The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-11-16
CHAPTER v1-(continued).

hio ~ iiSptitlOuSIy UoIiOWba llle uSt VI
this closet the week before, in order to
hang therein her Sunday gowns, whose
front breadth was covered with grease
spots. thickly overlaid with French
chalk. The French chalk had don its
work and removed the grease spots,
n now lay thickly on the floor
of the closet, but the imprisoned bride
groom did not know that, and he sat
down quite naturally to rest from his
unusual eXertions, II to reflect on
what could be done text. The immedi-
ate present passed rapidly in review.
He could not afford more han 10 min
utes TO get out of this hole. He ought
to be on the a to the church at once.
There was no knowing what nonsense
Celia might get into her head il he de-
layed. He had known her since her
childhood, and she had always scorned
him. The hold he had upon her now
was like a rope of sand, but only he
knew that. If he could but knock that
old door down. IL he only hadn't hung
up his coat in the closet! If the man
who built the house only hadn't put
such a fool catch on the door! When
he got out he would take time to chop
1T off! II only he had a little more
room, and a little more air! 1t was
stlflingt Great beads OF perspiration
went rolling down his hot forehead, and
ms wet collar made a cool band about
his neck. He wondered if he q an
other clean collar of that particular
style with him. If he only could get
out of this ~accursed place! Where were
all the people? Why was everything
SO still? Would they never come and
let him out?
He reflected that he had told the lam
itor he would occupy the room with his
baggage for two or three weeks per-
haps, blu he expected to go away on a
trip this very evening. The ~janitor
would not think it strange If he did
not appear. How would it be to stay
here n die? Horrible thought
He jumped up from the floor and
began his howlings and gyrations once
more, but soon desisted, and sat down
to be entertained by Il panorama of his
past life. which is always u~npleasantly
In evidence at such times. Fine n
clear IN the darkness of the closet stood
out the nicely laid scheme of deviltry
by which he had contrived to be at last
within reach of a coveted fortune.
occasionally would come the frantic
thought that just through this little
mishap of a foolish clothespress catch
he might even yet lose it. The fraud
and trickery by which he had an heir
ess In his power did not trouble him
SO much as the thought OF losing her
at least of losing the fortune. He must
have that fortune, for he was deer in
dept, and-but then he would refuse to
think, and get up to batter at his pris-
on door again.
Four hours his prison walls enclosed
him., with inky blackness all around
save for a faint glimmer Of light, which
marked the well fitted base Of the door
as the night outside drew on. He had
lighted the gas when he began dressing.
Tor the room had already been filed
with shadows, and now, 1t began to
seem as II that streak of Pickering gas
light was the only thing tina saved him
from losing his mind.
Somewhere from ont OF tho dim cbod-
ows q face evolved itself and gazed at
him, q haggard face with piercing hol-
low eyes and despair written upon it.
II reproached him with a sin he thought
long Forgotten. He shrank back in hor-
ror and the cold Precipitation stood out
upon his forehead, for the eyes were
the eyes OF the man whose name he
q forged upon a note involving trust
money ID years before; and the man. a
quiet. kindly. u-nsuspecting creature had
suffered the penalty in a prison cell I'M
I'll his. death soroe five years ago.
Sometimes at night in the frst wears
after his crime, that face had haunted
him, appearing at odd intervals when
he was plotting some particularly shady
means. OF adding to his income. until he
had resolved to turn owe a new leaf,
and actually CAV up one or two
schemes as being too unscrupulous to
be INDUCED In, thus acquiring q COM
forting feeling Of being virtuous. But
II was long since the face had come,
He had settled 1t in his mind that the
forgery was merely a patch OF wild
oats which he had sown in his youth,
something to be regretted, but not too
severely blamed for, and thus forgivine
himself he had grown to feel that it
was more the worlds fault for not Civ
ing what he wanted than his own for
putting q harmless old man In prison.
or the shame that had killed the old
ma he knew nothing, nor could have