The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-12-21
That has nothing to do with you!"

replied Mrs. Reeks, sharply. you have
to concern yourself with money, not
girls. We don't want my nonsense OF
that kind, George Reeks. Now. We'll
just glance through the rest of the pa
pers and see what is to be found"
They glanced through the rest Of the
papers. md found documents of all
finds-some relating to shares and
stocks; warrants for payment Of mon
ey' on this, that and the other; valuable
securities of all sorts. Then they looked
at each other, this poverty-stricken
po!r, debt forever hammering at their
Icor doors, and a new intelligence
seemed to flash from one to the other.
Mrs. Reeks hurriedly thrust all the pa
pers into the writing case and faced her
husband.
George Reeks-there Is more in this
than I thought. Nc man would go
away and leave all this behind him I'M
less he felt that, for some reason, he
could not face the world. George-you
shall face it for him!"
What DO you mean?" gasped Mr..
Reeks, recoiling from her.
II mean that Gilbert Rickerby has
dropped u Of existence; hat this man,
who wants him SO badly, does not, Up
parently, know where to find him; that
ne has been abroad for years; that you,
George Reeks, shall blossom into
Gilbert Rickerby-and make what YOU
can out of it,"
Mr.. Reeks began to protest ,feebly.
''Guite impossible, my love; I never
%personated anyone in all my life, and
I'm not going to begin now"
Mrs. Reeks got up and took him
strongly and fiercely by the shoulders;
in hat position she lowered above him,
and he visibly quailed. George Reeks,"
she said, in a determined voice, "you
have been o failure; as George Reeks
you cannot live respectfully. Now you
shall have to try as Gilbert Rickerby;
you shall put a bold face on it" las if it
were possible for Mr.. Reeks to put a
bold face on anything!) and see what
can be done. In any case, we can't be
worse off than We are at the present
moment-and I'm d~esperate!"
Tn desperate enough" replied Mr..
Reeks: but I don't see what good this
is going to do. It's all very we'll to say
that I am to blossom out as Gilbert
Rickerby; but I'm not a bit like him."
That's not in the least necessary
said Mrs. Reeks, airily. II only say
that 1t must be done as a temporary
measure. If you have the pluck to stick
to 1t that you are Gilbert Rickerby, 1t
may mean money in your pocket; peo-
pie who are prepared to throw E1OO
about are not likely to oe particular
what they spend. Take the plunge,
George Reeks-and takc it boldly; If
the worst comes to the worst, and they
search you, they will at least find that
your linen is marked G. r."
"But what am I to do?" asked Mr..
Reeks, spreading out his hands, feebly.
II may carry the thing through at first
but they are bound to find me out"
Let them:" said Mrs. Reeks. "Nev-
err mind about the future; make what
o can, at h moment, of the fact
that you know something of Gilbert
Rickerby, and that you have his papers
in your hands,"
His papers! Yes, that's a strong
POINT. After all, as o say, Mrs. r.,
we can't be much worse off than we are,
and I can always find some way of
slipping out of it. Now, let me think
what sort of a ma this Gilbert Kicker
by was; and let me pluck up courage
enough to carry h matter through"
Mr.. Reeks discovered that it wanted
more courage Than he was at hat mo-
n1ent possessed of. But, after a Sleep
less night, and the discovery that the
morning brought nothing better than
two irate tradesmen, who told him pref
ty roundly what they thought of him,
he determined, in desperation, to see
what could be done; in the event Of
failure to %personate Gilbert Rickerby
he felt that there might be some pros
pect of trading upon his knowledge Of
the diary and the papers and screwing
some money out of someone. Waiting
until nighfall, he made himself as re-
spectacle as a limited wardrobe would
permit and set off for st. Johns Wood.
Now, there are many ways of getting
from Camden Town to st. Johns Wood.
If one has leisure, and the weather be
fine, it is possible to walk, and to note,
as one walks, of the change Of each
neighborhood as it merges itself into
the next; or there are omnibuses which
strike a path into the heart of the mys-
FERROUS region, and seem to lose them
selves and their passengers in 1t. Or
there are cabs, which may be had for
the hailing, at street corners, and which
will deliver one, as it were, within an
inch of the spot one desires to reach.
Mr.. Reeks, knowing we'll the depth Of
his pocket. and having private reasons
of his own, decided to walk.
But, as has been said, Mr.. Reeks was
not a courageous being; and, moreover,
he had before him a difficult task.
Therefore, with a laudable desire to
keep w the small measure of courage
he possessed, he stepped into the first
public house he saw and partook of GER
tain strong liquors. Indeed, after that
he may be said to have punctuated his
path with such pauses; so that,
by the time he had arrived at the gate
of Rickerby's Folly, he was prepared
to swear positively. not only that he
was the real Gilbert Rickerby, but hat
he vas anyone else who might be sug-
gested to him at the moment.
Cornelius admitted him; Cornelius
saw him go swaying unsteadily up the
garden towards the house; Cornelius
ushered him into the room wherein Nu-
gent Leathwood sat, with the simple
announcement that here was a gentle
man to see him.
Leathwood, starting up from his
chair, confronted this strengthening
little creature, with a hat cooked jaunt-
iyl 0ver n watery eye, and demanded
to know what he wanted.
zone 'unnerd pounds 'ward!" x
claimed the apparition, sleepily. Tn
MI. Gilbert Rickerby!"
VII. y