The Dolores star., 1920-05-07
CHAPTER !.
The Rosny White Elephant.

The office in Quebec which Georges
Lsmartine. the notary. occupied was
located inconspicuousy in small
building in an old part of the Lower
Town. Small. wiry. black-haired.
with an air Of unconvincing plausibil-
aty about him. Monsieur Lamartine
was seated at his desk, drumming his
fingers, staring out of the window, and
turning again to look at letter signed
Hilary Askew. when his boy brought
him Il card with the same name upon
It. Monsieur Lamartine frowncd.
Tell Monsieur Askew that I 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 wait" announced the boy. return
ing.
The notary considered. ''Well. tell
him I'll see him In few minutes" he
answered.
When the boy was gone he took
down the telephone receiver and gave
a number.
"Is that you Brousseau?" he asked.
Monsieur Hilary Askew has turned
up"
There was sputtering at the other
end of the line which made the notary
smile.
Il can't say l haven't seen him
yet said Monsieur Lamartine, in an
swer But if can't send him home
with a 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-Dy."
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 at Hilary keenly as he
shock 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
looked like one of those uncomfortable
men who have the knack Of disentan-
Cling themselves from sophistries.
However. Hilary looked good-natured.
And he was certainly inexperienced.
Monsieur Lamartine gave him Il 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
becY'
NO" said Hilary, but would have
come anyway. l want to get this mat
ter settled"
"The American haste" said the no.
tary, looking almost ingenious. But
the law is not to be taken by storm,
least Of all In Quebec. 1t is only a
month since your uncle died. Perhaps
1t will be months before we can turn
over the property to you. I under
stand that you were not in close touch
with your uncle during his latter
years?"
~ hadn't seen him since I was q boy.
That was what made the legacy a sur
prising one. He had not shown any
interest in me. had a hard fight to
get through my forestry course. So
when / heard that l had become the
owner of a tract of hundred square
miles it seemed like an intervention of
Providence. That is almost a king
dom, sir"
'Ten miles by ten?" inquired the
notary, smiling "Well, 1 suppose it
does seem a large territory to you, al
though the Rosny seigniory was one of
the smallest of the old feudal grants.
It Is almost the last on the north shore
Of the st. Lawrence that remains In
the hands Of the original family"
-Four hundred thousand dollars
seems big sum for my uncle to have
paid for It," said Hilary.
"Your uncle" said Monsieur Lamar
tine, beginning to drum softly, made
this investment against the advice of
a good many people. The Rosny tim
ber rights are practically valueless, be-
canse the wood Is principally balsam
fr Instead of pine and spruce"
He noted that Hilary only watched
him instead of answering, and he be-
gan to feel that he would not be dis
posed of as easily as he had antici-
pated.
1.-THE property has never begun to
pay its way continued Monsieur La
MARITIME. "Your uncle paid three hun
dred and fifty thousand for the cutting
rights alone. He found himself nm
against the law which places a limit
ON the size Of trees. Seven inches for
black. q swamp spruce. believe: :