The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-02-21
Rv VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations by Irwin myers

there. IL tooSN -, vry..A
T seen some tough towns IN Tue "est'
Init this has got 'em all beat win tns
SMUGGLING Of brandy. and the drinking.
and the fights every Saturday night
thera was q man knitted there last
week: and not policeman "itnin III
tv miles, and nobody except tatnet
Lucy, and he can't hold EN-.
"What want to know" said Hilary,
Ys what this company is that you
sneak about, and how they come to use
the Rocky river for their logs.
T,afp hesitated, but only for mo-
ment. Then he mentally cast brous.
seau to the winds; for, after ALL II
Hilary meant to know, nobody couio
prevent it, Brousseau's 1nStructiohs
| notwithstanding.
"It's this way, Mr.. Askew," he said.
| sMr. Morris and Mr.. Brousseau nave
company of their own. Their HHlts
touch ours on the west, across the
| river. and run ten miles or so DacR
into the bush, right alongside ours.
They got the right to float their logs
down the river.
"And use the mill!'
"Nrr Norris leases the use or cur
mill by the year to the company.
Hilary was staggered for the mo-
ment. Morris, as his uncle's manager,
leasing the mill to Norris, partner I'D
BrOusseau's company, seemed queer
role.
.How do they tell our lumber from
theirs?" asked Hilary presently.
"Oh. that amt hard" said Lafe.
"You see, the jobbers, who suitcase
the tracts, know how much their men
have cut. And it's scaled in the
woods before they shoot 1t down
| stream. 1 guess there amt no dill
Guilty there. Mr. Askew. And you see,
Mr.. Morris representing both concerns,
he naturally does his best by both OF
EN-"
Hilary's suspicious, dormant even
after the interview with Lamartinei
were now thoroughly aroused.
| sand Mr.. Brousseau has no concern
with us, except for the lease OF tho
mill and the right-of-way down the
river" unused Hilary. "Who is this
Mr.. Brousseau?"
"Why, 1 guess he's the big man OF
the district" said LATE. Hes the
nearest thing to boss they've got up
here; tells 'em how to vote and gets
'em out Of trouble. He amt good to
his father though. That was old
Jacques Brousseau in the store, tho
trapper."
| 81 didn't see him."
"He was Mr.. Rosny's slave, or what
ever they called them, in the old
times, before these people became
Free"
He tapped the ashes out Of his pipe
and pocketed it.
"He's got old Rosny In his pocket"
he said, leaning toward Hilary. "He's
got him bound and mortgaged aftet
leading him to throw your uncle't
money away in crazy investments. He
did it deliberately, Mr.. Askew. When
he was a kid, growing up among the
house servants up at the Chateau,
he wanted to be big man, for which
I don't blame him. He got his way,
| but that wasn't enough. He wanted
the Seigneur's place, because he found
that the folks up here thought more
Of old Mr.. Rosny, with his broken.
down house and debts, than they did
Of him with all his money. So he set
to work and got him cinched.
"The old man hates and despisea
him, and he's been fighting against IL
for long time, but he seen what's
coming to him and guess he's made
up his mind he'll have to stomach it.
Brousseau's staked old Mr.. Rosny's
pride against his love, and guess he's
won his stake and won Mausells
Madeleine into the bargain"
He rose. 'ThatIl be all for tonisht,
Mr.. Askew?" he asked.
Hilary rose too. Thanks. Mr.. Con.
NELL" he said. "In the morning shall
ask you to show me around the place"
He didn't follow LATE Connell In.
side the hotel, but sat upon the porch,
musing. LATE had enlightened him on
several points. He doubted whether
Lamartine had spoken anything ar.
preaching truth concerning the prop
| erty, and he was sure that Morris and
Brousseau were the company in whose
behalf he had offered forty-flve thou
sand dollars. There would be nsed of
a good many explanations from Nor
ris. Yet Hilary felt instinctively that
it was Brousseau. not Morris. with
whom he would have to contend.
On the face Of the soft night rose
the face Of Madeleine Rosny painted
with surprising clearness. He saw the
blue Of her eyes. the curve of her
flushed cheek, the dignity and gentle.
ness and pride that blended In her
looks. If ever he had any quarrel with
Brousseau, he would show him.
Then he cursed himself for a fool.
and, entering the hotel, took his la,nE
and went up to his room.
i'll q nirI'S hoefiI;fv adde