The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-03-15
TOM GALLON

CHAPTER xx-tcontinued.)

CHAPTER Xx-(Continued.)
Nugent Leathwood had ceased to
swing his leg; he was sitting perfectly
still. with his eyes fixed on Gilbert Rick
srby, and with his breath laboring as
though he had been running.
II sent Ia servant into this house; !
saw him enter the gate myself. That
was not sent to %perscnate me but mere
ay as my ambassadcr-to tell you that I
was coming. 1 wanted to hear what
your reception of the news Of what l
meant to do would be. The man en-
kered the house, as 1 have said; he new
er came out again. Jemima Viewers
tell this man what you saw on the night
James Holden came to the house Win
NY message and my money"
Nugent Leathwood started then, and
turned swiftly towards the old woman;
whatever else he might have been dim
~ prepared for, he certainly was not
prepared for this. There was, too, a
certain curious alertness about the old
CLEAN in her dull eyes that
he had never seen there before.
Il 'ad bin in the b of wanderin'
about the 'ouse-toth 'cuses, in fact
might an day. for a long time" began
the cid woman. II think 1 got into the
way OF it first Wen my poor mistress
was alive. I used to creep abaut them
an watch the OLD man, SO as to tell 'er
Nvot e looked like, en- to assure 'er that
&c was we'll; she was always cravln' to
know that. I'd card Cornelius an is
master talkin', that lay, about my dear
boy comm :ome; 1 card EN- whisperin'
about what they meant to debut L
couldn't quite catch h they said"
s.Nro, To.ohoJs,s oofJ NI,,oonf fhrOl1ph
his teeth. IT told yo,l, Cornelius, mis-
chief would come Of that woman Turk
ting about the house. You said she had
40 ~wits-didn't you?"
81 'ad wits enough to be able to get
the best Of you," retorted to old wo-
,xnan AN I wanted to see my dear
boy (how her face changed and soft
.ened as she said it and a. she glanced
al CELEBRITY, IAN I waited about on the
stairs and in dark corners, on the
chance of catching first sight of i'm.
Then. when the ring came at the bell,
and the man was brought in, I saw at
once that it wasn't Master Gilbert at
all, but a stranger. I was jest turn1n'
away wen I card q frightful noise IN
the room, Inc I ran back to the door; I
peeped in, an there I saw Mr.. Leath-
wood an the strange man fightin' like
demons all over the floor, an Cornelius
an the man they call Probyn lookin
on
A dead silence was in the room as the
old woman paused for a moment; Nu-
gent took out his handkerchief and bur-
rledly wiped his forehead and the palms
of his hands. Mr.. Reeks had backed
against the wall up in a corner, and
stood there with his mouth wide open
- i-l !
Fright.
''It grows interesting, doesn't it. Cous-
In Leathwood? ?" asked Gilbert, quietly.
Eyes; very interesting for you." re-
p1ied Leathwood, with a snarl. But the
.story is not finished yet: pray proceed"
"I was toe much frightened" went on
Jemjma, ito know what to do-too
.sr.uch afraid even to cry out. But I
watched the whole timej, while they
,strsrgled i'm; I was idin' on the stairs,
In the dark, Wen they carried the body
out-Mr. Leathwood and Cornelius"
'It's a lie!" cried Cornelius, fercely.
~You shan't drag me into the business"
ooh, but they shall, though" said Nu-
gent, quickly. "We're both in this, my
old friend; you won't leave me in the
lurch; I'll take good care Of that.
They've got to prove all they say; but,
under the circumstances, we stand or
Eali together: don't forget that"
II don't know what they did with the
man they killed; I was too frightened
,to wait any longer" added Jemima.
II think I'll take up the story again."
said Gilbert. THAT body vas carried
into the deserted house next to this;
was thrust, in the hurry aid terror OF
h moment. into q cupboard. For a
little time fortune favored those who
had commj1ted the crime; a man whom
I have since learned bore the name of
Miles Probyn. probably frightened at
what hi had seen, rushed-half-mad
exith terror-ort of the house. I saw
.him-followed him. He it was who was
killed in the streets, and dying with the
name of the nan he thought a been
murdered on his lips, was buried under
that name. Oh, 1t was a clever scheme.
Nugent Leathwood; and If you had
really killed Gilbert Rickerby, it is
probable that the fraud would never
have been discovered"
Nugen Leathwood, even in this hour,
took the matter coolly enough. or ap-
peared to do so. I'm obliged to adj
mit,'' he said. that you've got the
whole thing pretty pat-whether you've
invented 1t or guessed at It,, or what
you've done. There's one thing h a
puzzles ne: where have you been hid
eng all this timer"
"As I have = said-within a dozen
yards of you," replied Gilbert; "in the
deserted house, where I lived as q boy
and where my mother died. This
faithful old woman'-he indicated Je-
NINA vecvers-"has waited upon me In
secret, during the few days ]. have been
there. You, have been outwitted. Cous-
I'm Leathwood, al every turn"
"I'm~ afraid you take too much TOT
granted, Cousin Rickerby.'' retorted NJ
gent. at is not, perhaps, worth men
tioning-a mere detail; but you have
spoken of the body of a man slowed
away in a cupboard. The story Of the
murder is probably some mad fancy OF
this PC or old woman's; but the business
OF the cupboard is a little too thin.
Doubtless, you can find the body. ana
confirm your statement? :"
ooh, yes-I can find the body" replied
Gilbert; ''but not in the place In which
you put It."
What do you mean?"
'I mean that I buried the body OF my
,nervant in the garden OF this on
the night when you nearly surprised US
ct the work-the night on which the
man Hubbard seized hold Of Q oy