The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-08-18
Talbot's Death
Documents
By FREDERICK CLARKE

BY FREDERICK CLARKE
90. 1921. Western Newspaper Union.)
just In time, Bryce Talbot gathered
up q falling feminine form in his arms,
was grazed by q speeding automobile,
and stumbled against the policeman
guarding the crossing from one Of
those Islands Of safety" planted at
the street intersection.
"A pretty narrow escape, that" re-
marked the officer. "Good for you,
young man." he added enthusiastically.
He slapped Talbot on the shoulder
IN an appreciative way, but the latter
Wa not responsive. Talbot assisted
the dark-featured, large-eyed girl he
had saved to recover her fallen hand
bag, raised his hat AZ she thanked him
gratefully, and went on his way. grim,
pale and wretched.
1T has come" he kept saying to
himself in q strained. dreamy under
the appointed hour | Why did
| ever make the contract Why have
! dallied In faneied security all these
years2"
He had . history. this man. Ten
years agone he had wasted q fortune
In reckless extravaganza. Then the
last resort Of ennui, the capricious
playing cards. Then reform. hard
work, some fair savings and-Bertha
Clare. He was to marry her In a week.
That morning q letter had come, a
missive that chilled him to the mar
row. that made Of welded bliss q
mockery and faced him, an accusing,
avenging wrath from the wasted past.
He glanced at his watch, arose,
went out into the street and then
started for a populous but poor sec
ton Of the city. Finally he reached
q thoroughfare given over to cheap
clothing stores and pawn shops. He
walked more slowly as he began to
read the numbers on the buildings. At
last his Observation-Disclosures 463.
he chilled as he added the num-
bers Thirteen!
'"Toujours la morti" he murmured-
"the appointed hour. / will face IT."
Behind the counter In the squalid
shop sat a stern-faced, venerable man.
He glanced up as the caller entered.
Il am Bryce Talbot" said the latter,
simply.
TT Is WELL" nodded the Jew, arising
and plotting the way into a rear room.
The pawnbroker motioned his Wis
flor to q chair at q small table and sat
down opposite to him. where he could
keep his eye on the shop.
"You received my letters he spoke
In a chilling, ~business-like tone. Il
have here the papers in the cas- I
wrote you about. Here" and he emp
tied out the contents, Of a box-like en-
velope. "are the documents-the In
a policy. your note for $4,000.
the contract you signed. It says pay
ment on call. l am acting for others,
you understand. What have you to
say?
Talbot's face had grown deathly
white, but his lips firmly set, his
eyes fixed In a desperate stare.
you demand payment9" he spoke,
ina grating, unnatural tone.
Elise ruin for the family of Samuel
Isaacs. 1t is a plain business propo-
sition. Ten years ago Isaacs, your
friend, advanced you $4,000 to pay q
debt Of honor. "A month since Isaacs
died. That envelope was discovered.
Unless within forty-eight hours that
$4,000 is received by his family the
mortgage on their home will be fore
closed and they will be beggared-an
invalid widow, three helpless children
and an old blind grandfather"
Some one at that moment came into
the outer room. The old man proceed
ed thither. Bryce Talbot dropped his
head on his arms outstretched across
the table.
This, then. the appointed hour Of
reckoning!
At that moment he came erect with
a shock. Suddenly from the living
apartments there echoed a wild. ring
ing feminine shrek. Then there vas
a metallic jangling, hurried light foot
steps. followed by heavier ones, and
then a girls frantic form filed the
doorway.
She bore In her hands q tray filed
to the brim with diamonds and other
gems.
The next instant two e low
proved and desperate looking, crossed
the threshold. One OF them held a re-
svolver. He leveled II at the girl.
IN a fash Talbot sprang before her.
There was a quick explosion, . ting
ling sensation at his breast. and hs
sank back. He had sheltered the flee
ing girl from death, had received the
bullet Intended Tor her.
IL was hours afterwards when Tai
BOT opened his eyes III ma himself re
Ginning 81 u couch, the girl whose life
he had saved seated beside him. Near
81 hand wlas the oldspawnbrcker.
sYcu viii not die, blessed Be the
Mophefsp he spoke solemnly, arising
ana approaching thstsviyed patient