The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-04-15
BY VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations by Irwin Myers

beside him.
Hilary looked at him with n whim-
sical smile. "We're finished. Lafe.
This affair, coming on top Of the cam
ceiling of those jobbers' leases, has
ended me-"
Lafe scratched. his chin. but said
nothing TO this.
''You see" said Hilary, according to
my reckoning we shall have about for
ty thousand dollars on hand about
September first. That will last us till
Christmas. On the first Of the year
we shall be up against It. We need
another sixty thousand to carry us
through the winter, till navigation
opens and we call sell our cutting. No
banks going to lend us anything with
our record"
I'VE can ship six thousand cords by
December first" said Lafe.
"Thirty-five thousand dollars-per-
haps less"
"We could get more out Of those
river bottoms" suggested Lafe.
And shut down In the middle Of
March,"
"As far as I can see" Lafe blurted
out, you'll be about tga thousand shy,
Mr.. Askew, assuming things 70 feirly
well. That's why / came here. You
see, it's like this. I've got nearly eight
thousand in the First National bank
at Shoeburyport, Mass. Clarice-Mrs,
CcsDell that ls-wouldn't let me buy
her lsoase On the installment pian
as I wanted to. She said as I'd never
know when we'd neea the money, and
IL couldn't pay up on tine they'd get
it away from us somehow, no matter
what the contract said. 1t seemed
kew, but I'm glad now--f sure am
glad"
''Lafe," said Hilary, "are you crazy
enough TO suppose I'm going to take
the money that you and Mrs. Connell
have been saving up for home, and
put II into this bankrupt concernf
"0h, shucksp' said Lafe. "Why
that amt nothing. i guess / know o
good thing when see one. I'm loan
ing it to you, Mr.. Askew, at-any rate
you want to pay me"
''Lafe, you're fool," said Hilary,
trying to keep his voice steady: "Pm
tempted. But I'm not going to take
it,"
Then / guess I'll take the next boat
homel" shouted Lafe. 81 amt going
to work for a busted concern what's
going to leave me stranded up here In
midwinter, not drawing a cent, and
Clarice-my wife-and the kids in
Shoeburyport. No, sirl You take
that or I'll leave. 1t amt so Graz.
as you think. It'll give me an interes,
in getting the last ounce out of tn,
men-and l guess Ciarice will ap
prove And when the concerns on fza
own legs, you-why, you can raise my
wages"
"Connell, you're trump" said III
ary. 'I'l take 1t. Yes. III take II, be-
cause know now that am going to
succeed. We can't fail, Lafe, when
we're as much in earnest as we are.
Good Lord. what despondent fool
I've been r.
"Same here" said Lafe. II was just
hopeless, till you made me see
straight"
"Why, 1t was you, made me see
straight" said Hilary. "Now, Com
nell, well push things hard from this
very minute. Well start in cuttina
along the river, and Wen float the
logs right down stream to the mill, and
Wen keep Dupont and his schoones
coming and going till navigation closes
even If we make Riviere Rocheuss
look as bare as our bank account was
looking just now. Baptiste will Be
worth a score when he underestimate
He broke Off suddenly. and the tw
men, struck by the same thought
looked at each other.
II wonder why Baptiste went Off a
soon as he'd dynamited the JAM" sale
Hilary.
He felt ashamed of his suspicious
Yet remembering that day when
Baptiste was comforting with Pierre
he could not wholly rid himself o1
them.
'Lafe." he said, "what was II VOC
heard those men saying after the ao-
cident? You started"
"Why, / guess that wasn't nothing,
Mr.. Askew. You know how excited
these people get over trifles. They're
just like flock of geese gabbling
around"
what was II, Lafe?"
"Just nonsense, sir. Not worth rs-
peating, but--well. you see. it's this
way. Some darned fool said that some.
body had sawed part way through the
logs of the BOOM"
Then for the first time the words a
Madeleine Rosny came back to Hilaryt
Look to your boom! Look to yoH
booml"
He hung his head and flushed witt
shame. 1t seemed impossible to asue-
clate that act Of treachery with her.
Yet, struggle as he did, her laA
words haunted him.