Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-03-13
CHAPTER MI.
Cornelius Meets His Match.

CHAPTER MI.
Cornelius Meets His Match.
When Mr.. George Reeks hurried away
from his house in Little Pond Street
Camden Town, on that eventful night
he left Mrs. Reeks in state of the
greatest possible flutter and alarm. In
the first place. the good lady was as
heartily tired OF the difficulties which
had beer her lot during the whole time
OF he. association with Mr.. Reeks as
was that gentleman himself-and the
$500 was tempting amount. 1t
| spelled good fare and good clothes; eV-
cry coin of it rang knell to brokers
and duns forever. But on the other
hand, Mrs. Reeks continued to be as
sailed by those pricks of conscience
which had stirred into life on the pre-
vious day.
She bitterly regretted that that
| strange ledger had ever entered the
house; she would have given much to
| have got back to the days when little
| George Reeks, struggled on to earn Two
| shllings here. or half a crown there, as
! commission for mysterious sales ana
| other things when they We're desperate
| " poor. indeed. but when their hands
| were clean and mystery had never
| spread cloudy wings over their house.
| Morestha all, 1.-THE wifely feelings OF
| Mrs. Eeeks We're reused at the thought
| OF Danger to her husband; in her ment-
al vision she saw him pursued by sl-
| santic policeman: she even had Wis
| ion OF hir, with the & 500 in his hands,
| lrirped UP by footpads, or brutally as
| saulted by highway robbers. In an az
| ony of dread ard contritior she paced
| the house from top to bottom, counting
| the slow minutes until her husDano
should appear.
| The time wore on. and grew into the
| small hour, of the morning; and sl!ll
the little street failed to echo to the
| brisk footsteps OF Mr.. George Reeks. AT
! last Mrs Keel1s, wound up to pitch of
ais olutr desperation by her tarrors.
could stand it no longer; she hurriedty
put on a cloak and bonn-t and sailed
out to find him. and, if possible, to give
him safe conduct home.
Il always said I ought to have been
| the man. muttered MS. Reeks to her
self. as she sped along through the ST.
lent streets. I'd like to see them get
anything out of me in hurry: But,
| there-GeoIge always was that weak
anyone could twist him round their fin
gers
Whether Mrs. Reeks meant to suggest
! th.l: she had carried out that twisting
process successfully on her OWL account,
| she did not say. She set her face
straight for Rckerby's Folly and made
| for it at great rate. AS she went
| along. memories of that other occasion
| on which she had gone to the same
| place in search of her husband swept
| over her. an unworthy suspicion as
| sailed her-that the little man might
have been detained on another of those
| Qu:xotic affairs connected with young
and forlorn female: the thought of it
| frightened the lips of Mrs. Reeks and in
! creased her speed.
| Coming in the dead Of that strange
night to the outside of Rickerbys Folly,
| Mrs. I;eeks suddenly grew cautious.
| She remembered that on tie last Occa-
| sion she had failed 20 find her husband
| simply because she had gone, in a
straightforward manner, to the house
| AMI asked for him: Oh this occasion she
| deter mined to make whatever search
Was Necessary on her own account.
| There was wild thought in her mind
that she might be able to scale the wall,
| if no one came along to catch ner in the
! act. Perhaps there was a spice Of ro-
| nance hidden away somewhere in the
| breast of Mrs. Reeks; perhaps she
| ought. as she mad said, to have been of
| that stronger sex to which nature had
! denied her admission. However, being,
| after all. practical woman of the nine
| tenth century, she thought it possible
that way in might be found by the
| gate. although, as she had heard it I'M
locked on the previous occasion, that
seemed scarcely likely.
| Blu. fortunately or unfortunately for
Mrs. Reeks. it had happened that the
opening of the gate that night had been
| left TO ;"mima. end that wise old wo-
| man. being uncertain as to what would
| happen. or how necessary it might be
| TO. someone to make rapid exit from
the place. had omitted to turn the key.
So that Mrs. Reeks after fumbling for
moment or two at the latch. felt the
| gate yield under her touch. and slipped
| quickly through into the garden.
AT this point Mrs. Reeks found her.
| self i'll a strange land: She knew no.
| whether to turn to right or to left-was
| equally uncertain as 10 whether or not
| he husbands mission had failed or
| succeeded. and what her reception
might be if she walked boldly up to the
house. But once again that romantic
streak in her character saved her: she
tho ugh. of all the heroines of whom she
had read who crept about In dark
places usually in gorgeous evening raj
menU and stabbed or Kissed their way
successful through countless dangers
With her heart beating somewhat tu-
multue usl! Mrs. Reeks crept towards
the dark outline OF the house withou,