Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 238 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ee eee oe we ere or ee Oe et ee —- es + oo eee —_——--- moved his coat and taken his revolver from his pocket, there came a quick, gentle knock on the door. The old man started, and for a moment a look of doubt contracted his brow; but finally he advanced, and, unlocking the door, held his revolver in his hand at his Backs and, stepping back te the opposite side of the room, called out: “ Walk in! Quickly the door swung open, and a vailed woman glided into the room. CHAPTER VI. SOME STARTLING REVELATIONS. A# a glance Ptolemy Frodd saw that his lady visitor rey ot wowace i Pda $e bis sano, yiage, a slipping revolver in ‘ he advanced and said: “My dear young woman, whoever you ma ws I am glad to see you at this very momen ill you please be seated?’ woman took the proffered chair, and, as she did so, threw back her vail, saying: | “ Parson Frodd, I have no longer a desire to keep my identity from you.” A fair and lovely face was revealed to the old man’s gage, but it was pale and wore traces of recent sorrowing. It was that of a girl of per- haps seventeen years. Without betraying any emotion, however, Frodd said: ‘Ethel, I found out some time ago who the bride of the Fairy Grotto wedding was from yeur husband.” “ Then have seen him since we parted?” said Bthe “ Yes, Ethel, he came right here after escort- ing you home and asked fora certificate of mar- Fin In making it out he gave me your name and his. He was also accompanied by two men, who were witnesses to your marriage.” ‘* Witnesses?” cried the pale young girl, ex- citedly. ‘‘ I knew nothing of the presence of wi there!” ‘‘ Well, it seems there were; nor was this all, Mrs. Humbolt.” ‘ Mrs. Humbolt ?” cried Ethel. ‘Why do you call me that?’ ou know your ‘Why, my dear git don’t 0 w you were husband’s name? n’t you married to Rufus Humbolt?” ‘* Did he give you that name, Mr. Frodd?”’ “He did, Ethel.” ‘‘ Oh, God!” she shrieked, as though her heart had been pierced, ‘‘ then my worst fears are ized ! am the wife of some villain, and not of him I loved, Roger Millbank. Oh! it eannot be that Roger has betrayed me into some adventurer’s power!” ‘Then you were to have married Roger?” “Yes, sir.” ‘“ Well, well, weil,” exclaimed Frodd, ‘‘ there is something seriously—yea, criminally wrong, in this night’s mysteries, and I feel that I am greatly to blame. I should have discouraged your secret marriage—refused to be a party to it. But how such a mistake could have been rade I cannot conceive, nor can I understand, even now, why you wished to marry as you did, incegnito,’' ‘“Mr. Frodd, I will tell you all,” said the wretched girl: ‘ In the first place my uncle and coeies was opposed to my marrying Roger illbank, but my aunt was not. few even- ings ago Roger and I met at the Fairy Grotto and arranged for a secret wedding before he went away +o act as scout for the emeranrent The reason why we arranged to meet there closely masked and vailed was through fear that you knew of unole Robertson’s dislike of Roger and would refuse to marry us. We had hopes that time would change uncle’s feelings toward Roger. I knew, however, that it was not so much dislike of Roger after all as it was his de- sire that. I marry another man, and when I heard him tell aunty that he would compel me to marry his young friend as soon as he arrived 1 wanted to place a barrier between me and that man by marrying Roger. In the course of a few days I was to call on you and obtain a certificate of our marriage as proof to be given at the proper time. Not a soul that we knew of was about when we made the arrangements for the wedding in every detail. Of course, the fatal mistake lay in meeting there masked. This afforded the man Humbolt an oppor- tunity to deceive me, for, under a mask, no voice would sound natural. This I knew, and that is why I did not detect the voice of a Pees 35 under the mask. Moreover, ; Fredd, he wore the very hat that Roger had on at our last meeting, else one just like it, and, under these circumstances, do you wonder at my being deceived?’ ‘No, no, my child; but what puzzles me now a eee ee casa The Parson Detective. ae ewer + is how that man Humbolt came to be in Rog- er’s place. Either he overheard your detailed arrangement for your and has made way with Millbank and substituted himself, or else he was a confidential friend of Roger’s to whom Roger revealed your secret and was then made way with. If neither of these, then er3 has betrayed you.” “No, that cannot be, Mr. Frodd! Rogerisa true and honorable man. He would not deceive me. My suspicion that something was wrong was aroused after we parted with you to-night, My husband hurried me along in rude haste, and with a simple ‘ good-night’ spoken excitedly he left me at the door of my home and walked rapidly away. [ stole softly into the house, and, going to my room, I sat down and took a good cry. It almost broke my heart to think ger would act so cold and cruel, and that, too, when he was leaving me for months, and, perhaps, forever. I took off the ring he had ven me at the grotto and looked at it until its rilliant amgerin seemed to burn into iny very heart. Something impressed me with a feeling of strange doubt, and the conviction an to force itself upon me that I had committed a wrong in marrying as I did, and I became anxious to unburden my secret to you. When I heard you had been killed I could not help thinking your murder had something in sym- pathy with my marriage, and I was on the eve of making a clean breast of all my secret to my uncle and aunt when the news came to m ears that you were not dead, but gh he me \ I could not rest or sleep until I bad told you all this—some invisible power impelled me forward, and bade me tarry not until I had seen you. But during all this time, and notwithstandin the cold, cruel and heartless manner in whic my husband treated me, if never occurred to me that he might be any one else but Roger; nor can I see x how it could be any other.” ‘If it was Roger Millbank, Ethel, then he is a murderer, for it was he whom you wedded that shot me down and left me for dead after I gave him the certificate.” ‘Oh, my God!” cried the startled woman, ‘this cannot be, Mr. Frodd! Roger Millbank is not a murderer!” “Then Roger is not your husband, Ethel. Merciful Father! what a state of affairs this is! You and Millbank are the victims of some foul Coulee aoe He may be dead, while you are the lawfully-wedd wife of—of whom? a stranger and murderer! Oh, what a foolish, fatal mistake that Fairy Grotto affair was! But do not weep, Ethel; I shall devote my whole life, if necessary, to the solving of the ai ikaat that hangs around it.” : Ethel, in spite of the old preacher’s assurin words, was Overwhelmed with her grief, and it was some time before she could master her emotions and choke back her sobs. Old Ptolemy Frodd was silent and thoughtful for a few moments, when he said: ‘*Ethel, I have kept your marriage a pro- found secret from all that called on me to-night, out of respect for your feelings, and we must continue to keep it a secret for the present. But I want to make one request of you, and that is that you let me see the ring that man gave you at the grotto,” ‘That I gladly give you,” she said bitterly, tearing the circlet from her finger as though it were a hoop of fire, “‘ I shall never wear it again —I never want to see it again!” Frodd took the ring and examined it closely. An exclamation burst from his lips. ‘Why, girl!” he said, ‘this is a diamond of the first water—a’ valuable jewel, such as none but a wealthy man could afford—well, unless obtained by robbery, and perhaps murder. I tell you, Ethel, mystery thickens around this night’s work, and—ah, ha!—shere—I have made another discovery! I see the initials ‘E. D. R.’ on the inside of this % 4 very small letters. Would you believe it, I know something of the history of this ring, and that history is stained with blood!” ~ ‘* What is it, Mr, Frodd?’ the poor girl asked, the muscles of her face twitching with the agony of her young heart. | ‘‘ Ethel,” Frodd went on, glancing quickly around the room in a nervous way, betraying uneasiness, “‘you and I are already in a secret that must. hold us together in the strictest con- fidence. They say a woman can’t keepa secret, but I don’t believe it. At least I am going to confide one to your keeping—one in connection with this ring. ‘‘VYour confidence will never be betrayed, Mr. Frodd, Iassure you. In you I must now trust more than all others, Oh! that a shrewd detective was here to aid us!” . 7 eS eee a6 - eww wee -—_ wer ++ = ee ee Ge 0 = “Now then, Miss Ethel, you are coming right to the point, for, while 1 am a regularly-or- dained minister of the church, and I feel that [ ee -am sincere, too, I am also what you wished for, a detective, but will not say a shrewd one, ey ge I have bad much fy nd thel. ** Indeed!” exclaimed ‘* Yes; preacher-detectives are scarce—real preacher-detectives, I mean. If I were a fraud as a preacher—-wearing the sacerdotal robes s0 as to cover my other calling, then your mar- riage would be illegal; but I am sorry it is not so, on your account; it is a sacred m I have been a aay for twenty ree and in all this time I have been a deteetive. My ex- perience has all been in the west, south-west and north-west among the worst of characters, and I think I have been instrumental in nging many hardened criminals to justice as well as reclaiming others from the ways that lead to destruction. There may be—in fact are, many cynical ——_ who do not believe a man can be a Chris and at the same time bea detective. To catch a rogue they claim it takes a rogue. A. reformed rascal may make a better detective than a preacher, but be that as it may, I feel that [ have not been an entire failure, “ But, I am we prharcte. F three years ago a t murder and robbery were committed in t. Louis. Aman named Ramsey and his wife were murdered and their house robbed of many valuables, among which were a set of diamond jewelry valued at ten thousand dollars. At the time I was preaching at Lawrence, and a de- scription of the number of pieces of jewelry and the initials upon some of them were sent me by a brother detective. Of course, I on a sharp look-out but without success. is ring, however, is one of the Ramsey jewels beyond a single doubt; still, the man that gave it to you may not be the man, or one of the party, murdered the husband and wife,” ‘Oh, sir!” cried Ethel, ‘‘I am doubly sure now that the man I married is not Roger Mill- bank!” ‘Well, [ shall begin an investigation to-mor- row that I hope may lead to the capture of my assassins and —_ unknown busband, But me, Ethel, did you have any other admirers be- sides Roger Millbank, that you know off Did Ogilvie, the gambler, ever call on you?” ‘‘He has called at our cabin frequently b uncle Robertson’s invitation,” she arsw ‘*He never expressed any more interest in me. than the warmest friendship. I had no admira- tion for him, although he is a very entertaining and intelligent man,—a perfect gentleman in his manners, Major Brandt, the Government surveyor, and Mr. John Radway, also, have called often at our house. I have noth to say against any of them but that Mr. Ogilvie is a gambler.” ‘ Well,” said Frodd, consulting his watch, * it is getting late, and I would suggest that you re- turn home, and be patient, vigilant and silent, Remember, I will stand between you and the man who may claim you as his wife, but this I don’t believe he will ever dare attempt to do since he failed in killing me. Still t believe there is some damnable plot being planned and consummated, but what it is we can only hope for the future to reveal.” Ptolemy Frodd saw Ethel safely home; then he returned to his room and retired for the remainder of the night. But, he was astir early the next morning, breakfasting with the family in the opposite room. | Ogilvie, the gambler, Rocky and Matt Hohn were the first to call on him that weaves “Mr. Frodd,” said Ogilvie, ‘“‘ we’re here to. pee ive ae = Fa We've armed and equip or anything. , bowever ou haven’t faith in is salt so, and we’ll not obtrude ourselves on you.” ‘No, I'll be da—doomed afore Ill ‘ renig’ on you agin, Psalm-Singer!” added Rocky, . ‘* My friends,” said Frodd, who in daylight had made a satisfactory study of the three men’s faces, “I am satisfied to put you down as helpers, and willing to trust you. Here comes “Matiot Brandt, the surveyor, and Tom Ackerman, the ‘cowboy.’ I should like to have the major join us, for he is an old frontiersman, or rather, an experienced plainsman. Good- morning, major—good-morning, Tom!” Major Brandt was a man upwards of forty years of age, though he looked much oon er. He was and erect as an Indian, with a face indicative of t decision of character; with dark eyes and hair, and a full, dark beard. | He been stopping at River View, off and on, for some six months, and at the time he was _ waiting the arrival of a party from the south to assist him in the survey of the Black Hills dis- EComicboo Cc “Ss (E@)