The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-02-27

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willing to do SO on the installment sys-
tenn. but none willing to risk an tmme-
date investment on . territory with
such reputation as St Boniface had
unjustly acquired.
Hilary knew he had to thank Morris
for that. He returned to st. Boni-
face next day With only one thing ac-
conplished. He had seen the land map
and ascertained that the upper reaches
of Rocky river had been surveyed and
that the creek was wholly on his own
land. He found. too. with some sur
| prise. that a large island out In the
Gulf was part OF the Rosny domain.
1t had not appeared on Morris rough
map.
LATE. who met him at the wharf.
| looked worried.
I'm glad you've come" he said. as
they drove to the mill together.
Things were pretty bad on Saturday
| night"
They're striking?-
no. Mr. Askew. That's the bright
est point in the situation. Macpherson,
the foreman. tells me that It's called
off. Brousseau's dropped that maneu-
yer, for some reason of his own"
whats the trouble, then?'
Il guess BrouSseaus off on another
tack, Mr.. Askew. All the hands was
over to Ste. Marie on Saturday night
by special invitation from Simeon Du-
val. who owns the biggest dance hall
there. There was free drinks for every
body. and the whole place was IN an
| II n
stroke of work has been done here till
yesterday. which means a four-day
| week. The men are only Just SOLDERING
up now.
However, that amt the worst. by
long sight. It's sort of open secret
that they're going to open up ST. BOni-
face wide, and Simeon's-'
You mean Simeon has dared to
start one of his hells here while was
away?" cried Hilary angrily.
Not yet" said Lafe. There amt
no more liquor being sold here than
usual-yet. But they're going to open
up if they can. Simeon's brother Louis
has rented that house by the old sta
bles that Jean Baptiste used to occupy
last year before it began to go to
pieces, and he's going to have q dance
hall there and sell brandy"
Hilary raped out an oath. "Not If
l have anything to say" he answered.
Nor me- said LATE. THE trouble
is, where do we start in? We can't
fight the whole town single-handed. 1
was wondering whether we couldn't
wire the revenue people"
mol" said Hilary sharply. "We'n
fight our own battles Lafe."
LATE subsidized in a hurt sort of way.
The evidences of decentralization were
obvious in st. Boniface The men were
slow and surly, the women sullen,
slatternly and hopeless-Iooking 1t YVES
clear that they had little hope Hilary
could counter this new project. Hill
airy was aware of q feeling in the air.
as If he was being tested. He saw
furtive glances as he went by. he rec
ognized reluctance In the sullen touch
of the cap and the unsmiling faces,
while not hostile. watched him with
something like resentment. as if his
attitude toward the Duval proposal
was discounted beforehand
Hilary had kept in his mind a plan
Of cutting along the bank of the river.
without waiting for the snow. 1t SEEM
ed to him a feasible plan to fell right
beside the water, and float the logs
down, this requiring no teams to haul.
process impossible until the snow
was deep. On the Saturday he went
out afoot to survey the timber In the
upper reaches. In order to get clear
err view, Hilary took the public road
that ran along the eastern bank, with
in the Ste. Marie limits. and assembled
to an elevation opposite the low-lying
tract on the west side.
He had nearly reached the branch
road which ran in toward Ste. Marie.
along which LATE and he had driven on
that first morning, when he perceived
Madeleine Rosny and Brousseau ahead
of him, at the top of the rise. They
seemed to be talking earnestly, and
Hilary held back. unwilling to surprise
them. Presently he saw Brousseau
spur his horse and gallop away in the
direction of Ste. Marie, while Made
leine came slowly toward him.
She saw him and turned her horse |
aside to let him pass She had been
crying. and there were traces of tears !!
still on her cheeks. She would have |
waited for him to go by. her face
averted. but Hilary placed his hand |
upon the horses bride.
''Mademoiselle Rosny-" he began
''Let me go on" she said in a low I
tone.
II want to speak to you. And If I
you are in trouble I want to help |
you"
She smiled YEARLY. 81 am not in /
trouble. and If / were should hardly
ask your aid. Monsieur Askew," she /
answered. Then. with sudden We
hemence. "Why did you come here?"
she cried. "Why could you not have
left ST. Boniface alone, instead of stir
ring up hatred? Is it not enough that
my father should have been compelled
TO sell your uncle our trees, without
your coming here to exult over our
shame?"
Il have not exulted, Mademoiselle
Rosny; am sorry"
Take back your pity. We don't
want 1t. What has Monsieur Brous-
Seau done to yOu-or Mr. Morris 9-