Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-11-21
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81 Rickerby's Folly 81
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BY TOM GALLON
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CHAPTER I
A Footstep on the Stairs.


Eung against each other and hurried
bcisterouslv into unexpected doosWayS-
IA wild night with heavy clouds driving
EerceIy across the moon, and 6 bitter
ktinsing rain whipping and cutting into
the faces OF passers-by. \ wii-ling
ehriekins mad night. TO make peaceful
folk shiyer in their beds, and bless Goa
that they had roof over them
On this night. with their backs set
Steadily 10 the driving wind, Two men
Eere blown along. side by side. in the
direction Of certain house. buried
away in the heart OF ST. Johns Wood.
One Of them. at least. must have known
the way 10 it: for the pair keot straight
OF. without turning to the right Or left,
and without making Inquiry Of any one
Of the few people they met Only once
or twice the .aller man Of the TWO
would stop al street corner, as though
In doubt and LOOK aboul rim i'erp!eS-
edly: then. willis his companion STOOD
still: he would take I step or two in Or
Eirection-shak=- his head and coEna
back again. try another. ami, with q
nod Of satisfaction. lead the way
af.esh. and thus. feeling their way. IS
It yva-e. ana beating i out II steady.
persistent fashion. like mex. tracking
Their Path through some wili place to
which they wer= un2ccuitonlad- tney
tarne TO the house.
= gloomy AMI weird SCR. OF place il
Eas-re'ic Of soma earlier p-riod before
the era of villas and ssmi-detached res
licences: great mouse for that part OF
LONDON. set in q neglected wilderness OF
q garden. with high wall all around
t. A curious house. n two partS-one OF
which had lights in it. while the other
was dark and cold like the face Of
man with ons bird eye and the other
sparkling with life. So much. at least,
they could see Of it. as they stood back
on the ether side OF The road and
caught glimpse of its upper windows.
over the top of the wall.
"Oh, poor old house: poor. old. for
Torn place once called home: ex-
claimed the taller man. as he stared at
its dark roofs outlined against the
ktormy sky. How many years since l
turned my back upon you, how many
years, during which I have seen you. as
clearly as see you now. in strange cit
les and in wild places of the earth,
where no real house ever stood. = And
how-to come back to you like this,'
The other man was silent: he merely
glanced curiously at the house. while he
held his hat on and strove to stand
steadily against the wind.
Now you understand what you have
to do, Holden?' went on the tall man.
after pause. You have the card: you
have the money. This is merely whim
of mine: want to prepare the way, as
1t were-to play TIE mysterious man.
who does good thing and hides him
Bel while it is being done. I've earned
the right to have that satisfaction. at
least, out of the business. Their visitor
Is expected at midnight: it must be
close Oh that now, and you"
"But I don't quite see, SIR broke in
the other man. how I'm to manage the
business. You have written to say that
Gilbert Rickerby will be here''-point-
ing TO the house-.at midnight
cat midnight-certainly.'
But Gilbert Richerby-excuse me fo-
taking such 2 liberty with the name.
6r-won't be there at all, because i
t.Beca use you'll go in his place. You
tan explain that Gilbert Ricksrby is a
queer sort Of fellow-the queerer the
better for this business, Holden.-and
will come later. Don't you see that.
apart from the satisfaction of standing
mysteriously outside the business, I
want &c know what sort OF reception
my ernissa-y meets with? Hark,there
goes the nour at last-midnight-and
wild night for wild business-at least.
ecme would think it so. Now, then, eff
with you.'
Holden crossed the road and stopped
before wooden gate in the high wall
and rang the bell: the next moment the
Sound of the bell itself cianked out.
even above the noise of the wind. The
tail man On the opposite side Of the
road drew himself back into the Shelter
of a doorway. and prepared to make
himself as comfortable as possible I'M
I'll the others return.
After u nat seemed quite a long time
q black space opened UP in the gray
Iergth Of the wall: swallowed the other
man up, and became gray like the rest.
Meanwhile, in the house itseif, the
Risito, was expectcd-expected with
son1e trepidation. too. to judge from ap-
pearances, and vt with the hurry of
fevered preparation. 1t was a shostly
CID house, altogether, at the best of
times: yet surely. never more ghostly
thar tonight. For there We're nysteri-
Gus creakings and creep.ngs on the
stsirs: a whispering Of voices behind
Closed DOORS: once lantern, finging
out long shafts Of light from three
sides, was swung slofr in the hand Of
some person moving about the dreary
old garden: passed to the gate and
Iaused there. as though the person who
held it stood listening:- went jerkily
the. ,7rR
At last. whatever preDa rat lions were
afoot seemed to Re completed: and
three man drifted together silently into
one room, on the first floor of that light
ed part OF the house. They came with
out speaking: and as though. for some
TRANCE purpose. they came together
for company. to wait out the time. IN
til something had to be done. Spirits
were on q table in this room: but only
bne man drank-and that man hurried
~ and furtively. as though ile were
nerying himself, of set purpose, and not
as though he greatly enjoyed the
drinking.
This man who drank WAS compara-
lively young, of strong and active
fiellre and with a rena rka bly, swarthy