Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
ssh u IL ass u u 1 d j. Il II i -
CHAPTER III. ,Continued3

AS she was speaking the door opened
and Mcguire appeared. When / FIRST
caught sight of him his face was Iii
up with pleasure, and he was coming
in eagerly as though he were the
bearer of good news; then, recognis-
ing that HI was i~nterrupting a tete-a-
tete, his pleasure rave way to aston
ishment: end as Nora. who a no
seen or heard him, uttered the words,
''Why, it's the Ragged Thirteen" an
awful expression of horror settled upon
his features. / had never seen face
change so rapidly or distinctly as his
did under those varying emotions of
pleasure. establishment. and horror. j
but, clutching the handle of the door.
thought that he would have fallen,
he steadied himself.
why, jim" I said, what good wind
has blown you back? This lady is
Miss Courtney. a neighbor of ours"
He pulled himself together while i
went through the form of introduction,
though for the few minutes h a Nora
remained he never opened his lips,
but with dilated eyes stood staring at
her. and / was glad when she babe him
Goodbye" and / had seen her TO the
gate.
"Your friend is ill.," she said. GO
back to him and see what ails him."
When 1 returned to the drawing
room Jam vas pacing rapidly to and
fro.
|, "Who was that girl?" ne asked.
shes the daughter of an Irish
gentleman who lives close by" I said.
81 asked you to come and see him the
other day when he called here. But
Jim, old chap, whatever is the matter?
Has the book"
Curse the book! he burst oLt.
fiercely. What does these cards mean?
Who set them out there?".
"I did" 1 said. Miss Courtney was
telling me something about cribbage,
n / picked out these cards and asked
her to count them"
He reached me in two quick strides
and gripred my arm.
TELL me the truth he said-and
his voice was somewhat steadier- tell
me the truth. Jack, for your own sake
more than for mine. Did you take
them by chance, or--or did you pur-
posely choose them?"
He had fixed me with his eyes, and
his face vas so close to mine that /
could not avoid his gaze.
TELL mel" he said, shaking me as
though he would shake the answer
out of my reluctant lips.
STEADY. JIM" I said. STEADY,
you're hurting mel"
For Heavens sake. Tremayne, tell
me the truth" and, looking into his
f.-, a,oxRrarad him
< ---.chose them on purpose. And now
for a question on my side. What do
you know of the Ragged Thirteen?"
What do I know Of 1t? BY Jove!
He asks me-me-what I know of 1t!
Me! who saw her dead face! He asks
me like some schoolboy, and the curse
OF 1t hanging over him and me now!
Was it her spirit that vas here Turing
him on? Has she come back like she
was then, to torment me with her
beauty, when I've fought with the
horror for years. and was getting
peace? And is your life. my friend
my more than brother-to come under
the ban of this curse?"
.'Jim! Jim!" I cried, STEADY your
self! Try and be calm, and tell me
what you know"
"I can't now, Jack, / can't bring
myself to 1t. Let me be by myself.
Let me go to my room, and tomorrow
morning I'll answer your q~uestion-Ill
tell you what I know. Let me go,
Jack: let m. go!'' and, bursting away
from my restraining hold, he rushed
upstairs and locked himself in his
room.