The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-10-12

l pefslsfently than did any more respectable per-
son. And Whcttles wss a socla BILE fellow
he could tell more stories In half an hour
than any six of tho honest people Pete
knew taken together. He was, SO Pete con-
Guided, nobody's enemy but his own. 1t would
take more time than you are willing to give,
and deeper knowledge of mental intrlcacies
than l possess, to detail the process through
which Pete was brought to the point OF prom
Using to creep into the Poysett farm house and
rifle the old desk that stood between the Sit
dns-room windows. The grocer's bill was
growing longer, his wife was paler, and she
worried him by entreaties to let Whettles alone
aud forsake Toppan's; the aggregate of such
straws IL not small.
The opportunity came, fitting the mood as
exactly as if the mood had made it Frank
Poysett was going to Boston to meet John Will
ley: the women folks would be alone.
You take Poysett's," said Whettles; ''you
know the lay Of the land there; and the same
night I'll try Turner's, over on the hill. Well
meet somewhere about I, down there under
the big elm. and divide. After that III make
tracks across lots and take a train somewhere:
nobody'll think of you"
Tinker Pete was equally sure Of nobody sus-
pecting him. He had always been h~onest-this
he thought with n pause-and. being a simple
minded sort of fellow, he never calculated tine
effect in other peoples eyes of having been
seen with Whetiles.
But s'pose my courage gives out" he said
uncertainty. 81 don't knows I can do 1t, after
all. It's easy enough to get in, but what if
somepody should Sue me-" II might end in
what's worse" .
Man aliye!' said Whcttles, impatienty.
Afraid at your time OF life? Wen, here's
what I'll do. .9They 60 to he'd enrly l; you can
have it over byAmidaisht Ros, TA'come back
that way, and if you're there aud afraid to stir,
I'll go in aud do it myself. But, mind, ] don't
expect you're going to back out. If l have to
do all the work, L get all the pay"
sob. ! mean to do it fast enough, " said Pete,
dogsealM Things can't b. much worse off
than they are now"
and if amt there by IL, you'll know
sornethin's happened aud | can't come; SO
you'll hava to go on your own hook. But be
sure you're at the big tree by l."
Whettles, like many another skillful t~actician,
did not tell his catspaw all his plans. He had
no intention OF doing what might be done for.
helping him out should his courage fail for
fear, under too great dread, that he might
break away from the planaltogethor. Whettles,
who had as little right to this name az to many
another article he had. possessed at various
times, was as truly an arrant coward -as a vii
laip. All his i'll deeds, and they were numerous,
had been done, as far as he could manage 1t, at
the expense OF somebody else. Ii the robbery
at Turner's seemed feasible without too much
danger, he would keep his word; if not, there
or prevented, and Pete could be coaxed or
treated into sharing what spoil he had from the
Poysetts'.
That evening Mrs, Poysett and Linda had Nh
early tea, and, having done the indoor work,
sat down for one of the quiet talks tia, had
grown so precious because they were so soon
to ceases The journey to Illinois W.. SO long.
and Linda's beginning a new life srlch q serious
matter chat ait seemed the two wouid never
have done talking it all over. Henry, the near
est neighbours boy, had shut up the barn long
ago, the milk was strained, and the pals were
WaSQeu.s- = - s4ag.A - - - "a $3.50 ~ -
&rve lsidsoat q dozen q them coarse crash
towels for your dishes, Indy" said Mrs. Poy-
sett. Eyes, | know you've got a lot O. new
ONES but yon can't have too many o. such
ex'rayagant about keepin' your dishes clean
and shiny. Your grandmother, Poysett used 10
say she believed I'd like, a olean towel to every,
cup. Indy, how glad 1 am that you amt got
to live with = mother-in-law!n a husky sigh
of reiiof was here Mrs. Poysett's tribute to the
memory OF the woman. who had N ade the first
ten years of her mafried life q discipline.
"To think John and Frank will be, here to-
morrow night al! o'clock" said Linda dream
lily. Wen nave ounce for supper, won't we,
Mother?"
yes; and l guess we'd. better be abed Just
as early as.we can get tllare. You be fastsnin'
up, and III wind tho clock." Mrs. Poysett did
that in the dark, for Linda had taken the lamp
into the kitchen. Eight! Well, I declare SAID
the good lady as the clock struck after she had
grofed her way up stairs. 'And it's right. too;
for L.dv put it round this morltin'. Seems to
me it took you a good while," she went on, as
Linda came in with the lamp. 81 don't b'lieve
but what you went through some extra fasten-
in up, now we're alone"
mot a bit, MOTHER" said Linda, with a smile
cut short BY q yawn. II stopped to put the cat
out" Y, IL %
81 always think of what your father saaid,''
unused the old lady. cit was after the Hamp-
stead murder. We neyerd had our doors fast
ened in the world i'll then, and as soon as news
OF that come, everybody was scared to death,
andsyourf father put a hutton on the back door.
And the first nighthe turned it. he laid awhile,
thinkin' aud then says, he, eff there's only a
I'll trust in the Lord and not the button.' So
he went down stairs and turned it back again.
What, q lot of hair You have got, Indy, and
how quick you braidsitl" l{EEEsE
When Pete crept up TO the house at 10, the
women had been soulldly asleep for two hours.
ing, and went up noiselessly. He stepped in
and stood trembling. The clock in the next
room licked with appalling loudness. His knees
smote together, butit required,a s much cour-
age now to iee'as to remain. Perhaps for ten
minutes--perhaps hours, Judging by his own
exaggerated reckoning-he stood in fear: and
then, as!the clock licked on steadily as ii 1t had
no reference to him, his heart beats grew faint
Ell and his courage crawled back.
He crcpt toward the sitttng-room door on his
hands and knees. There stood the old desk,
with its high spindle-legs, halt. of it an exagger-
shalt from the NOON Probably tho key was in
the lock. He had seen it there himself a dozen
times-hal seen Frank bring in q fat rod of
bills after selling his oxen, toss them in there
and put down the cover without turning the
key. There had been no robberics in Belhurn,
and so people trusted more i'll human nature
and less in steel and wood. But the sitting-room
was so light! He should mover dare so in there;
the very thought of having his shadow thrown
on the wall, distorted like those of the tables
and chairs, gave him another siclsening spasm
OF fear. What il there we're only women in
the, house? suppose one appeared? where
,should hehidc himself? He was not a thief y
or training. 6 He would crouch down iii
a corner and wait for Whettes. He had boon
there ages, when the clock gave warning; ages
longer, ana with IN alarming preliminary whir
IL struchtwelNe. He 5 :arfedtup, with an after
.impulseQf gratitude that he had not slrieked.
Wien had the hour before struck? II seemed
Incredible that he could have slept, but it must
have been so, or, what was, more probable, he
had been too absorbed to hear it. 1t was. time,
for Whettlos. He creps back to the kitchen
window and waited in the cod dralight Q. air.
Minutes passed, each seeming ten. Hebegan to
grow angry. Didthef fellow Smean to play him
false and not come at saltg As singer rose, his
couTasestO dotEedeal ebbed. lido not believe
conscience asserted itself very strongly. Life
was harder than it had been even one day
before, and, there was no flour in the house
now. He was still bitterly at odds with life, but
the iafter-effects of the whisky Whettles had
had gwen him were nervousness aud irresolu-
ton. The clock gave warning for another hour.
False, friendly OLD cloek,iif he could have seen
your face he would have known itlookod ten
minutes of midnight then: instead, he believed
it wonld striks one. Too late for Whettles.
Perhaps he vas now at the old; elm; he would
hurry there and bring him back to do his
share of the work. He closed the window
behind him and hurried off to the rendezvous.
There was no one there. At that momen tile
relief OF having been prevented from sin
overbalsnced every other feeling. Some
thing mnst have happened to Whet-