The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-08-16

whose rescue from Siberia had made
him, old Hilary's henchman; and
yaung Hut. Huff was the mechani-
clan. He had been trained in the
Bleriot works; airplanes to wireless,
automobiles to automatic PISTOLS he
knew them--all makes, all grades. II
old Hillary was the brains, Hut was
the hands Of the band.
He sat beside Elmer, and watched
her with wershiping eyes. Perhaps 1t
was Is well that old Hilary was intent
on his food and on the business in
hand.
The routine OF the annual dinner
seldom varied. Five Of them then,
that last dinner around the table, in
evening clothes, well set up, spare.
three ;of them young, all temperate,
honorable about women-as polished,
as harmless in appearance, as death
dealing, as the cleaning p%rojectile OF
a twelve-inch gun! .
First old Hillary went wei the books.
It 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.
II have to report, gentlemen" he
would, say, "a fairly successful year."
This is where it differed from q bank.
The association had had no bad years.
""While, u expenses have been heavy,
returns have been correspondingly So"
And so on, careful lines of figures, out
lays and returns, to the end. For old
Hilary was secretary and treasurer as
well as president.
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. A calamitous
+, year, gentlemen"
He might have been a trustee, Ia
menting the loss Of valued supporters
- a. hospital!
Afterward, in the library, with El-
'inor embroidering by the fire, they
.eashed in. They dealt only in cash.
Securities were dangerous. Once or
twiSe Boroday had successfully nego-
tiated with a fence in Paris, but al
ways under old Hilary's protest.
The routine never varied. Elinor
unlocked the door to a winding stair
case, which led to a basement room
where the steel vault stood in it's &C.
meat walls. The five went down, re-
turning shortly with the cash-boxes.
The money was divided on the library
table. It went by percentages. Hill
airy drew 20 that last year, each of
the others 10-a total Of 60 per cent,
The 40 per cent remaining was di-
v1ded, or sent as a whole, according
to the sense Of the meeting. Berlin
got it all n year, for instance, to
Boroday's disgust. Russia generally
received a large proportion. The Chi
nese revolution; the defense of Berk-
hardt, who killed Ecker the pork
packer; q shipment of guns and am.
munition to Central .America-thus It
went.
Although they preferred only money,
now and then the loot included jewels.
BY common consent, such gems,
stripped of their settings, were put
aside for Elinor. They meant nothing
to her. Had anyone told her that for
several years her share had been
greater in actual value than all the
money that had fallen to her father
she would not have believed 1t. . /.
; -Four days or SO after the annual
meeting, the rector of Saint Jude's was
always asked to dinner. And although
the reverend gentleman would under
normal circumstances have been fish
Ing In Canada, he never went until this
function was over. For old Hilary, de-
testing his creed, respected the man.
A certain percentage, then, of old Hill
ary's share went owe the library ia
BILE, after the dinner, to the rector.
use 1t where it will do the most
good" he would say.
1.-THE church organ"
"Not a cent to the church organ.
Buy the youngsters a playground, or
build a lying-in ward in the hos
pital."
Elinor's mother had died in child.
birth.
The last check had been unusually
generous. The rector, who had been
smoking n of old Hilary's choice
cigars, put it down and faced his host
resolutely. 1t took courage.
mi. Kingston" he said, "the church
needs men like you. Why be a Chris
tian in the spirit and-avoid the let
teri"
"Tut." Old Hilary rose and looked
down at him. II am like all gamblers.
This annual check to your poor is the
sop I throw to luck. That's, all, sir"
And his tone closed the discussion.
The word gambler" worried the rec
tor. He thought over it on his way
down the hill to the rectory. But his
Door we're very moor. He cashed tho