Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-12-19
nas ! to do with you!"

that kind. George Reeks. Now, We'll
iusr elance through the rest of the pa
pers and see what is to be found
They glanced through the rest of the
uapers, and found documents or al
Finds-some relating to shares n
socks: warrants for payment of non
ey on this, that and the other; valuable
securities Of all sorts. Then they Q
at each other, this poverty-strtcken
pair, debt forever hanmering at their
roor doors, and q new intelligence
seemed 10 fash from one to the other.
Mrs. Reeks hurriedly thrust all the pa
pers into the writing case and faced her
husband.
George R~eeks-there is more In this
shan I thought. No man would 20
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 ii for him!"
What do you mean?" gasped Mr..
Reeks, recoiling from her. .
ST mean that Gilbert Rickerby has
dtnpped out Of existence; that this man,
who wants him so badly, does not, .ep-
parently, know where to, find him; that
ne has been abroad for years; that you,
George fCeehS, Sudl uiOSSOLH oul lhlo
Gilbert Rickerby-and make what you
can out Of it,"
Mr.. Reeks began to protest feebly.
Quite impossible, my love; I never
personated anyone in all my life. and
I'm not going to begin now"
Mrs. Reaks got up and took him
strongly and fercely by the shoulders;
in that position she lowered above him,
and he visibly quailed. George Reeks,"
she said. in a determined voice, you
have been q failure; as George Reeks
you cannot liyr respectfully. Now you
shall have to try as Gilbert Rickerby;
you shall put a bold face on 1T" (as If 1t
were possible for Mr.. Reeks to put a
bold face on anythingD land see what
can be done. In n case. we can't be
worse off than we are at the present
moment-and I'm desperate!"
I'm desperate enough" replied Mr..
Reeks; but l don't see what good this
is going to do. It's all very well to say
that / 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. 81 only say
that it must be done as a temporary
measure. If you have the pluck to stick
to it that you are Gilbert Rickerby, it
may mean money in your pocket; peo-
pie who are prepared to throw G100
about are not likely to DE particular
what they spend. Take the plunge.
George Reeks-and take it boldly; If
the worst ONE to the worst, and thay
search you, they will at least find that
your linen is marked g. r."
"But what am I to ao?" 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-
er mind about the future; make what
you can, at the moment, of the fact
that o 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 you say, Mrs. r.,
we can't be much worse off than we are,
and I "a always find some way OF
slipping out of it. Now. let me think
what sort Of a maj this Gilbert Kicker
by was; and let me pluck up courage
enough TO carry the matter through"
Mr.. Reeks discovered that 1t wanted
more courage than he was at that mo-
ment 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 uIon 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. 1t Is possible to walk. and to note,
as n walks, of the change of each
neighborhood as 1t merges itself into
the rext; or there are omnibuses which
strike a path into the heart of the mys-
terious region, and seem to lose them
selves n their passengers in It. Or
there are cabs, which may be had for
h e hailing, at street corners, and which
Will deliver one, as 1t were, within an
inch of the spot one desires to reach.
Mr.. Reeks, knowing well the depth of
his pocket, and having private reasons
Of his own, decided to walk.
But, as has been said, Mr.. Reeks was
lot a courageous being; and, moreover
he had before him a difficult task.
Therefore, with a laudable desire to
keep up the small measure of &c
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
erratic 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 tina,
he was anyone else who might be sug.
gested to him at the moment.
Cornelius admitted him; Cornelius
saw him go swaying unsteadfly up the
garden towards the house; Cornelius
ushered him into the room wherein M.
gent Leathwood sat. with the simple
announcement that here was a gentle.
man to see him.
Leathwood, starting up from his
chair, confronted this strange-lookin
little creature. with a hat cooked iaunt.
iyl over n watery eya. and demanded
to know what he wanted.