Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-03-08
CHAPTER v.
A Wife's

Cicely Bennington was not, In spite of
her country breeding, a woman Of ro-
bust frtme. She had been known to go
into Mysteries when her brothers play
ed at ghosts" and to faint in an over
heated room. But when she saw her
husband come out of the cellar with Jo-
Seph RadStOck's blood upon his hands
she neither tainted nor uttered a cry,
but stood watching him, careful not to
betray her presence by a sound.
She did not fear that he would see
her as she stood back in an unlighted
corner; she could tell by the vacant
look in his blue eyes that there was a
picture in his mind which made him
blind to actual sights. Yet he was suf-
ticiently master of himself to remember
to lock the door, giving the paddock a
wrench to be sure that it was securely
fastened, and then, after a little de-
liberation, to put the key into his pock-
ct. Then he stood at the door listening.
This was the worst moment for Cicely.
An impulse TO shrek aloud, to tear
him away from the door seized her.
She suppressed it by an effort which
seemed to take away all her strength
and leave her weak and tottering.
Without any change of expression,
Duke, like n somnambulist or an i'm
beetle, walked back through the outer
cellar toward the staircase. A new
fear possessed Cicely; she would have
to betray herself, or he. would lock her
III AS she stepped out from her corner
and quickly followed him, however,
she saw that her alarm was needless.
The key OF the outer door was not in
the lock, and after a few moments
search, which his wife witnessed. hold
ing her breath, he slammed the door to
with an impatient exclamation and
went up the steps.
Cicely stole after him with only n
few minutes interval. She could not
stay down there, in imagination hear
ing cries and groanS and the tottering
footsteps Of the dying man. At the
bottom of the front staircase she wait
ed, wondering whether Duke would
miss her and come in search of her.
The awful action he had just commit
ted had Sobered him, just as the fear
and the horror had made her doubly
mistress of herself. For he had
put out the light in the front
hall and bolted the front door, accord.
ing to his usual custom. Thee was
no sound on the landing above. so she
crcpt softly upstairs and listened out
side of their bedroom door. Duke was
already in bed: she heard him turn rest,
lcssly with a heavy sigh. Apparently
he had not missed her, although his
head had been clear enough for him to
think of u~nderdrawn bolts and vast,
Ing gas.
Duke. oh, Duke, speak," she cried
in a voice scarcely above n whisper,
but close to his ear.
Wide awake, with all her wits alert
and keen, Cicely hung owe him, full
of pity, of womanly tenderness, like
a mother aroused 10 her duty to a
way ward, but neglected child.
AS she stood celebrating what TO
do. for the. first time n glimIner OF
hope that the worst might not have
happened came into her mind. Rad
stock might not be dead after all,
Why had she not thought of this be.
fore? She felt in her husbands peck.
cts, found the key of the inner cellar,
and taking the candle, went quickly
down stairs, not giving herself time
to falter ut the thought OF the dread.
full sight her eyes must meet. Her
heart almost failed her as h descend.
ed the stone steps, and for mo-