Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 222 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

CaM a 4 PPPS ES ea oe ee ee we oN oe ee = ‘ — ’ ~- ‘But I'll dodge her now, and if she does trail me again, I’ll end her life, that is all, tho’ she is the only woman I ever loved. ‘“‘ Now to see what else this old wallet con- tains.” He ran over the papers carefully, finding several things that seemed to interest him, and at last a miniature likeness of his mother. This he looked at with asad look upon his reckless, sad face, and muttered with feeling: _ Peace to your ashes, good mother; had you lived to guide my growing years, [ would not now be the wild, reckless, guilty being I now am.” With an impatient oath he shook off the sad- ness that had come upon him, placed the min- jiature in an inner pocket, and again set to ex- amining the papers. ‘‘ Ah! this one is addressed to a lawyer, and the one to whom the wallet was to be delivered. ‘‘T remember Rule Benton; he was an old chum of my father, and is now a lawyer, and in this letter he is urged to hold Burt Bernard up to his pledge, though he is not given the secret of that pledge; oh! the letter says it is inclosed. ‘* Well, I will hold Burt Bernard up to the pledge. ‘‘Now to find that all-important paper— thank Satan! here it is.” He drew forth the last paperin the wallet, and read aloud once more: ‘Camp IN THE Mountarns, September 1, 18—. **T Burton Bernard, do hereby pledge myself to give to my daughter Helen my property only on con- ition that she becomes the wife of Hdwin Avleigh, the son of Hugh and Helen Arleigh. **-hould she refuse, then not one dollar of my estate shall go to her at my death, but all be willed to a charitable home for old men and women. ‘*“AndI also pledge gh ede the marriage of my daughter and the said Edwin Arleigh, shall take place within the term of one year from the above date, * Burt BERNARD.”’ ‘* A nice legacy this, that is left to my virtu- ous brother Edwin, whose twin brother, Allan, myself, has so literally gone to the devil. ‘¢ Well we shall see what we shall see. ‘‘ Helen Bernard is beautiful, my father said, and her father is rich off the gold he stole from my august parent. ‘Bo far good. ‘And Edwin, my dear twin brother, one night at the theater, saved this lovely girl from being burned up, when the structure took fire and burned down. ** How very romantic. ‘* Her father, Burt Bernard, and my: father, Hugh Arleigh, were rivals for the hand and love of her mother, Helen Tracey, and the parent of twin brother Edwin and myself, in border parlance got left. ‘*But he did not die of a broken heart ‘it seems, as I am living proof to that effect, and he married a noble woman too, God rest my mother’s soul. | ‘‘ And dear Edwin and beautiful Helen have never met other than on that occasion of the fire; but he saved her father’s life from an as- sassin’s knife, I believe, which assassin was the father of my virtuous brother and myself. ‘“‘The romanee increases, especially when her father had robbed our father of all the gold be had dug out of a California mine, and then, as he believed killed him. ** Well, the ways of Providence are inscruta- ble, and I must not allow this well-kept secret to escape, for sweet Helen sees in dear Edwin a handsome young army officer, the son of her father’s and mother’s old friend: and one who saved her father’s life, and who snatched her from the flames of the burning theater. ‘‘ And Edwin sees in Helen a lovely girl, tobe rich, and all that, and marriage must fol- ow. “So be it, for my virtuous twin-brother deserves his good fortnne, and I am to write and tell him all about it. ‘Yes, so lam,” and with a mocking laugh, Grit the Gambler put the papers safely in his pocket, looked after the comfort of his own, and the Indian’s horse, and prepared a frugal supper, after which he rolled himself in his ss —_ me ewe ce ee ee ee me ee et eee ee blankets and dropped off to sleep as dreamless as though his heart and hand were not crimson with crimes. CHAPTER XXII. THE DYING MILLIONAIRE, IN a darkened room of.a grand old mansion, some dozen miles from the city of R——, ina Southern State, a man lay dying. The room was large, luxuriously furnished, the mansion a superb structure, and around, it stretched away many thousands of acres, and within there was all that heart could desire; but the Angel of Death had given warning of his coming, and Burt Bernard, the millionaire, was nearing his end. A man of powerful frame, and once a giant in strength, he now lay as weak as a little child. ‘* Doctor, how long have I to live?” he asked, faintly. ‘“‘The flame is flickering, my dear Bernard, and may go out at any moment,” was the re- ply. ‘‘ A presentiment told me, when I mounted that vicious horse, that. he would kill me, and I have long felt I would die a violent death; but Doctor Arthur, please have my poor child Helen, come to me.” The physician immediately obeyed the re- quest, and into the room soon after swept Helen Bernard, and creeping softly to her father’s bedside, she bent over him with white, sad face. ° She was a beautiful girl, in both face and form, and those who knew her well said that her character was even more lovely than her charms of person. ‘‘Father, you sent for me,” she said with an effort to be cheerful. ‘‘ Yes, Helen, Doctor Arthur says that life’s lamp is burning low, and may go out at any moment.” ‘‘Oh, father! ob, doctor! is there no hope?” ‘¢ None, your father must die,” was the firm response. ‘‘You see, Helen, what our friend says, so let us havea talk together while I can. ‘You know I am avery rich man?’ A sob was the only reply. ‘*My riches, Helen, I leave all to you, but upon one. condition.” No reply from the maiden. ‘That condition is that you marry the man of my choice.” ‘¢ Father!” ‘‘ Helen, do you love any man now?” ‘* Father!” ' ‘¢T will answer for you; there is one whom you have met once, who saved you that night in the burning theater, and that man you could love.” ‘‘- Yes, father, but I-know not even who he sa 7) gr I do.” ‘You, father?’ . ‘Yes; he isthe man I intend you to marry: his name is Edwin Arleigh, and he is a lieuten- apt in the United States Army.” ‘‘ Wather, is this true?” ‘Tt is; and more, he is the one who saved my fortune and my life in San Francisco, though I told you not his name before: also, he is the son of one I loved, before I met and‘ mar- ried your mother; but let that pass, and pledge yourself to marry Edwin Arleigh.” ‘“Hather, he may not care for me, and know- ing him, I may not love him.” ‘‘T must have the pledge, Helen.” “No, no, father!” “T am dying, Helen.” ‘‘Forgive me, my dear father: yes, yes, I pledge you anything, anything,” she cried eagerly. ‘*Thank God! now I am content. “Arthur, you are witness to my child’s pledge, and you are her guardian, and will see that it is kept to the letter.” “Yes, your daughter shall have a second father in me, Mr. Bernard, for I love her as my own child,” said the kind-hearted doctor. Grit, the Bravo Sport. sss sss a. eee eee oe_eeom™™m—] a ‘¢ And, Arthur, you will inform Edwin Ar- leigh of the terms of my will, and that I leave him my beautiful Helen; and to her my entire fortune.” ‘*'Yes, Bernard.” ‘‘ His address take down: it is ‘ Lieutenant Edwin Arleigh —th, Cavalry, Denver, Colo- rado.” ‘‘T have it, Bernard.” ‘“ And the marriage must take place within seven months frcm this, for so I am bound by my written pledge.” ‘‘ Written pledge, father?” “°Sh—! his mind is wandering, Helen,” whispered the doctor. ‘‘ Within seven months from now, Helen.” ‘Yes, father.” ‘And you, Arthur, understand it?” ¢é Yes. ” ‘‘ Tf Helen’s pledge to me is not kept, my for- tune is not hers.”’ sé Yes. ) ‘‘Once more, my child, you will marry Ed- win Arleigh?” ‘‘T swear it, father, if within my power.” ‘* I die content.” They were his last words, for within a few more moments, Burt Bernard the millionaire was dead. CHAPTER XXIII. THE MEETING. ‘‘Your mistress in, Bolton?’ asked Dr. Arthur, several days after Burt Bernard was consigned to his grave in the family burying- ground, ‘* She am on de place, Massa Doctor, but am not in de house, sah,” was the remark of Bolton, the family butler. ‘Well, I will await her coming in the libra- ry,’ said Doctor Arthur. ‘‘T kin go and fotch her, sah, for I knows whar she am: she am at de grabe of her fader, »? ‘**No,she will soon be back— Ah,who is this coming?” and the doctor turned as a carriage drove up the gravel drive. ‘ ‘*Tt am a webicle, sah.” ‘‘That much I see, Bolton.” The vehicle stopped before the door and a young and handsome officer in uniform sprung out; and bowing politely said: ‘‘May I ask.if Mr. Bernard is at home, sir” ‘‘He is in his last home, sir, for he is dead.” The words of Dr. Arthur caused the young man to start, and he said quickly: ‘“‘Mr. Bernard dead?” “Yes sir, he was thrown by a vicious horse and sustained internal injuries that proved fatal, ‘‘Tam Dr. Arthur, sir, his executor and the guardian of his daughter; how can I serve you?” ‘“My name is Edwin Arleigh, sir, and I am just from Colorado, :where—” ‘‘ Ah! Lieutenant Arleigh, I am very glad to see you, and beg you will come in, sir. ‘¢ Almost Mr. Bernard’s last words about you.” ‘‘He was kind to remember me, sir; we met in California some fime ago, and receiv- ing a letter from him, begging me to come on and visit him, I got leave and here I am; but most deeply do I regret his untimely end.” ‘You will be welcome, sir, for his daughter will most cheerfully greet one. to whom her father owed his life, and, if I mistake not, to whom she owes her own life.” ‘Indeed, sir, I must deny the latter, though I did have the pleasure of serving Mr. Ber- nard.” ‘’And Miss Helen Bernard too, for you ones rescued her from a burning theater.” ‘By Heaven! was that young lady Miss Helen Bernard, the daughter of my California friend?” “*She was, sir; but I forget my hospitality, in the surprise and pleasure of meeting you. ‘‘Here, Bolton, carry Lieutenant Arleigh’s baggage to a spare room, and, lieutenant, as Miss Bernard is keeping house alone, I shall were | (ECONMICE 3s (Eo) = es)