The Rice belt journal., 1920-06-19

call me gutter, l suppose"
Il certainly should" answered Lafe
coolly. 1.-THE same as you did me-"
Maybe. But l came up here to
play a certain game. came to put
the selgniOry lumber business on its
legs. And I've done it. l stayed to
fight Brousseau after he nearly got me
down, and I've beaten him. I've won
that game on every point I'm going
to make BrOusseau refund his steal
ings, and I'm going to leave you here
in charge for the present, to wind up.
l shall go to Quebec to start proceed
ings and try to find a purchaser. Your
contract will hold as long as you want
it to. And Pm not coming back. I've
done what I came for, haven't r. he
ended defantly.
That's the way all cutters talk -
said Lafe.
Hilary's nerves were gone, of course.
Lafe knew that the last lap of the
race was the grueling one. Hilary need
ed help, that was all. Lafe grew
crafty with his idea.
"Well, you're boss, of course" he
said reluctantly. 'Tf you've made up
your mind, it amt for me to interfere.
When are you leaving, sir?"
Il shall 60 out with Dupont when he
takes his last load" answered Hilary.
"That'u be Friday. We can't have
the logs through the mill before then.
Dupont doesn't know yet"
mo"
Lafe reflected. The weather had
changed suddenly during the preceding
night. Already the shores of the st.
Lawrence were thick with grinding
fees. The middle passage was clear,
but In few days navigation would be
impossible; a dog team would have to
be procured and trained to run to-
gether. Already 1t was a difficult Jour.
ney with hOrse-sleigh between the
camp and the mill. If the weather
held. Hilary could be held until he,
Lafe, had accomplished his purpose.
Hilary put on his hat and overcoat,
picked up his snowshOes and went to-
ward the stables. In q few minutes
the horse had been harnessed to the
sleigh and stood breathing great
clouds Of smoke into the frosty air.
1t started, and from the Office door
way Lafe watched the man whom he
loved best in the world of men driving
away.
He waited till the sleigh had disap-
peared among the trees behind the
bridge. He allowed ten minutes more,
to make sure that Hilary would not
change his intentions and return. Then
he coolly opened Hilary's desk with q
duplicate key that had been made
after the burglary and took out the en-
VelOpe that contained the papers from
Norris. he removed these and thrust
them into his pocket. In the empty
envelope he placed some discarded let
ters from the waste-basket. Then he
put back the envelope, closed the desk,
strapped on his snowshoes and left
the Office.
Five minutes after he left Hilary was
back. His decision had suddenly come
to him. He had resolved to leave st.
Boniface, and there was nothing to be
gained by procrastination.
He wanted to leave st. BOniface
forever, and to put the memory of the
past months out Of his mind, so far as
it could be possible. He hated the lit.
tie village; even Lafe's presence had
become intolerable to him.
He went to Dupont on board his
schooner and arranged for him to sail
for Quebec the following evening with
the little lOad-one schooner full
which he had. He instructed him to
say nothing to anybody about the ar
rangement. He saw nothing strange
In Dupont's manner or aspect and, had
he done so, he would not have thought
anything about it.
Having issued his instructions, he
drove back toward the camp.
But, seeing that the Office was dark
and unoccupied, he stopped there on
his way, opened his desk and took out
the envelope which he supposed to
contain the letter and paper from Nor
ris. In Quebec he meant to go through
them again, mailing to Rosny those
papers that had reference to his af-
fairs and placing the others In law
yers hands for civil suit
He packed a few Of his personal ef-
fects in a bag and left the Office, as be
supposed for the last time.
AnAnPED w