The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-03-05

resolution, they had turned and raced
back along the trail.
Not many steps, and, breaking
through the trees, they saw Marie Du,
pont struggling in Pierre's arms. while
Leblanc and Nanette stood near them
| laughing.
Lafe leaped at Pierre, and his bony
fist caught the outlaw beneath the
chin. Pierre went down in a heap.
Hilary made for Leblanc, whose ex.
preston would, under other circum.
stances, have been comical in it's sur
prise.
He turned upon the girl and
knocked her down savagely. Then,
without another glance at Hilary, he
made for the sloop.
| Leaving Pierre where he had fallen,
LATE joined in the pursuit. But Le-
blanc had several yards start, and his
| experience of Hilary's prowess lent
wings to his feet. He plunged into the
water and, by miracle of strength,
swung the sloop clear of the sand on
which she had been beached. AS the
| vessel was carried clear by the swift
| flowing tide the ex-jobber scrambled
| aboard, dripping, and pushed off with
the oar. LATE and Hilary stood, baf-
| fled, upon the brink of the water,
while Leblanc, at an ever increasing
distance, began to put up the sail,
shouting back defiant curses mean
while.
They heard a sound of feet upon
the single behind them, and turned
quickly. 1t was Pierre, but he was
boiling for the woods. They ran at
him, but he had gained the shelter of
the trees, and it was growing too dark
to follow. They stopped and looked
back. Leblanc was now quite a dis
lance from the island, and making for
the = north shore upon the incoming
tide.
Lets Co." said Hilary, and he took
Marie gently by the arm. She went
with him obediently, and LATE fol-
lowed with Nanette, whose lip was
bloody from Leblanc's blow.
The tide was running fairly for st.
Boniface. 1t was almost dark now,
but the wind had died away and the
stars were brilliant. Hilary, taking
off his overcoat, wrapped it about
Marie. The girls bewilderment had
yielded to abject gratitude. She
raised Hilary's hand to her lips and
pressed it. Beside her Nanette,
wrapped in Lafe's waterproof, was
sobbing wildly and wiping her
wounded lip. The words that passed
were drowned in the sound of the lap
ping waves before they reached the
ears of Louis. at the tiller.
"Now, what happened? asked Hill
airy of Marie. "Tell me, and we'll
clap those ruffians into Jail, I assure
you. How did they get you into that
boat?
Marie sobbed out her explanation
but when Hilary gathered, with diff
Guilty from the broken words, STAN
mered In French, that she had gone
aboard with Pierre to marry him in
Quebec, he could hardly believe his
ears.
And your father knows nothing of
this?" he inquired, when she had
ended.
HE knows nothing, monsieur. All,
monsieur, you saved me before, and 1
I was ungrateful. Promise me.
swear to me, that he shall never
knoww ..
"And you, Nanette," continued Hill
airy, addressing the weeping girl,
what have you to say, who lured her
here, knowing this?"
II did not know, monsieur" cried
Nanette. "Plerre told me that if I
bring her he would get me back my
sweetheart" .. ......
Leblanc, eh?" ... SD.
"Oui, monsieur. Then he take me
to Quebec, and we get married. And
he promised me a wedding ring of
gold, monsieur"
"And he told you that he was going
to marry Marie?"
"Oui, monsieur, we all go to Quebec
together. Only Just before we land
he tell me that we all stay on the
island together first, and have a holi-
day"
'Nanette, Leblanc never intended
to marry you," said Hilary. "They
were using you to get Marie into
Pierre's power. Nanette-"
He bent toward her and touched
her on the shoulder. She looked up at
him, her lips quivering, her face pa
thetic as scolded child's.
us it long since you left your
homer"
1.-TWO years, monsieur"
"Nanette, you were a child then, like
Marie here? Leblanc came to you and
told you Of the great world outside,
and how he would marry you and be
kind to you. Two years have passed,
and he has ruined your life, and he
has not kept his promise, and still he
deceives you with his promises. Would
you go back to him?'
Never, monsieur! He struck me-
see! Not in just anger as q man
strikes his wife who nags him, but be-
cause he was afraid. See where his
fist fell-seel"
"Yet, Nanette, even as Leblanc did
to you, you would have had Pierre do
to Marie here"
Monsieur! I thought he was to
marry her. Pierre told me, if bring
Marie to Ste. Marie no harm is done,
because he loves her and he wishes to
save her from you, who mean no good
to her."
From me, Nanette!" exclaimed Hill
airy, stupefied.
"Oui, monsieur, and then you 60 to