The Dolores star., 1920-06-11
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations by Irwin Myers

|
| blown by the wind about her flushed
cheeks. There was q combination of
dignity and simplicity about her. both
In her demeanor and in the way she
rode. and In her acknowledgment of
| Connell's greeting.
Hilary watched her canter up the
road till she had disappeared among
the trees. Then he realized that he
had not taken his eyes OFF her since he
had first seen her.
'That." said Lafe, sis Mamzelle
Madeleine Rosny. Her fathers what
they call the Seigneur."
| "The owner of the ChateauY asked
Hilary. although he knew this per-
fectly.
Yes. Mr.. Askew. guess she
wouldn't have. smiled so pleasant If
she had known who you was"
why. Mr.. ConnellY"
| Lafe jerked his thumb vaguely about
the horizon. proud old boy" he ex-
planned "Familys been here nigh on
a thousand years, guess-leastways
since them Frenchmen first came to
this continent. Hated like thunder to
|
he was land poor, like the rest of them,
and Mamzelle Madeleine must have
cost him mint of money finishing up
In the convent at Paris. France"
| Hilary turned this over In his mind
as they continued their walk along the
cliff and then down the road to the
hotel. The idea Of any personal ILL
feeling on the Seigneur's part or on
that of his family had not occurred to
him. Though he did not expect to
meet Monsieur Rosny, except possibly
in the course of his business, he was
conscious of feeling of regret, and
also of half-formed resolution, the
nature of which he would not admit.
to put relations upon a pleasant foot
ing.
In the hotel the landlords wife was
already preparing supper. They ate
an omelet, washed down with strong
tea and followed by raspberries and
cream. Then they went out on the
porch and lit their pipes.
"You are the foreman. I under
stand?" asked Hilary.
"Yes, Mr.. Askew. l took the job
| Sooi uIteI SotE ullCie DDuSHt lIe tlfn-
ber rights. I'd been up here for the
Shoeburyport Gazette. which was look
ing for pulp supply. Mr.. Morris Of
fered me the job, and 1 took it. And
I've been sorry ever since"
"WhyT
Its Ii of a country" answered
Lafe frankly. Il never guessed such
folks existed in II civilized land be-
fore. Now you take n Dutchman or Il
Dago-their ways amt our ways, but
they're more or less human. These
people amt. They paint their houses
yellow and green, when they paint 'em
at all. l never saw yellow house
with green porch in my life till l
come up here"
Just difference of taste, Mr.. Con-
nell"
Maybe" said Lafe, splitting. "May-
be it's all right not to have sense to
plaster their houses, so as to freeze to
death in winter time. Maybe it's all
right to run to. Father Lucy when
there's forest fire, instead of getting
to work and putting it out. Maybe he
can pray it out for them. got nothing
against the place. except that my wife
Clarice and the kids are In Shoebury-
port, and I'd rather rot here alone than
bring 'em up. But what's the use?
I'm here and / got to stay here" he
ended, struggling his shoulders
| Lafe was bad cross-questioner, and
the task put upon him by Brousseau
was not only uncongenial but impos-
sible for man of his temperament.
However. he made a valiant attempt
to draw Hilary out. you're thinking
Of spending some time here, Mr.. AS
kew?" he asked.
1--WE come to take charge. I'm going
to stay" said Hilary.
| Lafe looked at him curiously. What
sort of man could this be who chose
of his volition to reside in st. Boni-
face?
| Il guess you'll change your mind
when you've seen It little longer" he
said incredulously.
| "On the contrary, Mr.. Connell,
mean to take hold, and mean to make
1t pay. 1t hasn't paid very well, un-
derstand?"
AAS houhueiSu. I've uearu II
don't pay as much as 1t ought"
II understand that most of the tim
bcr is below the size at which cutting
Is allowed?"
Lafe stared at him. "Why, them
rules are for government land!" he
answered. "you can cut any size on
freehold. The timber amt so bad.
leastways, some of it amt"
Hilary began to think hard. On this
point Lamartine had clearly and def
nitely lied to him.
"Too much fir on the property2" he
asked.
'Why. there is some fir" conceded
Lnfe. "But there's some good spruce
along the Rocky river" he added,
again oblivious Of his Instructions.