Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-02-03

airy, losing all his self-control Are
you not actively allied with my worst
enemy, who seeks to ruin me and drive
me out of ST. Bonifece. l lost nearly
winters cut of lumber when my
boom was treacherously destroyed.
You knew, Mademoiselle Rosny. and
yet you ask me to heed advice from
one who is not my friend"
She started as If he had dashed her
across the face. She tried to answer
him, but could only stammer inco-
herently; and her eyes. which had
blazed with wrath as he spoke of the
boom, were filed with tears which she
checked vallantly.
"You think l came here tonight"
she began, and paused, her voice chok-
ing. "You think L came hereto you
to engage in some plot of Monsieur
BrOusseau's? 1t is insufferablel You
are not so important an enemy as
that" She put out her hands swiftly.
"Ah, do not go to st. Boniface." she
pleaded.
Hilary looked at her stubbornly. He
would not let himself be moved
Il have come TO you, and you have
Inundated me-" she whispered. go,
theni" she cried suddenly jerking the
reins. go, Monsieur Askewl Go to
st. Boniface !"
She spurred her horse and galloped
wildly away, while Hilary watched. He
saw her pass out of sight; he waited
till the last reverberations of the fly
ing hoofs had ceased. He was ashamed /;
and yet he was sustained by a grim
ner determination than any that he
had ever known. He would not let
himself believe In her. His wrath,
which made him doubt every one,
which had suffered him to let Lafe de-
part, kindled him to fighting heat.
He meant to fight and he grew hot
ter as he tramped steadily along the
river road, Keeling off the miles be-
hind him, lonely figure, his heart
rancorous against the injustice melted
out to him; bitter against Lafe, bitter
against Madeleine, but furious in his
resolution to show st. Boniface what
manner of man he was.
At last the lights of the settlement
began to twinkle through the trees.
He walked little faster, lingering the
revolver in his coat pocket. But when
he reached the gate above the dam he
stopped for a while and considered.
His instinct was for physical assault,
such violence as alone could appease
his rage. He listened to the distant
hubbub about Duvafs shanty; and
then he did the wisest, or else the
most foolish thing that he could have
done. He broke his revolver, took out
the cartridges. and threw them away
He put the weapon back in his pocket,
opened the gate. and went on.
And this was wise, because Canadian
law does not readily exonerate the man
who kills; yet foolish, had he known
that three men at least in st. Boniface
expected him and were prepared for
his. coming.
He strobe past the dam and ap-
preached the outlying houses of the
settlement, feeling an implacable re-
solve harden him as he heard the
shouts and the tumult that came from
Baptiste's old house. He turned into
the little street on which it stood and
saw it in front of him, with the higher
bulk of the mill beyond.
The shades of Baptistes cabin were
drawn, and the lamplght from within
threw the shadows of the lumbermen
upon them in grotesQue attitudes. Hill.
airy could see through the open door
that the place was packed to suffoca.
ton. There was no room to dance
but there was to be no dance that
night.
A group of men. chattering upon the
porch, ceased their conversation as Hill
airy assembled the three steps, and
nudged one another One of them
broke into roud. drunken laughter. Hill
airy hardly heard them He strobe into
the saloon and stood within the door,
way.