Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-01-23

Sc Rickerby's Folly 3$
2s BY TOM GALLON 92
BY TOM GALLON

CRATER XII.

calling Cornelius his father, was II OF
those persons born into the world with
q curious faculty of thrusting their
noses into the business Of their neigh
bors.As a youth this young gentleman
had deyoured detective stories by the
score, had invested his first pocket
money in a dark lantern. and regarded
every policeman he met with ar w
which usually attaches only TO royalty.
Later on, with the first down upon
his lip, he took to studying the Agony
Column in the daily rapers, and striv-
Ing 70 pieca together the mysteries
which they hid. or tried to hide, from
the gaze of those not actually con-
cernea in the writing or reading OF
them. By day he occupied a position
behind the counter of a hardware es-
adjustment, whose very knives sug-
gested possible future crimes: by night,
having donned the Newmarket coat, he
biossomed out into a very private de-
tective OF his own making-a man who
scented a mystery with every shadow
that crossed a blind in a dark street, or
saw a fugitive from Justice in every re-
spectacle citizen running to catch a
train or keep an appointment.
To such a "a the advertisement
which had appeared in the papers con-
corning Gilbert Rickerby, came rs
something more than fona and drink.
In the first place. there was the 9100-
sufficient to tempt any man TO bring all
his powers to bear upon the case: in
the second place, when he came to dive
into the matter. and to make cautious
Inquiries In Inc neighborhood, there
was the haunted house. Small wonder
now that Mr.. Enoch Hubbard Ito give
him his right naTneD flung himself ea-
geriy into the business, and felt that
here. at last, was his supreme opportu-
nifty
He began. as has been shown, linger-
ing outside the house, and watching the
people who came n went. In that
way he CLEANED from Mr.. Taggett the
opportune suggestion concerning h
lost son OF Mr.. Viewers, embraced 1t
eagerly, and got into the house. Once
there, he set TO work Il find out what
ne could without exciting suspicion.
1t must be confessed at once that his
first experience was sufficiently alarm
ing. Cornelius Viewers had shown no
particular affection for or interest IN
him; Jeminia Viewers had accepted his
coming as one OF those disasters for
which the best OF us must be prepared
tn d stormy world. From his own point
OF view this was all that Mr.. Hubbard
could have desired: it was not his wish
that questions should be asked: ne was
glad enough 10 be accepted-for the
time. at least-for what he pretended TO
be. He wandered about the house
coming against the various people who
Inhabited it at odd corners. but re-
ceiving no attention from them In any
way. In fact. he began at last TO think
that ne was on a wild-goOse chase, and
thai the sooner he left the place and
turned his attention TO other matters
the better 1t would be.
He was pleased. however, at the
thought OF how easily he had got into
the place. and his vanity was tickled at
tn remembrance OF how completely he
had hoodwinked the people in ii; lie
wanted TO ENJOY that blissfui feeling a
little longer. So he consented to betake
himself to bed, at a late hour, to the
room which hal been assigned to him:
and. weary with excitement, n not a
little bored at the "reminiscences OF old
Cornelius concerning days when he a
played havoc among the women folk.
quickly fell asleep.
He was awakened az some dark hour
OF the night-or or the early morning
by the pealing Of a bell far down in the
house below him; he had come out OF
an uneasy dream. and sat up I'm bed.
hot and trembling and frightened. won~
dering for a moment where he was or
what was happening. Then he heard
the bell again. and, a little later. the
sharp voice OF Nugent Leathwood, cali
ing ENORMOUSLY TO Cornelius, and the
grumbilng voice OF Cornelius In reply.
Then shufhing feet went down the
stairs. and he heard a side door unbolt-
ed. I
BY that time Mr.. Enoch Hubbard was
fully awake and was out of bed. Creep
Ing TO the window and pulling aside the
blind, he looked down into the garden
below. and saw the bobbing light of the
lantern as Cornelius carried Ii toward
the gate. He could not. Of course, hear
the conversation that took place there
between the anxious Mrs. Reeks and
the shivering Cornelius. but he saw the
gate shut and the lantern carried back
TO the house.
CHANGING at his silver watch, Mr..
Hubbard saw that IL was close on 4
O'Clock In the morning. He was I'm no
mood to so back to bed: the ringing OF
the bell and the movement in the house
a disturbed him. and he was most
painfully wide awake. As he sat or
the edge of the bed he heard a window
thrown up. Ind the voice of Leathwood
demanding TO kno what had hap
pened: then the surly o n Of Cornelius
in reply. He could not catch what was
said. but HIS curiosity was thoroughly
aroused.
There's something goin' On al 7 don't
know nothin' about" he muttered.
'-Tain't likely they'll show their 'eads
by daylight; IL there's any fool busi-
ness goln' on, the night Ia the time for
It. 7 must look into this at once"
Without further delay. Mr.. Hubbard
slipped on his outer garments and pre-
pared TO investigate the matter. Creep
ing down stairs he foasld in the hall
that long Newmarket coat which dis
tinguished him, and put 1t on. for the