Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-02-06

her shoulders. Outside. in the little
narrow hall, they found Mrs. Reeks
waiting in the dark. that lady avertei
her face when she caught sight OF Olive,
and. remained tDnily indifferent to- the
departure. But at the last moment,
when his hand IA actually upon the
oGter door, Nugent Leathwood came
back and whispered swiftly In the ear
Of Mrs. Reeks. "a #ta
Say what you like TO your husband
about this--or say nothing at all, just
as you think best. Bat tell him that I
expect the papars ne is to bring me
within two days from ibis time. Lee
gally, they are mine: but he shall have
the reward I promised If ne lets me
have them by that time; after that /
win take means % force them from him
and he will get nothing @
Before the startled Mrs. Reeks had
time 10 formulate a reply. or to ask any
questions, Nugent Leathwood and the
girl were gone ami the door had closed
Sekind them. Mrs. Reeks picked Up the
candle and went into tire little sitting
room and sat down.
Then for the first time, when 1t was
too late, she began to realize what she
heto III C1-d " bV = 49,
frightened. She began to understand,
from those concluding words her mystic
rious visitor a used, that both he and
the girl were, in rome 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
z.a. 49,. 49, - -, r1n1n tn that
virtuous feeling of indignation with
which she had buoyed herself up be-
fore; she determined to brave the mat
ter out to the end.
81 don't care she said TO herself; IF
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 II in such a secret,
mysterious, shoot-the-moon sort OF
fashion"
sComforted 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 a 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 n 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 y5 tia two previous days af-
feet him, that his sole feeling was one
of unmisakable hunger; he began to
wcEder what there Sas for breakfast.
Within a very short time of that first
springing out of slumber he presented
himself before Mrs. Reeks, dressed and
smiling. AID cheerfully rubbing his
hands. He remembered no more con-
corning those same exciting happen
ings thar 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 a lit
tie late this morning, my deaf"
s'Do not mention it, I beg" said Mrs.
Reeks. She had been prepared for a
wild outburst-a scene OF tumult; she
began to think, for her part, that she
had beer 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 a few moments a remarkable
change came over him. Mrs. Reeks.
who had finished her w breakfast
hours before, a seated herself oppo-
site to him. the better to attend TO his
wants, and also for a certain purpose
OF politeness, which she might have
shown to a guest. Mr.. Reeks had looked
mp at her placidly once or twice-had
nodded end smiled good-humoredly-
and had gone on with his breakfast, as
though the sight of her had given him
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 a morsel. and began to convey
tx 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!
This next moment he started to his
feet with a shout. upsetting the chair
as he did so; dacted across the room,
and stared down at the empty sofa on
which he had left the girl on the previ-
Gus night: dropped on his hands and
knees on the floor. and thrust his head
underneath the sofa. as though he fully
expected to find the girl there; started
10 his feet. and faced Mrs. Reeks.
THE girl! I brought a young lady
here-last night; where is she?"
In his excitement and hurry he was
quite unconscious OF the fact that he
held In his hand the knife he had been
using at his breakfast; he hourished 1t
Willy as he spoke, and Mrs. Reeks, de-
spite the air of brsvado she assumed,
quailed before him.
II am aware that you brought home
a young female last night, George
Reeks. You did not know that / was
aware of the ~disgraceful occurrence:
but I saw everything. This creature
has been restored to her natural and
proper guardian"
The little man sat down upon the
sofa, with his mouth wide open, and
stared helples sly at MrG. Reeks. I'll
don't understand" he said. 81 brought