The Dolores star., 1920-04-30
CHAPTER I.
me Rosny White Elephant.


The office In Quebec which Georges
LamAftine, the notary. occupied was
located incOnspicuously in small
building In an old part Of the Lower
Town. Small. wlry. blackhaired,
with m air Of unconvincing plauslbil-
lty ahout him. Monsieur Lamartine
ma ooated at his desk, drumming his
nugefs. staring out of the window. and
turning again to look at a letter signed
Hilary Askew. when his boy brought
him Z card with the same name upon
It Monsieur Lamartine frowned.
Toll Monsieur Askew that am
bury with an important court case"
he MD. ASK him to call at this time
tomcxrow."
~A1r. Askew says he's busy, too. and
he'll wait" announced the boy, return
ing.
The notary considered. "Well tell
himsTll see him In a few minutes" he
answered..
When the boy was gone he took
down the telephone receiver and gave
= number.
''Is that you, Brousseau?" he asked.
Monsieur Hilary Askew has turned
mp"
There was sputtering at the other
end OF the line which made the notary
smile
II can't say. I haven't seen him
yet said Monsieur Lamartine, In an
Bwer. But If l can't send him home
with smile on his lips and check
In his pocket l shall try to keep him
In Quebec until I have seen you. And
you'd better try to get Morris by long
distance and warn him. Goodby."
He hung up the receiver, rang for
the boy and told him to admit Mr..
Aakew. Then he rose to receive his
visitor.
He looked at Hilary keenly as he
shook hands with him. The young man
WAS different from what he had ex-
pected. He was about as big. and he
had the same air of American energy |;
but he appeared more determined, he
locked like one of those uncomfortable
met who have the knack Of disentan-
Cling themselves from sophlstrles.
However, Hilary looked goOd-natured.
An4 he was certainly inexperienced.
40n1ieur Lamartine gave him chair
and looked very plausible indeed.
3our visit has followed very close
upon your letter. Mr.. Askew." he said.
'kefhaps you did not get mine, advis-
ing YOU to wait before coming to Que
becf
NO" said Hilary, "but 1 would have
come anyway. want to get this mat
ter eettled."
The American haste" said the no.
tarys looking almost ingenious. But
the law is not to be taken by storm,
least Of all In Quebec. 1t is only u
month since your uncle died. Perhaps
II viii be months before we can turn
over the property to you. I under
stand that you were not in close touch
with your uncle during his latter
yeaxs?" .
hadn't seen him since was boy.
That was what made the legacy sur
pftqing one. He had not shown any
interest In me. l had hard fight to
CT $through my forestry course. So
when heard that l had become the
OWnar of a tract Of u hundred square
milSg 1t seemed like an Intervention Of
Pr6e1dence. That Is almost king
dom sir"
IN miles by ten2" inquired the
notary, smiling. "Well, suppose 1t
doo1 seem large territory to you, al
thouth the Rosny seigniory was one of
the smallest Of the old feudal grants.
II = almost the last on the north shore
~ Ne st. Lawrence that remains in
H. lands of the original family" 49,
ybur hundred Thousand dollars
eeGas big sum for my uncle to have
2 uo1GSf0r it." said Hilary.
kcur uncle" said Monsieur Lamar
0 beginning to drum softly, "made
tk14 Investment against the advice Of
a564d many people. The Rosny tim
b9 ghts are practically valueless, be-
the wood is principally balsam
ktead of pine and spruce" q +,
noted that Hilary only watched
y instead of answering, and he be-
\, 10 feel that he would not be dis
Of as easily as he had anticl-
be property has never begun to
Il Is way" continued Monsieur La
ne. "Your uncle paid three hun
and fifty thousand for the cutting
n alone. He found himself up
ut the law which places limit
size Of trees. Seven inches for
o. swamp spruce bs,isvs ;