. Good.day"
When he was gone Monsieur Lamar.
tine sat back In his chair and drummed
his fingers for nearly minute. Then
ne called up Brousseau.
He's just gone" he said. "And he
starts for st. Bonlface tomorrow morn
Ing. In spite OF all my representa-.
TONS"
lie smiled Mt the suffering that
came over the wire.
!
II was well into the afternoon when
Hilary reached St. Boniface on the
small trl-weekly mail boat. For fifty
or sixty miles below Quebec the coun.
try, sparsely inhabited though 1t Is,
and primitive, contains settlements
with singled houses. hotels, tourists
In season; and II was not until the ST.
Lawrence widened into the Gulf that
Hilary realized. almost with surprise,
that the ship was sailing into a terri.
tory as primitive as II had been score
Of years after Jacques Cartier landed
Something Of the primeval nature OF
the land entered Hilary's heart and
gripped II. He had never known what
II was he wanted. But he knew now |:
II was to take hold OF virgin land
and tame II. to grapple with life. NOT
among the men OF cities, but some
where with the smell OF the pines and
OF the brown earth In his nostrils. Pac-
Ing the deck Of the little ship. he felt
that his desires had come to light at
the moment when their fulfillment had
become possible.
He looked about him with approval
when he stood upon the porch OF the
tiny hotel at St. Bonlface. Nobody
else had got of the boat. and evident.
ly the landlord Of the little hotel ex.
pected nobody. After an Intellectual
attempt to enter into conversation with
him, In which hardly n word was mu.
tually Ineligible, Hilary gave up the
effort and started up the hill road
which led. he surmIsed. toward the
| lumber mill.
The whole settlement was gathered
about the shores OF the little bay. Be
yond II were the mountains. on either
side the forest-clad hills, broken. on
the east. by an inlet. and on the west
by the deep cleft of the Rocky river.
whose mouth. closed by boom. was
n congested mass of logs.
Hilary crossed the bridge and mp
preached the mill. Two or three men.
lounging outside the store. looked Mt
him without any sign OF interest.
Everything was very still and peace
full; there was hardly sound TO be
heard except the distant hum OF the
mill machinery.
Between the dam and the store,
upon a terrain heaped with tin cans
and miscellaneous debris. were piles
Of wood In four.foot lengths. each COM
prlslng about two hundred cords.
kneellng at the narrow end OF one OF
these piles was n little man. whose
clean-shaven upper lip, the Wilderness
Of which contrnsted with a sun.black-
ened face, indicated that mustache
had grown there recently. lie was
scaling, or measuring. the pile. and
mutterIng as he added up his figures.
Hilary surveyed the lumber II was
unrossed. and most OF II was black
spruce; there was also some white
spruce and little pine. The mass In
the river. II II consisted OF wood Of
the same quality, hardly substantlated
Inmnrtinp's Stutpmpntg
"iou seem to have some good spruce
on the seignlory," said Hilary.
The little man leaped to his feet,
waving his arms. "What you want
heref" he demanded, Strangers ure
not permitted on the company's prop
erty. II you want TO buy ut the store.
you 70 by the road"
Hilary looked down coolly Mt the
excited little man. I'm Mr.. Askew.
and I've come to take charge OF my
property" he answered.
The little man WINS bereft OF vocal
powers for quite some time,
"But Mr. Morris. he aIn't here" he
gnsped at length.
well. he ought to be here. That's
what I'm paying him for" said Hilary.
"whnt's your nnmei"
Marie Baptlstc."
"rerhups you didn't expect me- Mon.
sleur Baptlstef
Holy Name, no! II was said that
you had sold out to the company"
"WhOt company" demanded Hilary.
"The company Mt Ste, MnrIe. Mon.
sleur Brousscnus company"
"See here, Baptiste," said Hilary,
taking the other by the arm. Let us
begin by understanding cnch other. I
know nothing about nny company OK.
cept myself. own this district. the
land, the timber, the mill. Have you
got thatf"
Jeun.AIarie gnped ngnln. aud then
automatically disengngcd himself
IL guess you want TO see MIR. Con.