Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-03-13

1 AlInaT SHE IL NAOEI AAA~
| ing even that face of the house abs"-
| luteiy blank. More than ever disturbed
| in her mind with fears as TO the rate Oh
| Mr.. Reeks, the good lady otuihpleu
| along among the c caves uhtlI she
| touched the wall OF the house; then IN
the pitchy darkness, she began TO gfope
| along the bricks. in the hope OF hndins
the door.
To do her justice, Mrs. Reeks was no
coward. and 1t is probable that she
! feared nothing absolutely mortal. More
| thai all else, she was nerved by the
| thought of that unfortunate little nus
band of hers in that strange house, uh-
| d~ergoin%. perhaps, unknown horrors ioc
the sake OF that horrible $500. Just as
| Mrs. Reeks reached that point OF
| thought she touched a door, felt. fever
| ishl,, for the handle. and tumbied
through into a passage.
Darkness and silence. The door haf
| closed with a soft thud behind her, and
Mrs. Eeeks knew not which way TO turn
| or whether it was safe To advance a
| st ~. Indeed, it is probable that at that
she would ave screamed
| aloud had she not seen, straight in front
Of her. a gleam of light. Hurrying to-
wards it, she thrust open a door, and
found herself in a room with a lighted
| candle on h table. The room was
empty.
Now, I wonder where poo George
has got TO-" she pGnted. looking wildly
| all around her. Two doOrs-One up in
the corner, n to the right. Well l
| think III trust to luck, and take the one
TO the right"
Mrs. Reeks caught up the candle
| stick. pulled open the Coor TO the right,
AMI found herself in a narrow passage.
| AS a matter of fact, it was the passage
that connected the two houses. ana Mrs.
| Raeks, in darting along Il, as h now
did, was passing into that house in
which Nugent LeathwoOd mad lived and
in which Gilbert Rickerby had that
night been struck down. . Mrs. Ree2ks
knew nothing of this, she only knew
thai she was in the same house TO which
her husband had come that night. and
that she meant to n him.
Carrying the candle, she passed
through the passage and came TO the
second house. All was dark ana silent.
Not a whisper nor a football anywhere.
And then. in the midst of the silence,
cutting like a lash of steel, came the
faint scream of a woman.
Mrs. Reeks, being a woman herself.
dropped the candlestick Inc felt in
clinel TO scream, If only as d species OF
friendly echo. The next moment, as the
cry was repeated, all that was best in
her was reused, and she ran forward
blindly in the darkness, plunged head
long, with all her substantial weight,
against a door. and fell forward into a
o
The room was lighted. too, although
the shutters were closed; and there
We're two people in it. The first person
that Mrs. Reeks noticed, when she
scrambled up from her knees, was a
young girl, drawn back against the wall,
ami staring, with frightened eyes. at
the other occupant of the omar old
man OF a s%uriously bent and twisted
figure-the man Mrs. Reeks remembered
TO have seen at the gate when she came
to Rickerby's Folly, in search Of her
husband, on the former occasion. The
old man swung round upon the uncere-
moEious visitor. snarling at her like q
sort of wild beast.
'We1-what do you WANT" he
gIowled. Who sent you blunderIn' in
ere like this?'
1--WE come to look-to look for my
husband-Mr. Reeks." painted Mrs.
Reeks. What are you doing with that
young lady??"
What's that to your" snapped Cor.
neIius. Your 'usband went from ere
a good 'alf-hour g an with five 'un-
dred cash IN is 'ands-muh more than
e deserved, the dog, by a lot. You'd
better follow i'm, an not come forcin'
your way into 'onest folks 'ouses at
this hour of the mornin'. Come, be off
with you!"
But Mrs. Reeks, quite Unexpectedly,
stood her ground. mot much!" she ex-
claimed, ~resolutCly. II believe this is
the young lady / did a wrong to
Though goodness knows 1 never meant
it'll a day ar two back. What's the
matter with her now / iearl her cry
u a minute ago.
WELL, m il you did,? It's one Of the
ways of gels to squeak" said Corne-
Illus, with an ugly grin. Look ERE, my
good woman, you'd better git u of
this as soon as YOU can. My master'H
be back in a minute or two, an e
amt in the best of tempers JUS now.
THAT for you master!" cried Mrs.
Reeks, swapping her fingers in front of
his face. Il don't care for forty mas
ters; but / wort stand by and see a
young girl ill-treated by an ugly old
sinner like you. Stand out of my
way!"
Mrs. Reeks, with one swift movement
OF her arm, swept the estonished Mr..
Viewers almost off his feet, and crossed
swiftly to where Olive was crouched
against the wall. Something In the
strong. defiant face must have attract
ed the girl, for she sprang forward with
a low cry of relief and caught Mrs.
Reeks around the Leck.
"There-there-my pretty; don't be
upset!' murmurad the good woman. Il
was a beast to you the other night. and
| doubt If I'll ever be forgiven for turn
ing a young girl out of doors and CIV
ing her into the hands OF a ~scoundrel:
but you needn't fret any more. He's
got TO be a strong man who'll AXE you
away from M now; and he's got to be
a better mar than any OF your shrivel-
led-up Guy Fawkses-that / can tell
| youi"