Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-04-11

know, Jonas had very little to tell.
harrington learned, however, that
very long time had passed since tho
young girl had promised soon to re-
Join Jarvis and that he had neither
seen her nor heard anything Of her.
In great uneasincss of mind our COM
mercial traveller hurried forward to
Nickscy's house, still accompanied by
Forester, whose doubts of Emmclines
purity and truth had for the time
merged into vague terror on her ac-
count which had been inspired by
Nocls words and manner.
Darlington 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 Nickscy's breast.
No one answered to his first sum-
mons, and Darlington knocked again
and more loudly. aud shouted forth his
name as an assurance to those whom
he believed to be within, that it WAS
no enemy who was striving to gain ad-
mittancc.
1t was now past midnight and the
neighborhood was deserted; not a sim
gle person appeared at any one of the
windows of the adjoining houses
rioting and hammering ut doors was
not unusual in that locality.
AS no one answered to Barrington's
second appeal he then threw himself
against the door, which flew open with
q very slight crash, the old and worn
lock offering hut 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 knocliings.
And that door, too. was in an in
slant forced open. and they dashed for
ward into total darkness.
Not even n spark was in the crate,
for the fire had died entirely out.
The stood and listened. Not sound:
all dark and silent as the grave around
them.
"Emmelinc-Emmel was dis
tinctly called by both the men.
Not even an echo replied to them.
And what could it all mean? Bar
rngton asked himself; for, on arriving
before the house. he had glanced over
it. and there had been light glmmer-
mering in the room in which he and
Edwin now We're standing in perfect
darkness.
Toward that only visible light about
the house had Burlington of course
directed his steps.
And he and Emmeline's lover stood
for u moment in wondering terror,
both together distinguished that pecr-
liar odor which is left by common
tallow candle when it has been ex-
tinguished by puff OF wind or by
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 forced open the outer door n light
will swear was burning here"
There may be Still some one within
the house" suggested Edwin.
II don't think it. oh. what does all
this portend? cried Darlington.
And then, rs thought struck him:
II shall return to you in n moment"
he said to Forester, land heaven
grant that you may be spared the
anguish and remorse which fear
awaits you as the punishment Of your
mad suspicious"
And fast as it was possible to him,
Darlington hurried from the house.
What had Emmeline to do in that
house. and why was harrington SO ter
rifled concerning her?
All this was inexplicablc to Edwin,
as indeed we know it must have been.
lie descended the stairs and tried
the doors below; then, feeling his way
along the passage, he came to an open
door. and crossing Its threshold, the
night was then sufficiently bright to
enable him to see to the very end of
the long 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 it
was Emmeline who was there ex-
tended senseless on the ground.
Edwin's first and terrible thought
had been that she was dead.
Her fears for herself aroused by the
suspicious Which Nickscy had express
ed relative to his secretcd treasure,
his threats well understood, she re-
turned beneath the shed and hurricdly
and tremblingly resumed her search
for that which, as we now know, it
was impossible she could there dis
cover.
And as she sought, tearing up the
ground with her delicate fingers, which
soon were torn aud bleeding, she at
every instant paused in her painful
and fruitless task to listen, shudder-
ingly, believing that she heard Nick
sey's rapidly approaching step.
He had said that he was abou. to de-
sccnd, and minutes after minutes went
by in feverish and trembling eXpecta-
ton of his coming.
Entirely exhausted, Emmcline at last
relinquished 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 r,lffian had returned to his chair
beside the fire, and had fallen asleep
again.
And then came the thought that she
might perhaps be able to steal from
the house without aro,lsing him; to re-
main longer there would be to venture
her life, which was even now imper-
ilEed, while hopeless was she to obtain
those proofs for whose possession she
had, should heaven 80 will 1t, been