Beadle's Half-Dime Library No. 109 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

-—— “Yes, you fool. I thought your memory had ‘lipped over that period of our existence. For Heaven's sake, don’t give itaway here in Rough shod.” ‘‘ Never fear. I came here under the name of Meredith, which has been popular with me for a year or so past, but I have discarded that, since finding that there is a detective in town looking for me, and here I am in your presence, ready for any amount of parental advice.” ‘* What do you expect me to do?” the Honor- able Clancy asked, meditatively. “Oh! rig me out with a disguise, and another name. You see it isn’t safe for me to step out- side as [ am!” ** Well, I suppose I might as well help you out of this scrape; but beware! I shall not help you out of the next. There in the corner is a box containing wigs and false beards. All you have to dois to cut off your hair and mustache and don them, and your disguise will be complete with the exception of a change of clothing, which you will find in the same box. I use the outfit for masquerading sometimes, and will lend it to you until you can purchase one at the store.” “Thanks, most noble sire. I hasten to lose myself, as [ am not fond of lynch picnics, you know,” Meredith replied. He first helped himself to a swig from the Honorable Clancy’s bottle, after which he seized a pair of shears, and sheared off his hair and mustache. Selecting a long, full beard from the mayor’s tassortment, he donned it, and also a false wig to unatch; then a change of clothing followed, and he finally stood so cleverly disguised that it fmust have been a sharp pair of eyes that would 'have recognized him as the Barry Meredith who ‘had entered the cabin, a short tim> before. g ‘The disguise is good,” the Honorable Clancy said, with a nod. ‘If you do not betray your- . , 1 am of the opinion that you can success- ully effect your escape from the town, and your foes.” * But I do not intend to tear myself so abrupt- ly away,” Meredith said, coolly. ‘‘ You are »# big gun here, and can introduce me to all the n es, carry me arouud town on your arm, dine me on champagne, and in fact I can be a son of a gun to you.” ‘“Confound it, I don’t want you around. ‘You al.vays were a blunderheels, and you’d be eure to get me into a scrape through your anks.” _ “Never fear, my royal parient. Tl be as dutiful as a pet lamb to you, and even assist “you in any villainy you may have afoot.” “Then Tl test you, at once,” the father said, rrimly. ‘‘There’s one ma. in this town whom roan put under the sod, and if you want the job you can have it.” ‘Nothing would please me better, Clancy, my nabob. All you have to do is to furnish me with the geographical and lineal statistics of the chap, together with his antecedents and a Magram of his phiz, and I am truly yours to vommand!” ‘Very well. The man I want you to kill isa poe | sort of a chap, and his name is Carroll olly CHAPTER VL. A CRIME IN DARKNESS. THE night succeeding was one of most intense blackness in the mountains, except when the moon would occasionally scud out from behind a bank of clouds, for a few seconds, and cast (town her sparkles of profuse illumination. But these periodic installments of light were so un- frequent that, taken as a whole, the night was one of extreme darkness. Rough Shod’s little town lay gloomily down between the walls of its guiches, quietly repos- ing at the midnight hour, when from the rear door of the little candy-shop stole a figure wrapped in a heavy waterproof cloak, and car- rying some object in her arms—for it was a woman, and th Yates’s sister, at that. In the dead of the night, poor deluded Minnie had stolen forth, with her child in her arms, and through all the dense darkness was going to meet Barry Meredith, and let him fulfill his mises. Innocent, guileless Minnie! Even though she had been basely deceived in the polished scoundrel, she could not believe that he would write her such an affectionate und repenting letter, unless he was sincere. She was so little versed in the wickedness of the world—how should she know? — Her going-forth was quite unbeknown to her sister—dear faithful Edith, who was her pro- tector and supporter. —_ Deadwood Dick as Detective. + 9 eeu a a ee ee a a ee + ee ee ee It was Edith, when the cloud of disgrace came to mar the honor of a happy home, who had taken Minnie and her babe, and fled from home sition, friends and wealth—Edith who had owed her head to a father’s curses and a moth- er’s indignation, and with the blighted one, pushed manfully for the West. Edith had been so kind—so kind—and Minnie paused and gazed back at the shanty, hesitat- ingly. Was it right, to go without Edith’s con- sent? Was it right to go so slyly, when the poor shop-girl was fast asleep upon her pillow, after the fatigues of the day? Perhaps not, but, then—would she not soon be married to Barry, and thus be lifted from her lowly position, and provided with a name and supporter, thereby relieving Edith of the great responsibility? Temptation, thou art a deceitful demon, ever holding up a false glamour before the eyes of thy victim! How many lives thou dost ruin— how many souls defile and prepare for an un- known future punishment. It was temptation that caused Minnie to go on into the darkness, fondly pressing her child to her breast—moving along fearlessly, with eyes expectant, in hope of seeing Barry Meredith coming toward her. On, on she went, blindly, never thinking of how far she was going, but keeping on, her only thought of Meredith, and how glad she would be to see him, now that he had become a better man. On—on. The rough little mining town was left behind, and the gulch grew deeper and blacker, and the walls frowned overhead like grim sentinels of nature, Hark! at last her ear catches the sound of a footstep—then more of them, coming down the rocky bed of the gulch. ‘Barry! Barry! is it ou?’ the young moth- er cries, trembling half etween fear and de- light. ‘No response except the echo of the steps that are coming along the passage of the mountains. Is it Barry? It sounds like his step; but why does he not respond? Nearer and nearer come the footsteps, and Minnie bends eagerly for- ward; strains her eyes to penetrate into che darkness. ‘‘ Barry! Barry! is that you?” Never a word comes there back in reply, but all of a sudden there is a deep, fiendish ugh, not far ahead there in the darkness, and the explosion of a pistol awakens a thousand slum- bering echoes. Then, with a scream, Minnie Yates threw up her arms, and fell to the earth, with her babe clasped close to her breast. The bullet cf the assassin had done its deadly work for both the mother and the child, “Curse her! I killed her at first pop!” a hoarse voice muttered; then out from the dark- ness a grim form crept, cautiously, and stood beside the stricken girl. ‘‘ Ha! she had the babe with her, and one shot did for both. Good enough! I am now freed and unfettered!” After peering down a moment into the face of the dead girl, the murderer shuddered, and then skulked away into the darkness, with a horrible chuckle, While the night slumbered on, as is its wont, when the elements of nature, and nature’s people, are in repose. Slumbered on; and tho storm-clouds passed away from the face of the Heavens, to let the moon shower down her beams upon the earth, With startling distinctness they rested upon the scene of the murder—upon the white, rigid features of the dead mother and her child where — lay upon the hard, rocky bottom of the Ich, o Tho hours passed by and the night was wan- ing toward morning, when footsteps resounded through the mountain hallway, and a man approached the body as it lay ghastly in the moonlight. He started violently, ashe caught sight of the spectacle, and paused with a shudder of horror. ‘* Murder!” he gasped, with dilated eyes. ‘I heard the echo of a shot some time ago. That shot must have been the same that took off this young woman. I wonder who she is? Bears a striking resemblance to the pretty shopkeeper, Miss Yates. Can it be she is in any way relat- ed to this unfortunate woman?” For several moments Carroll Holly—for it was he—stood gazing at the sad sight; then stealthy footsteps sounded near, and he turned to find himself in the grasp of three stalwart men, while a fourth, who was none other than Clancy Adair, stood near by. eWhot is the meine cf this, gentlemen? ee a cemetery. | —— eee eee Ce —— release me at once!” Carroll cried. attempting to hur! them off. But this he was unable to do, for they quickly slipped a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. ‘‘No ye don’t, my gay young feller,” Hollo- way, the constable, said mockingly. ‘‘We cotched ye right hayr on the spot, an’ you’re ther percise game-pigeon we want, you are, my goslin’!” ‘* For God’s sake, you don’t accuse me of this crime!” Carroll gasped, horror-struck as the fw reality of his situation dawned upon him, ‘I just came along here and discovered the corpses, not half an hour ago, and was wondering what. was best to do when you came up.” ‘*Ha! ha! a clever lie, but it will avail you nothing!” Honorable Clancy Adair said, step- ping forward with a triumphant laugh, ‘‘ Car- roll Holly, you are my prisoner!” ‘** Clancy Adair!’ Carroll gasped,as he saw the man. ‘ You here?’ ‘‘Ay! I am here,” the mayor replied, with demoniac triumph in his tones—“ here to arrest and hang you for foul murder. Bring bim along, constable, and we will jug him till the termination of the trial.” “This is an infamous plot — — me, on your part, Clancy Adair!” Carroll cried, hotly ‘and it shall not prosper. You know that I am innocent!” ‘No, | do not know it, my dear Holly, If 1 did, do you suppose I would arrest you? Not by a hangod sight. I love you too much to wrong yov intentionally. Shouldn’t have known of your bloody deed, had not a stranger come into town, and stated how he had wit- nessed the murder from a distance, and hasten- ed to town to advise me, that I might give chase to the perpetrator.” ‘*Then what surety have you of my being the criminal? I told you that I just came Cown the gulch and discovered the bodies.” ‘“ We arrest you upon suspicion. If you are the right party, the man who saw the murder will be able to identif y you.” Nothing more was said, but between the con- stable, and the jailer, McAdams, Carroll wae marched away through the gloomy gulch to- ward Rough Shod Into the little town they filed, just as the sun was peeping up from the Kast and lighting the morning with its warm, cheerful radiance. People were astir—a crowd was gathered in front of the candy-shop, where Edith Yates stood in the doorway, with tearful eyes. Many curious glances were turned upon the constable and his prisoner, as they passed up through the main street of the town, Caz roll walked with firm step and form drawn proudly erect, as if he were being ushered to a throne instead of a prison cell. Honorable Clancy paused at the candy-shop to inquire what was the matter, for be had not recognized the dead woman as Edith’s sister. ‘* Matter?’ exclaimed one brawny son of the State of California, whose name was Davis— ‘‘matter? Why ye see, pilgrim, thet Miss Edith, hayr, bez lost her sister, an’ she be worrit nigh ter death, an’ she be offerin’ big rewards ter ther galoot, dead or alive, as will fetch back the missin’ ’un.” ‘““T can volunteer a little sad information in the case, without requiring pecuniary compen- eee !” the mayor then said, raising his hat to Edith, ‘‘A young woman and a child lies dead up California guich, and whensI come to re- member, I believe the woman is Miss Edith Yates’s sister!” If the mayor had broached the truth of the matter in a less bluff and apparently malicious manner, the result might have been different But as it was, the shock was precipitated ab- ruptiy upon Edith, and she gave a little wail of horror, which ended in a swoon. ‘* She’s faintcd,” Davis, the Californian, said, catching her as she fell, and then supporting her into the cabin. ‘* Yes, an’ et ain’t no job o’ yours ter take keer Oo’ her!” California Kate said, stepping forward. ‘* Tl just nuss her, I reckon, an’ ef ye want ter do « good turn, ye kin go fetch the bodies—or, still better, see thet they’re decently buried, ax’ a prayer sed over ’’em. Et won’t do ther little leddy no good ter see ’em!” Rough and rude in her ways, though she was, Kate had a fair stock of common sense, an could sympathize with those who were in trouble. At her orders Davis dispersed the crowd from in front of the cabin, and then went after the bodies, and had them buried in a little spot which Rough Shod’s fathers had selected out as Two days passed by ’ COM - Cbooks.com