The Rice belt journal., 1920-05-22

lnen Qeny them.
Madeleine looked up and, meeting
his eyes, grew calm. Lafe stepped for
ward, bent down and gently raised Hill
ary's head from her knee. He placed
his hands beneath the shoulders, sup
porting them, while Father Lucien lift
ed the lower part of the body, and thus
they carried the stricken man through
the shanty toward the buggy.
The cure made a motion to Lafe to
enter "YOu and Mademoiselle Rosny
will drive to my house." he said. "As
there is no room for me, walk. I give
you the key, because my hOusekeeper
is gone to bed and must not be fright.
ened."
mo, to the Chateau" said Madeleine
Rosny. do you think he shall go any
where else, monsieur, when he is like
this?"
Her voice rang proudly, the tone ad.
mitted of no opposition. The cure was
silent.
Lafe drew Hilary into the bottom of
the buggy and crOuched there, sup
porting the head and the upper part
of his body. But Madeleine, Watchful,
uttered low cry. A little blood was
leaking through the bandage. She
hastened to the other side of the rig
and began adjusting it, while the cure
turned toward the crowd, which was
looking on in panicky silence, broken
only by low words and mutterings.
This is bad nights work that you
have done!" he cried. "You shall pay
for it, every man here, and the assas-
sins too. know them ALL"
The man who stepped forward was
the foreman Of the mill, by name Mac
PherSOn a decent workman and a de-
sCendant of one of Wolfe's Highland
ers who had settled along theecoast
and perpetuated their names and
something of their stanch character,
If nothing else OF their race survived.
I'VE are not all guilty. Monsieur Tes-
sier," he said. II knew nothing Of this
until the deed was done, or should
have used every effort to prevent it.
These people asked me to speak for
them. They say that they broke down
the stable door and saved his life when
he was about to be cut to pieces"
"His life!' cried Father Lucien,
scornfully. His life hangs by a thread |;
and If he dies his murderers shall
hang for it. And you are guilty equal
ly," he continued, addressing the
crowd, which seemed to melt under his
burning tones. "You left him lie there
and bleed to death. And listen fur.
ther. You think that Monsieur Askew
brought the revenue officers to Ste.
Marie. Do not hate Ste. Marie more
than he? Yet even / would not bring
the officers here until / had used every
means to clean up the evil there. 1t
was Monsieur Morris who brought
them, for he told me So"
There was sensation at the priests
words. An excited babble broke out
Madeleine, who had just completed
the bandaging, halted with one foot
upon the step Of the buggy and turned
| to the lumbermen.
"Yes, you left him to die" she cried
in scorn. "You were afraid, and you
forgot that strangers who come upon
our land, upon our seigniory, are under
our protection" Her eyes blazed as
she denounced them. "You have for.
gotten your ancient loyalty in these
days, Messieurs. You have no memory
of your Seignieur and what you owe
to him-still your Seigneur, although
you no longer grind and hew for him
You have fOrgotten"
There was another movement among
the crowd. Her words seemed to stil
them even more than the priests had
done. "No, no, mademoiselle cried
several voices. "No! We have moi
forgotten!'
MACPHERSON came forward again
''They thought" he said, "Mademoi
selle, that Monsieur Brousseau's enc
mics were yours"
Lafe saw the girl stagger as If sht
had received a blow. She put hel
hand upon the buggy wheel and leaned
thus for a moment, staring into Mac
Pherson's face. Then, without word
she stepped In, took up the reins ant
began to urge the horse, very slowly
along the road. The cure came to th'
side of the vehicle.
II shall come to the Chateau, then
Mademoiselle Rosny," he said.
! Madeleine did not answer him. Pres
emily Lafe crouching in the bottom o
the buggy, heard her sobbing again
low, heartbroken sobs that she coul'
not check for a. long time. Sometime
she took her eyes from the road to lool
| for q moment into Hilary's face, an,
once she stopped for a moment.
How is he?" she asked.
HE is living; Mademoiselle," sal
Lafe. And that was all he dared t
say.
There was no lantern. and Madelein
needed all her watchfulness to avol
the stones and ruts in the road. Luck
lily the moon was bright and the hors
steady. Once, as the buggy swun
round a bend. Lafe, looking out, say
the cure trudging behind, shaking hi
heavy stick. He heard Madeleine sti
sobbing. His own heart was heav
enough; he blamed himself for Hi
ary's misfortune. He should hav
stood by him. And he had meant to d
50. But he had not calculated tha