Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-03-28
CHAPTER xII1-(cont.nucdo

CHAPTER XIII-(Cont!nuedD
And vowing the destruction Of En-
incline If again he got her within his
reach and, nearly soberel by his fears,
he made his way to the room at the
back of the house. which was on Il
level With that which lie inhabited,
and which looked out upon the yard
to which Emmeline had gone in search
Of the money and the letters
Looking from the window, his mind
was somewhat relieved When he dis
tingIislled the glimmer of Il candle IL
tile shed. and was made more confor-
table when, in answer to his half
whispered:
"Hnllon. young uni"
Emmcline hastily approached, and
stood beneath his window.
II have found rothing yet" tie
young girl whispered.
"Have you searched under the third
lump of wood?"
Yes"
"Anh are you quite sure you have
found notlling?' Mickey next asked,
and liz accents of suspicion.
Enmclnc understood the meaning
which had been in the rutfinn's words.
and trcmblcsl; and 1t was somewhat
"Perhaps YOU are mistaken In the
place in which you have deposited"
Nicksey allowed her to proceed no
further, but exclaimed savagely:
III the Swag amt now where l s:,id
1t was. ] have been robbed. and If |
have been robbed. YOU are the thief
and SO much the worse for you, young
'un!'
He disappeared from the window:
and Emmcline. fast rs her trembling
limbs would carry her, hurried back
to the shed to renew her search.
She felt that now perhaps her very
life depended on her speedy discovery
OF those bank notes and letters.
'1'l kill the young 'm!' Nicksey
mutterel to himself, as he was about
to descend the stairs to make his way
towards Emmeline.
"rhis is soberer, this is-pretending
not to find 'eln won't do for me; this
is what a man gets for being too hon
est. It's the first time ever tried my
hand ut that gare-ncver no more,
never no nore!'
And he uttered a terrible inlprecation
OIL his own folly, and the young
'un's' ingratitude.
All at once. and when about half
way down the stairs. he stopped short;
arrested by thought which had shot
through his brain. from which the
miStS OF drunkenness were now almost
entirely dispersed.
He hurried back to the room which
served him for '-parlor and Kitchen
and all;" and, standing in its center,
scratched his ragged and partly bald
head. as he looked around him, and
seemingly in great perpleXity.
A few words will explain whercfor
the fellow was now SO greatly
troubled.
Noel Darlington had been mistaken
in supposing that Mr.. Nickscy, after
his robbery ut Mrs. Ohesterton's. hid
not returned to his own house. for,
throwing himself into the first hackney
coach he has seen, he had flown
thithcr with all speed which the driver
melted thereto by promise OF double
fare had been able to eXtort from his
not very Indifferent cattle.
Nicksey had made rather free with
Mrs. Chesterton's decanters' and the
robbery was a circumstance which had
greatly increased his excitement; and
after he had been well shaken up in
the hackney coach. he entered hts own
house in state Of extreme mental con-
fusion.
He hurried to the shed and buried
the bank notes and letters, precisely
as he had told Emmeline.
But what he had now remembered
was that having re-entcred his house,
after having hidden them, 1t had sud
denly struck him that he had not, per-
haps, chosen very secure spot for the
concealment Of his newly-acQuired
treasure.
He hurried back to the she'd; recover
ed bank notes and letters had returned
with them into the house, and then
anew had hidden them-where?
That was the question Nicksey now
was asking himself. as, with a puzzled
look his eyes wandered round and
round his room.
He had been in great hurry, he
remembered that; for the hackney
coach was waiting to take him away
again; and he feared. lest too much at
tention should be called to his dwell
Mr.. Nicksey was not, generally
speaking IN ostentatious man.
After considering for several min
utes. and apparently with no very sat
isfactory result, Nicksey commenced
to ransack that piece of furniture
which had once been chest of draw
ers His slender stock Of clean linen
he scattered on the dirty floor; pulled
forth a miscellaneous stock Of articles
which the mouth of marine store
keeper would have watered to behold,
but found not his lost treasure.
He tried the mantel-piece; and a
large hole on one side Of the chimney;
no satisfactory result.
Presently, and suddenly, his face
lighted up.
:, II known he shouted aloud; and,
running into his sleeping corner, thrust
his hand, and up to his shoulder, into
the old. wsrn mattress on his trucle
bed.
And his eyes glistened, and he
chuckled and was happy ence again;
for he had cl,a,hed and now drew
forth and eagerly counted his bank
notes.
They were all correct not one miss
ing.
Then again thrusting his hand into