American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1920-02-07

roadside, were solitary cabins, with
little patches of cultivated ground
about them.
"And on the right of the road is the
Ste. Marie tersltory7" asked Hilary.
"Yep, Mr.. Askew. The two runs
neck and neck back into them noun
tains. We turn on presently. We haven't
touched this district yet"
Hilary noted the first-growth spruce
along the banks. "Why don't we cut
this, anyway IL the rest Is mainly
fir?" he asked. "There's enough lum-
Der here 20 fill our dam instead of
the ste Marie ccmpanys logs"
Lafe answered volubly, but did not
meet Ililary's eyes.
"You see. Mr.. Askew," he began to
explain. cts this way. There's n
good deal of fir on our property, and
what pine and spruce there Is is small
ish. There was big fire over this
district fifteen years or so ago. Now
Mr.. Morris calculates that If we go
slow for while and give the trees n
chance TO grow, they'll be worth twice
as much in few years. We're de-
vcloping the property slowly, Mr..
ASkew--"
Hilary's hand fell on Lafe's Shout
der. sConnell," he said, 81 brought
you up here with me to learn the truth
from you. You're going to sign on
again on October first. and It's me
you're going to sign with, not Mr..
Morris. Now tell me the facts about
all this"
Lafe stammered and hung his head
like schoolboy caught In wrong
doing. But Hilary's hand was grip.
ping his shoulder, and at last Lafe
raised his head and looked straight
at Hilary.
"If thought you'd stick here" he
said. ~ guess I'd back you to the linn
II. But you'l never stand for st
Boniface. Mr.. Askew. They're so In
formally slow here, they amt got hu
man ways, sir. And they're crooked
I thought when l heard you was com
ing, you'd he like Mr.. Morris-I mean
wise to the game-but you amt.
guess most business Is crooked every
where, but here it's crooked nj
through. You'll he selling out to Mr.
Brousseau in a months time, ant
tfhatll he my finish"
"You're dead wrong, COnnell," an
swered Hilary. 81 like the looks o
this country, and I'm here to stay
Now suppose you forget about Mr.
Brousseau for while and consider
yourself to be what you are, my pait
employee. And you can count on my
standing by you"
lie held his hand out. For a mo
ment Lsfe Connell's keen gray eye
met his searching inquiry; then IN
took Hilary's hand and wrung II.
81 believe you mean what you say
Mr.. Askew." he returned. sand yo'
can reckon on me so far as my dut,
goes"
81 suppose that tale about the RIOS
ny seigniory being nothing but fir l
a lie. ConnellY" asked Hilary pres
emily. as the pony ambled through
valley overgrown with red pine.
"Mostly," said Lafe. "rhere Is
deal of fir, but there's enough spruc
and pine to make the concession pa!
If Mr.. Norris wanted II to-"
$50 Morris has been playing doubles
I.afe nodded. "You see. Mr. Askev
it's this way" he said. "When Morrl
came up here i believe he meant
run straight. But he'd been lumbe
man In small way up In Ontario. an
he wasn't wise to the game ms II
played here. Here it's graft, and II
never been nothing else. So whe
Morris found your uncle didn't kno
nothing about the business, and LEI
IL In his hands, he naturally fell Il
the game Brousseau was playing.
"Brousseau Is the big man up her
and he'd had his eye on the Rosn
seigniory for long time. He wante
to buy, but ROsny was sore on hir
and he closed the deal with your unc
instead. But afterward BrOusseau z
the mortgage on the Chateau and Il
little bit of land round II, to keep no
on hOSIN,
"Well. the ROsny seigniory Is Il
only piece of freehold up this way. b
yond it's government land, and
round it's government land. Brou
q seau started In to squeeze your un6
% out. And Morris went with him. ]
e played double, as you were saylr
Mr.. Askew. The point Of the who
game was to freeze out your un'
e and get the property for a sol
II That's how II stands. Here we tn
II of into Mr.. Leblanc's lease"
"Who's hep
u, "Y0ur chief jobber," said Lafe.
Up The buggy turned Off through
forest along n new road. Here "
some splendid timber, black and VIII
spruce and tall white pine. The sou
of axes began TO be audible, and pr
emily they reached clearing in VIII
lg q number of frame shacks were unt
Is construction. experimenting the We
tn was q tall, rather fair man of alb
of forty years, with "A cast in one e!
of and with him was a short, thick