Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1015 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

a CHAPTER IV, LELANDS PROPOSAL, THE YOUNG WAITER, ‘*Marry you? Never! I would rather bein my poor father’s grave. Itis revolting to think of marriage with any one, just now. It would be always revolting to me to think of marriage with you.” The speaker, a blue-eyed, graceful girl, just budding into early womanhood, pointed as she spoke toward the drawing-room door, Though = with grief, her momentary anger only en- anced her rare and radiant beauty. **T think you had better go at once,” she added, The man she addressed rose from his attitude of entreaty, with malevolent looks darting from his hard eyes. His sinister features showed mortification mixed with anger, and he bit his moustache nervously, But with an effort he diverted his show of passion into a bitter smile. ** Well, Agnes,” he replied, ‘‘ you certainly need a protector. I was in hopes you would take me, Itis true we are cousins, yet our mar- riage, even at this sad time, would enable me to look out for your interests and keep together the scattered wealth that was your father’s,” **T tell you frankly, Cousin De Lancy, I[ have no confidence in you; neither had my father. He was always op to my marrying you, although he befriended you often enough.” ‘* But he is dead now, and I am your legal oS and the administrator on your estate. ou area minor. I thought it would simplif matters if we married, The commodore evi- dently thought my head was level or he would not haveleft me in charge of you and yours,” **T do not believe he really did, This is some _ vile scheme of yours to revenge yourself on me because you were under heavy obligations to my father in Wall street.” Leland’s eyes flashed ominously. ‘¢'You are not only a weak, silly girl,” be hiss- ed angrily, ‘‘ but your mind seems to be already affected by grief over your father’s awful death. Others have also noticed this, You are notonly a child, incapable of managing your affairs, but you should be watched and restrained, lest you do something unwise, or worse.” ‘* You are a fool, cousin, to talk to me like this. You will impose on no one by such slan- ders as these,” ‘*Those gentlemen who saw you yesterday, Agnes, are physicians. You remember how cautiously, yet persistently, they questioned you? Your wild, angry replies, your flighty behavior, were carefully noted. Do you know what these men have done?” ‘*T know that they seemed impertinent and presuming. What business had they here?” ‘They were here to certify to your unsound- ness of mind,” ‘*Good Heavens! And yet you would marry me! Are you really anxious to marry a crazy person, De Lancy?” In spite of her visible alarm he saw that she had penetrated the hollowness of his various as- sertions, and the knowledge added to his anger by increasing his confusion. ‘*Tt is all a base conspiracy,” she added, as if ee **God help me! Where will it en ‘*Tt will end in your doing as I say, Agnes,” he blustered, ‘‘ Otherwise, I shall use my legal authority to have you conveyed to an asylum until your reason is restored,’ ‘*My reason! I used to suspect that you were a villain. Now I know you are one. ve the room! I wish to be alone.” ** Not until you have promised to be my wife. Then ail will be well, Otherwise, as [ said, Doctor Studley’s private retreat is your only refuge, perhaps for years, perhaps for life,” A slight scream was the response to this heart- less alternative, then Agnes sunk intoa chair, buried her face in her hands and burst into tears, Then came a knock on the door, which at once opened and a very young man ina waiter’s garb, with a napkin thrown over his arm, appeared, He was a medium-sized, thin-faced youth of swarthy complexion, with long, curling black hair, One rather odd thing about him for a waiter was that he worea of smoked glasses, as if his eyes were weak. ** Luncheon is served, ma’am,” he said to Miss Sutherland. ‘* What do you mean by entering here unbid- den?” demanded Leland roughly. ‘' Leavesthe room!” ** He shall not go!” said the girl en tically. ** His presence will at least protect mae fete tur. ther insult,” Leland looked knowing, as if her use of such pronounced language before a servant might be <j adduced as further evidence of her alleged*men- tal unsoundness, then he took up his hat, ‘Well, he may remain,” he assented, ‘ But you have heard my ultimatum.” He drew close and whispered. ‘‘If by this time to-morrow you donot consent to my proposal, the other means I spoke of shall beat once employed. I am your guardian and I have full authority.” Then to the waiter. ‘‘Outof my way, fellow!” Mr. Leland strode from the room, jum into his private hansom and drove rapidly to bisclub, Had he been aware that this same Italian-looking servant had been listening at the keyhole for several minutes previous to his entrance, proba- bly the commodore’s nephew would have been yet more angry than he was, Agnes, who had plunged into sad reflection upon her cousin’s withdrawal, at length raised her eyes, She had forgotten the waiter for the moment, He was regarding her respectfully, Something in his manner inspired confidence, and she felt very helpless and friendless just te notwithstanding her brave words to Le- After the commodore’s burial, her cousin’s forged letters of guardianship and administrator- ship had been recognized by the surrogate, so deftly had Leland done his work, and he had at once assumed the legal control over her affairs which he claimed to be authorized to have. As she was just out of school, and with but few in- timate friends in New York, notwithstanding her father’s high position, she found the strange- ness of her situation equaled only by its apparent helplessness, Under plea of the disagreeable associations connected with the murder, Leland had per- suaded Agnes to go to another house that was in charge of her father’s butler, who was a crea- ture totally under Leland’sinfluence. This man controlled the under-servants, and asthings were now arranged, every movement of the girl was watched and reported. Nowondershe felt hope- less. Her father’s murderer was undetected, she and her property were in Leland’s hands, there were no friends near by sufficiently cog- nizant of her situation to interferethat she knew of, and she herself had only recently returned from a three-years’ absence at a distant school in New England, Still looking at the waiter, she approached him slowly, while a wan smile replaced the brooding melancholy that had characterized her aspect. **- You look to meas if you mizht be trusted,” she saidin a wonderfully winning voice, with a suggestion of sadness ih its tone that affected the youth greatly, although be gave no sign, **Do you think 1 may trust you?” CHAPTER V. THAT CROSS-EYED BUTLER, THE COAL-HOUSE. THE waiter regarded the commodore’s daugh- ter so ardently that, perhaps, it was well that his glasses concealed his eyes. ‘*] am gure you may trust me,” he replied earnestly, ‘‘If you will let me bring your luncheon into the library and wait on you there, I will prove to you that I am sincere.” Though she did not reply in words, she moved toward the room in question and the waiter retired, In a moment or two he re- appeared bearing a tray covered with eatables which he rather clumsily arranged on a sma table, Then he opened a bottle of claret, Ag- nes, wearily watching, smiled slightly. ‘** You do not appear to be a practiced hand,” she ventured to say. ‘‘Perhaps not, miss,” returned he, plccing a chair for her then drawing back. ‘‘ But waiting on tables is not what I am really here for. Lam here to serve you! See?” The girl almost screamed as she beheld bim divest bimself, not only of his glasses but his ebony curls, disclosing close-cropped light hair, and keen gray eyes that did not seem to be at all weak. Suddenly she grew pale. ** Do you recognize me?” he asked. ‘* You—were—” ‘Yes; [am the young reporter who was ar- rested by mistake on the night of your father’s death.” ‘‘T thought you were when you removed the ore reng felt all the time that you were not uilty. ‘* But I lost my Place, all the same, through that very blunder. ‘‘ Poor fellow!” Thissympathetically, ‘*‘ And then Jou had to become a servant, I sup- Pe L didn’t have to, but I chose to in order to secure another position,” The Reporter-Detective’s Big Pull. ** Another position?” Agnes looked up fron: the luncheon she was pretending to eat. “L fear I do not exactly understand.” ‘* Yes, to secure another position—one that will enable me to—to protect you.” The girl dropped her knife and fork. ** Don’t you see?” Tom added, earnestly. “If I can succeed in protecting you from those who wish todo you harm, my reward will be ample for having had to appear as a servant. If I add to this that I hope to find out the real mur- derer of your father, then—” ‘* Yes, then—” joined in Agnes, eagerly, for she was already infected by his confidence in himeelf, ** Why, then I might get back my old job on the newspaper again.” At this they both laughed, and the assumed waiter again put on his disguise and stood at the back of her chair as he related to her most of the events with which the reader is already familiar. From the first the almost friendless girl trusted him implicitly. “Then,” continued Boland, ‘‘when 1 saw what this cousin of yours was up to, I made up my mind that I would devote my energies to saving youif I could; that is, if you authorized me to goahead, You can always count on Tom Boland,” ‘*T believe in you,” she said, rupreayet S ‘* And I will confide in you. Rich as I am, in money matters, I am poor in friends; true friends, 1 mean.” ‘*You will never have a truer one than [, miss. Please believe that. Now I will take these dishes down or I may be suspected, That cross-eyed butler is terribly suspicious, He hired me only yesterday, but [am onto his lit- tle game, already. You must do nothing what- ever until you see me again.” Boland started, stopped, put down his tray and respectfully ki the young lady’s hand— a proceeding she but faintly resisted, though blushing brightly the while. Then he hurried out, while Agnes, leaving the library, went fly- ing up-stairs, eanwhile, in a room below, a cross-eyed man had been listening at the flue leading to the library register, which was open, and every word uttered by the two young people had been heard by him a his unseen auditor now drew a long breath and slowly scratched his head. ; eh Well, I will be cursed!” he at length ejacu- ted It was the butler, who was the trusted spy and servitor of De Lancy Leland! He was a husky-voiced, bald-headed, broad-faced man, who usually walked about as if he were step- ping on eggs. ‘*T must look into this,”he muttered, as he glided softly toward the kitchen, where the new waiter was just setting down his dishes, ‘ Tony,” said the butler, ‘‘ come with me out to the coal- house. There is something there we must set to rights,” He led the way to a small out-building at the further end of the back yard and unfastened the door, which was a heavy one and secured by a strong padlock, ‘*In with you, Tony,” he dinéoted pcos to a pile of coal at the furtherend, ‘‘ We must get this coal into the house first, Then—” Tom, who had unsuspectingly entered, heard the butler’s words interrupted by a slamming-to of the door. As he wheeled round the lock snapped and he realized all at once that he was a prisoner! ‘‘Open that door,” he shouted, then flung his whole weight against it, ‘‘Openit, say!” ’ Bat the strong lock would not yield, He beard the butiler’s sullen laugh echo dismally. The sound enraged the lad, and he again exert- ed his whole strength upon the door, at the same time shouting: ‘¢ You had better let me out, else there will be trouble,” ‘* Better take it easy, until master comes,” said the butler from without. ‘‘ Holijerin’ won’t help e one bit, Master will talk to you better than Fan, Mister Tom Boland.” ” ‘‘Ruchered, by the Lord Harry!” ejaculated om, “<x say,” called the butler, as he chuckled slowly. ‘*Next time you want to talk with the young missus, coe you'd better close the re- r. He-he-he!” Then he went away, and for several long hours the young man fumed, fretted and tried in vain to extricate himself, But the out-house was of brick and as strong 4s @ prison. At last he crouched down in one corner and waited in sul- len silence, while the daylight slowly waned and the night approacbed, e street-lamps were 900 Le Ee —_ ~ 1 lhe of oo he ‘ ; p ¢ 4 : ‘ ‘ ‘ | | Tat (I | | y ‘ t : a 4 * r - < TAT YS.