The Raymer enterprise., 1920-05-06
CHAPTER |.
Tho Rosny White Elephant.

Lamartine. the notary. occupied wa
located inconspicuously In small
building In an old part of the Lowe
Town. Small. wiry. black-halred
with an air Of unconvIncing plausibll
ity about him. Monsieur Lamartin'
was seated at his desk, drumming hi
fingers, staring out Of the window. ant
turning again to look at letter signet
Hilary Askew, when his boy brough
him card with the same name upor
It. Monsieur Lamartlne frowned.
"Tell Monsieur Askew that / an
busy with an important court case.
he said. "Ask him to call at this tim,
tomorrow"
"Mr. Askew says he's busy. too. ant
he'll wait" announced the boy. return
Ing.
The notary considered. "Well, tel
him I'll see him In a few minutes h'
answered.
When the boy was gone he tool
down the telephone receiver and gave
q number.
"Is that you. Brousseauf" he asked
Monsieur Hilary Askew has turned
up."
There was sputtering at the other
end of the line which made the notary
smile.
~ can't say. / haven't seen him
yet" said Monsieur Lamartine. In an
swer. But II | can't send him home
with smile on bis lips and check
In his pocket / shall try to keep him
In Quebec until have seen you. And
you'd better try to get Morris by long
distance and warn him. Good-by.'
He hung up the receiver, rang for
the boy and told him to admit Mr.
Askew. Then he rose to receive his
visitor.
He looked at Hilary keenly as he
shook hands with him. The young man
was different from what he had ex'
pected He was about as big. and he
had the same air Of American energy
but he appeared more determined. he
looked like one Of those uncomfortable
men who have the knaek OF disentan
Cling themselves from sophIstries
However, Hilary looked good-natured
And he was certainly inexperienced
Monsieur Lamartne gave him a chair
and looked very plausible indeed.
your visit has followed very close
upon your letter. Mr.. Askew." he said
Perhaps you did not get mine. adyis
Ing you to wait before coming to Que
beer
NO." said Hilary, "but would have
come anyway. l want to get this mat
ter settled"
"The American haste" said the no
tary. looking almost Ingenious. "But
the law Is not to be taken by storm
least Of all In Quebec. II is only q
month since your uncle died. Perhaps
1t will be months before we can turn
over the property to you. l under
stand that you were not In close touch
with your uncle during his latter
yearsi"
II hadn't seen him since was boy.
That was what made the legacy a sur
prising one. He had not shown any
interest In me. had hard fight to
get through my forestry course. So
when l heard that had become the
owner of tract Of hundred square
miles II seemed like an Intervention Of
Providence. That is almost a king
dom. SIR"
"Ten miles by temp inquired the
notary, smiling. swell. suppose II
does seem large territory to you, al
though the Rosny selgniory was one of
the smallest of the old feudal grants.
1t Is almost the last on the north shore
Of the st. Lawrence that remains In
the hands of the original family"
"Four hundred thousand dollars
seems a big sum for my uncle 20 have
paid for It," said Hilary.
"Your uncle" said Monsieur Lamar.
tine. beginning to drum softly. "made
this investment against the advice OF
a good many people. The Rosny tim
Der rights are practically valueless. be.
cause the wood is principally balsam
fir instead OF pine and spruce"
He noted that Hilary only watched
him instead Of answering. and he be-
gan to feel that he would not be dis.
posed of as easily as he had antici.
pated.
THE property has never begun to
pay its way" continued Monsieur La
MARITIME. .Your uncle paid three hun
dred and nifty thousand for the cutting
rights alone. He found himself up
against the law which places a limit
On the size OF tress. Seven inches for
black, o. swamp spruce ] believe;