Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-28
"Oh, 1 mean to do it fast enough"

said Pete, doggedly. "Things can't be
much worse off than they are now "
land if 1 amt there by twelve,
you'll know somethin's happened and I
can't come; so you'll have to 60 on
your own hook. But be sure you're at
the big tree by
Whettles, like many another skillful
tactician, did not tell his catspaw all his
plans. He had no intention of doing
what might be done for him. It was
only polite to assure Pete of helping
him out should his courage fail, forfear,
under too great dread, that he might
break away from the plan altogether.
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 villain. All his
i'll deeds, and they were numerous, had
been done, as far as he could managed it,
at the expense of somebody else. ffthe
robbery at Turner'S seemed feasible with
out too much danger, he would keep his
word; if not, there was at hand the
excuse of having been watched or pre-
vented, and Pete could be coaxed or
threatened into sharing what spoil he
had from the Poysetts'.
That night Mrs. Poysett and Linda
had an early tea, and, having done the
indoor work, sat down for one of the
quiet talks that had grown so precious
because they were SO soon to cease.
The journey to Illinois was SO long, and
Linda's beginning a new life such a Sc
rious matter, that it seemed the two
would never have done talking it all
over. Henry, the nearest neighbours
boy, had shut up the barn long ago, the
milk was strained, and the pals were
washed.
'.I've laid out q dozen o. them coarse
crash towels for your dishes, Indy"
said Mrs. Poysett. Eyes, know you've
got a lot O. new ones; but you can't
have too many O. such things. There
amt any such thing as bein' extrava-
giant about keepin' your dishes clean
and shiny. Your grandmother Poysett
used to say she believed I'd like a clean
towe! to every cup. Indy, how glad I
am that you amt got to live with a
mother-in-law!" A husky sigh of re-
lief was here Mrs. Poysett's tribute to
the memory of the woman who had
made the first ten years of her own
married life a discipline.
"To think John and Frank will be
here tomorrow night at seven!" said
Linda, dreamily. "We'n have ounce
for supper, won't we, mother?"
eyes; and [ guess we'd better be
abed just as early as we a get there.
You be fastenin' up, and I'll wind the
clock. Mrs. Poysett did that in the
dark, for Linda had taken the lamp
into the kitchen. eight! Well, 1 de-
c%lare!" said the good lady, as the clock
struck after she had CROPPED her way up
stairs. "And it's right, too; for Indy
put it round this mornin'. Seems to me
it took you a good while" she went on,
as Linda came in with the lamp. 81
don't b'ljieve but what you went through
some extra fastenin'-up, now we're
alone"
"Not a bit, mother" said Linda, with
asmile cut short by a yawn. %"Istopped
to put the cat out"
IL always think of what your father
said," unused the old lady. cit was
after the Hampstead murder. We never
a had our doors fastened in the world
till then; and as 500 as news of that
come, everybody was scared to death,
and your father put a button on the
back door. And the first night he
turned it, he laid awhile a-thinkin', and
then says he, If there's only a wooden
button between me and death, 1 guess
I'll trust in the Lord and not the BUTTON
So he vent down stairs and turned it
back again. What a lot of hair you
have got. Indy, and how quick you
braid it,"
When Pete crept up to the house at
ten, the women had been soundly asleep
for two hours. He tried the kitchen
window; it had no fastening, and went
up noiselessly. He stepped in and stood
trembling. The clock in the next room
licked with appalling loudness. His
knees smote together, but it required as
much courage now to flee as to remain.
Perhapsf for ten inutes-perhaps hours,
Judging by his own exaggerated reck-
oning-he stood in fear; and then as
the clock licked on steadily as if it had
no reference to him, his heart-beats grew
fainter and his courage crawled back.
He crept toward the sitting-room
door on his hands and knees. There
stoodtthe old desk, with its high spindle
legs, half Of it in exaggerated shadow
and half thrown into light by q shaft
from the moon. Probably the key was
in the lock. He had seen it there him
self a dozen times-had seen Frank
bring in a fat roll Of bills after selling
his oxen, toss them in there and put
down the cover without turning the key.
There had been no robberies in Belburn,
and SO people trusted more in human
nature and less in steel and wood. But
the sitting-room was so light! He.
should never dare go in there; the very
thought of having his shadow thrown
on the wall, distorted like those of the
tables and chairs, gave him another sick
ening spasm OF fear. What if there
were only women in the house? Sup
pose one appeared? where should he
hide himself? He was not a thief by
nature or training. He would crouch
down in q corner and wait for Whettles.
He had been there ages, when the clock
gave warning; ages longer, and with an
alarming whir it struck twelve. He
started up with an after-impulse of
gratitude that he had not shrieked.
When had the hour before struck? It