Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-12

4
Obooks. During all Of the June before
old Hilary's sudden death Elinor had been
busy arranging figures, collecting data
in the cryptic shorthand she knew. Then, |
on the 1st of July, Hilary gave his an
nual dinner.
The band, from IL, was down to flve. |
Boroday, the Russian, glancing around |
the table, shrugged his shoulders 1t was
the chance of the game they played
and percentages would be larger. Never
theless there was weight Of depression
over them ALL
Elnor was at her fathers right, sim
ply dressed. The dinners were always a
trial to her She was palpitatingly anx-
ious that the papers before old Hilary
be in order and accurate They were her
work. The deeper significance of the
meeting she was not so much Ignorant
of as profoundly indifferent to. II her
| farther did thing, 1t took on order, be-
came law.
There were present Talbot and Leth-
bridge, the Englishmen Boroday whose
rescue from Siberia had made him old
| Hilary's henchman and young Hun.
| Huff was the mechanician. He had been
| trained in the Bleriot works; aeroplanes
to wireless, automobiles to automatic pis-
| tolls, he knew them all-all makes, all
grades. If old Hilary was the brains'
| Huff was the hands of the band
| He sat beside Elinor, and watched her
| with worshiping eyes. Perhaps 1t was
as we'll that old Hilary was intent on
! his food and on the business in hand.
The routine of the annual dinner sell
! dom varied Five of them then, that last
| dinner around the table, in evening
clothes, we'll set up, spare, three of them
| honorable about
women-as polished, as harmless in ap-
pearance, as death-dealing. as the gleam-
| ing proiectile of a Pinch gun!
First old Hilary went over the books
1t might have been the board meeting OF
some respectable bank He stood at his
end of the table, and the light from the
chandelier fell full on him.
st have to report, gentlemen" he
would say, "a fairly successful year" This
is where it differed from bank. The
association had had no bad years. While
our expenses have been heavy, returns
have been correspondingly So" And so
on, careful lines OF figures, outlays and
returns to the end. For old Hilary was
secretary and treasurer as welIas presi-
dent
This time, when he had reached the end
of what was to be his last report he
paused and cleared his throat.
unfortunately, that is not all, gen
tlemen. Nothing can we call our own
but death And it is my sad duty to
report this last year the loss of three OF
our number. calamitous year, gentle
men,"
He might have been a trustee, lament
ing the loss cf valued supporters TO
hospital!
Afterward, in the library, with Elinol
embroidering Ivy the fire, they cashed In
| In, were
dangerous. Cnce or twice Boroday mac
successfully negotiated with fence IT
Paris, but always under old Hilary''
protest.
The routine never varied. Elinor un
locked the door to a winding staircase
which led to basement room where th'
steel vault stood in its cement walls. Ih'
five went down, returning shortly with th'
cash boxes. The money was divided OF
the library table 1t went by percentages
Hilary drew 70 that last year, each OF th'
others lO-a total of go per cent The 4
per cent remaining was divided, or sen
az whole. according to the sense OF th'
meeting. Berlin got 1t all one year. 10
| instance to Boroday's disgust hussl'
generally received large proportion
The Chinese revolution, the detense o
Parlbardt who killed Ecker, the pori
hacker: a shipment of guns and ammu
pItIon TO Central America-thus II Went
Although they preferred only money
,ou, and then the loot included Jewels
Nv common consent, such gems strlppe'
of their settings, were put ASIDE 10
Elinor. They meant nothing TO her' ia'
any one told her that for seVeral year year
her share had been greater IN Soia,
vaIue than all the money that had iallei
70 ber fstber she would not have believed
IT
A.. ,r 60 after the annual meet
> ,r, tbe rector of Saint Jude's was alway
asled 10 dinner And although the reVer
and Gentleman would under normal cir
oI,T,sfsnces have been fishing in CANADA
Sa never went until this function wa
over, For old Hilary, detestins ms cIeeu
respected the man. A certain PEI eeitHS nt tS =.
/ then, OF old IIilary's snare meit -
l library table, after the dinner 70 '''' ''o
: tor. -, ~ +bs most good.
4 he would say.
; 'oThe church organ u,,,
r ..SJot a cent 10 the church organ bn'
: +ba Youngsters q playground,
f.. I,,nF-in ward in the hospital
c Flnor's mother had diei IN ~
=. The last check had Desh baa bss
Y ,,snsrous The rector, VINO hau
E snI-,yg semSl one of old Hilary's choice cigar
,,t a. down and faced his host resoiuteS
.NSr NJ kingston" he said, the chuTe
+ Ids men ike you. Why be ChaiS'la l,i
e ~ the spirit and-avoid the letter -.
i d" .Tnt old Hilary rose ana l11Ae 'l
Q z.,'.1 AZ him. Il am like all gambler
g T,Is annual check to your poor Is u
a ms throw TO luck. That's all sir'
SOP his tone closed the discussion ~
..gsmbler' worried the rector
: Tansbt %oIu over 1t on his way down th
I'm 20 the reetory. But his poor ~el ~e
a a iarv M moor. He cashed the check the he'
It day
: El,nor was in the Library thai a1i Sun, sTll,,
il,,st day when they brought oid @ @fiilai
I. Aus she had never seen death peiol
! vlt 70 NJ on the streets OF Mexico. ana =
;, s.a e~eepa many years he had been an 81
a sooJ "i,,ce her last goYerness, In faet' ha
= haa- Uncovered secreting the rosary an
y a pesN been word-scourged from the hog'
n haN ,ssrs she tainted, and "llilAi'
~ II.ristta laid her on eouch'
IS saroSay. the Russian, had pfousht ll,.s y
rome and now he stood loohll
II 5oSsn 9ouy al Elinor and strokins MS EhshSl
cut beard. 4. t5.nrietts" he sal
.sr5a tbought 1t would have come soone
le ~ parker matter. ! wonder
Flinor stirred. .a,, ssts Va,
n sstIe viii have 10 be buried sala ne
- aThe news has gone through u
u 1 ~