Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-03-14
CHATTER XI-(ContStnued
CHAPTER XII.
Mr.. NicI<sey at Home.

DefOfe the WneelS nau reVOlNeu y uoZeu
times, and continued still to slumber
even after the vehicle had arrived and
had stopped before his own door
Jonas Jarvis had driven very gently
over the Stones" and even so expecting
every moment to see his passenger Oh
the roof joggled thence to fal with a
heavy flop on to the road.
But the drunkard's accredited good
fortune still continued with NickSey,
and If a j0lting and sinking Of one side
Of the crazy coach caused him to slide
dangerously down to the very edge Of
the roof, another jolting was certain to
follow on the opposite side which very
speedily righted him again.
Jarvis had some trouble in finding
EickSey's domicile, but having at last
reached ii:
Here we are" said Jarvis; and took
the liberty to shake his sleeping fare,
but produced no sort Of effect on Nick
sey; as how should he, since the st IL
more violent shakings the coach had
given him had failed to arouse or even
for a moment to disturb him.
Emmeline opened the coach door for
herself and alighted, expect. Z to find
Darlington near her.
Not seeing him: Where is Mr.. Bar
ringtonT' she asked, in a low voice, Of
the Coachman.
Jarvis was al greatly surprised as
was the young girl that Noel had not
arrived with them.
Neither CT them had witnessed any
thing of the attack which had been
made on the commercial traveller; that
of course, or Jonas had not, as we
know he did, set forward on his way.
Emmeline was greatly distressed,
even alarmed; something serious, she
thought. had occurred to Mol that he
should have failed to accompany her at
a time, and to a place when ard where
his presence was so all-impOrtant TO
the purpose for which he had SO long
and diligently labored.
Jarvis was of opinion that Noel was
not far behind and would Soon be with
them, and suggested that Mr.. Nicksoy
4 better be g)t into the h use, or
they might have the watch upon them,
N be all locked up together-coach,
Il horses and all.
Night had come: so Jarvis. taking one
of his coach lanterns, proceeded to q
n~eighboriHg tavern, and there lighted
II.
Then, returning, he knocked ut the
door Of Nicksey's house, but no one
answered; within all was dark and
silent.
Olambering again to his box, Jonas
INDUCED his still sleeping fare with
another n more violent shaking than
the one which had preceded it,
Nicksey grunted audibly, but gave no
further sign Of consciousness. Jonas
then tapped at the fellows pockets.
and in Il OF them felt a key Of which
he instantly possessed himself.
With that key, a. he had expected
would be the ease, Emmeline and Jar
Wis gained an entrance to Nicksey's
house.
ground floor were they able to enter,
for both were fastened.
They assembled to the floor above, and
entered the front room, the door of
which they found widely open.
AS Jarvis threw around the light of
his lantern, Emmeline exclaimed, shud-
deringly:
"Oh, what a frightful place"
The house which Mr.. Nicksey was
pleased to term his home was he most
w~retchedly dilapidated of a small
street, miserably inhabited and where
WY ~ bbu y hlLlIkl III
very last stage of decay.
Above the room in which Emmoline
and Jarvis now were there were large
holes in the roof, through which they
were able to see the stars twinkling in
the blue armament.
This must be the gentleman's sum-
mer residence!' sniggered Jarvis.
In the only corner of the room above
which there was no hole in the roof
was n rickety old truckle bed, closely
pressed against the wall, that 1t might
derive a support from the frail lath
and plaster, which, though greatly
needing aid itself, had yet power to
save from tumbling entirely to pieces
the forlorn object which was made to
cling to 1t.
There was one table, ricke'y also,
and werm-eaten; something which
Jonas believed had In some bygone age,
been 4 chest Of drawers, and three or
four straw-bottomed chairs, with
scarcely any Of the straw remaining.
On the table, Jonas presently saw a
piece of candle, which was fixed in
the spout Of an old eoffee.pot.
I'VE are all right now" cried Jonas;
heres the d~rawing-room chandelier
mere SOeS LOT II SelFSTd iiuihlildtiOh-
And he lighted the end Of candle, and
the next moment saw for the first
time Emmeline's face, on which the
light Of his lantern had now fully fal-
len; and he started and knitted his
brows, and angrily exclaimed, What!
Is It youy'
''Ysu know meY' said Emmeline,
looking surprised.
"Know ysu2 But toe well do ! know
your Jonas answered, with an express
sion Of I0athing and contempt
While this had been passing, Nicksey
had awakened, and opening his eyes.
and locking about him. had wondered
where he was.
Presently he discovered that he was
still on the roof Of the coach, and b a
the vehicle was no longer in motion.
And then he roar~l out What's
the m~atter-are we upset? Drive on,
coachey III pay"
And JOINS hurried from the house,
and was in time to break Mr.. Nicksey 8