Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-02-06

ton to him. She listened with anxious
as the cure addressed the
crowd, her lips compressed, her bosom
rising and falling quickly. All eyes
were fixed on Father Lucien, but each,
as the priest turned to him, tried to
shrink back behind his neighbor.
They were pointing inside the sa-
loon. The cure hurried through the
doorway, Madeleine Rosny immediate
ly behind him, and Lafe following
them. The saloon, though lit by an oil
lamp, was empty, as seemed to be the
dark stable beyond it, seen through the
open doorway.
Father Lucien snatched down the
lamp and carried it hastily toward the
stable door. He raised it and looked
in, then turned and tried to bar Made
leine from entering. But she pushed
past him, saw, cried, wrung her hands,
and ran into the middle space between
the rows of stalls. Lafe, following her,
saw her seated upon the floor, and
Hilary, covered with blood, lying
stretched out and motionless, his head
in her lap. She bent over him and
Lafe never forgot the look of anguish
in her eyes, or the tension of the white
face.
Still supporting Hilary's head, she
began tearing long strips off her petit
coat, frantically, as if she hardly knew
what she was doing. Hilary's clothing
was so drenched with blood that it
was difficult to determine where the
wound lay. There were livid bruises
about his mouth and cheeks, and on
his forehead, as if his assailants, after
stabbing him, had kicked him.
Father Lucien half turned him over
and, uttering an exclamation, pointed
to the shoulder, from which fresh blood
was slowly yelling. Lafe saw that
Hilary was alive; he breathed very
family, but his face was the color OF
death, more bloodless than that OF
Madeleine. The cure began cutting
away the coat, then the lining, which
would not come with it; then the shirt
He looked up.
"Bring some water" he said.
| Lafe hurried out, the few curiou!
lumbermen scattering in panic ant
scurrying before him. As he stoo(
among them, shouting, a window in {
nearby house went up, and woman
handed out a pail, three parts full
/ Lafe took it. As he re-entered tn,
shanty the crowd slowly gathered be
hind him again. He hurried into tn,
stable. The cure took a strip Of tn
girls petticoat. dipped it in the pal
and began to cleanse the wound, purs
ing his lips and shaking his head th
while. Lafe could see that the wound
while not long, was terribly deep, an,
it was still bleeding. 1t was impossi
BILE to do more than clean it superf
cially, owing to the need for haste
Having done this, Father Lucien mad
a pad and placed it in position, Will
Madeleine, working with steady finger
which gave the lie to her face, bega
to wind the strips over it round th
chest. All the while she worked be
face was agitated, and yet composed
and only the tortured eyes betraye
what she was suffering; but when th
wound was bound she broke down.
"It is my fault" she cried in Frencl
sobbing despairingly. 81 warned hi,
and he would not hear me, and rod
away. 1 knew 1t long before and
would not believe it. l have kille
him."
: The cures hand fell on her shou
der. Lafe noticed. too, and thought
significant afterward that, wild thoug
her words were, and untrue, he did nc
then deny them.
Madeleine looked up and, meetin
his eyes, grew calm. Lafe stepped fo
ward, bent down and gently raised hi
ary's head from her knee. He place
his hands beneath the shoulders, SUI
porting them, while Father Lucien lif
ed the lower part of the body, and thu
they carried the stricken man throus
the shanty toward the buggy.
The cure made a motion to Lafe
2 enter you and Mademoiselle Rosr
will drive to my house." he said. %
d there is no room for me, / walk. gi'
r you the key, because my housekeep
is gone to bed and must not be frigf
+ ened."
y ''No, to the Chateau" said Madeleil
e Rosny. do you think he shall go an
o where else, monsieur, when he is Ill
o this?"
Her voice rang proudly, the tone a
:, mitted of no opposition. The cure W
r silent.
Lafe drew Hilary into the bottom
n the buggy and crouched there, ST
d porting the head and the upper ps