Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. a ‘<4 ’ - 1* . . = . Bah !” said the old man, “he did not hesi-| with a shriek of horror, he let go his hold of the tate to disgrace you by this act ; he did not stop to think of the pain and injury he would inflict on you,” sing Spt ““No—no ; but ”—— “But he did it; he rushed into the crime. Will you be worse than he if you consent to my wishes? No, better a thousand times, for you will save him.” “Is there no other way? Oh! there is, there must be,” she cried. ‘“ None—emphatically none!” said the man. “Consent, and I place this forged cheque in your hand—refuse, and, by all the devils in hell, I will prosecute him with the utmost rigour of the Jaw. ‘Take your choice. Be mine for one short hour, or be widowed for years by your accursed obstinacy.” ; ‘““ Mercy, sir—mercy !” ‘*T have said, consent, or reject my proposals ; I give you one minute to decide whether you wil save or destroy your husband.” And the hoary headed old sinner took his gold watch from his pocket, and held it in his hand. Lo and fro before that little table, wringing her hands in agony, paced that trembling woman, the tears streaming copiously from her eyes, and her bosom rising and falling like a stormy sea. | And through the slit in the blind gazed the masked figure on the coping stone, but his hands were clutching the framework of the window, -and his breath came thick and short through his repulsive mask. “Damn him !” he muttered to himself, “ people look upon me as a villain, but they know not what villainy is. The hoary-headed scoundrel! But [Il spoil his play as sure as I am called Spring-heeled Jack.’ The minute passed away, and the man at the table placed the watch in his pocket, and leaped to his feet. - , | “Your answer !” he exclaimed; “ yes or no?” The woman turned towards him, pale as death, and with a look so imploring that none but a fiend could have resisted that mute appeal. ‘‘ Spare me—spare him !” she gasped. “Have you decided ?” ““ For the love of heaven !” she pleaded. But the man stopped her by an impatient gesture. ‘‘ For the last time,” he said, “‘ I ask you, have you decided? Task no more, and on your answer depends his fate.” There was that in the tones of the speaker that assured both the agonized woman and the anxious listener that he was determined, and that no appeal, no prayer, could alter his resolve. The woman shuddered, looked into his face, dropped her eyes to the floor, and gasped forth in tones so piteous, so yearning, that it seemed as if her heart’s strings burst with the effort— “To save him I must—I must consent !”’ Then a groan broke from her lips, and she staggered and would have fallen, but the arms of the now smiling libertine encircled her waist. “You are mine!” he said. And with a grin of devilish triumph on his face, he bore her towards the bed. ~ But a crash caused him to pause and turn, and young woman, who fell insensible to the floor. There, before him, stood a figure which caused his heart to almost stand still, every drop of blood in his veins to run through their channels like icy water ; his iron-gray hair fairly stood on end, whilst his eyeballs, distorted by terror, seemed about to burst from their sockets. With such terror was he seized that his knees knocked together, and the cry upon his lips was stifled by his tongue cleaving with horror to his mouth, whilst large drops of perspiration stood in beads upon his now colourless face. “Villain! villain!” came in hollow tones from that hideous mouth. : The next moment the long claws of the ter- es visitor seized his throat, and lacerated the esh. : Then a shriek of horror escaped the man’s lips, a shriek so wild and piercing, that it almost caused his strange visitor to relax his hold, and then down he fell upon his knees on the floor, beside the insensible woman. ‘* Mer—mer—mercy !"’ he gasped. ‘*As much as you showed to her,” said the fearful looking stranger. “Mercy ! I—I meant no harm, I”—— “Liar!” “Upon my!” i Hold! wretch! give me that cheque, or I wil 2) ‘* No, no,” gasped the terror-stricken wretch— ‘““spare me—spare me. ‘There—there is the cheque—take it, but spare me—oh! spare me.” With trembling hands the man took the cheque from his waistcoat pocket, and held it up to Jack, who in an instant tore it from his hold, and thrust it into his breast. Then, with an exclamation of contempt, he kicked the man aside, and stooped over the in- sensible woman. ‘‘ Poor thing!” he muttered; “ Iam not.so bad after all.” - The shivering wretch crawled towards the door of the apartment on perceiving that his strange and fearful visitor was paying no heed to him, by an effort he sprang to his feet, and opening the door, bounded from the room, screaming for help with, all his might. Jack seized the girl in his arms, and raised her from the floor, | ‘““Curse the fellow,” he said, ‘*I wish I had choked him.” There was the quick opening of doors, and voices were heard inquiring what was the matter. ‘“ It’s Spring-heeled Jack!” exclaimed a voice. ‘‘T was told he was about—where is he ?” ‘Tn my room !”’ “Tl have a shot at him!” said the other. “Will you, my fine fellow!” muttered Jack, bearing the girl to the window, and tearing down the blind. Thrusting the window back (which opened inwards) to its full extent, he sprung with her upon the copine-stone, and cast one look below. He could hear the footsteps of two persous hurriedly ascending the stairs, and one of them exclaiming— “ He has robbed me, shoot him—shoot him ! ” Grasping the young woman firmly in his arms, Se a COMM HOOKS COM