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Show JOB Xfr SPOIL f X-S-iWU P I'M "I RUCS8 llrousscnu'H oft on another tack, Mr. Askew. All the hands was over to 3te. Marie on Saturday nlpht by special Invitation from Simeon Duval, Du-val, who owns the blgBest dance hnll there. Thero was free drinks for every, body, and tho whole placo was In an uproar till Sunday monilnp. Not a stroke of work has been done here till yesterday, which means a four-day week. Tho men nre only Just sobering up now. "However, thnt ain't the worst, by a long sight. It's a sort of open secret that they're going to open up St. Ilonl face wide, and Simeon's" "You mean Simeon has dnred to start one of his hells here while I was away?" cried Hilary nnRrlly. "Not yet," said I.afe. "Thero ain't no more liquor bylnj; sold ero than usual jet. Hut they're golnc to open up If they can. Simeon's brother Louis has rented that bouse by the old stables sta-bles that Jean Huptlste used to occupy last year before It began to go to pIccuH, and bo's going to have a dune hall thero and sell brandy " Hilary rapped out an oath. "Not If I have anything to say," he answeied. "Nor me," said I.afe. "The trouble Is, where do we start In? We can't fight the whole town single-handed. I was wondering whether we couldn't wire the revenue peopk " "No!" snld Hilary sharply. "We'll fight our own battles, I.afe." I.afe subsided In a hurt virt of way. The evidences of demoralization were obvious In St. Honlfoce. The men were slow and hurly, the women sullen, slatternly and hopeless-looking. It was clear that they hnd little hope Hilary could counter this new project. Hilary Hil-ary was aware of'a feeling In the air, as If be was being tested, He saw furtive glances as ho went by, ho recognized rec-ognized reluctance In the sullen touch of the eap and the unsmiling faces, while not hostile, watched him with something like resentment, as If his attitude toward the Duval proposal was discounted beforehand. Hilary bad kept In his mind u plan of cutting along the bank of the river, without waiting for the snow. It seemed seem-ed to him n feasible plan to fell right beside the wnter, and float the logs down, this requiring no teams to haul, a process Impossible until the snow was deep. On the Saturday he went out nfoot to survey the timber In the upper reaches, In order to get n clearer clear-er lov. Hilary took the public rond that ran along the eastern lunik, within with-in the Ste. Marie limits, nud ascended to an elevation opposite the lowljlng tract on the west side. He had neaily reached the branch rond wbh h ran In toward Ste Marie, along which I. life and be hud driven on that Urxt morning, when he percoled Madeleine ItnMis and Hrousvenu ahead of him, at the top of the rli-o. They seemed to be talking earnestly, mid Hilary held back, unwilling to surprise them. Presently be saw Hrnus-eati spur bis hoise ami gallop away In the direction of Ste. Marie, while Madeleine Made-leine came slowly toward him. She saw him anil turned her horse aside to let lilin pass. She bad been crjlng, nnd there were triues of tears still on her cheeks. She would lime "Let Me Co," She Said in a Low Tone. waited for him to go by. her face averted, but Hilary placed his hand Upon tho horse's bridle. "MiiilcinolHello Itosnj " be began. "Let me go on," she said In a tow ,,""' . ,, "1 want to speak to on. Ann if you mo In trouble I want to help you." She smiled wearily. "I am 't " trouble, ami If I were I should hardly ask jour aid. Monsieur Askew, she answered, Then, with sudden vehemence, ve-hemence, "Why did you coinu hurol Bhu cried. "Why could you not. havo loft St. nonlface alone, Instead of stirring stir-ring up hatred? Is It not enough that my father should bmo been compelled to sell our undo our trees, without our cnmliiK hero to exult out our Bhnrift" "I base not exulted, MadcmoUctl Hosny; I am sorry." "Take bok your pity, We don't want It. What lias Monsieur Brous-seau Brous-seau done to jou or Mr. Morris?" "Morris, since jou Inquire, has swindled swin-dled me out of several thousand dol-lars' dol-lars' worth of pgjiber. Mademoiselle, Itosny. As for Monsieur llroussenu, the trouble Is of his own seeking." "You went upon Monsieur Hrous senu's land and quarreled with onfl of his workmen, nnd you Ill-treated him shamefully, Just because you are big and strong, nnd not afraid of a weaker mnii. And you and your hired men our men who sere you have taken Monsieur Hroueseau's lumber, and jou are going to sell It as your own. You might to be ashamed of yourself, jou outlnwl" "You'ie altogether wrong. Mademoiselle Mademoi-selle Itosny," answered Illlnry quietly. quiet-ly. "The quarrels were none of thorn of my seeking. Monsieur ItmuoMeiiu, who Is quite capable of taking cure of himself. I,i) s claim to laud ami lumber lum-ber which Is not his. I suggest, mademoiselle, that ou have not shown Milllclcut cause for your hostility. hos-tility. "I hove done jou no wrong," urged Hilary. "1 have come here to tako i barge of u legacy whhh my uncle left me. It Is nil I hne in the world. It has been my hope to make the task successful and. In succeeding, to consider con-sider my neighbors nnd help my em-plojees. em-plojees. Is not this a case for our working amicably together, as you suggested In the case of Monsieur llroussenu? Come, Mndemolsello Ros-nj. Ros-nj. let us forgot our quarrel and be friends." She did not take the hand that be cMcmkd, but she looked at him Id wonder. "You spoke of my good-will," he snld present l, with n touch of mock-rrj mock-rrj "What Is that to jou? Surely my father's feeling toward you, which Is mine, can have no power to help or Injure jou?" "It menus much lo me, jour goodwill. good-will. Mademoiselle Itosn.v," said Hilary. She leaned forward In her saddle. ".Monsieur Askew," she said, "listen to me. If jou Milne my good-will j-ou shall have It on one condition." "On nny condition." "That jou leave St. Honlfnce." "i:cept thnt." said Hilary. "It Is not that I grudge jou j-our possession," resumed the girl hurried-lj hurried-lj "Relieve me, I nm not thinking of that. As jou snld, tho money was pnld. and the rights nre yours. Hut this Is no placo for you, monsieur. 1 could esteem jou nnd and glo jou my good-will If jou said 'I lime made n mistake,' and went. Why do you stay here, to stir up trouble und agitate agi-tate us nil? What Is It you want, that jou will not take the aluo of your tiecs from Monsieur llroussenu anil go?" "I hao a natural objection to being driven out of my own property." said Illlniy. "It should never have been jours. Monsieur llroussenu wanted It, but my fntlur " She broke off In ngltutlon, Hilary laid bis hand lightly upon the rein, near her own. "Mademoiselle Itosny," ho urged, conscious that he was as agitated hi she, "I want to nsk you something, 1 do not want jou to go to Ste. Marie. I Mid I wanted to help jou. Perhapi I had no right, but I do not wnnt jou to go there. It Is because I honor jou, und" She was staring at him In greater distress. He hardly knew whether she understood, "If Monsieur Hrousscau " sho be-can, be-can, half-choking. "Forgive me, mndemolsclle, but docs bo mean so inuih to jou as that?" She started and twitched tho rein nwny. "Vou are Insolent!" sho cried. "How dare jou question me or lay down the law to me? No, I havo heard enough. Stay, then, Monsieur Askew, and cut down the trees that jou bnve bought, and sell them; hut do not presume to speak to mo any more !" She touched her horso with her spur, and the beast bounded away, almost al-most Hinging Illlnry to tlio ground. Her face was naming; .vet, lis she rode, Hilary could hear her sobbing again. Ho was suro thnt Hrouseaii was the cause of her distress. lie recalled re-called I.afe's words to himself on tho nlizht of their llrst meeting. Hrous- seau's grasping band was stretched forth not only on the seigniory but on Its heiress and he vowed that tho battle between them should bo fought out on this ground also. CHAPTER VI. Inside the Dance Hall. It had been tho general expectation that Louis Duval would open his saloon sa-loon that evening. Hilary wns uwaro that Louis nnd two assistants were en-su-ed In carpentering, behind tho closed ifoor of Ino shantj-. However, evening came nnd the house remained closed. Furthermore, there was a general gen-eral exodus toward Ste, Mario, and wheg tho news came that Louis himself him-self had gone It became cleur that ho bad postponed his Inauguration of tho test of Hilary's authority, for reasons known best to himself, or perhaps to Hrousscau. Hilary came to the decision to rid over to Ste. Marie that night and see vvlMtt was transpiring there. Lafe, to whom, lie confided hlssclieme, thought It risky, but, when he could not Induce Hilary to clinnge It, asked permission to accompany him and made him promlso to avoid trouble. It was nbotlt an hour after dnrk when they turned up from the beach Into the mnln street which held the chief danco lialls. blmeon Duval's plnce was working full blast, as were half n dozen more, nud Hilary recognized numbers of his own men en route. Nobody appeared to notice them, however, and they reached Simeon's place unaccosted, and, standing stand-ing upon the porch beside the door, looked In. It was n large wooden building, within which a score of lumbermen were dancing, mostly with one another; an-other; but a few had women partners. There was no pretense of setrecy In respect of the sale of liquor. Simeon Duval, whom Lafe Itidliated to Hilary, wns a stoutlsh, middle aued man In shirtsleeves, with pate blue ejes and ii thin crop of redilNh h.ilr, turning gray. Ho wore spedailes which gave him a strange, scholnsili expression, nnd the arms beneath his upturned sleeves wero a mass of fat and muscle. The Interior was vllelj hot. gusts of fetid air came rolling out with the tobacco to-bacco smoke, nnd the din was deafening. deafen-ing. As the two stood there Hilary wns astonished to seo little Haptlsto push pnst them und cuter. UN face wue agitated, nud he scimcil to see nothing noth-ing but his objective He strode through the dancers tow aid one side of the room, where two girls were seated. Hilary hnd observed one of them decline several invitations to dance nnd drink, though apparently urged by the other; now lie retognized them us Nanette and Marie Dupont. Haptlsto strode straight up lo Ma-lie Ma-lie nnd stood before her. Illlnry could hear nothing, but he s.iw the little timekeeper gesticulating, nnd apparently appar-ently Imploring her. He saw Miule kin Hi? Iier Nboulilers unit nveit bei face. Nanette was laughing, mid two or three of the lumbermen ueiubj watched the little scene with ninuse-inent. ninuse-inent. Huptlste grew more vehement, .larlo turned on him angrily. Huptlste sprang at her, selsrcd hot by tlu; sleeve of her dress, nnd tiled to Oabtlste Sprang at Her, Seized Her by the Sleeve of Her Dress and Tried to Pull Her From Her Seat. pull her from her seat. Hilary saw Nanette protesting angrily; he could not hear Haptlste's excited exelaum i Inns, but he beard faintly the scream that en me fi-" Mario's lips. At once there was a ir.-neml movement toward the group Some of the lumbermen Interfered. HnptlHtu turned upon them with iiicum-iiig lists. The little mnu wns beside himself with furj. Then Sliin'oii en in. waddling down the room with bis ibuMIke shullle, nnd took Huptlste b.v both arms. With slow-but slow-but liicxoiiiMc force ho led him to wind the door. It seemed almost ns If Haptlsto, Hap-tlsto, struggling In vain und mouthing iucolieientl.v was In the grip of some machine, for tlio momentum of Simeon's Sime-on's movements wns composed much moio of hulk than of velocity. Amid the Jeers f the crowd Huptlste was till list fiom the doqr, nud Simeon turned iimI waddled back Into the room, wheie the dancing was In full swing once more. llllarv saw Marie lljlng round In die nuns oi a gigantic woodsman. Hup-lisle, Hup-lisle, settled upon the step before the iliinco hall wns weeping pitifully. The little iliuui.i (nine home to Lafe with equal poignancy. Hilary saw that hlS ejes were blazing. "We'll g'i that gill nwny from here." he said. Lafe nodded, and the two went In. At llrst they were not recognized through the clouds of rolling smoke. It was Nanette who saw llllaiy tlrt. She utteied a shaip exUamatloii and pointed tovvaid him. At once the two found theiuelves under the llio of all J eyes. Tlio news reached Simeon Duvnl as he was reiuhlng up for a bottle In his J closet, and be came pulling out and waddled toward Hilary, his palebliu eyes IWcil on him In muluvolent scrutlii) "i:h, M 'stair A"Levv-, jou havo n di ink on me?" nsked Simeon, holdlt out the bottle under Hllnrj's nose. 'I be nctlon was at once u challenge and an overttue, to bo Interpreted In eliliei fashion, aeeonllng to the hear-el's hear-el's Inclination. Hilary shook his bend. "I don't dunk, Simeon," he answered curtlj-. "You wnnt to dunce, then, eh? You want a lady to dunce?" "I do not." "Nor to play card, eh?" "Not tonight, Simeon," "Then whnt the h you come to mj place for?" Simeon's blue ejes glnred Into Hllnrj's. Hll-nrj's. I . jounger dnjs the man hnd I bully of the lumber camps ureal strength, he could have 1, himself against any mail, with iiie doubtful exception of Hlnck Pierre; but Hllnry's exploit upon the latter bid n restraining effect upon htm. "I've come to hnvo n look at you, Simeon," snld Illlnry genially. "Well, jou sec me now, eh, Meestnlr Askew? What jou think of me, eh?" retorted the dance-hall proprietor. "Mnj be you like, to look some more, eh?" "I think you're Just about what I expected," ex-pected," Hilary answered. "I hear jour brother is thinking of opening a hell like tills one tit St. Honlfnce." the lumbermen had begun to edge hi uboiit them. Sentiment, while running run-ning strongly ugnlnst the Intiuder, wns not uiigrtly hostile. Tip men were eager to see how Hilary would bear himself ngalust Simeon, nud they hoped for some fun. Hilary saw among them the fuce of Simeon's brother Louis, who looked like a small model upon a lighter scale. "My brother heie. He speak for himself, Meestnlr Askew. He not afraid. You think, p'r'nps, because jou tin ash Hluck Pierre, you boss In Ste. Murle?" "No, I don't. I wish I were," said IIIIuij-. "If I were, Simeon, I should i tin jou down to Quebec Jail right oft the reel. Hut I'm boss In St. Honlfnce, and If Louis opens a liquor deu there, ' I'll bleak his head open and run him In afterward." Few of those present understood his e.Mict meaning, but nil ominous, growl! showed that this declaration was appreciated ap-preciated at more or lo'ss Its cot root value. The mob begun moving forward. for-ward. For a few moments the situation situa-tion looked menacing. Utility took the aggressive, us usual, "Ah, Leblune!" he called out. "How-do "How-do jou like your new- Job? I'm start ing In to cut out that limit you bunded buck to me. There's some good timber there, Leblune." Leblnne snarled und started forward, for-ward, shaking his list und muttering. However, he could not get through the press, iitul It Is not probable that he tried very haid to do so, "Well, that's about nil, Simeon," Hilary culled. "I Just ciuie in to look at jour place and give your brother n friendly warning, because I never warn when I'm ready to strike." "My hi other take care of himself. He ain't nfruld of ou," snld Simeon, who kept as cool as Hilary. Hilary intuitively summed him up ns the most dangerous of his opponents. "Hut I guess jou ain't going like that Mees-talr Mees-talr Askew," continued the liquor-seller. liquor-seller. "Lnsk jou to have a drink on me an' you say no. Now you going to buy drinks all round, oh?" Illlnry Inughed out loud. "Not for your crowd, Simeon," he answered. Simeon planted his fat body heavily before him. "Whnt jou say? You buy drinks, eh?" he demanded truculently. Illlnry put his hands on Simeon's shoulders und pushed him bodily backward. back-ward. .Simeon, who wns planted rather than stood, at tlrst resisted ns a tiee might resist u gentle shove with the hand; but he could not resist the stiength behind Hllnry's shoulders, and he begnn to sway und went toppling top-pling huckvwiid, landing, still rigid, upon the lloor. Soino of the girls shrieked, nnd tho lumbermen came surging forward toward Hilary and Lafe anil began to hustle them. Yet. knowing Hllnry's reputation they hesitated a moment before Initiating hostilities; and thnt moment brought an unexpected Interruption. Inter-ruption. I'or a boy run screnm'ng In nt the door nnd what ho cried startled the entire assemblage. Simeon, who had been snuggling to his feet, was upon them In nn Instant. Hut before the crowd hud recovered from Its confusion confu-sion two olllcers In the uniform of the revenue depnitmeiit came running In. Thev curried revolvers In their hands, nnd they pounced upon Simeon nud had him nt their mercy In an Instant. At once tho whole scene wns dissolved. dis-solved. Men and gills ran this way and that, n wildly Hying, panicky mass. It was one thing to drink nnd brawl In Ste. Mnile. but quite another to defy tho tireless olllclnls of the revenue department, de-partment, who pntroled tho river at uncertain Intervals, whoso arms wero very long. Whether any one except Simeon was wanted In thnt particular placo was never known, for it was all the ofueers could do to hold on to him, while tho ciowd stampeded past them toward the door, a cursing, struggling mass, currying Lafe nnd Hilary along with It. In the street they pulled themselves out of the ciush nnd took refuge lan alley. All Ste. Marie was In a turmoil. News of the raid had spread everywhere every-where with lightning swiftness. Lights weie being extinguished, liquor hidden away, lumbermen ami girls wero running run-ning In wild panic through tho streets. Suddenly they perceived Mario Du jioiit itinong the crowd. Her o)os wero wide with fright, and sho was struggling strug-gling helplessly In tho crowd, homo UiLi will' und tlml br tins cuiiUlctlur currents'. Hilary forceTl hTs way towatV Hj her and drugged her Into the alley. Ill Thero she broke down; she fell upoH ll her knees In the mud, rocking to and ' 1 1 fro and moaning, rt Hilary bent over her. Lafe saw that in his fnce was stern, "I am going to take ; m you home," he said. 5 9 She looked up at him ptteously. She H- appenred to recognize him, but was too; iH terrified to understand. He drew herg JB to her feet and, with Lafe on the other! J side, they began to make their way am quickly toward the beach by a narrow If, pnsunge among the cottages. flu' Hut ns they started I.afe looked back m i) and saw, wedged lu the crowd bechlnd if them, Jean Hnptlste. He hnd been try- sj I lag to reach the girl, but It was linpoa- )I j slide to move a foot In thnt struggling W I liuinnn torrent. He saw them, and hl ,1 ejes were dilated with Impotent fury. I M j There was murder In them as they fell M i upon Illlnry. I.nfe shuddered. O. i His Impulse was to wait for the man, 1 but be recognized thnt Haptlstc was . ' 1 beyond nil reason nnd self-control. Hu K ' hnd misinterpreted Hilary's nctlon; ' tho only thing now was to elude him lj( i nnd get the girl away before Hnptlste tt could follow. He wns glnd Illlnry had 1 not seen Hnptlste. He mount to say, $. nothing of It. i Tho three set out on their way, ! . Marie nt tlrst sobbing and holding K 1 buck, then gradually growing calm un- Jlj der Hllarj's assurances, and nt last Ij j going wllllnglj', I lor dress was drag- j gled with mud, her tlnery uwry; alio r j looked pitiful and f lightened. Hilary, fj felt a great wrath growing lu him as If, be looked ut her. At last they gained ii ' the shore road and presently reached 9 Marie's cottage. M She felt lu her dress for the key al with shaking lingers. Ullury took It 9 fiom her mid opened tho door. "Never B go to that place tigiiln," he said stern-, B ly. "Let this be a lesson to you I" K She went Inside. -Lafe and Hilary, H watted till the lump vvus lit audi H BLBEZi2gBV iSFw Jam? CBtnKvV gKgSZBYMBYgw imwt BH UgE9i?4g9BiflgBT)gV MmmKl Bh MmM J j VigiiiKMwnilfttlii 'BWm P BJ They Saw Marie Dupont Crouched Be- mH fore the Stove, Her Face on Her MM Armi. -tt through the torn shade, they saw Mario jj Dupont crouched before the stove, her i I fuce on her arms. ' r I "I guess we'd better be going, Lafe," ; I he said. V "She's had her lesson." I "I hope so I've seen enough this f evening, Lafe It makes mo sick tq jj think that there are wretches vile enough to encourage this, for money or for Influence." He turned ou him. "If I can truce Hrousseau's bund In this ' , work," he said, "heaven help hlml" ' I I (Continued Next week) ( ji mi) |