Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-04-11
rHE AUTHOR OF
sRosaiis Rathbone," "Poor Gene.
vfeve,1 70.

by Noel with eager questions concern
Ing Emmeline, respecting whom, as We
know, Jonas had very little TO tell.
harrington learned. however, that a
very long time had passed since the
young girl had promised soon TO re-
Join Jarvis and that he had neither
seen her nor heard anything Of her.
In great ~uneasiness of mind u COM
mercial traveller hurried forward to
Nicksey's house, still accompanied by
Forester, whose doubts OF Emmellne's
purity and truth had for the time
merged into vague terror on her &C
count, which had been inspired by
Noel's words and me
harrington knocked sharply at the
door. and we already know how those
blows had affected the man, who but
that very moment had driven his steel
deep into Nicksey's breast.
No one answered to his first sum-
mons, and harrington knocked again
and more loudly, and shouted forth his
name as an assurance to those whom
he believed to be within. that II was
no enemy who was striving to gain ad-
mittance.
1t was now past midnight and the
ne~ighborhood was deserted; not a sin
gle person appeared at any M OF the
windows of the adjoining houses
rioting and hammering at doors was
not unusual In that locality.
As no one answered to B~arrington's
second appeal he then threw himself
against the door, which few open with
a very slight crash, the old and worn
lock Offering but little resistance.
Having made their way to the door
of the front room up stairs, the two
men found that Also fastened against
them, and, as before, no answer to
their knockings.
And that door. too, was In an in
slant forced open and they dashed for
ward into total darkness.
Not even a spark was In the CRATE,
for the fire had died entirely out.
The stood and listened. Not a sound;
all dark and silent as the grave around
them.
Observation-Disclosures was dis
tinctly called by both the men.
Not wen an echo replied to them.
And what could II all mean? Bar
rington asked himself; for, on arriving
before the house, he had glanced over
1t, and there had been a light glimmer-
mering In the room In which he and
Edwin now were standing In perfect
darkness.
Toward that only visible light about
the house had harrington OF course
directed his steps.
And he and Emmeline's lover stood
for a moment in wondering terror,
both together distinguished that pecu-
liar odor which is left by a common
tallow candle when it has been X
tinguished by a puff of wind or by a
persons breath.
And on that evening the air was
very still.
There was some one In this room up
to the very moment that we entered
the house," exclaimed Noel; 'for even
as I forced open the outer door a light
I will swear was burning here"
There may be still some one within
the house." suggested Edwin.
II don't think 1t. Oh, what does all
this portend? cried harrington.
And then, as a thought struck him:
II shall return to you In a moment"
he said to Forester, land heaven
grant that you may be spared the
anguish and remorse which L fear
awaits you as the punishment of your
mad suspicious"
And fast as It was possible to him,
harrington hurried from the house.
What had Emmeline to do In that
house, and why was Darlington so ter
rifed concerning her?
All this was inexplicable to Edwin,
as indeed we know 1t must have been.
He descended the stairs and tried
the doors below; then, feeling his way
along the passage, he came TO an open
door, and crossing it's threshold, the
night was then sufficiently bright to
enable him to see to the very end of
the hong and narrow yard to which he
had made his way.
There Is some one lying there" he
presently cried aloud; and hurrying
forward, and STOPPING to the object.
uttered a loud cry of anguish, for 1t
was Emmeline who was there ex-
tended s~enseless on the ground.
Edwin's first and terrible thought
had been that she was dead.
Her fears for herself aroused by the
suspicions which Nicksey had express
ed relative to his secreted treasure,
his threats well understood, she re-
turned beneath the shed and hurriedly
and tremblingly resumed her search
for that which, as we now know. 1t
was impossible she could there dis
cover
And as she sought, tearing up the
ground with her delicate fingers, which
soon were torn and bleeding, she at
every instant paused In her painful
and fruitless task TO lister, shudder-
ingly. believing that she heard Nick
sey's rapidly approaching step.
He had said that he was about to de-
scend, and minutes after minutes went
by in feverish and trembling expecta-
ton Of his coming.
Entirely exhausted, Emmeline at last
reIinquished her hopeless task, and
covered In the corner Of the shed, a
very image of terror and despair.
What had kept Nicksey from her?
Emmeline conjectured and hoped that
the rufiap had returned to his chair
beside THEY'RE, and had fallen asleep
again.
And then came the thought that she
might perhaps be able to steal from
the house without ~arouslng him: to re-
main longer there would be to venture
her life, which was ever low imper-
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