Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-05-02

ground moor were they able to enter,
for both We're 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 frightful place"
The house which Mr.. Nicksey was
pleased to term his home was the most
| wretchedly dilapidated Of small
street, miserably inhabited ard where
every dwelling had reached almost the
very last stage Of decay.
Above the room in which Emm cline
and Jarvis now We're there We're large
holes in the roof, through which they
We're able to see the stars twinkling in
the blue firmar,ent.
This must hns the gentleman's sum-
mer residenceY Staggered Jarvis.
IN the only corner of the room above
which there was no hole in the roof
was a rickety old truckle bed, closely
pressed against the wall, that it might
derive 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 it.
There was one table. rickety also,
and worm-eaten: something which
Jonas believed had in some bygone age,
been chest Of drawers, and three or
four straw-bottomed chairs, with
scarcely any Of the straw remaining.
On the table, Jonas. presently saw
piece of candle. which was fixed in
the spout of an old coffee-pot.
I'VE are all right now" cried Jonas:
heres the drawing-room chandelier
here goes for a general illumination"
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 fall
len; and he started and knitted his
brows. and angrily exclaimed. What!
is it you?"
You know me?" said Emmeline,
looking surprised.
know you? But too we'll do 1 know
you'll! Jonas answered, with an express
sion of loathing and contempt.
While this had been passing, Nicksey
had awakened, and opening his eyes.
and looking about him, had wondered
wharc he was.
Presently lie discovered that he was
still on the roof Of the coach, and that
the vehicle was no longer in motion.
And then he roared out, whats
the matter-are we upset? Drive on,
coachey-I'll pay"
And Jonas hurried from the house,
and was in time to break Mr. Nicksey's
fall, who had, at last, rolled from the
roof of the coach.
And Elnmeline again was wonder
ing how it was that Noel Darlington
had not accompanied her to Nicksey's
den, and was growing full of terror
that he had not vet arrived
The whole Of the house to which we
have but now been introduced, was
rented by Nicksey-if we may venture
to use such term concerning 4 gentle.
man who had never paid any rent at
all.
Yet small as was this miserable apol-
ogy for a dwelling-place, we have al
ready shown that it was rather made
quately furnished.
In fact, the only room Of the house
which was not entirely empty Of furni-
ture was that in which we have left
Emmeline.
1t had happened more than once that
an officer Of justice had been anxious
for an interview with Nicksey, which
that gentleman had been still more
anxious to avoid, so no one but himself
might be allowed to open the door Of
the house in which he resided.
On one occasion, the street door had
been forced open in the cpdeavor to
capture Nicksey, but even then he had
| escaped.
Not on the ground floor would this
wary rogue reside, but on the upper
story; and with every door below Sc
| curely locked, he knew that while in
his castle" he was perfectly safe from
| arrest.
And the officers new that to force
open the door Of Nicksey's house would
serve only as warning to him, and
| that even before they had fairly enter
| ed, the bird would have flown.
BY the back Of Nicksey's house es-
cape was always easy to him; for there
was an intricate network Of small yards
! and courts and passages, and the peo-
pie Of that neighboIhood were not of
| q sort to arrest the flight of a fugi-
! tive, but considered it rather a noble
| action to obStruct and battle his pur-
! suers
That quarter was indeed sort Of
sanctuary, which having reached, every
! rogue considered that he was safe.
No officer there pursuing a culprit
ever thought Of shouting for help to
stop the runaway; but hunted man
{ has been known, when he has found the
constables drawing unpleasantly close
to his heels, himself to call out. "Stop
| thief" that sympa thizing hearts might
| rally to shelter and protect him.
And so it would be; for men, women,
and children would rush from their
houses and in moment almost, a thick
and ilnpenetrable mass Of people would
separate the officers from the man on
whom but just before they had almost
lain their hands. 72@
Having, with the assistance Of Jarvis,
gathe- ed himself together little, Nick
sey stared vacantly at his own door,
towards which he had been led, and
shouted:
What strange place have you
brought me to? This is not the Three
Compasses.'
Jarvis continued RI cooy biu rnnlooo