Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-02-20


with the air of man whose thoughts
were for away. "Oh, anything, any,
thing; set some brandy. All these
things crowding on me at once. have
taken the nerve out of me somehow: l
want bracing up. Yes, get some BRAN
dy."
Illus when he set out on that errand. In
a few minutes he re-entered the room
with bottle of brandy, some glasses
and water. Nugent half-filled a tum-
bier with the neat spirit and drank 1T
off. blinked and coughed a little. and
then smiled on the other man.
THAT'S the stuff" he cried. TT puts
heart into man. Cornelius. l was
rough with you just now-said things I
ought not to have said. Forget it; I
didn't think what was saying"
Don't mention It," said Cornelius,
drily looking at his master and then at
the bottle. II don't mind"
I'm driven into a corner. Cornelius"
went on Nugent: but they'll find me
with my back to the wall. I'm fighting
for big stake. and I'll fight to the
death. Pour me out some more brandy
and help yourself"
Neither OF them thought of the water;
Nugent. because he wanted to be
worked up to a certain pitch; Cornelius,
because water in any shape did not ap-
peal to him. But Is must be remem-
bered that the younger man was excit-
ed, and threw off whatever effect the
spirit might have had easily enough:
the old man was cool enough, and
drank for the sake of drinking. So
that. naturally enough, in n short time
Cornelius came under the influence of
what he had taken, while Nugent, for
the best part, paced abous the room
and, save that his face was flushed and
worse. Only, as the glass was emptied,
Nugent Leathwood had bred in him a
certain dangerous hooking demon tina,
might carry him far, and carry him
recklessly over anything. The old man
merely became somnolent.
Fate plays strange tricks with men,"
said Nugent, with a laugh. Here we
stand to-night-you and with our
work nearly finished, with this girl in
the same house with ourselves, and
only cnuckle-he headed old transformer
and his wife to keep guard over her
On that night when I killed Gilbert
Rickerby I set out to do a thing few
men would have dared; put my hand
to work that would have appalled, the
stoutest. Do you hear me, Cornelius?"
Cornelius was almost too far gone to
hear anything, but lie sat up at the
summons and murmured, sleepily:
Jus so, JUS so, master. You'll win
yet.'
win! SHOULD think I would! Do
you think I fooled an old man in his
dotage for nothing? Do you think I
schemed to keep Gilbert Rickerby away
from home, and from England, for
nothing? Why, what is there to fear?
A few simple FOOLS, who can be bought
at the price like to suggest; helpless
girl, without real friend or relative in
the world. Cornelius-do you hear what
I say?"
He walked across to the old man and
shock him roughly by the shoulder.
Mr.. Viewers rolled his heavy head about
once or twice, ami then dropped it for
ward on the table. Nugent fell back
from him and surveyed him frowningly.
II wonder if you're to be trusted he
n1uttered. II can't trust any man now
this creature loyal to me is the thought
that can pay him well for his silence.
Suppose he knew that I have scarcely a
penny in the world; that the fortune
left in my hands for Gilbert Rickerby
was squan6e1ed long ago; that the
money I am supposed to pay for these
papers which are to be brought to me,
has already been broken into for neces-
sary expenses! Would he stick to me
then? Oh, Heaven! What a position is
mine, taht I can only hold the moose
from my neck with hands filled with
gold; that there is not on earth one
creature tonight who would stretch out
a hand for love of me to save mel"
He poured out some more brandy ana
drank it off; and that softer mood
passed from him. A more reckless one
took its place-a mood in which he was
to do anything, and to dare
anything, to gain what he wanted. He
came across to where the old man sat,
with his head on the table. and looked
at him critically; he had to steady him
self by the table as he did so, for the
room was swaying around him as he
strove to stand upright.
asleep" he muttered. "Why should
I wait; why should I not have the full
of what is offered me? This
girl-alone and friendless-out of her
mind, they say-why should not?" He
began to move unsteadily about the
room in his growing excitement. "a
lucky chance has brought me to the
very place where she is. am no milk
and-water creature, to stand aside for
questions of right or wrong; I love her
by the sheer right of conquest she is
mine. Her lover is Dead there is no
one in the world to whom she can turn.
She is 1nine-she is mine.'
He stumbled toward the door, turned
the key and pulled it open; closed it
again and went back to the table. He
picked up his glass and emptied the
fiery stuff down his throat; then made
again for the door. On the threshold of
it he paused and tried to steady himself
and to know where he was.
"Let me think-let me think. Corne-
Illus said that the room was to the right
of thistle third door. Third door!
Now, my Sleeping Beauty-no need to
run away with you-no need
He was out in the darkness of the cor