The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-08-23
CHAPTER ".


CHAPTER ".
Elinor lived alone after the fuperal.
Henriette, who had now a chance to
practice her favorite vice Of thrift, was
Tor sending away the other servants.
Il can manage" she said. For all
you eat"
But Elinor protested.
II shall want to keep up the Satur.
day dinners. Let things stay as they
are for a time"
1t had been old Hilary's custom to
have such members Of the band as
were available dine with him Of a Sat.
urday.
Henriette raised her hands.
Things are changed" she cried.
You are alone here now. To have
those four men"
"That is better than having nj
man, Henriette."
So Elinor had her way. The Satur-
day dinners were resumed early in
September, Boroday coming with in
finite caution from his cheap boarding
house in the South side, Talbot and
Lethbridge from the bachelor apart
ment they rented together. Walter
Huff was late.
II had to be careful" he told Boro-
day, aside. 'They've got wind of some
thing, I don't know what. Ny room wa
searched today"
Boroday swore through his beard.
"Then why did you come here?" he
demanded. Young Huff laughed,
glanced at Elinor, and back impudent-
" at the Russian.
"You know why I came" he said, in
high good humor. "But I was careful.
It's all right.
Old Hilary's chair had been placed
by Elinor's order. She had borne up
well the last month, was rather more
slender, certainly more appealing. The
quality of usefulness was more appar-
ent than ever around her mouth. Huff,
sitting across, hardly took his eyes
from her. BE was young, and women
had had no place until now in his &C.
ave- NA0SA upAAOOS ILL., OUI 1lluOI
held him in the palm of her small
hand.
They missed old Hillary, his s~aturnine
humor, his beetling gray brows. And
inaction was telling on them. They
were growing FESTIVE. Boroday, advis-
ing caution in view Of what he knew,
felt the disaffection among the younger
men.
1t was Lethbridge, who, waiting I'M
I'll the servants had withdrawn, rose
and glanced around the table,.
1T seems to me-" he began, "that we
have a lot to decide tonight. I've been
thinking about it ever since-for some
time. The first thing, Of course, is
whether we are going to hang together
or not" .. s~.r, ys1a, 49, ~
Talbot had rather a weird sense Of
humor. He suggested that the word
'hang" be changed to remain" 4,
We've been doing well. Wen do
all right again, too, as soon as this
thing blows over. It was unlucky, but
we've been pretty fortunate. Now we
can do one Of two things. For Elinor's
sake, I suggest the first" /.
"And that is" Elinor's voice was
unsteady.
"Send Boroday to Paris to dispose Of
your Jewels. Then get a conservative
lawyer to invest the money"
"And after that?"
"Forget you ever knew any of u.s."
HUFF, across the table from her, went
white, but said nothing.
"You said there was an alternative?"
Elinor was white, too. The room was
profoundly still.
ITO keep on as we are at present,
with you, Elinor, acting in your ia
TIERS stead, receiving and transmitting
messages, and-keeping the vault in
charge"
Boroday was on his feet in a mo-
ment, protesting. He would take the
Jewels and send them abroad. It was
risky, but it could be done. But this
outrageous arrangement that had been
suggested !
"What we are, we are by CHOICE he
finished. "You have never had a choice
and now it is given to you. For Gods.
sake, child, go away now. while you
may"
Elinor's reply, when 1t came, was
unanswerable.
ssWhere could I 60? I know In all
the world only you four, and old Hem
nette, and a governess Of mine who
has gone into a convent in France. !
shall stay here with you all"
So # was settled.
That was an eventful evening, with
Ninor. misty.eyed. moving into her IA.