The Dolores star., 1920-06-11
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations by Lr,vfn Myers

DeSiue MIN.
Hilary looked at him with a whim-
sical smile. "We're finished, Lafe.
This affair. coming on top of the can
ceiling of those jobbers' leases. has
ended me-"
Lafe scratched his chin. but said
nothing to this
You see said Hilary. according to
my reckoning we shall have about for
ty thousand dollars on hand about
September first. That will last us till
Christmas. On the first Of the year
we shall be up against 1t. We need
another sixty thousand to carry Us
through the winter. till navigation
opens and we call sell our cutting. No
banks going to lend US anything with
our record"
1--WE can ship six thousand cords By
December first" said Lafe.
'"rhirty-five thousand dOIlars-per-
haps less"
1--WE could get more out of those
river bottoms" suggested Lafe.
"And shut down in the middle Of
March,"
"As far as I can see" I.afe bIurted
Mr. Askew. assuming things go fairly
well. That's why I came here. You
see. it's Mke this. I've got nearly eight
thousand in the First National bank
at ShOeburyport. Mass. CIarice-Mrs.
Connell. that is-woudn't let me buy
her house on the instaliment plan
as wanted to. She said as I'd never
know when we'd need the money. and
IL l couldn't pay up on time they'd get
ii away from us somehow, no matter
what the contract said. 1t seemed
mighty unreasonable to me. Mr.. AS
kew. but I'm glad now-I sure am
glad
"Lafe." said Hilary. "are you crazy
enough to suppose I'm going to take
the money that you and Mrs Connen
have been saving up for home and
put it into this bankrupt concern2"
"Oh. shucks!' snid Lafe "Why
that amt nothing. ! guess know
good thing when I see one. I'm loan
ing it to you, Mr.. Askew. at-any rate
you want to pay me-
'Lafe. you're a fool" said Hilary.
| trying to keep his voice steady: "I'm
| tempted But I'm not going to take
| it,"
"Then guess I'll take tne next boat
home ~ shouted Lafe. 81 amt going
to work for a busted concern what's
going to leave me stranded up here in
midwinter. not drawing cent. and
| Clarice-my wife-and the kids in
Shoeburyport. No. sir! You take
that or I'll leave. 1t amt so crazy
as you think. It'll give me an interest
In getting the last ounce out Of the
men-and l guess Clarice will ap-
prove. And when the concerns on its
own legs, you-why. you can raise my
wages"
"Connell. you're a trump" said Hill
ary. "I'll take 1t. Yes. I'll take it. be-
cause know now that I am going to
succeed. We can't fail. Lafe. when
we're as much in earnest as we are.
Good Lord what despondent fool
I've been!''
"Same here" said Lafe. 81 was Just
hopeless, till you made ME see
straight"
"Why, it was you made me see
straight" said Hilary. "Now. Con-
nell. we'll push things hard from this
very minute. Well start In cutting
along the river. and weil float the
logs right down stream to the mill. and
we'll keep Dupont and his schooner
coming and going till navigation closes.
even if we make Riviere Rocheuss
look as bare as our bank account was
looking just now. Baptiste will be
worth score when he understands"
He broke off suddenly. and the two
men, struck by the same thought.
looked at each other.
IL wonder why Baptiste went off as
soon as he'd dynamited the JAM" said
Hilary.
He felt ashamed of his suspicious.
Yet, remembering that day when
Baptiste was comforting with Pierre.
he could not wholly rid himself Of
them.
"Lafe." he said. "what was it yVu
heard those men saying after the nc
cident? You started"
"Why, l guess that wasn't nothing.
Mr. Askew. You know how excited
these people get over trifies. They're
just like flock of geese gabbling
around"
"What was 1t, Lafe7'
"Just nonsense, sir. Not worth ro-
peating. but-weli, you see. it's this
way. Some darned fool said Chat some
body had sawed part way through the
logs of the boom"
Then for the first time the words Of
Madeleine Rosny came back to Hilary:
Look to your boom! Look to your
boom!"
He hung his head and flushed with
shame. 1t seemed impossible to asso-
ciate that act of treachery with her.
Yet. struggle rs he did. her last
words haunted him.
rrn,,hlo t.N,,hla and III