Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-03-20


She opened 1er eyes and looked Wild
iy about. saw something lying. huddled
us. at her feet and slapped her hands
over her mouth 10 save herself from
screaming. TIE something at her feet
was CoTnelius-and an instinct. truer
than anything she had ever had. told
her that Cornen0s was dead.
even while kuelt there in a sort
of stupor. she heard outside the noise
OF running feet. and The voice q q man
crying. Cornelius. Cornelius. Where
are your
Mrs Rreks was on her feet in a mo-
ment-haE stumbled To THE table and
blown out the light Feeling q hand
touch hers In the darkness, SHE raised
the hand and felt about until she
touched the face Of the girl put her
own hand over the girls mouth, and
crouched against the wall with he4.
scarcely able to breathe. The footsteps
came n the door was opened; the
voice OF L~~athvccd SPOKE IN the room
''corneliuss" Then after a moments
pause. Where The dickens has the
nan gomez And where is the girl
I've called all owe the house; he must
have gone highE up. / suppose"
The footsteps retreated from the door
n began to ascend the stairs. Lsath
wood crying h nome Of the dead man
all the way. Mrs Reexs, still with
her hand on the Eouth Of the girl, and
with the girl cIinging "a her, crert out
% b accommodating a wide circuit OF
the h0Gy-aud got out on the stairs
The voice of Leathwood had grown
fainter as he went w: Mrs. Reaks
wrnt doWn I'm the darkness-stumbled
by good luck. uron the way she had en-
tareds and found herself In the open
air. There. while she was still hurry
ing on towards where she thought the
gate must be, Olive Mallory stopped.
drew back and refused 10 90 any far
ther.
II can't leave GIIbert-T won'ti' she
whispered thrusting Mrs. Reexs away
from her. You don't know what hap
py hours we have had In our World Of
Dreams: he waits for me there now.
] must 20 TO him. Il dare not leave him
lonely any longer.
Before Mrs. Reeks could say a word
or could do anything TO stop her. the
girl had turned and fed away into the
darkness Of the garden Mrs. Reeks
took a few h~asitating steps after her;
b vas afraid to call out or make M
sound She blundered In the darkness
against the trunk Of a tree: the girl
was nowhere within reach or sight of
her.
Mrs. Reeks stood shaking. with a
deadly fear. She knew ihat-acciden.-
ally or not-she had killed a man: that
she had left his body lying la the
~ a ond0n house. Her one thought
naturally enough-was s~eif-preserv-
alton; b wanted 10 get away from
this dreadful place: she ionged, pas
si0HRtely. to meet her husband. even
while she was wondering what he
woEld a or how he would receive her.
when ne kneE what she had done. The
girl had disappeared: Mrs. Reeks was
rIsking her own safety in staying there
q moment longer. Utterly bewildered
and terrified. she ran forward. reckless
~. stumbling against trees. until she
touched the outer wall. ran around it,
fortunately In the right direction-untii
she touched the gate. pulled the gate
open. and dashed out. ~breathlessly. in
10 the street. IL is probable that h
did not stop running until b got
home.
There. as she pnt ha- key into rhe
Icck, the door was pulled open, and
George Reeks stood before her. radi-
ant
MY love" he cried. where have you
beeng I got home a long time ago
came home by cab Special occasion.
mY pet: I've cot the s5e3.-
Mrs. Reeks stumbled forward biindly.
fell into his arms taimost crushing the
poor little man as she did sol and went
into violent mysteries.
But never during the whole OF the re-
mainder OF their married life did she
tell Mr.. Reeks what had happened that
night.