The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-08-30
CHAPTER TX.

CHAPTER TX.
Talbot, running out to the country
club that afternoon for his Sunday
game Of golf, stopped off at the hall.
he found Elinor lunching alone In
the arbor, which commanded q view
Of the valley.
q" brought out a letter from Boro-
day." he said, producing it. HE wrote
1t yesterday morning, but I did not
stop at the Dago's until an hour or so
ago."
The Dago was the owner Of a gam
bling-house far downtown-a sort Of
underworld clearing house. It's safety
for Talbot and the others lay in the
fact that 1t drew it's clientele from the
upper as well as lower walks Of life.
Huff. acting in his taxicab capacity as
~steerer, was able to come and go with
out suspicion.
Talbot could not read old Hilary's
cryptic shorthand. Only three had
known it: Boroday. old Hilary him.
self, and Elinor.
Elinor ran through it while Talbot
ate a sandwich. She was rather white
when she looked up.
"It's about the Bryant pearl" she in
terpreted. "Boroday says that if the
chief gets it back he will let him 90.
The chiefs reputation is hanging on it.
The Bryants are influential"
She read the last paragraph aloud to
him:
"On your lives, boys, do what I tell
you. Mail the pearl in a plain box to
police headquarters. Mail it downtown
In the city. If everything is all right,
I'll be able to get out to Nottingham in
a week, perhaps less. This will make
the church plan unnecessary and re-
lieve ElinOr's mind. l see you got the
parish house. It a foolhardy and
useless"
Talbot ros and stretched himself.
"Wonderful day for golf," he said.
snow let's have the pearl and I am
off,
Elinor's eyes were pitiful.
"Wouldn't any other pearl doT"
He glanced down at her quizzically.
where's your mind, E1inor? If you
lose a dog and want it back, will any
other dog do? Why? Do you want the
thing yourself?"
II have given it away" said Elinor.
Under his golf tan Talbot turned
rather gray. =
ITO whom"
"The jewels were always mine," pro-
tested Elinor, defending herself. "You
have always told me that. I thought I
had a right"
ITO whomT'
II put it in the almsbox at Saint
Jude's this morning."
"Then it may still be thereY'
II don't know
I'm the name of God!" Talbot broke
out. "What possessed you to give the
thing away?, Whim or no whim, you
have no right to risk the rest Of us. If
that thing is traced back to you, you
know what it MEANS" .
"Nobody saw me-"
But Talbot was pacing up and down.
"There's only one chance" he said.
"Ill send a special delivery to the
chief, telling him the thing is in the
almsbox. II it's still there, he'll get it
and return it. If it's already been dis
covered, at least he can claim to have
known it's hiding-place."
Talbot disgustedly relinquished his
golf, and in the library Of the hall
wrote the anonymous letter to the
chief. Then, in his gray car, he set off
for the city to mail the letter.
When he was in the car, the engine
throbbing easily, Elinor ventured to
put her hand on his ARM.
Last night" she said rapidly, "Wal-
ter threatened all sorts of things; that
he would get the morning collection at
Saint Jude's, that he would kill MI.
Ward. I am frightened, Tallie."
Talbot patted her hand.
"We will get this fixed up so 1t won't
be necessary; and as for the other, you
know Walter. He was mad with
jealousy last night. That's all talk"
On that wild ride Talbot had little
time to think, but, such as they were,
his thoughts were Of Elinor and her
caprice.
Its the preacher, after all" he said
to himself. tits enough to make old
Hilary turn over"