The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-04

~ IL DoSt,I llooulIt
doubling whether the trouble | had
taken was likely to be OF much use to
me in the end. An hour or more
might have passed thus, when I was
startled by u sudden stealthy sound
below.
got up, and gliding into the pas
sage, looked over the head of the
stairs.
There, seen dimly by the Pickering
gleam OF the candle which she held in
her hand, | recognized-Janet! On
her head she wore a loose hood the
color OF her dress. Almost Mt the
moment the light was extinguished
and heard theopening and closing Of
he house door.
was so surprised by her unexpect-
ed appearance that for an instant |
hesitated whether to alarm old Brown
or to take the affair into my own
hands. Deciding on the latter course
as by far the better OF the two, |
snatched up my hat and hurried after
her.
1t was darker than ever, and as |
looked up the road | could just dis
Germ her figure some distance ahead OF
me. Then my misgivings vanished
like q dream. TT" instant before |
had suspected thet. was something
wrong; now | was certain OF it. She
had evidently a purpose in this expo
dition Of which her uncle knew moth
ing, and ! determined to discover what
that purpose was.
Mine was no easy task. I dared
not let her get too far ahead in adj
\-,, 10 IN, I ma l,, 900. g. e.
ing her altogether, and kept so close
at her heels, that had she turned she
must have discovered me. Fortu-
nately, she never paused tolood back,
but kept straight on, and after follow
ing her Tor some minutes, | came in
sight OF the black tower OF ~thechurch,
set stark against the night sky.
She stopped at the churchyard gate,
and was presently joined by n mar
who had evidently been waiting for
her close by. could not see his face,
but he seemed to be of powerful build,
and IN the very prime OF life. Creep
ing by the side ofthe hedge that Dor
dered the road, | approached nearer
and nearer till | was opposite them,
and could hear every word.
"Ncll, Janet" said the mar, "the
1lrSt and most important question,
my dear, is-have you brought the
money!"
NO
NO? But yon promised me you
would, and this is the third time l
waited for it in order to take YOU to
London, where we can be married
without any fuss, and without any
Onn'S IpIt,r , 1if Al, ,.;,,, ~
think your body's bigger than your
heart, my girl. Beside. what thedeuce
does 1T matter? The old man'smoney
Will belong to you by and-by, you
know; so il it comes to that, you are
only helping yourself to your own,
and the sooner the better"
| saw Janet's head droop; she laid
her hand on his arm as ii to deDrccate
his anger.
81 would have broughti it" shefalter-
ed, "but could not. Only have pa
thence, and wait tilltomorrow. There's
a stranger staying at u%ncle's, and |
was afraid he might hear me if | tried
to get it tonight"
"Ah!' what does the fellow want, |
wonder?"
81 don't know" answered Janet.
"but from what saw of him-and |
only noticed him a moment-I think
it Is likely he's come about the rob
bcry?'
had never taken my eyes off the
man, and watched him now as he
pulled out his handkerchief and wiped
his forehead with it. Perhaps the
heat was n little too much for him
hAuI Oh Enn,ra - oh, ,>,+,,.J !
earnestly, Il am always troubled and
uneasy when think ofthat. never
doubted you, but | knew YOU were
badly OFT when you first came to our
place; indeed, you toldme so yourSel.
!lyou remember. don't know how
1t is, either, but I'm afraid uncle sus-
poets you, though he says nothing to
me about it. Ii you would only trust
me-, dear, we might manage to send
the money back to the rector. i
know you would never dosuch atling
again. 1t breaks my heart even to
think OF it
Poor Janet, Very much affected. put
her arms round his neck and fairly
wept aloud. Ihadmovcd IL stepirom
my covert, but my blood turned to
fever heat and my hand wandered in
voluntarily to the brcast-pocket of
my coat and felt for the weapon
kept hidden there. For it needed not
the mans quick start, it needed not
the tears of the miserable girl to tell
me the whole truth. Here was the
church where the robbery was COM
mlttcd-and here. not astone's throw
away, smiling and unconcerned, was
the robber himself!
dlsw back under the hedge to re-
gain my cQmposrre. In view of this
new revelation, all minor considera-
tons shrank to nothing in nv mind,
and swore then that Would capture
him at any risk.
waited till they parted-till Janet
passed me and seemed to melt away
like II vision in the darkness below.
and then prepared to follow him.
At first he kept to the middle of the
road. The idea occurred to ne that
| might perhaps find out where he
lived and recover some of the stolen
property. Meanwhile, | guessed who
he was. Janet had called him George,
and readily identified him as a
notorious burglar named George Han
way, who had hitherto managed to
aludc capture. 1t mattered not now;
lis doom was sealed.
Afterhalian hours walkinshequick-
med his pace, and, striding briskly
led me on till we had left the
some distance behind us. Be
ore longthc road to slope away;
he measured beat Of his feet grew
amter, andl Judged thathe had taken
% the open country. My surmise
prove correct, for presently cameto
l broken gate, and, looking through,
saw HIM slowly crossing the field be-
'ond.