Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-02-20
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Disregarding the captains look,
Hilary explained briefly the matter on
which he had come. All the while
he spoke Dupont continued eyeing him.
Hilary began to feel uneasy. swell,
is that clear?" he inquired.
'That much is clear" answered Du-
pont reluctantly.
"Well, what's the matter, then?" de-
manded Hilary sharply.
Suddenly he perceived that the old
mans face was twisted with passion.
Hiss expression was so fanatical that
Hilary thought he was going to attack
him.
But then the face resumed its mask
again. Without word. Dupont
swung onto the ship and left him.
Baptiste's vessel was moored next
to the wharf. As Dupont crossed it
to reach his own, Hilary saw Baptiste
on deck, bending over tarpaulin.
The two men cid not speak, and
Hilary, moved by sudden impulse,
walked the length of the wharf and
accosted the little Frenchman.
"Baptiste," he said. "some time ago
I told you l didn't know whether you
had any knowledge about the cutting
of my. boom or not. / want to say I'm
sorry. know that you had none, and
1 shouldn't have spoken as l did"
And he put out his hand.
Baptiste looked up. The little mans
face was like a thundercloud. He
clenched and unclenched his fists
hercely, muttering. Then he dashed
Hilary's hand aside with his.
81 don't shake hands with you'll" he
cried. and the tears began to stream
down his cheeks. You keep out of
my way, or kill you"
And he rushed below, leaving Hilary
utterly nonplussed at his behavior.
When Brousseau, driving furiously
homeward from the Chateau, reached
the cottage of Jules Dupont, he saw
the solitary figure of the girl Marie
seated outside the door. He let his
horse rest for breathing spell before
continuing up the hill, doffed his hat
and saluted her.
'Bonjour, Mademoiselle Dupont" he
called heartily.
"Bonjour, Monsieur Brousseau," she
answered mechanically.
Brousseau had never been able to
force a smile from her lips. For a
long time he had dreaded this silent
girl, then he had ceased to think about
her; of late he had again begun to
hate the presence of that lonely figure
upon the porch, which was always
there whenever he drove into st. Boni
face or back to his garish house by the
seashore.
The cure had not told Hilary all that
related to the old captains history
But the thread of madness that linked
him to the past was spreading into {
web that strangled the normal life Of
the man. Jules Dupont, never one O.
many words, had been more sullen ant
morose than ever of late.
During the past week Marie hat
been terrified at the way her fathe
looked at her. He had never mean
very much to her and now. when b.
was about to pass out of her life, sh,
felt no regret.
Her mind went travelling back to he
earliest memory. She was on the sea
shore with her mother, watching 70
the return of the fishing feet, and he
fathers boat, and on the shingle la,
the sailing boat of a young studen
from Quebec whom she had seen oftei
at their cottage during her father
absence. The young man was laugh
ingly inviting her mother to go for
sail. At last the girl consented.
The sail was a very long one. Littl
Marie. who had fallen asleep, wa
awakened by the sound of her moth
er's screaming and the young student
| laughing protestations that 1t was to
late in the day to return now. Sh
, did not understand all that was sait
and her next memory was of squali
! lodging in Quebec, and her mother
) tear-stained face. and sense of VI
: happiness.
Then she vas back in the cottag,
= Standlng 1SSide the ped on which be
dying mother lay, and the sick woman
: gripping her hand fast in her burnin
ones. was repeating name over an
! over. Say 1t again, childl'' she wa
, whispering.
She reiterated this demand over an
: over again.
: "Say It" she muttered "Say 1t, an
never forget. And carry 1t with the
$ through life, saying it in moments {
!. temptation, that thou mayest remer
ber thy mother and understand. No
4 swear by TIE Virgin to say it mornir
( and night, and never forgetr'
The frightened girl had swor
n catching the words from her mother
lips. She had said the name morn ar