The Connecticut labor press., 1920-02-14


 then deny them.
 Madeleine looked up and, meeting his eyes, grew calm. Lafe stepped for ward, bent down and gently raised Hill ary's head from her knee. He placed his hands beneath the shoulders, SUD- porting them. while Father Lucien lift ed the lower part of the body, and thus they carried the stricken man through the shanty toward the buggy. l The cure made motion to Lafe to enter. You and MademoiselIe Rosny will drive to- my house." he said. "As there is no room for me, walk. give you the key, because my housekeeper Is gone to bed and must not be fright ened."
 "No. to the Chateau" said Madeleine Rosny. Do you think he shall go any where else,~mensieur, when he. is like this?"
 Her voice rang proudly, the tone ad- mitted of no opposition. The cure was silent.
 | Lafe drew Hilary into the bottom of the buggy and crouched there, sup porting the head and the upper part of his body. But Madeleine, watchful, uttered a low cry. A little blood was | leaking through the bandage. She hastened to the other side of the rig and began adjusting it, while the cure l turned toward the crowd. which was looking son in -panicky silence, broken only by low words and mutterings. 'This Is bad nights work that you have donew he cried. You shall pay | for it, every man here, and the assas- sins too. I know them all." The man who stepped forward was the foreman of the mill, by name Mac | Pherson. decent workman and a de scendant of enc of Wolfe's Highland CTS who had settled along the coast l and perpetuated their names and something of their stanch character. if nothing else of their race survived. we are not all guilty, Monsieur Tes | sier," he said. .I knew nothing of this until the deed was done, or I should have used every effort to prevent it. These people asked me to speak for them. They say that they broke down the stable door and saved his life when he was about to be cut to pieces"
 His life!' cried Father Luciep, scornfully. His life hangs by 8 thread and if he dies his murderers shall hang for it. And you are guilty equal ly." he continued, addressing the crowd. which seemed to melt under his burning tones. "You left him lie there and bleed to death. And ;iS.ep fur ther. You think that Monsieur Askew brought the revenue officers to Ste. Marie. Do I not hate Ste. Marie more than he? Yet even I would not bring the officers here until had used every means to clean mp the evil there. It was Monsieur Morris who brought them, for he told me so." There was sensation at the priests words. An excited babble broke out. Madeleine, who had just completed the bandaging, halted with one foot upon the step of the buggy and turned to the lumbermen.
 "Yes, you left him to die! 7" she cried in scorn. You were afraid, and you forgot that strangers who come upon our land, upon our seigniory, are under our protection" Her eyes blazed as she denounced them. You have for gotten your ancient loyalty in these days, Messfeurs. You have no memory of your Seignieur and what you owe to him-still your Seigneur, although you no longer grind and hew for him You have forgotten
 There was another movement among the crowd. Her words seemed to stir them even more than the priests had done. "No, no, mademoiselle! cried several voices. "No! We have not forgotten! t
 MacPherson came forward again. "They thought" he said. "Mademoi- selle, that Monsieur Brousseau's ene- mics were yours."
 Lafe saw the girl stagger as if she had received blow. She put her hand upon the buggy wheel and leaned thus for moment, staring into Mac Pherson's face. Then, without a word. she stepped in, took up the reins and began to urge the horse, very slowly, along the road. The cure came to the side of the vehicle.
 'T shall come to the Chateau, then, Mademoiselle Rosny," he said.
 Madeleine did not answer him. Pres ently Lafe, crouching in the bottom of the buggy, heard her sobbing again. lOW, SODS tAdl SIlC COuIO not check for a long time. Sometimes she took her eyes from the road to look for a moment into Hilary's face. and once she stopped for a moment
 How Is he?" she asked.
 "He is living, Mademoiselle." said Lafe. And that was all he dared to say.
 There was no lantern, and Madeleine needed all her watchfulness to avoid the stones and ruts in the road. Luck fly the moon was bright and the horse steady. Once. as the buggy swung round a bend, Lafe, looking out, saw the cure trudging behind, shaking his heavy stick. He heard Madeleine still sobbing. His own heart was heavy enough; he blamed himself for Hil- ary's misfortune. He should have stood by him. And he had meant to do so. But he had not calculated that Hilary would walk so fast or go to St. Boniface so soon.
 The trees fell away, disclosing the Rosny chateau. The buggy stopped be- fore the door in front of which the Seigneur and the old retainer were standing, with anxious faces. Made | leine bent swiftly over Hilary and