Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 296 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

re 8 ee “T am happy to meet you, a Stro Madame Moree assured, sur him with a piercing glance. ‘ Will you have a glass of cham e, sir?” ‘* Waal, neow, you bet; that is ef you stand treat,” Zeke promptly replied. ‘Td like furst rate todrink with you, ’ca’se how I’m darned ef yeain’t a reg’lar ictur’ o’ Deacon Tubbs’s gal, y Jane, who I used to shine around, Sun- day nights, till the deacon booted me out, fer helpin’ myself tew some g’ ther wine he used fer feedin’ the cbhureh folks wi’—an’ he had a hull bar’] on it, tew. ‘Spect how, maybe, ye may hearn tell o’ Mary Jane?” ‘‘ Well, no—not that I am aware of,” the madame ‘answered, as she stepped into a closet, soon after reappearing with a bottle of cham. pagans, which the dwarf opened. ‘ Drink Mr. Strop, and then we will adjourn to the 4 ey Zeke raised the glass with a gracious grin, and the kling beverage was gone in an in- stant from the glass. Just whether Zeke had swallowed it or not probably none could have sworn. The madame then showed Zeke into the ball- room, and introduced him to a number of no girls, and the man from Podunk was soon o in the midst of a hornpipe, making many figures that convulsed the specta " with laughter. But this was not long to be. He soon com- plained of sleepiness, and went and took a seat in one corner. In ten minutes, to all appearances, he was fast oe Toe went on yet, for r couple of hours, when the people began to disperse to their homes, There was an expression of satisfaction on the madame’s face, as she noted , and -her ea- gernes# seemed toincrease until the last person was gone, including the barkeeper. Then she closed the shutters, and locked. her- self within the cxtablishapent turning down the aghto, except 1 the ball-room, which had -no v ws. When she had done this much she stole to- ward the ee ene Yankee who " Stealthy” luis chair in one corner of the room! as the ey a of a cat, were Madame, as she softly approached the bose of the — Bilh 9 Vesw meow oS we oe rte es — Olen Fu ee oe ee goodness, at all. As to the child, a I probably have no need to tell you it is dead!’ ‘* Dead! our little child dead?” ‘To the world, yes. You have heard the story that one child was killed and one carried off. The saved child, if living, I have no doubt is Lord Clifford’s. ‘*You do not know this?” ‘No, not for certain, and it is likely that the truth about the matter never will be known.” “I do not think so. Thére are persons in this town who claim to know where the servant girl and the child are concealed.” ‘That is merely bluff. The reward would have an effect, if there was any truth in it. But, I am talking too freely with a woman I utterly despise. Mabel Moree, we are no longer aught to each other in this life; there are no ties whatever, so far as I am concerned, to draw us toward one another. It is possible that I may some day desire to marry again, and ou, likewise.” ; ever! | want no divorce, nor shall you ever marry any other woran!” madame cried. ‘i will yet win you back, even though you re- sist with might and main!” ‘* Not if I know it. You and Bill Blake have parted for good, Maude Moree, and so let it be. Above all, nm ourself aloof from having any- thing to do with the schemes of two doomed rascals, in this town, or you will brin upon your head the same fate that s overtake them. Remember!” The woman replied not. Her face was white with on; sbe trembled in every limb. . “J have said all that. is necessary at this in- terview!” Blake finally resumed, ‘‘and you will ase: me by opening this rear door, looking wel amet HY you make no attempt to have me ar- down soon re you need not fear,” the madame said, obeying his order. ‘I do not now seek to have you arrested,as that would only lose you to me. My object in life, henceforth, . to so rah ot the best of you, that you will be onl . to come back to me; an bumbled a Obed husband. You are at liberty to go!” A miser to the core, was al qposecged Drew 3 > closely guarded his mone night as well as we Be 1 dpomentatan, ba bed in his office, im, OSD Prom te | Was @ Starting Guvter Wy } wy WOD SAIS. WNICR Conmimce c.. Wns eats ve eeewes ber dart eyes, and an expression upon Der Iace, | wom wus uOU uvested mm janded whicu pouvd tae Yankco aw peo. ting, and would have gone still closer, only | that at this juncture the object of her approac suddenly sprung to bis feet, with a cry that cause the treacherous Frenchwoman to leap back, inalarm. At the same instant, off came his bat, false-hair and beard, and out went his right hand witha cocked revolver leveled almost in the madame’s face. And the person whom this transformation revealed, was none other than Bill Blake, whom we here seen anne before, in the dance-House neh a Madame Moree: gasped, when he un- g Ves—ah!” he retorted, sternly; * You find I am still too sharp for Aes My oe sleight- ef-hand trick i dash wae rugged champagne down the ontside of om wip Poms and no one was harmed. I presume we fully recognize each other, woman?” Very probable,” the madame re replied, white with be Sona at being discovered. ‘One is not apes to forget a man of your standing. Oh! Bill! hy’ ‘‘Humph! what do you mean? How dare you address me familiarly, you bad, wicked w ‘I am not! Ob! Bill, are -” never to: be anything to one another ppaint ‘Never! Think you aie ever respect you? Years ago, I married you only to learn that your fa er and brothers were counter- feiters, and were using you even after you were my wife and the mother of my child, as an accomplice to their schemes—that you were robbing me of good money, and using meas a medium for circulating their spurious stuff regardless of the peril it erengee me into.. I discovered your baseness, and gave vou an hour to get forever out of our home. Luckily for Rink, you were sensible enough to go.” hat else had I to do? But, since then, I have been a better woman, and I long to come back to you and your child.” ‘‘ Yes, I have just had an example of your goodness, to-night. It is a downright good woman who feeds. an innocent greenhorn with drugged champagne, Oh! I don’t doubt your © OF the events last narr - “ha mgo narrated, he did uO Test Well, OUT Tossed uneasily upon his bed, Within & yara or wun sne succeeding in Ber | ; wrestling with dreams and visions of an un- pleasant nature, evidently. it was in the small hours when he som: sud- denly startled from his ie be, a cough, He instantly sat up in with an oath prasped a revolver from under his Mines and cock The: rors = — dim Sr a ray of moonlight wh L canenen in eeu the win- dow, but he ore not long in discerning the figure of a man, standing near the door which epened into the hall. ‘Ha! who the devil are you?” the) mine- owner cried, leveling his weapon. quick, or Pll 'shoot !” No answer. The intruder, evidently, was not inclined to speak. “‘ Curse you, take that!” and Drew pulled the ‘There was no rt! | “Take what?’ the man cried, rapidly advan- ae * Put up = tool, Darcy Drew, as you yourself, and keep mum, or it will be the worse for you, because your weapon is not ree and mine is!” ator, co ca !? gasped the s Pr te Niro rom the formidable: six-shooter thrust toward him by a stalwart fellow clad in top boots, slouch hat and scarlet suit, and whose face was hidden behind a mask. ‘* Who aré vou, man?” “Who am I?’ was the grim reply—‘‘ who am I? Need you ask, Darcy Drew, alias Ben Bog- hart, alias Owl- -Eye, the border ruffian—need ou ask, when you hear my voice? I am your eadly f foe—I am Apollo Bill the Trail Tornado, and I am Bill , the man-hanter. You are the man I’ve been hunting for years!” CHAPTER XI. APOLLO MAKES A LIFT. ‘*Mercy!” Drew gasped, as he heard the words of the masked intruder, ‘ What do you want here, Bill Blake?’ ‘**Not your life, this time, brute in the guise of man, although I have sworn to take it!” Apollo Bill said, calmly, as he seated himself 2 i | upon the office table, his weapon all in readiness for use. ‘‘1 just drop in to let you know I have found you, and that by no earthly flight, can you ever again evade me. Isee you're in somewhat better circumstances, now, than when you used to be known as Owl- Eye, the sheriff.” ** Of course. however.” ‘** Bah! knows, eee - - ee - ——ei—ia ee eee I do not know what you mean, I know hy perfectly well—God Do you think | could ever forget you, when it was you, vile wretch, who fired my home, killed and burned eo old mother, ° and tore the scalp from the head of one of my children? Curses ever rest upon — and yours, Ben Boghart, until thé Twelfth day of June!— vengeance, for it ell me, man—which our fiendish cruelty murdered /— hart!” I know, when | never saw enough of the devilish young *uns to tell them apart. You may rest assured if I knew which was which, I—” then, look you out for m shall surely smite you. child was it he tell me, Ben ‘How shoulc ‘*Ha! I anticipate you. If you knew, which was which, you would produce the remaining child and make some money out of it, No! no! you will never succeed in that game, my fine rascal. You'll find that Apollo Bill stands ready to balk you at every turn. Tell me, where is Mary Monk and the living child, for 1 am satis- fied you know!” “T do not know, nor would I tell you, if I did. You thought Moses Monk knew, evidently. when you killed him, but found out different, it see eWhat! dare you accuse me of that crime, committed, ’ve no te a yourself? L say you do know the whereabouts of Mary Monk and the child, and Ill give Ris just.ten minutes to tell me! If you refuse, either you open your safe there, and hand me over your hoarded cash, or Pll blow your brains out, all over this room !” “You will?” “1 will. DPve sworn to kill you, anyhow, and a matter of a few days willnot make any dif- ference, if you cannot come to time, my royal * Kill me you dare not, and were you to kill me a thousan’ sign e could never make me Cupclose the sag: By the child, which: shall wi ve SS uae ou hear me!” “T am not deaf—you hear me too), If ov don’t unlock and open that safe inside of minutes, [ll Yh ope a chunk of lead in you ee and in a pane where you'll immediately feel the effects of it. Sogo ahead, without noise, Re- member the time—five minutes!” Drew at the imperturbable individual confron him—then at his safe, He doubted not that Blake would do just as he had promised; he knew, of old, that it had ever been one of his characteristics to perform what he promised. Again, on the other hand it would be and wormwood to give up the large sum of money in his safe. Which should he.do, out of two choices—give up the money, oF dare the Trail Tornado to do his worst? There was not much time in which to decide— five minutes of time fly by rapidly to one hav- ing only that space of time to decide in. ce more he glanced at Apollo Bill, as he now stood grim and ot a aoe Ea was not sesentah et pity or relaxation upon his ut hatred and undying an ex face—nothing thes resoluti se Come)” Blake a But a single word ite was, but it decided Darcy Getting off the bed, he knelt before his safe and proceeded to unlock it. To aid him Apollo eect beside him, and een a dark-lan- ng the slide, thereb tting a bolt of bright hight nt fall upon the safe eon and Darey The latter soon had the door unlocked and shale open, and the interior of the safe was re- “That looks business-like,” Apollo Bill said, dryly. ‘‘ Now haul out everything, and count out oe to me, so that I can see how much D Drew robevad, He had gone so far—there was no use of his backing out now, So he peewee: to count out his greenbacks and gold, until everything Was included, and the result was: Seventy thousand dollars. “‘Humph! that is a strange coincidence!” Apollo Bill said. ‘‘Now that I rememher it, ‘omichdoo ‘Ss (El)