The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-11-23

glanced at his MASTER; the third man
turned a little winter than before and
glanced behind him.
Nov, mark this. A a has but one
chance Of life, so far as I reckon st, on,
this earth: thai chance is mine now.
This girl is nothing else than q mere
schoolgirl; this property .is more than
either OF you suspect. Between that
girl and that property and myself
stands an unknown man. And that
unknown man enters this room in five
minutes"
The younger man Of the two listen
ers, seeing his face at that moment,
half cried out and started to his feet.
Nugent Leathwood stepped Onward
and caught him by the shoulders and
forced him down again.
"Sits down; what have you to be
frightened Of? This man is nothing to
anyone; If the old man hadn't acted
like fool the son would have been a
wanderer now, IN a penniless wan
derer at that. I have " seen him,
but I know his fondness for mystery
and for hiding and skulking about the
world. This visit Of his tonight will
be a mere flying one;: he chooses his
hour n he comes alone No one
knows he is in England. He tells me in
this letter that he has no wish to see
anyone but myself; that the associas-
lions Of the old place are too painful;
that he desires some private talk with
me, and then to go away again."
It was curious that not one ofsthe
trio spoke definitely as to the business
in hard; 1t was merely tactily under
stood among them. There was a long
and awkward pause; and then Nugent
Leathwood said his final word.
Notwithstanding business is mine;
I've set my hand to it, and I don't turn
back now. I am obliged to have you
here, the pair of you; there must be no
noise, and I may not be able to do what
I want alone. There is nothing to fear
nothing to worry about. Bah! why
do men make such a fuss about mat
tiers of his kind? The only mistake is
in being found out. If Gilbert Rickerby
mad come back openly, and in the light
of day, all would have been we'll; he
chooses to sneak back at night like q
thief; and he must take the conse-
the gate-the hour has struck. Remem-
Der, Cornelius, you bring him up stairs
and lead the way into the o There's
the bell"
Without a word Cornelius got up
slowly from his chair and shuf1ed
across the floor, opened the door, and
disappeared into the darkness Of the
staircase. They heard his slow feet 60
ing down even while the bell was shak-
ing its last notes on the silence. Nu-
gent Leathwood had slipped across to
the window and was peering out INTO
the darkness.
"There they come" he whispered. II
can Gee his lantern lodging about
among the trees" His voice shook a.
little, despite his endeavor to keep it
steady.
"But you-you say o don't-don't
know the man, master?" whispered
Probyn, where he stood, near the table,
gripping it. A
"What the dickens does that matter?"
exclaimed the other, impatiently. DO
you imagine that two men would come
to Rickerby's Folly at midnight, calling
themselves Gilbert Rickerby? Now,
then-here they comet
10 The two men waiting above heard the
lower door closed with a bang; heard
the grumbling voice. of old Cornelius
cursing the wind. Then, as the men
stood up, trembling, near the table. the
other got Owe against the wall, and lit
orally behind the door which gave on to
the staircase. In the horrible. deathly
silence that reigned in the room they
could distinctly hear the shutting feet
Of the old man coming up; but no other
sound. Then, in q moment. the old
man came into the room, holding be-
tween a finger and thumb a little white
piece Of ~pasteboard. Nugent Leath-
wood darted forward at him.
Where is he? What have you
done %
"Comin' up" answered the old man.
ST said I'd go up an see IL you was at
'ome. 'Ere's lis card-all right an
square, you see"
Nugent Leathwood merely glanced at
It, and set his teeth. Good. Call him
up" US
Cornelius went to the door and thrust
out his head into the darkness; called
out, in the blandest, sheeriest fashion
"Come up sir-come up. Mind the
stairs, sir"
So the three waited while brisk steps
were heard on the stairs, steps that
kept time. to the heart-beats of two OF
them, at least. Then the man crossed
the threshold quietly, looking straight
in front of him. The first face he saw
was that of Miles Probyn-looking, not
at him, but at something or some one
over his shoulder; and the face was so
CHASTITY and 80 terror-stricken, that the
man swung round instinctively to look
behind him. And then. in q moment,
he was battling frantically for his life.
The shock Of It. had taken him abso-
lutely by surprise. To be caught in 9
grip like that-a grip that was slowly
but surely choking the life out of him;
and to see as he swayed about, with Y
erything distorted and re~d-streaked in
his agonized vision, only two faces be-
sides that Of his murderer, looking
calmly on. and making no attempt
either to assist him or his a~ssaiiant.
broke down whatever Of energy he
might have had In sheer wonder. But
as the grip tighteped the fierce instinct
Ito battle for his life came more fully
upon him;t he strove to loosen b cruel
hands from his throat--stroye to speak
Or to cry out. Slowly and reientlessly,
however, the horrible thing was done
the room ceased to echo to the trampingf
feet, and the man who had come In but
q few moments before, h;right-eyed,
a,,scl,+ olorf and eager. lay#deadsSandl