The Arvada enterprise., 1920-06-03
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations BY I,,vt, Myers
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

800 -
beside him.
Hilary looked at him with 4 whim-
steal smile. "We're finished. LATE.
This affair, coming ON top Of the can
ceiling Of those jobberJ' leases. has
ended me"
Lafe scratched his chin, but said
nothing to this.
'You see." said Hilary. according to
my reckoning we shall have about for
y thousand dollars on hand about
September, nrst. That will last ~ til
Christmas. On the first Of the year
we shall be up against 1t. We need
another sixty thousand to carry %
through the winter, till navigation
opens and we call sell our cutting. No
banks going to lend US anything with
our record"
1--WE can ship six thousand cords by
December FIRST" said Lafe.
"Thirty-fve thousand dollars-per-
haps less"
I'VE could get more out Of those
river bottoms" suggested LATE.
"And shut down In the middle OF
March,"
AS far as I can see." LATE blurte6
out. "you'll be about ten thousand shy.
Mr.. Askew, assuming things 30 fairly
well. That's why l came here. You
see. it's uke this. I've got nearly eight
thousand In the First National bank
at Shoeburyport. Mass. Clarice-Mrs.
Cornell, that is-wOuldn't let me buy
her house on the installment plan
as wanted to. She said as I'd never
know when we'd need the money. and
II couldn't pay up on time they'd get
1t away from us somehow. no matter
what the contract said. 1t seemed
mighty unreasonable to me. Mr.. As
kew, but I'm glad n0w--I sure am
glad"
'Lafe," said Hilary. "are you crazy
enough to suppose I'm going to take
the money that you and Mrs. Connsll
have been saving up for home. and
put It into this bankrupt concern"
"Oh. shucks!" said Lafe. why
that amt nothing. guess know a
good thing when I see one. I'm loan
ing 1t to you, Mr.. Askew. at-any rate
you want to pay me-"
"Lafe. you're a fool" said Hilary.
trying to keep his voice steady: I'm
tempted. But I'm not going to take
It,"
'"Then I guess I'll take the next boat
home!" shouted LATE. II amt going
to work for busted concern what's
going to leave me stranded up here in
midwinter. not drawing cent. and
Clarice-my wife-and the kids in
Shoeburyport. No. sir! You take
that or III leave. It amt 80 crazy
as you think. It'll give me an interest
in getting the last ounce out Of the
men-and I guess Clarice will ap-
prove. And when the concerns on its
own legs. you-why, you can raise my
wages"
"Connell. you're trump" said Hill
nry. am take 1t. Yes. I'll take II. be-
cause know now that am going to
succeed. We can't fail. LATE, when
we're as much in earnest as we are.
Good Lord. what Respondent fool
I've been!"
"SAme here" said Late. II was just
hopeless, till you made me see
straight"
"why. It was you made me see
straight" said Hilary. snow. Con-
nell. we'll push things hard from this
very minute. Wen start In cutting
along the river. and wen float the
logs right down stream to the mill. and
we'll keep Dupont and his schooner
coming and going till navigation closes.
even II we make Riviere Rocheuse
look as bare as our bank account was
looking Just now. Baptiste will b
worth score when he understands."
He broke OF suddenly. and the two
men. struck by the same thought.
looked at each other.
II wonder why Baptiste went OF A.
soon as he'd dynamited the JAM" said
Hilary.
He felt ashamed Of his suspicious.
Yet. remembering that day when
Baptiste was comforting with Pierre,
be could not wholly rid himself Of
them.
"lafe." he said. "what was II 700
heard those men saying after the &C.
cidentf You started"
"Why. ! guess that wasn't nothing.
Mr.. Askew. You know how excited
these people get over tribes. They're
Just like q flock Of geese sabblipg
around"
"What was II. LATER ti
"Just nonsense. sir. Not worth ~
peating but-well. you see. its this
way. Some darned fool said ckat some.
body had sawed part way through the
logs Of the BOOM"
Then for the first time the words q
Madeleine Rosny came back TO Hilary:
Look TO your boomi Loek 70 your
boomw
He hung his head and Aushsd WITH
shame. II seemed. impossible TO asso-
ciste that act Of trsachery with her.
Yet. struggle ~ he did. her last
words haunted him.
Trouble. trouble - and