Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 222 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Grit, the Bravo Sport. 1 ——ay claim you as my guest, for I live but a few miles away.” And into the house the young officer was ushered, and having freshened up his toilet, Dr. Arthur said: “Now come, lieutenant, and we will seek Helen.”’ He led the way through the grand old park, and off to a quiet nook in the forest, where were visible a number of ornamental trees, burrounded by a neat white fence. It was a pretty spot, on the banks of a little stream, whose ripple seemed to utter a con- stant requiem for the dead. ‘‘Ah! this is the family burying-ground; let us not intrude upon the sacred place while Miss Bernard 1s here,” said the officer. “Yes, for I wish you to meet her here, as I have a duty to perform.” Thus urged the young officer followed the doctor, and the next moment they came in sight of the new-made grave. At its head stood Helen Bernard. She was clad in deep black, and stood with her head bent, gazing upon the mound, and with her hands hanging down and clasped in front of her. It was a sad, but beautiful picture, and the young officer gazed in rapt admiration vpon her. “Miss Helen!” She started as her name was called, looked up, and beheld the two gentlemen in a few teet of her. Her face turned pale, and then flushed crimson, when she saw the tall, elegant form clad in uniform. ‘‘ Miss Bernard, permit me to present to you Lieutenant Edwin Arleigh, whom I believe you have before met,” said the doctor. Instantly the maiden passed around the grave, and extending her hand, said in earn- est, trembling tones: ' ‘‘- Yes, we have met before, Lieutenant Ar- leigh, and happy am I now in being able to of- fer you my heartfelt thanks, for to your courage I owe my life.” “T remember that awful night, Miss Ber- nard, and only to-day heard that you were the fair lady I was so fortunate as to aid. ‘*T have often thought of you and wondered if we should ever meet again.” “A fair beginning this, very,” muttered the blunt old doctor; hut he said aloud: ‘‘ Helen, the lieutenant received a letter from your father, asking him to visit Ber- nard Hall, and he has come, but now I claim him for my guest, though I dare say, I will see little of him,” Helen flushed at this remark, but said: ‘‘ Lieutenant Arleigh will be ever welcome at Bernard Hall.” ‘Doubtless; now, lieutenant, excuse a blunt question.” “Certainly, sir.” ‘ Are you a married man?” The lieutenant flushed, yet answered: ‘“No, 1 am not so fortunate, doctor.” ‘Then, Helen, do your duty.” The maiden’s face became crimson, and she looked appealingly at the doctor; but he said again: ‘Yes, do your duty: it was your father’s dying wish, and there is no better. place for you to show your willingness to keep your pledge to him, than across his grave.” Tbus importuned, Helen, after a choking back of her emotions, said firmly: ‘‘Lieutenant Arleigh, do not consider me unmaidenly, but I made to my father a pledge upon his death-bed.” ; She paused, and the lieutenant remaining si- lent, she continued: “T will do my duty, and keep my pledge; but if aught prevents you from doing as he, my father, wished, say so frankly, and let us bury tbe matter forever in the grave with him.” ‘‘ Aught that I can do, Miss Bernard, rest assured I will do with all my heart; command end I obey, if I can serve you.” Helen tried to speak, but words failed her, and she looked appealingly at the doctor, who said in his blunt way: ‘‘T’ll talk for you, Helen: you see, Arleigh, Burt Bernard had a most high regard for you; loved you as a son, in fact. ‘‘He knew his daughter owed her life to you and remembered what you did for him, “He knew, too, you were not rich, and he could not offer you money, for fear you would call him out. ‘‘In dying, he did not wish to cast Helen here upon the world, and so determined to give her to you for a wife. “Tf you marry each other, all Burt Ber- nard’s large fortune, and it is a large one, goes to her. ‘“‘Tf you do not make her your wife within seven months, then she does not get a cent, and you lose a lovely girl and vast riches. ‘*’'You have seen each other, so what do you say?’ The officer saw that Helen was too deeply moved to speak, and in his soft, pleasant tones he answered: “TJ thank you, Doctor Arthur, for your manly explanation, and in response would say that, since the night I bore Miss Bernard from that burning theater, I have loved her, and most gladly now do I ask her to become my wife, if she can see aught in me to lovein re- turn.”’ ‘“Egad! she already loves you, or I have diagnosed her case wrong.” Instantly Helen put out her hand and clasped that of the officer across the grave of her father, while she said in her low, sweet tones: ‘“T do love you, and I will be your wife.” ‘Well said for both of you; it’s lightning love-making, but I believe Cupid has had you both in band since that night of the theater fire. | “ But I don’t complain, for, as an old bach- elor, if you hadnot taken Helen, I would have had to marry her myself in self-defense. ** Now come, let us go to the Hall, and we'll dine with you, Helen, and then [ll take Ar- leigh home with me; but I guess he can find the way back to-morrow,” Thus did those two meet, and plight their love above a grave. CHAPTER XXIV. TRAILED WITHOUT MERCY. Two persons were riding slowly down a mountain trail, the one in advance closely eying the ground. One was a tall, elegant young man in border garb; but why describe him, for he is known over the land as Buffalo Bill, yet at that time as Bison Bill, the Prince of the Reins, as only a short while before he had left Beehive City, where he had distinguished himself as Stage Driver on the Overland. His companion was a slenderly formed youth, to all appearances; but one who had known Edith Balfour well, would have said it was that beautiful woman in disguise. After having so daringly dashed through the band of Red Riders, and discovered the secret of the dummy horsemen, Buffalo Bill had been solicited by Edith to aid her in following the trail of Allan Arleigh. With the skill of the thorough borderman and scout, Buffalo Biil set to work, and soon discovered the track taken by the outlaw and Stinging Snake, and in spite of the cunning efforts of both Grit, the Gambler, and the In- dian to cover up all traces, he slowly followed on their course, Arriving in the canyon he halted and sprung to the ground, and nervously did Edith watch him as he moved about. ‘‘Guess we'll camp here, miss, for there’s a day’s reading in signs,” he said presently, The maiden felt that he had made some im- portant discovery, and springing to the ground at once took the horses and lariated them out. When she returned she found Buffalo Bill leaning against a tree,and holding something in his hand. oe ‘‘ Well, you have made some discovery, sir?” she inquired. “Yes, miss; first, here is where they camped; their first real camp after leaving the Overland trail. “And here is where they hada desperate fight.” “ With whom?” . ‘The Gambler and the Injun had it to- gether; see that little blood - stain on the ground? ‘‘Well, one died here and it wasn’t the white man,” “Thank God!” ‘* Here’s where the Gambler walked to the bank of the stream and tossed the Injun over- board; see, his tracks sink deep, which showed he was carrying a heavy load. “There is where their horses stood, and right here was the fire, and just here I picked up this leather pocket-book which Grit didn’t intend to lose.” She almost snatched the .wallet from the hand of Buffalo Bill, and after a glance at its contents, read aloud all that Gambler Grit had discovered in the wallet. ‘Well, I know Lieutenant Edwin Arleigh, and I am sorry he has such a brother,” said Buffalo Bill. Edith was silent a moment, for knowing well Grit the Gambler she felt that he would play some deep game from knowing the se*ret he held possession of. From papers found in the Red Rider’s camp, which she and the seout had searched thor- oughly, she made the discovery that the real chief had been the father of her wicked hus- band. “You know Lieutenant Arleigh?” she sud- denly asked. . ‘* Yes, miss.” ‘Where is he stationed?’ ‘‘ At Fort Collins in Colorado,” ‘‘Ahb! then there we go first.” ‘‘'You’ve struck a trail, miss?” sé Yes. ”? ‘* Will you share the secret?” ‘“* Yes; I wish to save Edwin Arleigh’s life.” ‘What! do you think he would kill his twin- brother?” ‘Yes, Allan Arleigh would kill any one who stood between him and his purpose.” . “You seem to know what he’ll do?” ‘Yes, he will go East.” ‘‘ He'd better not; this is the safest country for a man like Grit the Gambler; I hope you are certain about thinking he is really the one you seek, Allan Arleigh,” ’ ‘Iam sure; I have had spies at work, and letters I received traced Allan Arleigh to Bee- seh City, and I recognized him when I saw lim, ‘‘ Again, his horse being killed by you he was certainly the Red Rider on him, and these pa- pers show the rest: how Edwin Arleigh must be. warned of his danger, ’ ‘But what danger, miss?’ ‘* You see here that Burt Bernard binds him- self to marry his daughter to Edwin Arleigh?’ ‘Yes, miss.” ‘‘Her fortune goes with her hand.” **T see.” ‘‘ He is the one then that she should marry, and not his brother.” ‘*T think I understand you.” ‘In this wallet is a letter from Hugh Ar. leigh, the father, to Edwin Arleigh, his son, telling him that he is to marry a young lady he saved from a burning theater, and whom he never met but that once; also that he also saved her father, Burt Bernard in San Fran- cisco. . ‘‘Now these brothers are twins, and Allan Arleigh has told me few could tell him from his brother, and—” ‘By the Rockies! he’ll skip for the East and play the lieutenant and marry the girl.” “Just what be will do, Mr. Cody; but be- fore he goes East, if I do not greatly mistake, Gomichbooks-co