The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-06-30

~5Ns
me little man was bereft OF vocal
powers for quite some time.
but Mr. Morris, he amt here" he
gasped at length.
swell. he ought to be here. That's
what I'm paying him for" said Hilary.
whats your name7"
"Jean-Marie Baptiste."
"Perhaps you didn't expect me, Mon
sieur Baptiste7"
"Holy Name. no! 1t was said that
you had sold out to the company"
1What company" demanded Hilary.
"The company at Ste. Marie. Mon
sieur Brousseau's company"
"See here. Baptiste." said Hilary,
taking the other by the arm. Let US
begin by understanding each other. l
know nothing about any company ex-
cept myself. / own this district. the
land. the timber, the mill. Have you
got that7"
Jean-Marie gaped again, and then
automatically disengaged himself.
II guess you want to see Mr.. Con-
nell, the foreman" he said. 1T amt
my job. You'll find Mr.. Connell In the
store"
"Bring him here" said Hilary. Tell
him I'm waiting for him."
The little man departed at trot,
quite evidently startled and scared.
and costing back comical looks from
time to time over his shoulder as he
went.
His statement In the store must have
created good deal of sensation. for
presently two clerks. as well as the
two loungers, who had gone inside,
came to the door and stared. Olsen
gaging himself from among these came
the foreman, tall, lean, lanky New
Englander. whose deliberate SLOUGH
and typical bearing warmed Hilary's
heart instantly. He knew the type,
knew 1t as only one with the New Eng
land blood knows his own.
I'm LATE Connell, at your service,
Mr.. Askew," said the foreman, coming
up to Hilary and standing respectfully
before him.
81 suppose should have let you peo-
pie know that l was coming" said
Hilary.
He wondered why LATE Cornell
whistled; he knew nothing about
Brousseau's telephoned warning.
Il guess you'll find things upset a
little" said Connell. "Mr. Morris has
been away for a couple of weeks, see
ing to his other interests. and l can't
exactly do much for youstill he comes
back. It's our slack month, you know.
Mr.. Askew. The men don't go into
the woods until September, and we
don't keep large force employed on
the mill work"
'Tomorrow's soon enough to start
In" said Hilary. "I'm pleased to have
met you, Mr.. Connell."
"Wait a minute" said the foreman.
'Tf you don't mind having me, I'll go
up to the hotel with you. Maybe
there7l be some things that you'll
want to ask me-"
"All right" said Hilary.
They went together silently across
the shaking bridge and assembled the
HIM. each quietly taking stock of the
other. At the top, where a branch
road ran Off at right angles to that
which crested the cliff, figure on
horseback appeared in the distance.
1t was girl. riding side-saddle. As
the horse drew near she pulled In to
take the branch road without scatter
Ing the dust. passing within few feet
of Hilary. He saw that she was about
twenty years of age, or little more,
slight. very straight upon the saddle,
with gray-blue eyes and brown hair
blown by the wind about her flushed
cheeks. There was a combination Of
dignity and simplicity about her, both
In her demeanor and In the way she
rode, and in her acknowledgment of
Connelrs greeting.
hilary watched her canter up the
road till she had disappeared among
the trees. Then he realized that he
had not taken his eyes of her since he
had first seen her.
That" said LATE, as Mamzells