Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 170 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

‘ a “Not he,” rejoined the leader. ‘“‘ He has other Bato fry. This way with the lantern. Let's 3yv& this dead fool, whoever he is, into the «sds, It might raise the hue and cry too soon wm have him here.” Pes: ‘Tne body of the fallen man lay half buried in #ieep bed of snow. While one of the wounded . ‘«i%ains held the lantern the two unharmed ones { Qed the seeming corpse, and dragged it inside _& Biles tine of bushes. ‘4 “Sling the light here, on his face,” said the Cay weyder. “Let me seeif I know him, He must te one of Wildfire’s cronies.” The keen line of light fell upon the scarred ewe, which the straggling hair, and several ‘ornaad smears of blood rendered unrecognizable, ex’. ves for several minutes upon the corpse-like fare. He shook his head doubtfully. ‘*"Phere’s something about him,” he muttered, I can’t make it out exactly, but I’ve seen a face like that somewhere. However, it don’t snmkter. He’s dead as a door nail, and dead {. 24» m are of no more account than dead d ‘@ome, lads. We must look to your wounds and then get away as quick as possible. It is ewing unhealthy around here, Where did wou leave the horses, Jerry? , ™ In the bush hollow, back of the hut. Un- ‘@er the old shed, there,’ “Come on, then. We will take a whiff of the fire, and look after your hurts, and then, he ‘fox better quarters! A devil of a sharp houn thet, young Wildfire. And this fellow! I have os a mind to make a sure thing of him. : ere’s I don’t like in that face.” | “Never fear him. He is past kicking,” re- a. plied one of the men, ‘“ And too many pistol- skots may bring us into trouble. Come, we are wasting time here.” Hal eenerantly. the leader turned his vicious ev. saway from the pallid countenance, already ha! shrouded in snow, and slowly followed his eonfederates toward the hut. Fhey were hardly out of sight and hearing something 3 eorpse. <A quick quiver threw the snow the half-buried form, and, a moment after, he \ grept to his feet, standing upright in the storm es. end the darkness, '“ Just as well for me that you didn’t try to matce your work sure,” he muttered, ‘‘ though 1 u.izht have astonished you all a little if you had tiediton. Iwasas good as a dead man for _ ve minutes, | acknowledge that. But Richard aM is himself 5 om now. A scarred forehead, and a ssnear of blood on the face, are not enough to miake afuneral. Let me see; ‘in the hollow be- 2) ind the hut,’ ke said. Since that young dare- és _. @evil has borrowed my horse, I cannot do bet- an bad than to borrow one from our good friends r¢. 2 He made his way with difficulty through the blinding snow, feeling the borders of the path, mntil the light that came from the crevices of the ld hut enabled him to aren more rapidly. #lently as a ghost he moved around the build ixg. looking in at some of the wider crevices up- ’ oo the un: cting villains. Then he disa yeared in its rear, and sunk into the dense dark- Re 28, _ When, fifteen minutes afterward, the crew of he bi emerged again from the hut, and therm way by the li 1 t of the lantern to the point where the horses had been secreted, it was . with no small surprise and dismay that they ‘wend there three horses only, instead of four. “A pretty hand you to tie up horses!” cried %e Joader, angrily. ‘‘ You’ve let the best of thein go astray.” “Not a bit of it,” was the firm reply, as the ,dantern was lowered to the surface of the snow. “See here! If this isn’t a man’s tread, I’m a ¢ 7 Poi TA fe _ Yhere was a start of surprise and alarm as : _ ‘these facts were recognized. For a moment they Jooked at each other with stupefied glances, ‘iva the leader snatched the lantern and ran Me returned in a few minutes, a look of an- ery vexation ye his face. | dust as I thought,” he ejaculated. “That ahay was laying on us through it all. He has ’ axeoe to life in a hurry, and made off with one af oar horses. An infernal fool I was not to makeosure of him when I had him under my _ pistol. We must out of this like a flash. Those | » chaps may raise the country upon us.” im a very few minutes more they were pick- ue their way carefully through the woods by ibe Zi¢ht of the lantern, The road reached, they yrawsated their half-frozen horses, one of ee . Bwnsnimals being obliged to carry double, and The sharp eyes of the observer fixed them-_ 7 betOre a strange metamorphosis came upon the spot came into her cheek. deer! And, sure as you live, the halter’s been: A Trump Card. ne away, in their turn, into the night and he storm. | ' Only the dead horse and the trampled snow remained in evidence of the late aye 4 strug- gle. And the footsteps and the body were quickly shrouded in the white garb of winter. ’ While these events were taking place in the depth of the storm-assaed woodland, a very different scene was playing in the interior of a neat cottage, which formed part of the small village of Dover, several miles distant from the spot of the attempted murder. In tne pleasant sitting-room of this mansion, adorned with pictures and articles of artistic ornament, sat a group of young ladies, richly attired, as if for some festive occasion. Several ntlemen were present, dressed in regulation lack, yet with such care and style that they, too, seemed to have got themselves up for some special occasion, In an ey ee bedroom, on the second floor of the house, sat two ladies, one dressed in the floating, vapory white of a bride, the otber in rich blue, with orange flowers at her throat. “Tt is just like him to be late,” said the last- mentioned of these, a bright-eyed, beautiful girl of medium hight, and with a look of mingled earnestness and dignity. ‘‘ Will bas vexed me more than once by his carelessness about keep- ing an appointment.” ‘But his time is not up yet,” replied the white-dressed nymph, a fairy of a girl, with blue eyes and golden hair, and a face as bright as asunbeam. ‘ And then there’s such a storm! It is not fit for a living creature to be out of doors on a night like this.” : ' “But Mr. Wetherly is growing so impa- tient.” ee “Very well. I have no objections, I am sure,” returned the little beauty, in a t ne of incipient vexation, ‘lam afraid he may have greater cause for impatience ere he has much to to do with me. [ have given my promise to Will Wildfire, and I will not break it.” ** And I would not ask you to for the world, you witch,” ae dog her companion, ‘‘I only spoke a word for poor Mr. Wetherly, and see what a storm I have raised about my ears.” “It is just like me,” replied the other, con- tritely. ‘“‘I am always making myself disa- ble. I hope you will forgive me, Clara ear > She flung her arms around the graceful form ef her friend, and looked up softly into ber face, as a blush-rose might look up to a stately lil * Don’t you love me now—just a little?” she asked, coaxingly. Yes, a great deal, you little tease,” laughed her more sedate companion, stooping to kiss the pouting red lips. “Tt issuch a dreadful business, this getting married,” was the pensive reply. ‘‘Sometimes there comes over me a wish that I had never seen him. To be given away, you know, It’s too ridiculous.” “You would like to be a butterfly, or a rose- bud, always, I doubt not,” remarked Clara, smilingly. ‘“‘ But, that is out of the question. If you love Mr. Wetherly Lucy, and—” Why of course I love him,’ interrupted the bride, with feverish haste, while a bright red ‘*T would never have prociged to marry him if—if I had not loved im dearly.” Clara’s deep eyes were fixed Pes sat upon her friend’s face, while a look of pitying doubt passed over her features. She seemed on the a speaking when a sharp rap came upon r © ; She hastened to open it. In the hall outside stood a gentleman, with an expression of slight impatience upon his face. “Not ready yet?” he asked, with an affecta- tion of surprise. ‘“ Here we are within a half- hour < ete lants And you know the hour ‘**Is that you, Robert?’ queried Lucy, as she hastily rose. ‘‘Do come in. Midnight is the hour, so you will have to possess that uneasy soul of yours in patience.” The gentleman who entered in response to this playful speech, was of an erect form, with a firm, well-rounded face, and a penetrating eye. He was tastefully dressed, and of a shape- ly figure, though there was something in his ex- prem that a practiced judge of human na- re might not bave liked, He put on a look of playfulness as he came forward, though it probably did not express the ‘feeling that was foremost in his mind. “So you have dccited on midnight, then?’ 7" ) , _—— — “> rt a a. ie — wy oe, he questioned. ‘‘And of course every bacy must give way to your imperious wil.’ This was satd laughingly, yet not without a hidden meaning. ‘‘T promised Mr. Wildfire, you know, that > would nat be married except he was present. And he has sent me word that he could not be. here before midnight. So I am bound to.my promise, though | don’t like that hour a bit for a wedding.” Ske shrugged her shoulders suggestively, as: she fixed her eyes with a coaxing expression on the face of her lover. ‘“‘] should be the last to make you breek your promise,” he gayly replied. ‘‘ Though f court very much if Mr. Wildfire will be here. It is, an outrageous night out.” As he turned half away there was a look upom his face that neither of the ladies saw, bri which might have indicated that he had a ««¢p- er reason for doubting the coming of the ¢x- pected wedding guest. In the sitting-room down-stairs en in patience more outspoken than that of the bride. groom was manifested. There was more then one expression of surprise and displeasyre sat what they called Miss Darling’s jcchiv cbst.. nacy. Te this expected guest couid not be kere ut an earlier hour he should not heave tried to cer4 at all,” said one of the vexed bridimaiue, “ix is too bad to keep us all waiting.” ‘It is not that, but there isa bad omen in a midnight wedding,” replied another. Midnight came, but with it no sipr «f “4 loitering wedding guest. The bride no Jorger Giactett ‘**T have been faithful to my promise,” she re- marked. “But I donot biame him if he bes preferred to stay at home on such a dreadiul night. ‘He stay at home?’ exclaimed Clara, “Ni 4 he! He will be here, unless he be utterly storm-stayed. Will Wildfire never willfully broke a promise.” ; ‘* Well, be can offer congratulations to tla bride, then,” remarked Mr. Wetherly, with an ill-disguised triumph of tone. ‘‘ We Lave giv cu him the time he claimed.” Ten minutes afterward the persons frei: ‘4 were all assembled in the parlor of the niisice , the bride and groom, flanked by their azten. dants, fronting the grave-lcoking ministir who was prepared to conduct the ceremony, The others were grouped in the recm jr! behind them, forming a close array of inicrert- ed spectators of the wedding. The bride grew slightly pale as tle ¢ra¥‘o clergyman proceeded with the marriage sei vice. There was a bright spot in her cheek tbat .ocus ed almost the hectic of fever, The groom, on his part, stood quietly and self-sustained, though his occasional quick glav. ces betrayed a feeling as of some secret. cause of anxiety. Indeed, he violently started on Lear- ing a sound come from the front of the Lowe, as of some one entering. He instantiy 1¢:cv- ered his equanimity, however, and appeared intently interested in the ceremony. Yet a new guest had entered the parlor, and stood at the rear of the group of spectators, ‘‘If there is any who knows just cause why this man should not teke this woman to wite, let him now speak or forever hold his peace.” The deep tones of the clergyman were hushed, as he waited an instant. Then to his, and every one’s utter surprise, there came as deep-toned a response: ‘** | know cause, and just cause!” All soy eget ay raat 3 There stood the orm oO e in est, the erect but youth- ful figure of Wi Wildfire. pe) CHAPTER IV. A CHAPTER OF SURPRISES. AN indescribable confusion followed ‘tis s g and undreamed-of interruption. bride became deathly pallid, and seemed on tha point of falling. strong arm of Clara Moreland, who east » glance of mingled anger and astonishm<: | toward the intruder, standing there so stern but As for the bride his face flushed with anger, and he took one quick step toward thn intruder, as if with intent to punish him for his daring pte i poe Yet an oye accustomed to read the indications of the human face mie ht have seen a sense of dread and confusion hidden The. But she was sustained by th | under the anger. Indeed the hasty movement - of the groom was instantly arrested, as Lo turned and aided to support the shrinking Frieo, “Who is it that: speaks’? Gemcrilc. th Comic IOO e —