Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 284 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— $e ee - —— vice toward Basil Branch, and Merle and Vance | Murell, who was the commander of his yacht, went into the parlors to await their coming. Upon descending to the parlors, and then upon entering the dining-room and beholding tbe | royal splendor about her, Mrs. Branch was too | well-bred to express her admiration openly; but | in the mother’s brain flashed the thought: ‘* Ob! if he and Pearl would only fall in love with each other, and they shall, if I can so have | it. For this little plot the mother was to be par- doned, kind reader, for of all unselfish hearts in the world, mothers’ hearts are the most so, when the good of their children is eoncernee, and | they will deprive themselves of everything for the happiness of those whom they have brought into the world, and it was no wonder that Mrs. Branch wished to see her beautiful daughter the | proud mistress of that kingly home. ¥* After dinner, which was fit for an emperor, | and served by liveried slaves behind the chair | ef each guest to attend their every want, Merle showed his friends over his mansion, and then the party boarded the Dragon, which was at anchor just off the shore. The first thing that struck the guests upon oing en board of the beautiful craft was that Gee white crew had given place to a black one. They were half a hundred in number, slaves whom Merle Monte had purchased, and every one had been selected as a good sailor, having been for years on the river and along the Gulf shores. They were all attired in a neat uniform, drilled to perfection in every duty, and presented a strange and startling sight when contrasted with the former crew. The yacht, too, had been overhauled from truck to keel, and the same magnificence every- where seen in the mansion had been carried out on the vessel. At the command of their captain, Vance Murell, the black crew sprung to their posts, the anchor came up with a chorus, by no means unmusical, as the men sped around the capstan, keeping time with their tread to their song, and then the white sails were set, and the beautiful schooner went flying against the swift current, with a strong breeze astern of her. It was not yet sunset, when Pearl cried: ‘‘ Mr. Monte, there is our old home, my birth- place, and the dearest spot on earth to me,” and she pointed to a py mansion, embowered ina ve of orange and live-oak trees. ‘‘ But oh! how changed,” said Mrs. Branch, while ber husband remarked sadly: “Yes, the new owner of The Retreat has beautified it wonderfully, and made it far more | lovely than it was in its palmiest days in the long ago.” ‘“He has spent a fortune on the house and grounds alone,” returned Mrs, Branch, ‘Yes. it is a lovely spot,” said Merle. a A hie has purchased all of the old slaves, | mn aly dearly I would like to see some of their | old faces, and ask them if they are buppy. | ‘But they must be, for all their homes now | are really ovely, with the Bigerant surround- | ings the master has environed them witb,” and Pearl pointed tothe distant “ quarter,” or negro village, in the rear of the mansion, and which was composed of half a hundred pretty cottages. “Tf you wish to see your old slaves, Madem- oiselle Pearl, I will land that you may do so,” said Merle. ‘*Not for the world, sir, would I ask such a favor ef a stranger.” “But I know the owner of the estate well, having met him some time ago, and I will re- quest it.” : It was evident that all wished to land, yet did not care to intrude upon the new owner. But Merle, seeing this, at once ordered the schooner headed for the landing, where a hand- some pavilion, or summer house had been upon the river bank, The anchor was let fall, a boat lowered, and calling to Vance Murell to accompany them, Merle and bis guests started for the mansion, Megrak, the interminable shadow of his master, bringing up the rear. The mansion was open,and as they pperonehed, those who had dwelt there, saw that it had been newly furnised and most elegantly so. Upon reaching the piazza, Merle stepped | slightly in advance, and said with a smile: ‘Mr. Branch, I welcome you, your wife and daughter back to your own home, which I pur- chased for you, that you might not lose it. “Tt has been fitted up for you according to my taste, and refurnished, while all the slaves you formerly owned, are here to receive you, The Sea Marauder. — and it is my opinion, Mr, Branch, that you will find it more to your taste to remain here and cultivate your plantation, than to go to sea as an officer, even under so genial a man as is Captain Trenor, whom, with Captain Meredith and Little Belt, or rather now Miss Belle Den- ham, we will find in the parlor awaiting us.” “Yes, here we are, having arrived ahead of you,” cried Captain Trenor, advancing from the hall, followed by Mayo Meredith, upon whose arm leant a lady of rare loveliness, and in whom no one could have recognized Little Belt, the ex-Lieutenant of the Gold Ship. Words can never portray the surprise, con- fusion, joy and gratitude of Basil Branch, his wife and daughter, and to escape their thanks Merle called for the slaves, who were awaiting en masse in the rear of the mansion, and a gen- eral jubilee was held far into the night, when Merle Monte was held, with Captains Meredith and Trenor, and Miss Denham, as the guests of The Retreat. CHAPTER XIL THE MASTER OF THE RETREAT, BASIL BRANCH had gone sadly wrong in bis youthful days; but it was perhaps owing to the fact that he had had no good training, for bis father, an austere, gloomy man, had, like his father before him, lived the life of a hermit in his handsome house, igi all social inter- course with the neighboring planters. There was a dark history in the lives of the family, each father handing it down to son, how they were the heirs to a noble title and estate in England, but that it had been sworn away by the grandfather of Basil, when he came to America, in return for which he got the woman of his love. That oath was to be binding upon future gen- erations, the elder Branch had so pledged him- self; but, when Hasil’s father lay upon his death- bed and told the story to his son, and exacted the oath from him, he had refused at once to take it, and then bad heard the words: ‘* Unless you do, then not one dollar of the inheritance do you get.” The man was dying, a few more hours at furthest and he would dead; but be had yet strength to revoke bis will, and he meant to do so, because his son would not bind himself by ai oath that his grandfather had foolishly taken and he also. Then came a black crime, of how the failing breath of a dying man was hastened amey by a pillow placed over. bis head, and the heir, Basil Branch, going out into the cool night air to get calm once more, while the slaves laid bis father out, little dreaming that the son was a murderer. lt was this memory that had haunted Basil Branch through life, and made him a reckless gambler to drown conscience in excitement. And upon that same night, as he stood facing the cool breeze, and collecting bis wild thvughts he had heard sounds upon the river that told him a plantatiou boat was in danger, and calling his own black crew be had dashed to the rescue avd saved Annabel Tracey from the power of hbr old lover, anh Pierson, known in these pages as Captain Pierre, the Sea Marauder. The maiden’s father had been wounded in de- fending her, and was carried to The Retreat to die, and the young girl was left an orphan, and Basil Branch became her protector, her lover and her husband. Fora long time he had tried to goin the right path, but the ‘‘still small voice of conscience ” would drive him almost to madness at times, and the result was his taking to the cup of intoxi- cation and gambling, and year by year his wife’s fortune and bis own faded away, until at last he accidentally came upou a smugglers’ boat, and to retrieve bis losses allied hi f with the band, to, in the end, in sheer desper- tion, go with Brandt, the Buccaneer, as his lieutenant. Fortune had favored him well in rescuing his wife and daughter from the power of bis old enemy, Captain Pierre, and in saving bis neck from the gallows, while above all his secret life remained hidden from the public eye, and from those he loved, and now he found himself once more, with all the fortune he had once bad again under his control, and life opening for him a new pathway. Merle Monte knew him as he was, and yet he it was who bad so nobly befriended him, and from that day he would show the brave and generous youth that be was not unworthy of his kindness, and that his sins were of the head, not the heart. : All these thoughts, and more, too, passed through the brain of Basil Branch that night of ae eee ee ee z — 3 : 7 an ee eo ee his return to his old home, as he paced to and froin his elegant library, when ali oihers in the house bad retired. The murder of bis father, his acts of law- breaking and piracy, he could not banish from memory; but he had turned his back on crime, and determined to live a different life in the future, and with this determination he went to his bed, and sleep, deep and refreshing, such as he had not known for years, came to him. CHAPTER XIII. \ MERLE MONTE MAKES A VISIT. AFTER a few days’ visit to The Retrea passed in enjoyment—for there were sail an row-boats there for excursions on the river, the stables were filled with fine horses and carriages, and nothing bad been left undone to add to the happiness and conifort of the inmates—Merle Monte set sail in the Dragon for his own home, promising to come again and visit his friends. In the mean time Captain Trenor’s fine packet clipper ship having been fully gotten ready for sea, the mate bad sailed her up the river for her captain, and on the run back, as the wind was blowing half a gale, Merle Monte, and - Captain Meredith went on board the splendid vessel to sail hack in ber to the city, and test her speed with’ that of the Schooner, under Vance Murell’s management, Basil Branch, his wife and daughter, with Belle Denham — who bad taken her maiden name again, upon casting off her male attire, and had aecepted the pressing invitation of all at The Retreat to visit them—all assembled at the pavilion on the river bank to see the two vessels start on their race, and waved them God-speed as they departed. The clipper was dressed in canvas from deck to truck, and bounded away like a mad racer with the wind free on her stern quarter; but Vance Murell, to see just whai the Dragon could do, had not sent up his topsails or set extra jibs. ‘That wont do, Murell,” shouted Captain Trenor in high glee through his trumpet. “She'll walk away from you at a lively pace,” and he added in a lower tone: ‘‘Mr. Monte, I’ve christened this craft the Merle Mcunte, and I will say for her that there is no bull of her tonnage that’ can be driven through the water faster than her canvas will send her. ; , ‘' See, we are dropping the schooner.” , “She certainly is fast, Captain Trenor, for there are few vessels that can drop the Dragon without her topsails set. . ‘*Ab! Murellis spreading more sail.” — And up to the long, tapering’ topmasts went the snowy duck, and catching the breeze, the additional sail was at once noticeable, for the schooner bent more to the pressure, the wall of foam about her bows grew higher and whiter, and in a few moments she was under the stern of the clipper. es A bend in the river here necessitatcd a short tack, when Vance Murell, who held the helm himself, shot bis little vessel quickly about, and darted away right across the bows of the clip-. r in a masterly way that brought a cheer rom those on the ship for bis daring and skill. ’ Then more canvas was spread upon the Dra- gon, and she led the Merle Monte a lively chase to the bome of Merle Monte, having her anchor down, sails furled, and all on boar when the ship swept up. As Captain Trenor was to sail the next day for his trip North, for the vessel was to bea New York tater Merle bade him good-by, along with Captain Meredith, who had also make a short cruise in the Sea Wolf, and land- ing at his home, drove down to the city in his carriage, He had said he had a visit to make, and his destination was the office of Henry the real estate broker. in a good humor with himself and the world in general, for he sat at bis desk im a smiling mood. Seeing the handsome, elegantly dressed youth enter, he naturally supposed he had a customer of importance, and rising quickly, said in bis 0 uious way: : ‘How do, sir; be seated, sir, and command my services.” d But Merle remained ‘standing, while he said calmly: 2 ‘‘Mr. Henry Mordecai, I believe.” ‘‘The same, sir, and at your service,” ‘You were the agent. of Planter Basil — Branch?” — ‘Lam, sir.” m (E ship-sbape ' rdecai, © That worthy was in his office, and evidently ~ IIOKs