Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-03-05

L
crooked work that Morris and Mon
sieur Brousseau was doing with tn,
seigniory lumber. Then when | got
to know Hilary Askew / saw that he
was clean straight through"
He let his hand fall lightly on the
girls shoulder. The gesture, which
might have been an offense in some,
was instructive, and, like most in
stinctive actions, fitting. iafe, un-
couth, unlettered, standing before
Madeleine Rosny. seemed like be-
nevolent guardian.
when he came to like you 1 was
glad," continued Lafe. "But when you
came to like him was tust about as
happy as when was leading Clarice-
my wife, I mean-out of the First
Methodist church at Shoeburyport,
Mass, on August II, 1902, with her
white veil hiding her, and them orange
flowers she was carrying scenting up
the place not quite so glad, may
be, but not far shy of it. And you
think he wasn't true to you? What
man in his senses wouldn't be?
Il won't hear your cried the girl,
summoning her defiance to her aid.
HE should have spoken for himself.
What right have you to speak for him,
sent or unsent?"
"Why, I thought I'd explain that.
mamzelle. Just because I'm his
friend" said Lafe. SIT amt true. Not
word Of that story's true. I'm going
to tell you the truth. But first I'm GO
ing to say what I got to say, because
it's true. You haven't acted rightly
toward him-no, you haven't, mann
zelle!'
The passionate gesture, the sincerity
of his tone dominated her She tried
to find her voice and could not; she
tried to find Indignation and could not
"We went to Ste. Marie together to
see conditions there, to see what
sort of place Simeon Duval was rum
ming. The girl was there. 1t was the
night of the raid, and we helped her
away. She got home, and her father
never knew. Little Baptiste knew, and
others who'd seen her with us. They
told Brousseau, and he started those
lies about Mr.. Askew, who never knew
about it-never knew anything.
'That fellow Pierre, Brousseau's
man, had his eye on the girl. You know
the sort of work he's done along this
coast. Maybe you don't, but it's devils
work, mamzelle, and he and Leblanc
lured Marie into q boat by means of
their decoy, Nanette Bonnat, and took
her to the island. We found them
there, and saved her, and brought the
girls back. That's all. Now you
know. Now you understand how
you've done Hilary a wrong. If you
don't believe me-" Lafe continued dog.
gedly, ''just tell me how much you
don't believe, and I'll prove it. I'll
prove every word; you don't have te
take me on trust.'
do you think am capable of seek
ing evidence that a man is true tt
me?" cried Madeleine do you thinl
1 am going into st. Boniface to pry
into your friends actions?"
"You love him, mamzelle," said Lafe
with patience that would not b,
thwarted. Il can read that in you
face. You love him, and you've don,
him a wrong. Well, mamzelle, yol
can't lie down under that. You can
bear it. You've got to right it."
She burst into helpless tears. ''
hoped that he would come to me-" sh
whispered.
Hillary Askew amt that kind of
4 man." said Lafe.
HE refused to defend himself
: He'd promised Marie to say moth
ing"
r LET me pass. have heard you.n
/ But Lafe stood in the way. "You'r
, going to tell him it's all right" he sai6
. 'Tll arrange it so it won't hurt you
: pride, If that's worth keeping
a "How dare you insult me? Let hir
: come to me! Let him come an
plead!"
/ "Mamzelle!"
. II shall never go to him! ~
n And Lafe had reached the end. Hi
!. outraged justice had led him to tn
= goal; but it was the wrong goal. 81
was helpless, he was beaten. q
;. stepped aside, and she ran past hin
hurrying up the stairs, whose fade
= carpet was held by tarnished rod
that cleaned between her moving fee
!. Lafe looked along the gloomy ha
~ at the portraits in their gilt frames
- and he felt the unreasoning, stubbor
Rosny spirit that looked out of th
:. eyes of each, as it had looked out {
Madeleine's and spoken by her. An
it had met such another spirit in Hi
- ary.
= 81 guess you're wrong, all of you
. Lafe muttered. 81 guess, you mani
I. factured your code and thought it Wa
= breeding and pride, and you can't hel
a , it. You got your foundations crooke,
You can't help it; that's ALL
= And with the same dogged patienc
J but with an added air of hopelessnes
= = he put on his snowshoes and plodde
- from the Chateau.