The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-04-10
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| time to time over his shoulder as he
went.
His statement in the store must have
created a good deal of sensation, for
presently two clerks, as well as the
two lOungers, who had gone inside,
came to the door and stared. Olsen"
gaging himself from among these came
the foreman, a tall, lean, lanky New
Englander, whose deliberate slouch
and typical bearing warmed Hilarys
heart instantly. He knew the type
knew 1t as only one with the New Eng
land blood knows his own.
I'm LATE Council, at your service
Mr.. Askew," said the foreman, coming
up to Hilary and standing respectfully
before him.
II suppose l should have let you pe0'
pie know that was coming" said
Hilary.
He wondered why LATE Council
whistled; he knew nothing about
Brousseau's teIephoned warning.
81 guess you'll find things upset a
little" said COnnell "N1r. Morris has
been away for a couple of weeks, see
ing to his other interests, and | cant
exactly do much for you till he comes
back. It's our slack month, you know
Mr.. Askew. The men don't go into
the woods until September, and we
don't keep a large force employed OF
the mill work"
"TOmOrrow's soon enough to start
in," said Hilary. I'm pleased to have
met you, Mr.. COnnell."
wait a minute" said the foreman
'If you don't mind having me, III &c
up to the hotel with you. Maybe
therelI be some things that you'll
want to ask me-
"All right, said Hilary.
They went together silently across
the shaking bridge and aSCended the
HILL each quietly taking stock of the
other At the top, where a branch
road ran off at right angles to tha1
which crested the cliff, a figure or
horseback appeared in the distance.
1t was a girl, riding side-saddle. A!
the horse drew near she pulled In t
take the branch road without scatter
ing the dust, passing within a few fee
of Hilary. He saw that she was abou
twenty years Of age, or little more
slight, very straight upon the saddle
with gray-blue eyes and brown hail
blown by the wind about her. flushed
cheeks. There was a combination o.
dignity and simplicity about her, botf
In her demean0r and In the way slit
rode, and in her acknowledgment O.
Connell's greeting.
Hilary watched her canter up thu
road till she had disappeared among
the trees. Then he realized that h
had not taken his eyes of her since hi
had first seen her.
'"That," said LATE, "is Mamzell'
Madeleine Rosny. Her fathers wha
they call the Seigneur."
1.-THE owner of the ChateauF &Sket
Hilary, although he knew this per
fectly.
Eyes, Mr.. Askew. guess sh'
wouldn't have smiled 50 pleasant i
she had known who you was"
"Why, Mr.. ConnellT
LATE terked his thumb vaguely Abou
the horizon. "proud old boy" he ex
planned. "Family's been here nigh Of
q thousand years, / guess-leastways
since them Frenchmen first came Il
this continent. Hated Ike thunder +
sell out to your uncle. But CUES
he was land poor, like the rest Of them
and Mamzelle Madeleine must hav
cost him mint Of money finishing a
in the convent at Paris, France"
Hillary turned this over In his min,
as they continued their walk along tn
cliff and then down the road to tn
hotel. The idea of any personal III
feeling on the Seigneur's part or Of
that of his family had not occurred t
him. Though ne did not expect t
meet Monsieur Rosny, except posslbl
In the course of his business, he wa
conscious Of feeling of regret, an
also of half-formed resolution, tn
nature of which he would not admit
to put relations upon a pleasant foot
ing.
In the hotel the landlords wife wa
already preparing supper. They at
ON nranlnt ,rn chnd dAu,Ha Iuith ctsan