Oakes Republican., 1902-02-07


might be killed hundred times-might
would think Of him. I'll make her for
set him some lay.'
But he had got what he wanted. He
turned TO the girl quickly and an
swered her, With an eager smile upon
his face:
Yes, that's right; Gilbert wants yo,:
h m?"
For answer, she got un at once and
put her bands trustingly in his. Take
me to him." she said.
She rut on her hat as rapidly as her
trembling fingers would allow, and the
man carefully adjusted her cloak about
her shoulders. Outside, in the little
narrow hall, they found Mrs. Reeks
waiting in the dark; that lady avcrtel
her face when she caught sight of Olive,
and remained ;tonily Indifferent to the
departure. But at the last moment,
when mis- hand was actually upon the
oGtor Goor Nugent Leathwood came
back and Whispered swiftly in the ear
of Mrs. Reels:
Say what you like to your husband
about lhis--or say nothing at all, just
as YOU think best. But tell him that I
expect the papers ne is to bring me
within two days from mis- time Le-
gally they are mine: but he shall have
the reward I promised if he let's me
have them by that time; after that I
will take means 20 force them from him
and he will get nothing
Before the startled Mrs. Reeks had
time to formulate reply, or to ask any
T
girl We're gone AMI the door had closed
behind them. Mrs. Reeks picked Up the
candle and went into tie little sitting
room and sat down.
Then for the first time, when it was
too late, she began to realize what she
had done ard to be very considerably
from those concluding words her myste-
rious visitor had used, that both he and
the girl were, in some curious fashion,
mixed UP in that strange business of
Gilbert Rickerby. What if she had,
after all, made a blunder, and brought
upon her unfortunate husband greater
peril and difficulties than before? How
ever, her fears soon gave place to that
virtuous feeling of indignation with
which she had buoyed herself up be.
ter out to the end.
''I don't care,' she said to herself; eff
there has been any mistake, it's the
fault of George Reeks; he should have
told me what he was doing, and not
have gone about it in such secret,
mysterious, shoot-the- moon sort of
fashion"
Comforted by this reflection, Mrs.
Reeks crept up stairs and went to bed
Her husband was sleeping so soundly
that there appeared to be no chance of
disturbing him; but Mrs. Reeks was
very careful in her movements, never
theless. Only, before getting into bed,
she shook fist in the face of the Sleep
ing, smiling little man.
Mr. Reeks slept late the next day, and
awoke in broad daylight, in that bliss
full condition which one sometimes ex-
periences when a body is thoroughly
rested and the the mind at ease. In
fact, so comfortable did Mr.. Reeks feel
and SO little did any Of the forgotten
incidents of tna two previous days af-
feet him, that his sole feeling was one
Of unmisakable hunger; he began to
wonder what there was for breakfast.
Within a very short time of that first
himself before Mrs. Reells, dressed and
smiling, ard cheerfully rubbing his
hands. He remembered no more con-
cerning those same exciting happen
ings than if they had been dreams,
which had troubled him in the night
and been forgotten in the morning.
Morning, my love-morning?" he ex-
claimed. I'm afraid-afraid I'm lit
tla la+ ia t11ic Crroir NV 6aar''
do not mention it, I beg" said Mrs.
Reeks. She had been prepared for a
wild outburst-a scene of turlult; she
began to think, for her part, that she
had been walking in her sleep Or suf-
fering from nightmare. However. she
set out the delayed breakfast, and Mr..
ReekS fel to with an appetite.
After few moments a remarkable
change came over him. Mrs. Reeks,
who had finished her own breakfast
hours before. had seated herself oppo-
site 10 him, the better to attend to his
wants, and also for certain purpose
of politeness, which she might have
shown to guest. Mr.. Reeks had looked
up at her placidly once or twice-had
nodded and smiled good humoredy-
and had gone on with his breakfast, as
renewed appetite. But at last Mrs.
Reeks, watching him narrowly, OBJ
served a change beginning to steal over
him. Once he laid down his fork and
looked all around the room, in a be-
wildered fashion, as though striving
hard to recollect something; took up
the knife and fork slowly; plunged the
fork into morsel, and began to convey
IL to his mouth; stopped dead, and
dropped it on his plate with a clatter.
Mrs. Reeks held on to the table and
felt inclined to scream, for she knew
that he had remembered!
The next moment he started to his
feet with shout. upsetting the chair
as he did SO; darted across the room,
and stared down at the empty sofa on