Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-01-02
CHAPTER u.
Lafe connelI Explains.

lnC AulChllOu VI CONCllhS a POAtAOh -
the limits and seeing the operations OF
the jobbers; he also meant to keep
his eyes open as to the nature OF
the timber.
The buggy surmounted a hill, and
another hill appeared in the distance
Here and there, scattered along the
roadside, were solitary cabins, with
little patches of cultivated ground
about them.
''And on the right of the road is the
Ste. Marie territory?" asked Hilary.
"Yep, Mr.. Askew. The two runs
neck and neck back into them noun
tains. We turn off presently. We haven
touched this district yet"
Hilary noted the first-growth. spruce
along the banks. "Why don't we cut
this, anyway, if the rest is mainly
fir?" he asked. "There's enough lum
Der here to fill our dam instead Of
the Ste. Marie companys logs"
Lafe answered volubly, but did moi
meet Hilary's eyes.
"You see, Mr.. Askew," he began Il
explain, 'it's this way. There's 6
good deal of fir on our property, anC
what pine and spruce there is is small
ish. There was a big fire over this
district fifteen years or so ago. Nov
Mr.. Morris calculates that if we &C
slow for a while and give the trees 6
chance to grow, they'll be worth twice
as much in a few years. We're de
veloping the property slowly, Mr.
Askew-"
Hilary's hand fell on Lafe's shoul
der. "Connell," he said, II brought
you up here with me to learn the trutf
from you. You're going to sign or
again on October first, and it's me
you're going to sign with, not Mr.
Morris. Now tell me the facts about
all this"
Lafe stammered and hung his heat
like a schoolboy caught in wrong
doing. But Hilary's hand was grip
ping his shoulder, and at last Laft
raised his head and looked straight
at Hilary.
''If / thought you'd stick here" he
said, 'T guess I'd back you to the lin
1t. But you'll never stand for st
Boniface, Mr.. Askew. They're so in
fernally slow here, they amt got hu
man ways, sir. And they're crooked
thought. when 1 heard you was com
ing, you'd be like Mr.. Morris-I mean
wise to the game-but you amt.
O,,acc v,,ocf h,,eipoce, f, o-ooIxo.1 ox,or.,
where, but here it's crooked al
through. You'll be selling out to MI
Brousseau in a months time, an,
that'll be my finish"
you're dead wrong, Connell," an
swered Hilary. 81 like the looks O
this country, and I'm here to stay
Now suppose you forget about MI
Brousseau for a while and conside
yourself to be what you are, my pal,
employee. And you can count on m,
standing by you."
He held his hand out. For a me
ment Lafe Connell's keen gray eye
met his searching inquiry; then h
took Hilary's hand and wrung it.e
II believe you mean what you Say
Mr.. Askew," he returned. "And yo
can reckon on me so far as my dut
goes"
81 suppose that tale about the Ros
ny seigniory being nothing but fir
lie, Connell?" asked Hilary pre-:
emily, as the pony ambled through
valley overgrown with red pine.
Mostly" said Lafe. 'There is
deal of fir, but there's enough spruc
and pine to make the concession pa,
II Mr.. Morris wanted it to-"
$50 Morris has been playing double
Lafe nodded "YOu see, Mr.. Askev
It's this way" he said. "When Morri
came up here 1 believe he meant t
run straight. But he'd been lumbe
man in a small way up in Ontario, an
he wasn't wise to the game as 1T
played here. Here it's graft, and it
never been nothing else. So whe
Morris found your uncle didn't kno
nothing about the business, and le
1t in his hands, he naturally fell fC
the game Brousseau was playing.
''Brousseau is the big man I'D her
and he'd had his eye on the Rosn
seigniory for long time. He wante
to buy, but Rosny was sore on hir
and he closed the deal with your unc
instead. But afterward Brousseau q,
the mortgage on the Chateau and II
little bit of land round it, to keep hol
on Rosny.
well, the Rosny seigniory is II
only piece of freehold up this way. b
yond it's government land, and q
round it's government land. Brou
seau started In to squeeze your unc
out. And Morris went with him. F
played double as you were sayin
Mr.. Askew. The point of the who
game was to freeze out your unc
and get the property for a son
That's how it stands. Here we tut
of into Mr.. Leblancs lease"
who's hep
"Your chief jobber," said Lafe.
The buggy turned off through Il
forest along a new road. Here W
some splendid timber, black and whi
spruce and tall white pine. The SOU
Of axes began to be audible, and pre-
emily they reached clearing, in viii
a number of frame shacks were und
construction. experimenting the wo
was tall, rather fair man of abo
forty years, with cast in one ey
and with him was a short, thicks
man of great muscular power. T
: two looked up as the buggy 0
preached, and the short man scowlt
"This is Mr.. Leblanc said La
"Mr. Leblanc, this is Mr.. Askew, t
owner"
Leblanc put out his hand Imply, /
Hilary, nettled by his manner, did I
take it.
'Mr. Leblanc is clearing a camp !
! his next years lease" continued La
But the lease is not signed?" ask
Hilary.
: ut will be signed in October" {
I swered Leblanc. 81 have arra1
: ! with Monsieur Morris"
you'll make your arrangemel