The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-03-13

MIN, will you not, Mr.. Connell?" asket
me girl, looking earnestly at Lafe Al
their eyes met Lafe realized suddenl
mat her agitation had more than al
lmpersonal cause behind it, The swift
knowledge came home to him with
shock; it cleared up many things
among them the fogs of rancor thai
had clouded his mind.
iii DO everything that's in my pow
er, MademOiselle," he said. "Tll stanC
by him-I'll fight for him if there's any
fighting"
There will be none" said Father
Lucien. But MademoiselIe Rosny
understands now what Brousseau is
She knows his character and his evil
mind. And she has learned, fortunate
! ly, before it is too late"
Not another word was spoken. The
| buggy descended the hill and rolled to-
ward st. Boniface. AS it crossed the
rickety bridge they heard the sound of
distant shouting in Duvars saloon.
About the front of it was gathered the
entire male population of st. Boniface,
gesticulating and chattering.
They fell back in dismay as the cure
leaped from the buggy and assisted
Madeleine Rosny down. LATE fol-
lowed. He tried to urge the girl to re-
main in the rig. but she paid no atten-
ton to him. She listened with anxious
lntentneSS as the cure addressed the
hat Iirc,
rising and falling quickly. All eyes
were fixed on Father Lucien. but each,
as the priest turned to him, tried to
shrink back behind his neighbor.
They were pointing inside the sa-
loon. The cure hurried through the
doorway, Madeleine Rosny immediate
ly behind him, and LATE following
them. The saloon, though lit by an oil
lamp, was empty. as seemed to be the
dark stable beyond it, seen through the
open doorway.
Father Lucien snatched down the
lamp and carried it hastily toward the
stable door. He raised it and looked
in, then turned and tried to bar Made
leine from entering. But she pushed
past him, saw, cried, wrung her hands,
and ran into the middle space between
the rows of stalls. LATE, following her,
saw her seated upon the floor, and
Hilary, covered with blood, lying
stretched out and motionless, his head
in her lap. She bent over him and
LATE never forgot the look of anguish
in her eyes, or the tension of the white
face.
Still supporting Hilary's head, she
began tearing long strips off her petit
coat, frantically. as if she hardly knew
what she was doing. Hilarys clothing
was so drenched with blood that it
was difficult to determine where the
wound lay. There were livid bruises
about his mouth and cheeks, and on
his forehead. as if his assailants, after
stabbing him, had kicked him.
Father Lucien half turned him over
and, uttering an exclamation pointed |
to the shoulder from which fresh blood |
was slowly yelling. LATE saw that |
Hilary was alive; he breathed very |
family, but his face was the color of
death, more bloodless than that of |
Madeleine. The cure began cutting
away the coat, then the lining, which |
would not come with it; then the shirt. |
He looked up.
Bring some water" he said.
LATE hurried out, the few curious
scattering in panic and
before him. AS he stood
lmong them, shouting, window in a
nearby house went up. and woman
handed out pail, three parts full.
4afe took it. AS he re-entered the
hanty the crowd slowly gathered be-
lind him again. He hurried into the
table. The cure took a strip of the
iris petticoat. dipped it in the pail
md began to cleanse the wound, purs-
ng his lips and shaking his head the
While. LATE could see that the wound,
While not long, was terribly deep. and
was still bleeding. 1t was impossi-
lie to do more than clean it superb
tally, owing to the need for haste.
having done this. Father Lucien made
pad and placed it in position, while