The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-01-23
Paid in Full
o0
By WALTER ]. DELANEY
Copyright. 1919. By the western NoWo.
paper Uaion.)

! strangely jOvial. cheersonie and rec
/ Cncil"i. The fiat had gone forth from
his physician that his days were num-
here,l, and when some twenty friends
and relatives We're invited to his house
at Il prescribed hour one afternoon.
| they stared At one another and then
! at tho tlower-decnrated house, ut an
/ orchestra made ny of violin. cello and
harp in an aIcOve. and then through
an open doorway int" the capaciOus
dining room. where Il table was set
/ cleaning with crystal ana silver as
! though anticil,atory nf some rare feS
I tai occasion.
4 Il wonder what we are here for?" !
! whispered Il half-thrl cousin nf their
t host to an equally distant relative.
supposed il was 1" say g"Ul-hy
! TO IL dyin. man. came the low spoken
/ response, hut the layout suggests IL
| feast
( When dinner was announced aul
the guests ,roopcd int" the dining
room they found Mr. Walton propped
i NJ in an invalid chair, pale and thin.
! but with II welcoming smile on his
face. lie remained al the table. hut
,'artook very sparin2ly Of the meal.
while urging his guests I" enjoy q
good dinner. He chatted Familiarity
with one and all Of those present.
His niece. E>,elie Bliss Il great ia
vuri,e with the old man, sd, al his
rgli hand. The chair at his left was
occupied by Alan Bruce. The latter
was Il young man in nowise related
10 Mr.. Walton. but he had been Il sort
of occasional secretary for the latter
! off aud nn for a wear
My friends spoke Mr. Walton,
when The ~llmptu"uS rtla>r had been
dispatched. you include all The p-o-
pie. relatives AMI friends, for whom I
have Il warnA sentiment nf confidence
and liking. | wish YOU to enjoy a
pleasant evening and dancing
and visiting together and toward
/ midnight when you have fully enjoy
ed yourselves ! will meet you all in
the library. There wish to di>trih-
ute my fortune among yon."
There Vas 4 vast fiutter among the
.hrung. Suddenly Vague hopes We're
raised. The enviou> ones looked ut
E>Iclie and Alan.
But all The innocent. gentle hearted
thought of 'EStelle was fidelity t" ibis
good old man. while Alan considered
that he had been Well paid for all he
had done for II generous employer,
ana had II" right 10 expect any share
in the announced distributions
My physician, Mr.. Walton pIr-
sued. tells rpe | may live here
month. In another climate perhaps
"a half n Year, 50 | am going away and
N"n will probably never see me again.
l Want no Squahbling over my small
possessions when am gone. but har-
mony and satisfaction among you all.
have converted my holdings into
ready cash Each Of you Will receive
a sealed envelope contailiin. what |
have thought best ant! Just 10 award
You. / would prefer that none of you
ever dj>c.>r> the amount You have re-
ccised.
E>iclie and Alan uriflel together.
danced tnge1her. colversed together
all the evening. They were very We'll
friends When The goodnight melody
was played aac!, one of the group pass
ed into the library. received Il sealed
envelope and Mr. Walton shook hands
Will. them With kindly word and they
SAW him for the last time. for lie died
on his Journey South two days later.
Alan Bruce was startled and then
mysliied as he opened the envelope
addressed To himself. II contained
twenty one thousand dollar bills. In Il
corner Of The envelope, however. wad-
ded up as if il had got there :csiden-
tally. WAS 4 note. OF rather what was
left OF il. The same bore an oil! date.
The signature WAS torn eft it, Had
been made OH to Robert Thorne."
whoever he was, and was cancelled by
him. Paid IN fun
Alan placed the twenty thonS,ud
dollars in Il safety deposit box and said
nothing To ANYBODY about it. But he
did !, deal of thinking. Somehow he
felt that there must be some mistake
Had he got money intended for some
one else And then the mystery of the
Cancelled, note. He learned that it had
leaked out that Estelle had received
only five hundred dollars, and that ,
many We're censuring Mr.. Walton for |
leaving so mean a pittance to his ia
vurite niece. One day he met Estelle !,
on the street.
Mr.. Bruce" she said Il value your +,
good opinion and know You respected |
and esteemed Uncle Mark. People are |
con,itnnning him because he left ME |
only five hundred dollars. The truth |:
Is he acted most literally for we learn t
ed he had paid five thousand dollars |;
father owed to a Mr.. Thorne Father |
is like another being since that ter |
rihle load is honOrably lifted from his |
shoulders. Are you ill:"
No! only electrified with sudden !
illuminate ion. In "A flash Alan discern.