Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-02-26
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations BY Irwin Myers

sACACs LIS q tOuSA pace, MI. ASkSWs
I seen some tough towns in the West.
but this has got 'em all beat, with the
smuggling of brandy, and the drinking,
and the fights every Saturday night
there was a man knitted there last
week; and not a policeman within ff-
ty miles, and nobody except Father
Lucy, and he can't hold 'em."
"What ! want to know" said Hilary,
sis, what this company is that you
speak about, and how they come to use
the Rocky river for their logs"
LATE hesitated, but only for a mo-
ment. Then he mentally cast Brous-
seau to the winds; for, after all, If
Hilary meant to know, nobody could
prevent it, Brousseau's instructions
Notwithstanding.
TITS this way, MI. Askew," he said.
MI. Morris and Mr.. Brousseau have a
company Of their own. Their limits
touch ours on the west, across the
river, and run ten miles or so back
into the bush, right alongside ours
They got the right to float their logs
down che river"
sand use the mill?"
"Mr. Morris leases the use Of our
mill by the year to the company"
Hilary was staggered for the mo-
ment. Morris, as his uncle's manager,
leasing the mill to Morris, a partner in
Brousseau's company, seemed a queer
role.
"How do they tell u lumber from
theirs?" asked Hilary presently.
"Oh, that amt hard" said Lafe.
"You see, the jobbers, who suitcase
the tracts, know how much their men
have cut. And it's scaled in the
woods before they shoot it down
stream. / guess there amt no diff
Guilty there, Mr.. Askew. And you see,
Mr.. Morris representing both concerns,
he naturally does his best by both of
'em.'
Hilary's suspicious, dormant even
after the interview with Lamartine,
were now thoroughly aroused.
Sand Mr.. Brousseau has no concern
with us, except for the lease of the
mill and the r~ight-of-way down the
river" unused Hilary. "Who is this
Mr.. B~rousseau?"
"Why, 1 guess he's the big man OF
the district" said LATE. Hes the
nearest thing to a boss they've got up
here; tells 'em how to vote and gets
'em out of trouble. He amt good to
his father, though. That was old
Jacques Brousseau in the store, the
trapper."
81 didn't see him."
HE was MI. Rosny's slave, or what
ever they called them, in the old
times, before these people became
free"
He tapped the ashes out Of his pipe
and pocketed it.
"He's got old Rosny in his pocket"
he said, leaning toward Hilary. Hes
got him bound and mortgaged after
leading him to throw your uncle's
money away in crazy investments. He
did it deliberately, MI. Askew. When
he was a kid, growing up among the
house servants up at the Chateau,
he wanted to be a big man, for which
I don't blame him. He got his way,
but that wasn't enough. He wanted
the Seigneur's place, because he found
the folks up here thought more
Of old Mr.. Rosny, with his broken
down house and debts, than they did
Of him with all his money. So he set
work and got him cinched.
'aThe old man hates and despises
him, and he's been fighting against it
for a long time, but he seer what's
to him and I guess he's made
up his mind he'll have to stomach it.
staked old Mfr. Rosny's
pride against his love, and / guess he's
won his stake and won Mamzelle
into the bargain"
He rose. "That'1l be all for tonight,
Mr. Askew?" he asked.
Hilary rose too. "Thanks, Mr.. Con-
NELL" he said. "In the morning / shall
ask you to show me around the place."
He didn't follow LATE Connell in
side the hotel, but sat upon the porch,
musing. LATE had enlightened him on
several points. He doubted whether
had spoken anything APP
preaching truth concerning the prop
and he was sure that Morris and
were the company in whose
behalf he had offered forty-five thou
sand dollars. There would be need Of
good many explanations from Nor
ris. Yet Hilary felt instinctively that
1t was Brousseau, not Morris, with
whom he would have to contend.
On the face of the soft night rose
the face Of Madeleine Rosny painted
with surprising ~clearness. He saw the
blue Of her eyes. the curve of her
flushed cheek, the dignity and gentle
ness and pride that blended in her
looks. If ever he had any quarrel with
BrOusseau, he would show HIM
Then he cursed himself for a fool,
and, entering the hotel, took his lamp
and went up to his room.