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

z
; : Rickerby's Folly s
z - BY TOM GALLON * 4
CHATTER xx-fContinued.)

Nugent Leathwood had ceased 20
swing his leg. he was sitting perfectly
still, with his eyes fixed on Gilbert Rick
erby, and with his breath laboring as
though he had been running.
II sent hat servant into this house; ]
saw him enter the gate myself. That
was not sent to ~persCnate me but mere
~ as my ambassa1or-to tell you that j
was coming, / wanted to hear what
your reception of the news Of what
meant TO do would be. The man en-
tered the house, as I have said; he new
err came out again. Jemima Viewers,
tell this man what you saw on the night
James Holden came to the house with
my message aud my money"
Nugent Leathwood started then, and
turned swiftly towards the old woman;
whatever else he might have been dim
u prepared for. he certainly was not
prepared for this. There was. too, a
certain curious alertness about the old
gleam in her duh eyes that
he had never seen there before.
II 'ad bin In the 'abit OF wanderin'
about the 'ouse-toth 'cuses, I'm fact.
night an day. for a long time" began
the cid woman. II think I got into the
n vi ~ Its " ~ u PtDA a. 49,
was alive. 1 used to creep abaut then.
an watch the old man. so as to tell 'er
wot e looked like, en- TO assure 'er that
e was well; she was always cravin' 10
know that. I'd card Cornelius an is
master taikin', that lay, al Il my dear
boy comm 'ome; I card 'em w~hisperin'
about what they meant TO debut /
couldn't quite catch what they said"
You Jezebel.' said Nugent. through
his teeth. 81 told Won, Cornelius, mis-
chief would come Of that woman Turk
ing about h house. You said she had
NO wits-didn't your
II 'ad wits enough TO be able TO get
the best Of you retorted to old wo-
man. AN ] wanted to see my dear
boy thow her face changed N soft
ened as she said IL and as she glanced
at CELEBRITY. IAN I waited about on the
stairs and in dark corners on the
chance of catching first sight OF i'm.
Then, when the ring came at the bell,
and the man was brought In. / saw at
once that ii wasn't Master Gilbert at
all. but a stranger. 1 was jest turnin'
wen / card a frightful noise in
the room, and I ran back TO the door; 1
peeped in, an there / saw Mr.. Leath-
wood an the strange man ightin' Ike
all over the floor. an Cornelius
an the man they call Probyn lookin'
on"
Al dead silence was in the room as the
old woman paused for a moment: Nu-
gent took out his handkerchief and hur-
riedly wiped his forehead and thespalms
OF his hands. Mr.. Reeks had backed
against the wall up I'm a corner, and
there with his mouth wide open
and his tufts OF hair bristling with
fright.
'It grows Int aresting. doesn't 1t. Cous-
In L4athwood?' asked Gilbert. quietly.
Eyes: very interesting for YOU" re-
piled Leathwood. with a snarl. But the
story Ii not finished yet: pray proceed"
"I was too much frightened" went on
Jemima, ito know what to do-too
much afraid even to cry out. But !
watched the whole timej. while they
strar gIed I'm; I was 'idin' on the stairs.
in h dark. wen they carried the body
out-Mr. L~eathwood and Cornelius"
TITS a lie," cried Cornelius, fiercely.
.'You shan't drag me into the business"
ooh. but they shall, though" said Nu-
gent. quickly. We're both In this. my
old friend: you won't leave me i'm the
lurch; I'll take good care OF that.
They've got to prove all they say; but.
under the circumstances. we stand or
fall together; don't forget that"
II don't know what they did with the
mar they killed; I wa too frightened
TO wait any longer addei Jemima.
IT think III take up the story again."
said Gilbert. That body was carried
into the deserted house next TO this:
was thrust. in the hurry ard terror of
the moment, int a cupboard. For a
little time FOL tune favored those who
had commisted the crime: a man whom
/ have since learned bore the name of
Miles Probyn. probably frightened at
what he had seen, rushed-half-mad
with terror-out of the house. I saw
him-fellowed him. He IL was who vas
killed IN the streets, and dying with the
name OF the nan he thought had been
murdered on hts lips, was buried under
that name. oh, II was a clever scheme.
Nugent Leathwood: and IL you had
really killed Gilbert Rickerby, IL is
probable that the fraud would never
have been discovered"
Nugent Leathwood. even in this hour,
took the matter coolly enough, or APP
peared TO do so. 'I'm obliged to adj
nit" he said. that you've got the
whole thing pretty pat-whether you've
invented 1t or guessed at II. or what
you've done. There's one thing that
puzzles ne: where have you been hid
ing all this timer"
"As ! have said-within a dozen
yards OF YOU replied Gilbert; I'm the
deserted house. where I lived as a boy
and where my raother died. This
faithful old woman"-he indicated Je.
NINA veevers-"has waited upon me In
secret, during the few days I have been
there. You have been outwitted. Cous-
In Leathwood, at every turn"
Pm afraid you take too much for
granted. Cousin Rickerby.' retorted Nu-
gent. at liz not. perhaps, worth mem
t~ioning-a mere detail: but you have
spoken OF the body of a man slowed
away in q cupboard. The story OF the
murder Is probably some mad fancy of
this poor old woman's; but the business
OF the cupboard Is a little too thin.
Doubtless, you can find the body, and
confirm your statement"
'Oh. yes-I can find the body" replied
Gilbert; but not In the place in which
you put IT."