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

you are satisfied. Ivr made G pretty
good fight for it--but the laugh is with
you, at last. What are you going to
do?"
II must not be supposed for a mo-
ment that a man of the character or
Nugent Leathwood meant to be beaten
quite SO easily. Even while he spoke,
and while his careless eyes drifted
around the room, his mind was going
carefully over every loophOle OF escape
now here, now there. Remorse for
anything he had done was not in him;
put him face to face with Gilbert Rick
erby alone, and he would kill him now,
IL possible, as readily as he had plotted
to kill him before.
at intend 70 hand you over to justice"
replied Gilbert. 'It has taken me a
long time to get the story pieced togeth-
err; It may be difficult for me to estao-
fish the truth as to who j really am, but
I'll do IL. AS for you-you shan't escape
be sure of that"
L~eathwood shrugged his shoulders
mo: / expect you've got me pretty
tight he said. In his W mind ne
had settled pretty clearly n he was
TO do-had seen a way out of this thing
But, since you've won." he ADDED
grant me a favor"
What is it?'
IT am quite capable of taking on my
own shoulders the burden OF anything j
have done" said Leathwood. Il spoke
lust now of dragging this unfortunate
old man-merely a tool In my hands
into the business. That was wrong; L
frankly admit it. There--Tn confess.
If Won like. that I killed this servant OF
you believing the man was GILBERT
Rickerby. it's done, and / must pay
the price. But this old man should not
be punished for the fault of his master;
let him CO.
Cornelius appeared quite to indorse
this opinion; he looked expectantly at
Gilbert 1T am. really. a very old a
Mr.. Rickerby.'' he whined. and / ave
a wife to think Of"
You haven't thought much OF her
hitherto" said Gilbert; but, Tor her
sake. you may go, as far as ! am con-
cerred: what the law will say to you
afterwards / don't know"
Nugent Ieathwood was visibly AFFECT
ed by this concession; he walked across
the room and seized his old servant by
the hand. IT am sorry, Cornelius" he
said, aloud. that 7 ever dragged you
into such a n affair as this. Forgive
me" Then. under his breath, In a hur-
ried whisper: "Get the old woman
away: leave me alone with him: III
settle him yet" Then, aloud: You
viii forgive me, won't your
Cornelius took his u as neatly as
II was given. Don't speak of IL, MT
Ieathwood.'' he said. In a voice of emo
ton. 'I ave bin wrong, / know. an ITS
me as ought to ask for forgiveness.
Then, in the same cautious whisper: i
understand. I'm ready for anything.
Nugent walked bact TO the table.
Again 1T occurs to me, cousin, that
friend, Mr. Reeks, here, may get into
some difficulty IL he is included, noweV-
er in~nocently. in the matter He has
been amply rewarded for any roubl
or an caused to him; he a IN
his possession $500 of your money. Let
him go; let him benefit by Il. We don't
want to drag the o fellow into such
a business as this. For Heavens sake,
cousin, let you and / face the business
together: after all, call me what you
will, I'm a man, and ! won't sneak be-
hind anyone weaker than myself. Let
Mr.. Reeks go ababout his business with
his money"
Upon my word, cousin. you're a bet
ter fellow than i gave you credit for,
and I heartily wish I hadn't such a
task before me" sad Gilbert. Let MIR.
Reeks go. by all means"
Mr.. Reeks was only toe glad TO avail
himself of the permission. He felt that
the matter was ended: he knew that in
his pocket vas the sum of money which
was to give him his chance OF starting
in the world afreSh. He picked up his
hat with alacrlty and went smilingly
towards the door.
Much obliged to you, I'm sure, gen
tleemen, he murmured. 81 could only
wish that, for the sake OF all parties,
something could be done as would re.
store harmony. but stiIl. you know.
Mr. Leathwood. It amt allowed, in a
Christian country, To go choking ones
fellow-creatures, no matter what the
motive may be. Good evening. gentle
men"
IT was the turn Of Cornelius to play
his part. With seeming timidity, he
approached Misunderstanding towards
her hesitatingly n with a certain
apologize air.
4 hnOW Il dNtn I DcSn TIE uSDdnu 4
might ave been. Mrs. W." he said; "but
IL can all be made UP for. These gen.
tlemen AVE bin good enough to give me
another chance-an' you shall see what
use I'll make OF 1t. IN do my best, Je-
mima-if you'll overlook the mistakes
/ ave made"
Jemima was absolutely knocked on
her mental balance, so to speak. for fhis
extraordinary and u~nlooked-for atti-
tude on the part OF Cornelius. She had
no time or opportunity to discover
whether he was genuine or not; the
willy old man toe her tenderly by the
arm and walked her out of the room,
apparently murmuring unaccustomed
epdearments. The door closed after
them, and Nugent Leathwood and his
cousin were left alone.
There was a long silence--a silence
which Leathwood broke. II would like
to know" he began. in a humbled voice,
what has become OF the young girl
Olive Mallory, whom I have wronged so
deeply, and who was the indirect cause
OF all this business. Us she safe?'
quite safe" replied Gilbert. I'm
fact. she Ia here now. brought her