The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-06-30

Lafe he8itated, but only TOR mo
ment. Then he mentally cast Brous-
seau to the winds; for. after all. II
Hilary meant to know. nobody could
prevent Il. Brousseau's instructions
Notwithstanding.
"It's this way. Mr.. Askew." he said.
~1fr. Norris and Mr.. Brousseau have q
company Of their own. Their limits
touch ours on the west, across the
river. and run ten miles or 80 back
into the bush. right alongside ours.
They got the right to float their logs
down the river"
"And use the millf"
"Mr. Morris leases the use Of our
mill by the year to the company"
Hilary was sta ygered for the mo-
ment. Morris. as his uncle's manager,
leasing the mill to Morris. a partner In
Brousseaus company, seemed queer
role.
slow do they tell our lumber from
theirs7' asked Hilary presently.
"Oh. that amt hard" said Lafe.
@You see. the jobbers. who suitcase
the tracts. know how much their men
have cut. And it's scaled In the
woods before they shoot 1t down
stream. guess there amt no diff
Guilty there, Mr.. Askew. And you see.
Mr.. Morris representing both concerns.
he naturally does his best by both Of
'em."
Hilary's suspicious, dormant even
after the interview with Lamartine,
were now thoroughly aroused.
.And Mr.. Brousseau has no concern
with us. except for the lease Of the
mill and the nght-of-way down the
river" ansed Hilary. "Who Is this
Mr.. Br 'seaur
"Why. guess he's the big man Of
the district" said LATE. Hes the
nearest thing to boss they've got up
here; tells 'em how to vote and gets
'em out Of trouble. He Amt good to
his father, though. That was. old
Jacques Brousseau In the store. the
trapper."
II didn't see him."
'He was Mr.. Rosny's slave, or what
ever they called them, In the old
times, before these people became
free"
He tapped the ashes out Of his pipe
and pocketed II.
Hes got old Rosny In his pocket"
he said, leaning toward Hilary. ties
got him bound and mortgaged after
leading him to throw your uncle's
money away in crazy investments. He
did ii deliberately, Mr.. Askew. When
he was kid. growing up. among the
house servants up at the Chateau
he wanted TO be big man. for which
don't blame him. He got his way
bit that wasn't enough. He wanted
the Seigneur's place, because he found
that the folks up here thought more
of old Mr.. Rosny. with his broken
down house and debts, than they did
of him with all his money. So he set
TO work and got him cinched.
"The old man hates and despises
him, and he's been fighting against it
for long time, but he seen what's
coming to him and guess he's made
up his mind he'll have to stomach 1t.
Brousseau's staked old Mr.. Rosny's
pride against his love, and guess he's
won his stake and won Mamzelle
Madeleine into the bargain"
He rose. "Thatll be all for tonight,
Mr.. AskewY" he asked.
Hilary rose too. Thanks, Mr.. Con-
NELL" he said. "In the morning / shall
ask you to show me around the place"
He didn't follow LATE Cornell in
side the hotel. but sat upon the porch,
muslng. LATE had enlightened him on
several points. He doubted whether
Lamartine had spoken anything APP
preaching truth concerning the prop
erty. and he was sure that Morris and
Brousseau were the company In whose
behalf he had offered forty-fve thou
sand dollars. There would be need of
a good many explanations from Nor
ris. Yet Hilary felt instinctively that
II was Brousseau, not Morris. with
whom he would have to contend.
On the face of the soft night rose
the face Of Madeleine Rosny painted
with surprising clearness. He saw the
blue Of her eyes, the curve of her