The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-03

| dc tne tEdIu QTtW out Ol tHc WCnIy third street station. what is all this 1 work you're doing sor usy' l 'Eh? Oh. asprocess." Talbot smiled l But what is 1t all about7" | Many. many things he replied playfuIly. Why do you want tt l know2"
 "Because-I do," he said. lookin. fixedly out of the car window. You wouldn't be interested"
 me-"
 | Tomorrow. or next day, perhaps | Talbot answered her. "or perhaps nex week, you shall know the whole bus | mess. if you like; but not now" Then you're not going to tell meT Not now"
 l The girl laughed with a sheer re- lief that set Talbot staring for a mo- ment- The following afternoon it was all l over. He had hit it. He had found | that catalytic agent for Jepson's pur- pose and tried it and tested 1t in all | conceivable ways. and 1t answered every requirement. And he, Talbot the struggler, had done 1t all unaided, and he was a made man thereby. A note to Jepson was in order al once Talbot seated himself and push ed away the papers on his desk ana from the top of the heap slid nan- don's reply to his letter of weeks be- fore. Talbot smiled softly at 1t. The job need not absolutely be filled be- fore February. Better change your mind Talbot, and come out-tneres good money in it and a future" He borrowed boy from the adJa- cent office and dispatched him with the note to Jepson. requesting the manu- facture to come and witness a demon al A fore he arrived.
 There was a prodigious twinkle in Jepson's little eyes as he closed the laboratory door and selected chair. Talbot read it as approval and was re- paid for his months of labor and sac rifice.
 "Well-you got it. eh?" Jepson grunted.
 I've got it." Talbot smiled radi- antly.
 All right, Whats your catalytic agent?"
 Talbot named the substance. Right, by Georgew Jepson shout ed, skipping his ample thigh. He | blinked at Talbot for a moment, lean l ed back and smiled broadly. Then long, rolling chuckle escaped him and he broke into noisy laughter. I'm glad you're pleased" Talbot said, In some perpleAity' SHo" 1 you how"
 Flush! Don't bother. know how the things acts, boyr | But"
 | See here, Talbot. There's nothing | to hinder your knowing now. McMas ter worked that thing out six months ago. It's patented!" | "McMaster!"
 Of course He does all my work | Didn't you know that?" "Then-how-why- cried Talbo experiencing a peculiar giddiness. | It's just like this. Talbot" pursued Jepson, chuckling still. I've been or 1 the lookout for a chief chemist, over a | the works, for Heaven knows how | long. You were suggested He'll have | to be a close e-mouthed chap, above ai 1 things, you understand-lots of mat l ters going on over there that are no for outside ears. I didn't know yot didn't know what sort of work yot did-didn't know whether you hat | sense enough to hold your tongue. Mo Masters suggested trying you on thl' catalytic business-the devils owr l tough nut all around. as l guess yol | know And-by George! you've don' nobly! I don't suppose there's one 1T | a hundred could have worked up tha thing"
 "So-so it was a-put-up Iob?"
 Pure and simple" said Jepson cheerfully, T set McMasters question | ing you about it-remember? Then showed that typewriter girl of mn l into the game. Now, as regards thi | job at the works. I'll start you a twenty-five hundred. I'll swclf your not making that here. Eh? What d' | you say?"
 Say" Talbots voice, regained aftel a struggle, quivered. What do I say" Yes" Jepson was asronished
 What do you say?'
 q say just this" Talbot cried. str!d | ing across the room and throwing opeI | the door, may the devil take you an' your cursed spying Get out of here or, by heaven, I'll try throwing yo' outH
 But what sort of idocy-"
 Quick" panted the mar by th door
 Jepson hesitated for an instant ant l stared hard. Then he strode wrath fully into the corridor and turned t' | snap:
 You internal young fool!' "t
 Talbot slammed the door in his fac and locked it. Heavily, he trudg"' over to the desk and sat there. star ing out into the darkening sky.
 So this was the goal His discover, I-his work-was another mans dls | covery.
 Ills months of striving ard work,nt and scrimping and hoping were lost. H had been wholly broken; his cherishe | New York career was finished. sharp sigh escaped Talbot, and If tn sigh was nine parts sob, perhaps ther
 was no sham.
 Again his eye, aimles sly rowing, ICl upon L1andon's last letter. How con
 fdently had he put 1t from him, som l two hours in the past, There, indeed
 lay the path to a living. ali the oo'. one now. He would go. He would Sei out the laboratory stuff for what l
 would bring and betake himself L Colorado and begin all over again But no satisfaction seemed attached It the prospect. Talbot wondered why and in wondering was stabbed witl sudden realization-he vas going t l leave the girl, probably for all tlme
 Oh, that was the forest hrrt-th girl. He wondered if she had been awar'
 then of the miserable little plot--she l of all people, aware of it AS likel! as not The killing disappointment ruin of his dearest hopes. all that n' could have forgotten in tire; but tha that girl-the girl-shoalj hav'
 sought to cozen him into betrayini | himself!
 The drizzling night had closed II when Talbot stumbled down to tn l street His eyes were on the ground l he did not notice the little waiting 1 figure in the doorway until familia vo ce said
 "Mr. Talbot"
 He paused and looked her over fo a moment, silently, wearily. withou