The Connecticut labor press., 1920-03-13


 and in an instant, forgetful of their resolution, they had turned and raced back along the trail.
 Not many steps, and, breaking through the trees, they saw Marie Du pont struggling in Pierre's arms, while Leblanc and Nanette stood near them laughing.
 | Lafe leaped at Pierre. and his bony fist caught the outlaw beneath the chin. Pierre went down in a heap Hilary made for Leblanc. whose ex pression would, under other circum. stances, have been comical in it's sur. prise.
 He turned upon the girl and knocked her down savagely. Then without another glance at Hilary, he made for the slOop.
 Leaving Pierre where he had fallen Lafe joined in the pursuit But Le- blanc had several yards start, and his experience of Hilarys prowess lent wings to his feet. He plunged into tbe water and, by a miracle of strength, swung the sloop clear of the sand or which she had been beached. AS the vessel was carried clear by the swift flowing tide the ex-jobber scrambled aboard, dripping, and pushed off with the oar. Lafe and Hilary stood. baf- fled, upon the brink of the water. while Leblanc, at an ever increasing distance. began to put up the sail. 1 shouting back defiant curses mean while.
 They heard a sound of feet upon hn chf hNh S quickly. It was Pierre, but he was bolting for the woods. They ran at him. but he had gained the shelter of the trees. and 1t was growing too dark to follow. They stopped and looked back. Leblanc was now quite a dis | tance from the island, and making for the north shore upon the incoming tide.
 Let's go," said Hilary, and he took Marie gently by the arm. She went with him obediently, and Lafe fol- lowed with Nanette, whose lip was bloody from Leblanc's blow. The tide was running fairly for St. Boniface. It was almost dark now. but the wind had died away and the stars were brilliant. Hilary, taking off his overcoat, wrapped it about Marie. The girls bewilderment had yielded to abject gratitude. She raised Hilary's hand to her lips and pressed it. Beside her Nanette, wrapped in Lafe's waterproof. was sobbing wildly and wiping her wounded lip. The words that passed were drowned in the sound of the lap ping waves" before they reached the ears of Louis. at the tiller.
 "Now. what happened?" asked Hill ary of Marie. Tell me, and we'll clap those rufians into jail. assure you. How did they get you into that boat?'
 Marie sobbed out her explanation {: but when Hilary gathered, with difi- culty from the broken words, stam- mered in French, that she had gone aboard with Pierre to marry him in Quebec, he could hardly believe his ears.
 And your father knows nothing of this?" he inquired, when she had ended.
 'He knows nothing, monsiexr. An, monsieur, you saved me before, and Il was ungrateful. Promise me, swear to me, that he shall never know '"
 And you, Nanette," continued Hil- ary, addressing the weeping girl, ''what have you to say, who lured her here, knowing thts?"
 'I did not know, monsieur" cried Nanette. "Pierre told me that if I bring her he would get me back my sweetheart"
 Leblanc, eh?''
 "Oui, monsieur. Then he take me to Quebec, and we get married. And he promised me a wedding ring of gold. monsieur"
 And he told you that he was going to marry Marie?"
 "Oui, monsieur, we all go to Quebec together. Only just before we land he tell me that we all stay on the island together first, and have a holi- day"
 ''Nanette, Leblanc never intended to marry you," said Hilary. "They were using you to get Marie into Pierre's power. Nanette-"
 He bent toward her and touched her on the shoulder. She looked up at him, her lips quivering, her face pa thetic as a scolded child's
 ''Is it long since you left your homer"
 1.-Two years, monsieur"
 "Nanette, you were a child then, like Marie here? Leblanc came to you and told you of the great world outside, and how he would marry you and be kind to you. Two years have passed, and he has ruined your life, and he has not kept his promise, and still he deceives you with his promises. Would you go back to him?'
 "Never, monsieur! He struck me see! Not in just anger, as a man strikes his wife who nags him, but be- cause he was afraid. See where his fist fell-Seei"
 "Yet, Nanette, even as Leblanc did to you, you would have had Pierre do to Marie here."
 Monsieur! I thought he was to marry her. Pierre told me, if I bring Marie to Ste. Marie no harm is done, because he loves her and he wishes to save her from you, who mean no good to her." From me, Nanette !" exclaimed Hil- ary, stupefed. "Oui, monsieur, and then you e~ to Ste. Marie to meet her and take her | home. And everybody say Monsieur Askew loves her, and no doubt he has | wife in his own country"