Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-01-30
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Sc Rickerby's Folly Sc
z - BY TOM GALLON x Z
By TOM GALLON
oooooooooooo pooooooooooot

THAT WOihdu WILL iAO We SpohG q III
lie time ago. will keep her word and
rescue my dear girl from this house.
VIII you be there?"
Yes, yes. I'll be therei" exclaimed
Mr.. Reeks, with a hard pressed against
his forehead. ooh. you needn't think /
am going to fail you; only I've seen
such things tonight that this poor head
of mine is in a whirl, and / don't know
where I am. or what I'm doing. When
I came out tonight Mrs. r. assured me
that / was Gilbert Rickerby; since
then. I've seen ghosts among the trees,
and dead men, and fools in sheets, and
old women carrying lanterns, and"
There. there. never mind all tn t."
broke In Gilbert. The time will come
when all these things will be set right,
when you will forget all the tragedy of
that horrible place, and when / will not
forget how Loyalty you AVE helped me.
Good-night-until tomorrow"
So Mr.. Reeks staggered out into the
alley. thence into the streets, and
made his way home as rapidly as pos
sible.
1t was only when he actually came In
sight Of the house that he realized how
late 1t was: remembered the scene at
the garden gate bet Heen Cornelius and
Mrs. Reeks; Inc wondering how that
lady would greet him. There had been
go much to think of before that this
last most important point had slipped
hi thoughts altogether: but it pressed
itself upon him now with remarkable
urgency. He put his key In the lock
and entered as softly as POSSIBLE. Be-
fore he had fairly got inside the door
OF the sitting room was pulled open,
and Mrs. Reeks TODD looking at him.
rs that you, George Reeks?" she
asked. 1t was, of course. quite a SUI
perfluous question. seeing that Mr..
Reeks, though small. stood fully re-
vealed; hut Mrs. Reeks had to maxi a
beginning somehow and she was abso-
lutely boiling over with questions.
Yes, my love-" responded Mr.. Reeks,
meekly. Tim afraid I'm a little
late"
Mrs. Reeks mad no reply; she
turned quickly and marched back into
the sitting room. Mr.. Reeks took off
Ills outer garments, and hung them up,
and then followed his wife, ~nervously.
Arrived In the sitting room, he sank
into his chair, rested his elbows on the
table, n YEARLY covered his face with
his hands.
Mrs. Reeks was growing impatient.
She tapped her foot hurriedly, for a few
moments, on the floor, and then spoke.
in clear tones which seemed TO stab the
unfortunate man like so many knives:
George Reeks-you went out to-
night for a certain purpose known and
approved by me-"
II know. my love-I know
INJURED Reeks, without r~ncovering his
face. II wish you would be kind enough
not to mention It."
But i insist on mentioning it, Mr..
Reeks," she retorted. Are you to come
home at such an hour as this, and in
the w~oebegone condition you are in
and tell me not to mention 1t? I win
mention it, What have you been do
ing all these hoursp"
Mr.. Reeks shuddered. 81 would rath-
crunch rather-not say" he replied.
IT'S no use. my dear; / know quite
well that you are burning to know what
has happened. If I told you. you would
not believe me you'd put cooling things
on my head. or dose me with something
for incipient insanity. Therefore, /
won't attempt it. / wen III tonight
-or last night don't know which 1t
was-with the full intention of becom-
ing Gilbert Rickerby. I'm not Gilbert
Rickerby, and never shall be. I'm not
quite sure that / know who J. am: /
shouldn't be surprised If you find that
| you've married the wrong man, after
all. Don't ask me anything about it;
within a remarkably short space of
time I shall either be hanged or make
my fortune. And 1 don't know which"
With this extraordinary staterent.
\ Mr.. Reeks took up the lamp and de-
clare6 his intention of going to bed;
Mrs. Reeke. utterly at a loss what to
do with him or TO say to him, for per-
haps the first time in her life. followed
him with extraordinary docility.
There was no sleep for Mrs. Reeks
that night: she lay awake listening to
the disturbed mptterings OF her hus-
band. md striving hard 20 eennee.
them into some definite shape, and so
piece together a story to satisfy her Gu
riosity. But, although he talked Of dead
servants and live masters. and bury
ings under bushes. he made such a jum-
BILE Of Ii all, and plunged about the bed
In so wild a fashion and with such hor-
rible gurglings and SCREENINGS that
Mrs. Reeks was more than glad when
daylight fully dawned and she could get
and see about her usual household du-
ties.
"Mr. Reeks. hollow-eyed. trembling,
and shivering, came down Ut about mid
day and pretended 10 eat some break
fast. This time Mrs. Reeks. remem-
bering her previous defeat, went to
work in a more diplomatic fashion; but
an artful question or two In her light
est and most pleasing hammer But all
to no purpose; Mr.. Reeks had so fully
made up his mind not to open his mouth
that he went so far as to keep that res
olution. even in regard 10 Ills break
fast, and pushed away everything I'M
tested. Tirally. taking advantage OF
the absence of Mrs. Reeks from the
room for a moment or two. he darted
out into the hall, got his hat and coat
ard slipped out of the house. Mrs.
Reeks heard the from door bang, and
ran IN a great hurry: but too late to
stop him or ask him where he was go
Ing.