The Pulaskian., 1920-03-12

to improve. Theee was every lss,s
hood now Of being able to carry &
through the winter. Brousseau NJ
showed no signs of further interfar
ence with his men, and there was ave.
the possibility of getting out anotbas
small load.
Hilary had sent Nanette home to 81 &
Joseph. She had promised to write /
him, but, as he had expected, he haS
not heard from her. Baptiste baS
thrown up his position with Dnnont
and gone into the Ste. Marie limits -
trap. Marie Dupont avoided HiIarv.
he had not seen her since the dav -
their adventure.
AS for Dupont, whatever he knew
he showed no signs. And things seemaa
to settle into equilibrium, though Hil.
airy was sure that a denouement was
to follow. He could only wait no.
tiently for that. No action could como
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. II
was to be in three weeks-at Christ.
mas, and the banns had been read il
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 TRANSFERRED immediately ha.
fore his stroke, though he was in other
respects normal, save for the paralv.
sis of the left side. But as the weeks
went by he grew more and more
nervous and depressed, until one night
he blurted out:
where will you take me after the
estate changes hands? l cannot re.
main in st. Bonifaee, nor can I remain
with you and the American. l am too
old to go anywhere but to the grave
So he had remembered all the time
Madeleine put her arms about his
neck. 81 am not going to marry Mon.
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 to him
all his life now seemed to be every.
thing and he interpreted Madeleine's
answer to indicate her willingness to
marry Brousseau.
well, why not?p she thought with
intense bitterness, as she listened.
"Have I any other duty now, save to
my father?"
She never doubted her judgment Of
Hilary. The story had been dinned
into her ears by Brousseau since Hi.
ary's first visit to Ste. Marie. She had
heard it 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 Brousseau.
He came the next day. driving fu-
riously 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 E
chilling apathy. II am going to talk
frankly to you. You wish to marry 4
me?"
81 want you for my wife" said
Brousseau. "You know that. You E
know don't think anything of that
affair"-Madelein WINGED at the word
but he did not notice it-"with Mon!
sieur Askew. The mans seoundrel
a thief, and a libertine-"
81 do not wish to hear that, mon.
sieur," said Madeleine peremptoriy
'Diable, that's natural enough And
so that's forgotten" Brousseau could