American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1920-01-31
The Rosny White Elephant.
cHApT Err !.

was scared at his desk, drumming his |
fingers, staring out of the window, and |
turning again to look ut letter signed |
Hilary Askew, when his boy brought |
him card with the same name upon |
1t. Monsieur Lamartine frowned.
"Tell Monsieur Askew that l am
busy with an important court case"
he said. ASK him to call at this time
tomorrow"
"Mr. Askew says he's busy, too. and
he'll watt" announced the boy, return
ing.
The notary considered. swell, tell
him I'll see him in a few minutes" he
answered.
When the boy was gone he took
down the telephone receiver and gave
number.
rs that you, Brousseau?" he asked.
Monsieur Hilary Askew has turned
up."
There was suffering at the other
end of the line which made the notary
smile.
II can't say. I haven't seen him
yet" said Monsieur Lamartine, in an
swer. But II can't send him home
with smile on his lips and check
In his pocket shall try to keep him
In Quebec until ] have seen you. And
you'd better try to get Morris by long
distance and warn him. Good-by."
He hung UP the receiver rang for
the boy and told him to admit Mr..
Askew. Then he rose to receive his
| visitor.
He looked ut Hilary keenly as he
shook hands with him. The young man
| was different from what he had ex-
pected. He was about as big, and he
had the same air of American energy !;
but he appeared more determined, he
men who have the knack of disentan-
Cling themselves from sophlstrles.
However, Hilary looked go0d-natured.
And he was certainly inexperienced.
Monsieur Lamartine gave him chair
and looked very plausible indeed.
"Your visit has followed very close
upon your letter. Mr.. Askew." he said
perhaps you did not get mine, advis.
ing you to wait before coming to Que
bec?"
NO." said Hilary. but would have
come anyway. want to get this mat
ter settled"
''The American haste" said the no
tary looking almost ingenious. "Bui
the law is not to be taken by storm
least OF all in Quebec. 1t is only a
month since your uncle died. Perhaps
Ii will be months before we can turn
over the property to you. l under
stand that you were not in close touch
with your uncle during his latter
years."
II hadn't seen him since was boy
That was what made the legacy sur
prising one. lie had not shown any
interest in me. had hard fight tt
get through my forestry course. Sc
: when l heard that I had become the
owner of u tract Of hundred squar,
miles II seemed IKE an intervention o.
Providence. That Is almost king
dom, sir"
"Ten miles by tenY inquired thu
= notary, smiling. "Well. suppose 4
: does seem large territory to you, al
though the Rosny seignlory was one o
, the smallest of the old feudal grants
4 1t is almost the last on the north shor'
OF the st. Lawrence that remains II
the hands of the original family"
"Four hundred thousand dollar
seems a big sum for my uncle to hav
!, paid for It," said Hilary.
u "Your uncle" said Monsieur Lamar
y tine, beginning to drum softly, mad
p this investment against the advice O
= good many people. The Rosny tin
?, Der rights are practically valuelcss, b.
y cause the wood is principally balsaI
Il FIR instead of pine and spruce"
- He noted that Hilary only watche
him instead of answering. and he b.
gan to feel that he would not be dii
" posed of as easily as he had antic
10 pated.
y "The property has never begun
II nay It's way" continued Monsieur l.,
: MARITIME. "Your uncle paid three hun
81 dred and fifty thousand for the cuttln
:. rights alone. lie found himself u
!. against the law which places u lin
=, on the size of trees. Seven inches Il
black, or swamp spruce, l believe
n twelve for white spruce; twelve
: thirteen for pine. And nearly all Il
~ trees on the ROsny limits that aren
he fir are under the legal size. Your u
u Gle sank half his fortune In 1t. /
= was-excuse me-eccentrlc. This
the case: the timber cannot be c
ry except at loss, on account OF
ne sparseness and the high cost of tran
r. portatlon. The balsam fir Is too gun
!. my to make any but inferior paper. b
I. low the standard even Of the newsp
pers. II occupies the greater porti
;, OF the tract, together with secol
L. growth birch, which Is, of course,
p use only for firewood. The expens
- are very considerable. In short, n