Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-12-26
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Sc Rickerby's Folly IS
Z - BY TOM GALLON x z
By TOM GALLON
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80 liz OAAtNA ~ IN "a vi " iAlA ~
said. However, precautions had to be
taken; Leathwood came slowly toward
the swaying figure. and stood before IL,
with his hands thrust in his pockets,
and stared at him l~eisurely.
S you are Gilbert Rickerby, are
your he asked. quietly. Welcome,
Mr.. Gilbert Rickerby-bIck from the
grave! DO you understand me?-back
from the grave, i say!"
"What-what d'you mean?" STAN
merered Mr.. Reeks. pat tly-sobered by
the manner Of the other and by the
words.
II mean that Gilbert Rickerby is dead
died nearly a week ago; that he lies
in his grave and is almost forgotten by
this time. Where have you been wan
dering, you mailman, not to know
that?"
MIR. Reeks opened his mouth as If TO
say something, shut 1t again hurriedly,
and turned and made for the door. But
before he reached it, however, the hand
of NIgent Leathwood fell upon his
shoulder and twisted him round, and
the Eyes of Nugent Leathwood were
looking into his qualing ones.
Don't run away" said the quiet
voice. There is some game on here
which I do not understand. Come, now,
who Put you on to this game. and who
are you, really? You are not Gilbert
Rickerby: of that I am certain. But
you know something about him. Why,
don't you know hat Gilbert Rickerby
was a young man of twenty-six?'
Mr.. Reeks nodded feebly. About
that, I should think he said.
"Ohl so you know him, do you? This
grows interesting. Come, sit down, my
friend, and let us hear what you have
to say for yourself" He pushed the
reluctant Mr.. Reeks into a chair, end
seated himself on the edge of the table
close beside MIN. Now, let me hear
what you have to say about this Gill
bert Rickerby."
George Reeks saw, only too plainly,
that he was in a remarkably tight
place; even in his muddled state, at the
moment he was quite capablec of recog-
nizing that fact. Moreover, this calm
man. with the quiet voice and the dark
hair, had about him a certain sense of
power that was not to be denied. There
fore, with some attempt to treat the
matter as a mere joke, and with many
labored apologies for the mistake he
had made, the little man made a full
confession-pointing out how he had
been tempted by some faint hope of the
reward which was offered. Nugent
Leathwood listened with the closest at.
embarrassing a question now and
then, and occasionally breaking in with
J a short, dry laugh. AT the er6 of the re-
cital the little man sat covering in his
chair, fully sobered, and wondering,
dimly, what vas going to happen .
HE left it in writing: / nave found
papers in which he sets out clearly
what ne is going to do-mcntions a
girl, among other things"
"A girl? Yes. / suppose he would
mention the girl" said Leathwood
troughtfully. Look here; I must have
those papers; I must know exactly
what he has written. Where are they
now?'
AT my house. replied Reeks.
HAS anyone seen them. other thar
yourself?'
"only Mrs. Reeks-my wife,"
"Reeks!" He seemed to ponder over
the name for a moment, as though II
woke some train of thought in his
mind. wells your wife safe? ]
mean" he corrected himself, hurriedly
lis she likely to talk about matters
which do not concern herself? Does she
understand the necessity for being ST.
lent sometimes, If she is we'll paid fol
being silent?"
Mr.. Reeks nodded, solemnly. "It
would be difficult to find anyone who
could bottle herself up more completely
than Mrs. Reeks, when necessary" hi
said. proudly.
Good. By the way, your name seem:
familiar TO me somehow. What is 1t
again."
"Reeks-George Reeks.' replied the
little a glad to be able to proclaim
himself under his true colors.
George Reeks!" Nugent Leathwoo6
turned the name over and over In hi:
mind for a moment. then, suddenly
started and clapped a hand to his head
by Jove! the mar who went with m
to the funeral; the man who picked
up" He did not finish the sentence
but, after a moments further thought
he sprang fiercely upon the astonishet
Mr. Reeks and gripped him by the col
lar.
''You iend!" he breathed. "wha'
trick are you playing upon me? Yor
come here, proclaiming that you art
Gilbert Rickerby; you tell me a yarr
about a servant of the dead man whom
no n has seen since his masters
death; now you say that your name Il
the same as that of a stranger I met a
the hospital. and who followed-fol.
lowed Gilbert Rickerby to the grave
In Heavens name, who are you-ane
what do you know"
IL assure YOU" suffered Mr.
Recks, in an agony OF fear, ''that I wa.
was - hap - tized George - surname
~Reeks-at-the P-p-parish &C
cfrrch-"
There, that'l do cried Leathwood
fiercely, shaking him into silence. ~
believe you're too great a fool to know
how to play such a trick. But there's
something I don't understand; and
mean to get at the bottom of 1t. Now
tell me: what sort of man was this ser
want" At all costs. he must be found
What Of man was he?"
We'll" began Mr.. Reeks. thought.
fully studying the other; IT should sa,
he was a man OF about your height
dark. quick ann with him, clean.
saaven."
Now, I'm the dreadful hurry of tbat