The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-03-19
Illustrations by Irwin Myers

significant afterward that, wild though
her words were. and untrue, he did not
then deny them.
Madeleine looked up and, meeting
his eyes, grew calm. Lafe stepped for
ward. bent down and gently raised Hill
ary's head from her knee He placed
his hands beneath the shoulders, sup
porting them. while Father Lucien lift
ed the lower part Of the body. and thus
they carried the stricken man through
the shanty toward the buggy.
The cure made motion to LATE TO
enter. you and Mademolselle Rosny
will drive to my house." he said. LAS
there is no room for me. / walk. / give
you the key. because my housekeeper
is gone to bed and must not be fright
ened"
mo. to the Chateau" said Madeleine
Rosny. DO you think he shall go any
where else, monsieur, when he is like
this?"
Her voice rang proudly, the tone adj
mitted of no opposition. The cure was
silent
LATE drew Hilary into the bottom of
the buggy and crouched there, sup
porting the head and the upper part
of his body But Madeleine, watchful.
uttered low cry. A little blood was
leaking through the bandage. She
FASTENED TO the other side of the rig
and began adjusting 1t, while the cure
turned toward the crowd, which was
looking on in panicky silence broken
only by low words and mutterings.
''This is a bad nights work that you
have :" he cried. "You shall pay
for ii. every man here, and the aSsas-
sins too. / know them ALL"
The man who stepped forward was
the foreman of the mill. by name Mac
Pherson. a decent workman and de-
scendant of one of Wolfes Highland
ers who had settled along the coast
and perpetuated their names and
something of their stanch character,
if nothing else of their race survived.
I'VE are not all guilty. Monsieur Te;-
sier," he said. Il knew nothing of this
until the deed was done, or | should
have used every effort TO prevent it,
These people asked me TO speak for
them. They say that they broke down
the stable door and saved his life when
he was about TO be cut to pieces"
His lifel" cried Father Lucien,
scornfully. His life hangs by thread:
and if he dies his murderers shall
hang for it. And you are guilty equal
ly," he continued. addressing the
crowd, which seemed TO melt under his
burning tones. You left him lie there
and bleed to death. And listen fur
Their. You think that Monsieur Askew
brought the revenue officers to Ste.
Marie. Do / not hate Ste. Marie more
than he? Yet even / would not bring
the officers here until / had used every
means to clean up the evil there. 1t
was Monsieur Morris who brought
them. for he told me so.'
There was sensation at the priests
words. An excited babble broke out
Madeleine. who had just completed
the bandaging. halted with one foot
upon the step of the buggy and turned
to the lumbermen.
Yes, you left him to die" she cried
in scorn. You were afraid, and you
forgot that strangers who come upon
our land. upon our seigniory. are under
-our protection" Her eyes blazed as
she denounced them. "You have for
gotten your ancient loyalty in these
days. Messieurs. You have no memory
of your Seignieur and what you owe
to him-still your Seigneur. although
you no longer grind and hew for him
You have forgotten -
There was another movement among
the crowd. Her words seemed TO stir
them even more than the priests had
done. mo. no. mademoiselle - cried
several voices. mol We have not
forgotten -
MACPHERSON came forward again
They thought" he said. "Mademoi-
selle. that Monsieur Brousseaus enc
mics were yours"
LATE saw the girl stagger as if she
had received blow. She put he-
hand upon the buggy wheel and leaned
thus for moment, staring into Mac
Phersons face. Then. without word.
she stepped in. took no the reins and
began to urge the horse, very slowly.
along the road. The cure came TO the
side of the vehicle.
II shall come to the Chateau. then.
Mademoiselle Rosny." he said.
Madeleine did not answer him. Pres
emily Lafe. crouching in the bottom of
the buggy. heard her sobbing again.
low, heartbroken sobs that she could
not check for IL long time. Sometimes
she took her eyes from the road to look
for moment into Hilary's face, and
once she stopped for moment.
How is hep she asked.
HE is living. Mademoiselle' said
Lafe And that was all he dared to
say.
There was no lantern. and Madeleine
needed all her watchfulneSs to avoid
the stones and rurs in the road. Luck
lily the moon was bright and the horse
steady Once. as the buggy swung
round a bend. Lafe. looking out, saw
the cure rrudging behind shaking his
heavy stick He heard Madeleine still
sebbing. His OWN heart was heavy
enough: he blamed himself for Hill
ary's misfortune. He should have
stood by him. And he had meant TO do
SO. But he had not calculated that
Hilary would walk SO fast or go to st.
Boniface so soon-
The trees fell away, disclosing the