Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-03-05

to Improve There was every Iikeli.
hood now OF being able to carry on
through the winter. Brousseau had
showed no signs of further interfer-
enee with his men. and there vas even
the possibility of getting out another
small load.
Hilary had sent Nanette home to st.
Joseph. She had promised to write to
him, but. as he had expected. he had
not heard from her. Baptiste had
thrown up his position with Dupont
and gone into the Ste. Marie limits to
trap. Marie Dupont avoided Hilary;
he had not seen her since the dSs, Of
their adventure.
As for Dupont, whatever he knew,
he showed no signs. And things seemed
TO settle into equilibrium. though Hill
airy was sure that a denouement was
TO follow. He could only wait pa
tiently for thaG. No action col lid come
from him. He could not violate his
pledge to Marie in order to secure him
self with Madeleine.
Then came the news which stunned
Hilary out of his mental apathy. Mad
eleine was TO marry Brousseau. 1t
was TO be In three weeks--at Christ
mas, and the banns had been read in
church that Sunday morning for the
first time.
What had happened was this: The
Seigneur had not given his daughter
any sign of remembrance of the events
that had transpired Immediately be-
fore his stroke. though he was in other
| respects normal, save for the paraly-
sis of the left side. But as the weeks
went by he grew more and more
nervous and depressed, until one night
he hlurted out:
where will you take me after the
| estate changes hands? | cannot re.
main in ST. Boniface, nor can remain
with YOU and the American. | am too
old to go anywhere but TO the grave"
So he had remembered all the timel
Madeleine put her arms about his
neck. II am not going to marry Nom
sieur Askew." she answered.
Then, without warning. the old
Seigneur fell to crying and laughing,
as If a Tremendous load of care had
been lifted from his shoulders The
land, which had meant so much 70 MIN
all his life. now seemed to be every
thing. and he interpreted Madeleine's
answer to Indicate her willingness TO
marry Brousseau.
"Well, why not7" she thought with
intense bitterness, as she listened.
Have / any other duty now, save to
my fatEer?"
She never doubted her Judgment of
Hilary. The story had been dinned
into her ears by Brousseau since Hill.
ary's first visit to Ste. Marie. She had
heard II from tradesmen's wives, the
postmistress, until their attachment
was known; then had come silence
and furtiveness. And she had scorned
to think of its possibility until that
night.
And she had given him his chance
and he had said nothing.
She accepted the Situation and sat
down and penned short. formal let
ter to Bronsseau.
He came the next day, driving fu-
riousIy up to the Chateau He thrust
Robitaille out of his way and pushed
into the living room, where he found
Madeleine, deathly white. seated alone.
waiting for him. He opened his arms
to embrace her
"Sit down. Edouard," she said with
chilling apathy. Il am going TO talk
frankly to you. You wish to marry
me27
II want you for NY wife, said
Brousseau. "Yon knew that. You
know / don't think anything Of that
affair"--Madelein WINGED at the word.
but he did not notice it-''with Mon
seur Askew. The MATS seoundrei.
a thief, and a libertine--"
Il do not wish to hear that, mon
sleur," said ns;adeleine peremptoriIy
"Diable, that's natural enough And
so that's forgotten" Brousseau eould