The Pulaskian., 1920-01-09
CHAPTER l.
The Rosny White Elephant.

Ille OluCc HI NlueDcc WHICH NSOlSSs Lamartine, the notary, occupied was located inconspicuously in a small building in an old part of the Lower Town. Small, wiry, black-haired with an air of unconvineing plausibil- ity about him, Monsieur Lamartfne was seated at his desk, drumming his fingers, staring out of the window, and turning again to look at letter signed Hilary Askew, when his boy brought him card with the same name upon it. Monsieur Lamartine drowned.
 "Tell Monsieur Askew that I am busy with an important court case. he said Ask him to call at this time tomorrow"
 ''NIr. AslSew says he's busy, too, and he'll wait" announced the boy, return ing.
 The notary considered. ''Well, tell him I'll see him in few minutes" he answered.
 When the boy was gone he took down the telephone receiver and gave a number.
 'Is that you, Brousseau?" he asked. Monsieur Hilary Askew has turned up."
 There was a sputtering at the other end of the line which made the notary smile.
 T can't say. I haven't seen him yet" said Monsieur Lamartine, in an- swer. But if can't send him home with smile on his lips and check in his pocket l 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 MT. 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 i; but he appeared more determined, he looked like one of those uncomfortable men who have the lnack of disentan- gling themselves from sophistries. However, Hilary looked good-natured. And he was certainly inexperienced. Monsieur Lamartine gave him a chair and looked very plausible indeed.
 Your visit has followed very close upon your letter. Mir. Askew." he said. Perhaps you did not get mine, advis- ing you to wait before coming to Que bec?'
 "No." said Hilary, 'but would have come anyway. want to get this mat ter settled"
 ''The American haste" said the mo- tary. looking almost ingenious. "But the law is not to be taken by storm, least of all in Quebec. It is only a month since your uncle died. Perhaps it will be months before we can turn over the property to you. I under stand that you were not in close touch with your uncle during his latter years?"
 T 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 I heard that l had become the owner of a tract of hundred square miles it seemed like an intervention of Providence. That is almost a king dom, sir"
 'Ten miles by ten?" inquired the notary, smiling. ''Well, I suppose it does seem large territory to you, al though the Rosny seigniory was one of the smallest of the old feudal grants. It is almost the last on the north shore of the St. Lawrence that remains in the hands of tue original family"
 -Four hundred thousand dollars seems big sum for my uncle to have paid for it." said Hilary.
 Your uncle,' said Monsieur Lamar. tine, beginning to drum softly, made this investment against the advice o1 q good many people. The Rosny tim. Der rights are practically valueless, be cause the wood is principally balsan 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 patcd.
 "The property hns never begun tt pay its way continued Monsieur La maritime. eyour uncle paid three hun dred and fifty thousand for the cuttin, rights alone. He found himself u, against the law which places a limi en tho size of trees. Seven inches fo
 1'sSk n swamp spruce. believe