Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-01-23

/ uSdi dGCut TINS AsaAN cau ScN.t ShS ~
| ward offered for a man named Flicker
| by: / was a sort of private detective
! on my own account. Don't be ard or
| me. gents. don't know nothin' that's
| worth talkiu' about"
| The wretched man had fallen upon
| his knees and had raised his hands in
application. Nusent Leathwood wen,
| across to him. and stood calmly In from,
| of him with his hands clasped behind
| him.
| You know great deal too much
| my friend" he said. in his soft, low
voice. The next time you try detect
| i've wcrk-that is. if you ever do try it
| again-6on't go about ii SO clumsily.
| Get up"
! The wretched man rose slowly from.
| his knees and looked around appealing
| ly at the three faces. But the old wo-
mar locked as impassive as ever: Cor
| neEus wore upon his face the most aw-
| full grin it is possible to imagine: and
| Nugent Leathwood was smiling quiet
ly. Then III a moment. at a sign from.
the latter, Cornelius moved briskly
across the room and caught one arm of
Mr.. Hubbard: Leathwood laid his grip
upon the other.
open the door, Jemima.' said Leath-
wood For tonight We'll take YOU 10
your room; cry out, or try to break
away, and I'll strange the life out of
your ugly body before you've had time
to shout twice. You'll play the detect
ive with me, will you? Now then,
march"
In that order they went out of the
room. and up the stairs. came to the
! landing out of which opened the room
from whence he had come that night,
and took him into it. 1t was room
at the very top OF the house. with a
narrow window, which had, for some
reason or other, had bars placed out
side it. Then, taking away the light.
they left him: he heard the key turned
ON the outside.
All his dreams for fame and glory ir
the profession he had mapped out for
himself We're gone; he dared not sleep:
he Gid not know what might happen to
him at any hour in that dreadful
house. He sat On the side of the bed,
du3xiEg with terror. and striving hard
to bring his mind to the accomplish
rlent of some daring deed which should
set him free and overwhelm his enc
mics.
He tried the window, but even his
s.imness could not get over the diff
Guilty of the bars outside. He tried the
door, but it was locked securely; more
over. ne had no desire to risk meeting
on the stairs with Cornelius or Leath-
wood, even if it had been possible to
get out by that way. Finally. he sat
down on the bed again and tried to
comfort himself with thoughts of all
the heroes of whom he had read who
had got out of remarka bly, tight places
with the aid of jack-knife and Provi-
dence. In the midst of these ref1ec-e
tions-which did not. after all. bring
him very much comfort-he fanoied he
heard curious, rustling noise at the
door Of the room. A dreadful feeling
came over him that the two men had
come back for the express purpose of
putting an enj to him-perhaps of
burying him in the same place as that
occupied By the other man; he started
up: fear gave him 6; courag e nothing
else could have done.
The rustling continued; then came
the grating of a key in the lock Mr..
Hubbard put himself into an attitude
suggestive of defense. and made UP his
mind to sell his life dearly.
The door opened slowly. and then the
impressive face of old Jemima peered
round it; after a moment she came,
stealthily. into the room, carrying a
candle. She set the candle down upon
chair. snuffed it with her fingers, and
addressed the prisoner. without looking
q. him, and speaking in the most casu-
al fashion:
r,-a ocyo1 m oft II a1S,
laid it down and fell asleep. e won't
her back and looked at the man who
stood. expectantly. watching her. Il
suppose you don't know why I do this
-eh?"
1T is very kind of you," said Mr..
Hubbard. lamely.
She shook her head.
1T wasn'e fer you she said; but the
thought came into my old cad just
now. while 1 lay in the dark, that the
child / lost 1nignt-if ed 'ad any luck
ave grown up something like you. Lord
ed ave been bonny lad if ed lived
And p'r'aps e might ave got into some
scrape or trouble an might ave been
glad for someone-Eot is mother-to
give i'm a chance to get out of it,
bci lduSH al me. We ISeu IN InlS
place nearly all my life; I've seen a
woman weer 'er cart out ere: I've
seen Inurder-and goodness knows what
else besides. But tonight it's all gore
from NE: I've got hack some'ow to the
years Wen my child was in my arms,
an ! thought There-never mind
what ] thought: on'y Tn glad. some
'ow. you took it Tito your cad to come
an say you was my son. You amt; but
you've brought me hack the thoughts
of what might ave been. an fer that
I'd risk somethin'. I tell you. There's
the door: I'll light you down, an you
can go free!''
He went free: but it is to be regretted
that he understood so little the motive
which had given him his release that
he stopped outside the wall which sur
rounded the arden and shook his fist
at the black house.
'Murder-is it: and burying-eh:
Well see! I'll be even with you yet. or
my name amt 'Ubbard!"
With that. HI shook his fist again ana
ran off in the chill. breaking day to-
al ~