The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-04-22
CHAPTER II.
Ilafe connelI Explains.

Lafe ccnnelI Explains.
After breakfast the next morning
Hilary hired Monsieur Tremblay's
buggy and started out with Lafe, with
the intention of covering a portion of
tbs Nmits and seeing the operations of
the tobbers; he also meant 10 keep
his eyes open as to the nature OF
the timber.
The buggy surmounted a hill, and
another hill appeared In the distance.
Here and there, scattered along the
roadside, we're solitary cabins, with
little patches of cultivated ground
about them.
"And on the right Of the read Is the
Ste. Marie terrltory?' asked Hilary.
"Yep, Mr.. Askew. The two runs
neck and neck back into them noun
tsins. We turn Off presently. We haven't
t0uched this district yet"
Hilary noted the first-growth spruce
along the banks. "Why don't we cut
this. anyway, il the rest is manly
Gr7'' he asked. 'Thcre's enough lum-
Der here to ill our dam instead of
the ste. Marie company's logs"
Lafe answered yolubly, but did not
meet Hilary's eyes.
"You see. Mr.. Askew," he began TO
explain, "it's this way. There's a
good deal of fir on our property, and
what ptne and spruce there is Is small
fish. There was a big fire over this
district fifteen years or so ago. Now
Mr.. Morris calculates that IL we go
slow for a while and give the trees a
chance to grow, they'll be worth twice
as much In a few years. We're de-
veloping the property slowly, Mr..
4skew-"
Hilary's hand fell on Lafe's shoul-
der. "Connell." he said, II brought
you up here with me to learn the truth
from you. You're going TO sign IN
again on October first. and it's me
you're going TO sign with, not Mr..
Morris. Now tell me the facts about
all this"
LATE stammered and hung his head
ike a schoolboy caught in wrong
doing. But Hilary's hand was grip
ping his shoulder. and at last Lafe
raised his head and looked straight
st Hilary.
"If / thought you'd stick here" he
said. II guess I'd back you to the linn
IT, But you'll never stand for st.
Boniface, Mr.. Askew. They're so In
fernaily slow here, they amt got hui
man ways. sir. And they're crooked.
Z thought. when / heard you was com
Ing. you'd be like Mr.. Morris--I mean,
wise to the game-but you amt. L
guess most business is crooked every
where. but here it's crooked all
through. You'll be selling out to Mr..
Rousseau In a months time, and
thatn be my finish"
-You're dead wrong, Connell," an
swAred Hilary. "I like the looks of
this country. and Tn here TO stay.
Now suppose you forget about Mr..
Brousseau for a while and consider
yourself to be what you are, my paid
employee. And you can count on my
standing by you"
He held his hand ont. For a mo-
ment LATE Connelrs keen gray eyes
met his searching inquiry; then he
sock Hilary's hand and .wrung 1t.
Believe y0I mean what you say,
81. Askew." he returned. "And you
can reckon on me So far as my duty
goes"
II suppose that tale about the Ros-
ny ~seigniory being nothing but fir Is
. lie. Connolly" asked Hilary pres
emily. as the pony ambled through a
valley cyergrown with red pine.
~Mostly," said Lafe. There is q
DEAL Of FIR. but there's enough spruce
and pine to make the concession pay.
q Mr.. Morris wanted IL to-"
$50 Norris has been playing double7"
LATE nodded. ssYou see, Mr.. Askew,
sgs this way" ne said. swhen Morris
came up here I believe he meant to
run straight. But he'd been a lumber
man In q small way up In Ontario, and
be wasn't wise to the game rs It's
rsayed here. Here it's graft. and It's
never been nothing else. SO when
Morris found your uncle didn't know
nothing about the business. and left
q IN his hands. he naturally fell for
ne game Brousseau was playing.
-Brousseau Is the big man up here,
and he'd had his eye on the Rosny
seigniory for a long time. He wanted
- buy. bpt Rosny was sore on him,
ana he closed the deal with your uncle
I1stead. But afterward Brousseau got
~ mortgage on the Chateau and the
iatfle BIT of land round Il, to, keep hold
On Rosny.
'yvelI. the Rosny ~aeigDiory n the
~ plses n freehold up thIs way. Be.
TT555<5 5FG XUyoFuWUu( q ana AL
round m S~Iv6fnf66nt land. Brous-
ian 1knxked n 20 squeeze your uncle
ut. Ara Norris went with HIM He
p1aye1 4qy1<e - you were saying.
- 49, muAM M~nm& - 49, ~nkxHr