Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1019 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

—F ae. 5 ee eee tn ee curiosity akin to that of Doctor Hazeltine earlier iu the evening, ‘*T have heard a good deal,” said the captain, laying hishand on the pistol at his hip; ‘‘ and it is now time I saw something. There it is, sure enough!” Stirring the fire with his foot, he filled the room with a brighter glow, but found when looking toward the figure that it had gained nothing more than an additional distinctness of outline, Up to this moment it was motionless, as if it were a picture of the night painted against the window-panes; but the sailor now observed something like a movement on the part of the hooded figure as if it were trying vainly to lift itsarm beneath the cloak, The vague motion continued until the right arm was freed from the strangling folds, and then the gesture be- came a warning one, consisting of a slow, wav- ing motion made by raising and lowering the arm several times, Bayard did not know, nor did he care, what meaning the apparition was seeking to convey. He felt inan ugly mood, and, but for the dread of killing some miserabla fool who was trying to play upon his fears, he would have sent the contents of bis pistol into the figure, “Pll give him warning,” he concluded con- scious of a deepening of his owa resentment; **and, if he don’t heed it, he must take the con- sequences and it will be his own fault,” he captein was an admirable pistol-shot, and, at that distance could plant nineteen bul- lets out of twenty intoa space an inch square, He knew the Thing wagat his mercy. Laveling bis larger weapon, be said: : ‘*Pilgive you just one minute to leave, and, if you don’t, ll put a bulletthrough you.” The form became as motionless as himself, **I give you warning,” added the captain, ‘if an jaon't depart before I count three, Vil re, All this time the arm of the sailor was extend- ed, pointing like the finger of fate straight at the apparition, which was as motionless as the weapon itself, Captain Bayard proved his deadly earnest- nes3 the next moment, ‘*One! Two! Three!” The last word was bardly uttered, when crack went the pistol, and the jingle of g'ass left no doubt whither the bullet had gone, ‘Tne sailor looked to see an upthrowing of the arms, to hear the appalling shriek, as the shroud- ed figure threw itself, dying, tothe ground; but it stood as immovable as the trunk of the oak a few paces beyond, and with the fractured win- dow-pane showing that the bullet bad pierced tbe glassexactly in front of where the face had oO, “f hit it!” whispered Bayard to himself, ‘“but it is unharmed! It must be that disem- bodied spirits do return to earth! This house is haunted! The crime that stained its walls was ri dreadful to allow itself to be forgotten! ‘The apparition was now seen to be oscillating again, butslowly sinking downward, as if about to disappear into the earth. The sailor kept bis eyes riveted onit, until the head bad passed below the line of sight, when be dashed forward and threw up tho sash, It was Zone as utterly, as though it never existed! But where, he could not guess. It had sunk downward, but below the captain’s eyes thera was nothing, so far as he could judge, that could conceal anything of that nature, ‘‘ Never was my hand steadier nor my aim tru -r,” said the sailor, “ and the Thing was hit fairly yet was not barmed,” He walked moodily back to the fire, reloading the barrel, so that he had three shots at his com- mand, and then debated with himself what was the best thing to do, The burring embers behind him fell apart, and the wind moaned and sighed outside, but the wondrous music had long since ceased, ‘‘T wonder, whether it has left for good, or will it makeanother call—” Could he believe his senses? There stood the ghostly visitant, just as he had seenit a short time before, but it was new infrontof the other winiow. It was swaying more violently than at the first appearance, with a waltz like movement, as if seeking to tantalize the spectator, who began tu feel an emotion akin to genuine fear. . “Viltry it again!”he muttered, bringing his weapon to a level, ‘‘and I'll give it the benefit of a warning the same as before.” It was one! two! three! and the bang and — of glass, with the certainty that the bul- et had sped straight to itsmark. Tbe oscillat- ! es oe —_— oo _ SY OOororrvwO098m|1CCO ing movement lasted a minute or two and then the phantom seemed this time to float off and upward in the air, vanishing like a feather borne by a strong wind, Captain Bayard stood awhile, with smoking pistol in band, staring at the second window- sash, asif strving to make sure whether he was dreaming or awake, He had surely seen enough to unnerve the bravest man that ever confronted danger. He had expected, when he entered the upper win- dow of the Haunted House, to undergo some singular experiences, but ho never thought it possible that anything like this could take place, He bad set out with the strange resolve to pene- trate the mystery of a hundred years and had been baffled at every point. At the very mo- ment when, assured in his own heart that he had solved the wonderful secret, he was confronted by a new danger which lauzhed him to scorn, It was a danger, too, which he felt bimself unequal to face. He had been met and con- quered, ‘*That man is &@ madman who fizhta against fate,” he concladed, seizing his hat from the lounge, and shoving the half-discharged pistol back in his pocket, Then, throwing up the win- dow, be leapel out upon the ground, and, with- out pases to recover his heavy Cane, or 80 much as to look behind him, hurried off, heed- less of the directon he was pursuing, CHAPTER VII. A 8TRANGE MEETING, As might be expected, when Captain Bayard left the Haunted House in such blind haste, he took the wrong course, Every step led him further from the main hichvavy, which he meant to follow to Buzzard’s Roost, thence to sail for some distant port, never to return to his native Jand again, Not until be found himself on the border of an extensive and deep wood, did he pause and look around him. The air had grown cooler, and something of his old assurance came back to him, ‘‘l wonder where I am?” he mused, looking about and striving in vain to recoznizs soma familiar landmark, ‘‘ When I was a boy, it would have been impossible to lose me within twenty miles of Buzzard’s Roost, but I believe I’m beyond soundings now, — ‘* However,” he added, ‘*I can’t be so far lost that l won't find my way back pretty soon, told the boys to wait for me at tha tavern, and by this time they are in such a condition that Pil have hard work getting them to the schoon- er, ; The gloomy seafarer was walking slowly along, when he emerged into a small clearing, Jarge enough, however, to be lit up by the light of the moon, Ags he naturally paused, he ob- served thata figure on the other side had also halted, and doubtless from the same cause—'* sigbt of a stranger. With an astonishment which perhaps may be imagined, he recognized the other as a young lady, who was coming directly toward him. She was attired in a light, fleecy dreas, with a white shawl drawn about her shoulders and no covering for her head, The hair, fine, silken and extraordivarily luxuriant, descended far below her waist, spreading out and inclosing her figure like an Astrachan robe, while the pale and wonderfuily beauteous face rtartled Captain Bayard, who half suspected that one of the spirits from the Haunted House had follow- ed him into the wood, Perhaps a dozen feet separated the young persons when they recognized each other at the same moment. In a low, tremulous voice he pronounced the name: ‘© Muriel !” For one instant she looked at him without speaking, and then a strange quivering seized her slight frame. She coverea her face with her hands and seemed on the point of sinking to the earth, when he sprung forward in time to save her. He gently drew the small white hands from before the countenance and gazed at the marvel of beauty, while she, raising her eyes, tremulous with love and melting with af- fection and sorrow, asked: ‘Ono, Burd! have you come back from the grave—at last—at last?” And yet, though their lips had met hundreds of tines, and though his head. almost touched hers, he simply held her in bis arms, both weighed down by a grief such as few mortals are called upon to bear, **T heard you call me,” she said, ‘* but they would not let me go to you; but I watched and saw which way you went and followed you.” ‘“‘And who are ‘they’ that you speak of?’ asked Captain Bayard, She shuddered as she answered: ** Don’t ask me again; [ cannot tell you,” ‘*T will not, dearest; think no more about it, but tell me why you followed my footsteps,” ‘* Because I heard you call me; why did you do so?” ‘*T can hardly tell; my experience in that heuse is like some wild dream; I thought it was your spirit that had returned to me,” ‘*Tell me, Burd, where you have been all those long years since you went away,” **On that dreadful night when 1 fied likea hare before the hounds, a few friends stood by me and helped me out of the country. You know I had been on the sea before, and my sl +31 was of great assistance to me, I got along so well that more than a year ago | was given command of the Albatross, I thought when I leftin such haste that [ never would want to- set eyes on Buzzard’s Roost again, for 1 have no living relatives; tut tue desire to Jearn eome- thing about tho people, and especially about you, led me to thrust my neck into the halter again,” ‘* And when did you come?” she asked, raising those wonderful eyes of hers and looking him straight in the face, ‘*{ sailed up the Chesapeake yesterday, and anchored off Buzzard’s Roost a short time be- fore sunset, On my way, I met Pompey, the servant, and Dr, Hazeltine, from whom I learn- ed that Colonel Haven had been dead more than gix months.” ‘* Yes,” replied Muriel, ‘‘ hedied with his arms around my neck and whispering words of love in my ear,” ‘** Then all was forgotten and—forgiven?” ‘*‘Tam not so sure,” she repiied with singular calmness, ‘‘ A part of the time his mind wan- dered and he appeared to forget about the— trouble, and believed that he and I wereas we were before it came upon us. I strove to recall itto him, for 1 could not bear to have him de- part with auy feeling of harshness in his beart toward me; but the years were forgotten and he called me‘ Baby Muriel,’ just as be used to do when I was a little child and he held meon his knee, He thought [ had come to him for my embrace and good-night, as I always did uvtil thattrouble,.” The maiden’s own seuteuces recalled so vivid- ly that last scene of all that she was overcome and unable to speak for some minutes, Captain Bayard still held ber in his arms, and ba uttered soothing words until she became herself again. ‘* Forgive me, Muriel, but I am anxious to know all, Wasthere no time during bis dying moments when he mentioned tae trouble between us? Did he make no reference to me?” ‘* Yes; afew seconds of light seemed to glim- mer on him and he pronounced your name, but alas! it was with no feeling of forgiveness, and I cannot help thinking that, had his mind re- mained clear, he would have spurned me also from him,” ‘‘ You are wrong,” urged the captain, anxious to remove this dreadful doubt from the heart of the daughter; ‘‘ it was his affection for you that could be restrained no longer, Let no such mis- take enter your thougbts, But,” added the young man, in a sterner voice, ay ho gently re- leased the willowy form, ‘‘as it is, I have no right to hold you insuch fond embrace, Ibad hoped, in spite of Dr. Hazeltine’s hard words, that all might have been made clear to Colonel Haven before he departed, and that he had withdrawn his harsh condemnation of an inno- cent man, Jt has been said that the last min- utes of a person’s life are sometimes divinel illuminated, that the mists clear from h vision and he is permitted to see things as they are, but Colonel Haven died with his mind clonded or—” Captain Bayard hesitated to utter the bitter words in his soul. Herebelled against the great wrong he had suffered, but he must spare the stricken child, who stood looking at him with the same frightful calmness of face and manner she had displayed during most of this strange interview, This unnatural quiet alarmed the lover, who resolutely forced back the hot words struggling for utterance, Then she spoke: ‘** He believed you guilty; mother believed you uilty, but I never for a second suspected you; s not that enough?” “No,” he replied flercely; ‘‘ what uvail is that tome? You have held the same faith always, but the insurmountable barrier remains, It is an impassable gulf!’ he added, pointing to the ground between them,