The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-05-01

the hedge looking up at the window.
There-he moves. We must be after
him. Hello! Stop-he crosses the
lane. He's coming into this very
house."
I certainly did seea figure silently
steal across the road and disappear
under the doorway of the buildings
We were in. But we had no light,
and we knew nothing of the arrange
ment of the rooms. Another quarter
thrown off from the old church clock
warned us that the night was rapidly
passing away. We had almost resoly-
ed to retrace u steps ifpossible, and
get back to where we had left our un-
fortunate horse, when 1 was again
nudged by my friends elbow. ''Tell We
what" he whispered, Something's
going on;' and he pointed to a feeble
glimmer on the rafters of the roof
above us. The light proceeded from
the next room, which had not been
built above the height of the ceiling
joists, so that the roof was common
to both chambers-the adjoining one
and that in which we were-the par
tition wall being only seven or eight
feet high. We could have heard
anything that was said, but we listen
ed in vain for the slightest sound.
The light, however, continued to
burn, we saw it Pickering across the top
of the habitation, and dimly playing far
upamong the dark thatch of the roof.
"Tell We what" said Tom. eff we
could get up to these old joists, we
could see into the next room. Hold my
pistol till I get up and-tell We what
then [ can shoot 'em easy"
"For heavens sake, Toni" I said,
"be careful. Let me see whether it is
the man." "Come up, them" said
Tom, who now bestrode one of the
main beams and gave me a hand to aid
me ascend. We were both on the level
of the wall, and by placing our heads a
little forward, could see every portion
of the neighboring room. A miserable
room it was. There was a small round
table, there were a couple of old chairs,
but utter wr~etchedness was the charac-
t~eristic of the cheerless and f~ireless
apartment. There was a person, appar-
emily regardless Of the cold. seated at q
table and reading a book, The little ia
per which had been lighted without any
noise, was only sufficient to throw it's IL
Elimination on the features andfgure of
the reader, and on the pallid features
but she was young and very pretty or the
mystery and strangeness OF the incident
threw such an interest around her that
I thought SO. Her dress was very
scanty, and a shawl wrapped closely
around her shoulders perhaps displayed,
rather than concealed, the deficiency of
her clothing in other respects. Sud
denly we saw at the farther end of the
room a figure emerge from the darkness.
Tom grasped his pistol more firmly and
put the cock back, preventing it from
making any noise with his thnmb. The
man stood in the doorway, as if uncer-
tain whether to enter or not.
He looked for a long time at the wom-
an, who still continued her reading, and
then silently advanced. She heard a
step, and lifted up her head, and looked
in his face without saying a word. Such
a face, SO pale, so agitated, l never in
my life saw:
ave shall go tomorrow" he said II
have got some money-as I expected"
And with these words he laid three
golden guineas on the table before her.
Still she said nothing-but watched his
c~ountenance with her lips apart.
"Tell ye what" said Tom, "that's the
money. Is that the MANI"
81 don't know yet, till I see his eyes"
In the meantime the conversation went
on below.
81 borrowed these pieces from a
friend" continued the man, as if in an
swer to the look she bent on him; "a
friend, 1 tell you. 1 might have had
more, but I would take only three.
They are enough to carry lis to Liver
pool. and once there, we are sure of a
passage to the west"
"Once in the west, the world is be-
fore us, I can work, Mary. We are
young-a poor man has no chance here,
but we can go to America with fresh
hopes"
"And a good conscience?" said the
woman in q whisper like Lady Mac
beth's. The man was silent. At last
he seemed to grow angry at the steadi-
ness of her gaze.
why do you look at me in that man
ner? I tell you we shall start to-mor-
row."
"And the money!" said the wo-
man?"
IT will send it back to my friend from
whom I borrowed it out of my first
earnings. I took only three in case il
should incommode him to lend me
more"
II must see that friend myself" said
Mary, "before 1 touch the money
"Tell We what! Is 1t the man." asked
IL Nv, UII,rl, - T eo,l. Ola ,,e l,,4,, J
81 recognized afriend Of mine in one
of the clerks in the Melfeld bank. ]
give you my word, I got the coins from
him"
!, "Tell We what. He confesses," sai6
Tom. "Let us spring on him by sur.
prise-an ugly rutlian as | ever saw
"And with that sum-" he continued
} see what we can do. 1t will relieve u
t from our distress, which has come upon
us-Mary, you know / speak the truth
in this-from no other fault of mine thai
/; too much confidence in a treacherou.
friend. I can't see you starye. I cant
: see the baby reduced from our comfort
| able keeping to lie on straw at the enc
t of q barn like this. I can't do it.
won't!" he went on; getting more i'm
. passioned in his words.
| cat whatever cost, I will give you
chance of comfort and independence"
"And peace of mind?" replied Mary
ooh, William, l must tell you what ter
/ rible fears have been in my heart al
t this dreary night, during your absence
4 I have read and prayed and turned TO
comfort to heaven"
ooh, William, give the money bacl
: to your friend-I say nothing about til
I loan-take it back; I can't look at it
t Let us s%tarve, let US die, if it must b
so-but take the money away." Tor
e Rnddle gently mt down the cock of hi