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

ly different stamp. One was a man
about sixty years Of age, with q face
gnarled and knotted and scanned, like
the bark of some grabbed old forest
tree; with a figure almost as bent and
twisted as such a tree might have been:
and with long feet and hands which, to
carry, the resemblance farther, were
not unlike what the roots n twisted
branches might have been. The third
man was of about the same 6 as the
first, but was, apparently, a servant.
At all events, he was so far dependent
upon the others, and subservient to
them, that he kept his eyes glancing,
n~ervously, from one to the other. and
occasionally moistened his lips hurried
ly with his tongue. For whatever busi-
ress the three men waited, there was
this difference between Them: thai the
frst waited in craving anxiety, the old
man in careless imperturability, and
the third man in deadly fear. Indeed,
this fear became SO apparent presently,
/ that the first mar turned impatiently
| about and faced the younger of the 9TH
! err two.
What the dickens are you staring at
me like that for?" he demanded. isn't
IL ClAOu6Al ~ NC AL S1lAo 6AA0Stiy pAoSS oS
such an hour, without having a man in
the room shaking and trembling as
though he saw ghosts? What on earth
is the matter with yon?"
Before the man rad time to reply. the
old creature of the gnarled co%untenance
broke in with a sort Of gruesome chuck
lie. wits nerves e wants, Master Nu-
gent" he said. Nerves amt given to
everyone, like you an me; they comes
nat'ral-or they don't come at all. Bet
ter ave left i'm out of It,"
Never mind what you said; I could
not leave him out Of it." He crossed
the room swiftly, and dropped his hand
on the shoulder of the younger man
dropped it so heavily, and with such a
grip in the fingers, that the other
wirced and moved uneasily.
"Now, listen to me, Miles Probyn,"
said he of the swarthy skin, land, as
you value your life, pay heed to it. I
have no fear Of u friend, Cornelius,
here; he's made Of tougher stuff" He
indicated the old man, who acknowl-
edged the compliment with a grin. "But
with you, one has to be careful; you're
Of the sort that put ropes around honest
mems necks and Gig graves for them.
Only remember, my friends, hat I love
company; so We'll sink or swim In this
business together.
Look at me-see what I am-knoW
me for what I am-guess what I might
have been. No--by heavens!" and he
brought his fist down heavily upon the
table, mot whas I might have been, but
what I will be! Not the man keeping a
place warm for someone else-holding
dead mems shoes to the fire to warm for
another-not Nugent Leathwood,
guarding an old fools money, for some
one who has forfeited the right to It.
No-a hundred times no! From to-
night you shall see another Nugent
right to it. Leathweod taking for him
self that which he has guarded so long,
holding the place which g his, by right
Of power and conquest"
"And film 1t like a man-not like a
mi!k-and-water babby," broke in the
old man, in the same voice as before.
"Look round this room-look round
this house," cried Nugent, getting up
excitedly and waving his arms towards
the ceiling. "You know 1t well; o
have seer scenes here such as few men
see at all. An old man, who saw in ev-
cry living creature something only to
be suspicious Of; who lived his dark
and sombre life day after day, merely
because he could not die; who had built
at great expense, a second house, with
in a few wards of the n in which he
lived, and had hut upN his own wife
there, out Of his sight. You know what
they call the place in the neighborhood;
what a by-word it has become"
".Rickerby's Folly.'" broke in old
Cornelius. with another of his CHASTITY
chuckles. 3
"That's IT. Rickehby's Folly Be
fore I came, as o know, and before
Cornelius came, old RickerbY turned
his only son out of doors, to fight his
way through life az best he might.
Then, after I had come here. in a sort
of deeth-bed repentance. the old fool
hungered for the boy, and wrote to him,
craving his forgiveness, and telling him
that all he had in the world was his.
And IL, Nugent Leathwood, poor re-
toni was to keep the precious prop
erty in trust for him, and do my best to.
find him out. That letter was sent
without my knowledge; 1t chased the
wanderer half over the world: 1t found
him, under most extraordinary circum-i
stances, in California. Just &c I wal
congratulating myself on the fact that
the young fool had Joined the old fool.
in a land where property doesn't count,
the young fellow wrote to Bay that he
was Give and well. and was coming
home"
1.-TWO years since that there letter
came like "A thunder-clap." said Corne-
Illus, 1.-TWO years without q wordafrom
i'm; and fortnight ILL.,
.aTo-night he comes here" said Nu-
gent. Tonight, IN his own infernaily
mysterious fashion, he comes at mid
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to Rickerby'ssFol-
ly.'
Drops In, friendly-like gtos5'aye a look
at the accounts and ask after lis gei.:''
Thus Cornelius, with asleer ofS the most
horrible description sssss&
eyes, that the worst part Of IL. He
comes tbackIn his own good tiIne---ito
claim money. wife. everything sag
lzhe,s much Obliged me,T.andtoSMalk
sawaySagain. n walk away sagain.sS
II ever 4hat mostssablessedd hing g
smile, ma b said 40 b ytl,,aitsSR 9
surely an VIZ sliie Observation-Disclosures
EYacss e Mr. NuGxht LsatiwoodS1tsGsshe
Irepsatedg thee words. cornsliussdlrEssw