The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-02-13

significant afterward that, wild though
her words were, and untrue, he did not
then deny them.
Madeleine looked up and, meeting
MS eyes, grew calm. LATE stepped for
ward. bent down and gently raised Hill
arys head from her knee. He placed
MS hands beneath the shoulders, sup
porting them, while Father Lucien lift
cd the lower part of the body, and thus
they carried the stricken man through
the shanty toward the buggy.
The cure made a motion to LATE to
enter. You and Mademoiselle Rosny
VIII drive to my house, he said. "As
thefe 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 60 any
where else, monsieur, when he is like
this?"
Her voice rang proudly, the tone adj
mltted 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
hastened to the other side of the rig
and began adjusting it, while the cure
turned toward the crowd, which was
looking on in panicky silence, broken
only by low words and mutterings.
This is bad nights work that you
nave done!" he cried. "You shall pay
Tor It, every man here, and the assas-
| sins too. I 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 Wolfe's 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 Tes-
sier," he said. 81 knew nothing of this
until the deed was done, or l 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 lifew 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 I not hate Ste. Marie more
than he? Yet even l 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. mo! We have not
forgotten !"
MACPHERSON came forward again.
'They thought" he said, "Mademoi-
selle, that Monsieur Brousseaus ene-
mics were yours" !.
LATE saw the girl stagger as if she |
had received blow. She put her
hand upon the buggy wheel and leaned
thus for moment, staring into Mac
Pherson's face. Then, without a word, |
she stepped in, took up the reins and
began to urge the horse, very slowly, |
along the road. The cure came to the
side of the vehicle.
Il shall come to the Chateau, then,
Mademoiselle Rosny," he said.
Madeleine did not answer him. Pres
emily LATE, crouching in the bottom of |
the buggy, heard her sobbing again, |
low, heartbroken sobs that she could |
not check for long time. Sometimes
she took her eyes from the road to look |
for a moment into Hilary's face, and
once she stopped for a moment.
"How is he" she asked.
''He is living, Mademoiselle." said
LATE. And that was all he dared to |
say.
There was no lantern, and Madeleine
needed all her watchfulness to avoid
the stones and ruts in the road. Luck
lily the moon was bright and the horse
steady. Once, as the buggy swung
round bend, LATE, looking out, saw
the cure trudging behind, shaking his
heavy stick. He heard Madeleine still
sobbing. 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 60 to st.
Boniface so soon.
The trees fell away, disclosing the
Rosny chateau. The buggy stopped be-
fore the door in front of which the
Soiopour and fha al |