Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 423 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

| | | | | | | —— ow ee ee - —e — ee : | | re wwe iS ne afterward, the saloon was deserted. Paul and Juan had been among the first to leave it. A significant look from Estelle drew Harry from the room, She led the way along the hall and down to the lower floor. Reaching this, she opened the door of a small reception room, and signed to him to enter. **We can talk undisturbed here,” she said, seating herself beside the richly-covered center- table, and motioning Harry to a chair. ‘*T have several things to say to you, Estelle,” he began, looking at her meaningly. ‘First of all, { have done what you forbade me. I have had an interview with Juan Vernel, and charged him with taking part in this burglary.” Estelle’s face grew flaming red at these words, fler eyes gleamed with anger. ‘* Fool!” she cried passionately, “is that all the trust I can putin you? You did that, and came here afterward? Do you know what you Save done?” ‘*T only know this,” he replied, ‘* that you are here as the associate of gamblers and burglars, You carnct have known, at least, this last trait of their character. I call on you to separate from such men. And if you love me, Estelle, give up this disgraceful business,” As she looked at him the angry licht faded from her eyes, and @ new expression, as of a hunted deer, came into them, ‘‘T cannot!” she cried, helplessly. terly in their power. You think I choice. I do it from necessity. be free, but I am a mere puppet. the strings I must move.” ‘‘But this is horrible,” he exclaimed. ‘ Con- fide in me, Estelle. Tell me the mystery that makes you a slave to these villains, You aro innocent of crime, I am sure of that, Trust ma to defend you against them.” ‘* How do you know I am innocent of crime?’ she demanded. ‘For all you know tw the con- trary I may be steeped to the very lips in crime, You know nothing of me. Because a woman is beautiful, and has some shreds of a heart, that does not make her a stainless angel. You know nothing of me. It is better you showd not. Our lives lie apart. I wish to Heaven \ had never seen youl” She struck hm small right hand in desperate energy on thw table. ‘“ Why should you offer such a wish? What can there ‘be in your life that is forbidden me to know?” ‘‘ Because I love you,” she desperately replied. ‘‘ Because I would save you from misery. I intend to endure this life no longer, Harry Fos- ter. Ihave made up mymind to fly. I would rather die a thousand deaths than endure fur- ther the sufferings during the past month.” ‘¢'To fly?’ he answered blankly. ‘Yes, At once. Without delay. I cannot bear the danger, the disgrace, the horror of my resent life. I will not bear the sneering mas- ry of those fiends,” * ** Leave me to deal with them.” “No, no! You are no match forthem, And my fate is bound up in theirs. You forget that the measures you design against them may de- stroy me.” ‘Then let me fiy with you. I will desert everything, fortune, friends, and all, for your dear sake.” A look of tender softness came into the woman’s face, She made one step toward him. Then she recoiled with a look of horror. ‘‘ No, no! I must go alone. I will drag noone into the gulf that is open for me,” ‘But why should you fly? This business is not criminal. You are not their associate in burg ary. The police are already on the track of the woman who lost her finger. She who lured the key from that weak fool, Davis,” She suddenly grew as rigid as if she had frozen into stone. er eyes were fixed on him with a look of utter horror and dismay. ‘‘On her track!” she muttered. ‘On her track!” “Yes, Why should that affect you so? Can it be possible that the note of invitation was in- deed your's? Can it be that you had some share in this ugly business?” : She broke from her rigid attitude. A dis- dainful smile crossed her face. ** That ends it all,” she cried. pect me!” His eyes were fixed again on her gloved hands. ‘‘No,” he exclaimed, ‘I have always de- clared to myself that such a thought is impos- sible. Yet you have been denounced tome. I have been advised to ask you a certain question. You must answer it, Estelle, not for my satis- tactica, but toclear yourself from this calumny. **T am ut- do this from I may seem to As they pull ‘You too sus- | i ———————— ——————— — The Lost Finger. Why, since your return, have your hands been always gloved?’ If she had been struck in the forehead with a bullet she could not have shown more conster- nation. Her face grew deathly pale. She tot- tered as if she would have fallen, and only sup- ported herself by grasping a chair. This lock was succeeded by one of anger and indignation. ° ‘** Do you ask me such a question?” “* Fes, ‘‘ And demand an answer?’ “pido? ‘‘Tt is well. But if you persist in it my love eoeés with this stripped-off glove. No love for ine without utter trust.” As she spoke she hastily drew the glove from her right hand, and held it out haughtily to him to examine. ‘‘Look at it. Are there any missing fingers there? Are they not all of flesh and blood?” He caught her hand, while a shudder shook his strong frame, ‘‘ They are the perfect counterpart of the lost finger!” he exclaimed. ‘The leit hand now, Estelle.” ‘*Do you know the fate of the curious woman who looked into Bluebeard’s closet?” ‘‘T will see it!” he cried, seizing her hand, and pressing the fingers firmly within his own. He let it fall with a groan of horror. One of the fingers had remained hard and unyielding under his rude pressure. ‘Wool! You have dared your fate. then, if you will!” She tore the glove from her hand with an im- petuous jerk. To his utter horror, it was a maimed hand! The third finger was gone! What had appeared the finger, remained in the glove, : ‘¢ You sought for knowledge,” she exclaimed, bitterly; ‘t You have found it. I would havo saved you. Youhave destroyed yeurself. Look at that imperfect hand. Leck your fill at it, You have driven me into a corner, from which there is no escape. I am _ bound by an oath which I dare not break. Yes, I took part in that burglary. It was my hand that was caught in the safe-door. It wasmy finger that was seyered by the cold and cruel iron. You have forced me to this acknowledgment. The vunsequences be upon your own head,” She towered like a Pythoness above the shrink- ing and horror-stricken man. Her right hand caught up a bell from the table, and rung it viokntly. Anger and fury seemed to pulse fromv every fiber of her being. Meanwhile Harry was utterly overwhelmed. He crouched back with his eyes fixed on the wounde’ hand, as if some magic had riveted them there, His condition was pitiable in that moment of utter horror and mental revulsion. This terrible scene lasted but a minute. Then the door of the room was flung open, and Paul Clifford and Juan Vernel entered, as if in re- sponse to the bell, They looked around, A slance at the situation sufficed to tell them what had happened. Fierce oaths broke from their lips, as they sprung forward, Juan drawing a pistol, on the miserable skrinking man in the corner. ‘‘ He would have it,” cried Juan. ‘He shall have his wish,” ‘* Beware the pistol,” warned Paul, ‘ There are safer and silenter means.” See CHAPTER X. THE TERRIBLE REPAST. A pAY had passed slowly away, a day that had been only night to Harry Foster. Impas- sable walls encircled him, an 1ron door closed the aperture to the dungeon 1 which he lay, only the faint light of a lamp stood between him and total darkne's. The unfortunate prisoner strode around his stony-walled cell with the tread of a caged lion. His senses were but now returning, after hours of swoon, His brain was still in a whirl, into which memory but slowly made its way. Nearly twenty-four hours of his life had been to him an utter blank, There slowly came into his brain recollection of the dreadful mystery he had learned. It was the woman he loved who had been the associate of the burglars, and whose finger had been torn off in that terrible trap! His love, for the time, died out in loathing of the crime in which she had participated, At that moment he hated and detested her. . But, how came he here? He seemed to still see her face, fierce with rage and ion. The sound of that fatal bell yet rung in his ears. He could perceive the ruthless gamblers, rushing i te into the room in response. He had a faint re- collection of a violent Lut momentary struggle, of a fierce blow with some weapon on his head, and of a terrible shock that seemed to rend his. whole frame asunder. Then ail becamea blank. He knew no more until he roused to find himself the tenant of this dread vault. Back and forth through the room le strode, his indignation rising as memory retul ned, **The cold-blooded villains!” he exclaimed, ‘fam I destined to be their victim? Fool that J was to venture here, and to rouse that terrible woman by forcing from her the secret of her crime! I was an idiot to attempt this enterprise alone. Nowno one knows where tofind me. What will be thought when I fail to eppcer at the bank? I will be charged with flight and robbery. It will be claimed that the former burglary was mine, and that nowlI have fled with the contents of the safe. Fool, idiot, brain- less dolt, that 1 have been!” His words were echoed by a sneering laugh from the direction of the cell dccr. l.e turned quickly, just in time to sce it close. A platter of food had been thrust inside, ‘You were not overly wise, inceec, larry Foster,” came in the mocking voice «f Juan Vernel. ‘‘ Wise men do not thrust their heads in the lion’s mouth. For your comfort I will tell you that you are already charged with rob- bery of the bank. The lock of that safe is so sound that they will not easily get it open with- out the key, which bappens to rest in your pocke s. Search is being made for you. We can only thank you that you have kindly con- cealed your visits here. Ifancy they will search in vain.” A laugh of cruel mockery succeeded these satirical words. Harry sprung furiousiy to the door, ‘** You do well to hide yourself, coward! If you area man I challenge you to have it out haud to hand,” “TI fancy not, my respected bruiser. You have the mcst muscle, but I have the advantage in brain. I think I will keep my advantage.” ‘Villain! Whatisto he the end of this? I shall call you to a fearful account!” ‘* When you get out,” came the sneering reply. ‘‘ And that will not be soon. You know too much, Harry Foster. You will never leave that prison alive.” The voice, which had come through the ircn door with a faint and muffled sound, ceased. A footstep was faintly heard. Then a!l was ¢!- lence. Some other furious words came from the prs- oner’s lips, but they were wasted cn the empty air. He was u‘terly alone in the gloom cat ti- lence of that dungecn. He broke again into a furious walk, etmesta run, round the grim walls of his cell. Eis ner- vous excitement wasso great that it would have killed him now to sit still. His furious passion could only be worked off by violent exercise. For more than half an hour be kept up this excited stride, before his brain began to grow caim and his nerves quiet, He then perceived the plotter of food, still sitting where it had been placed on the floor. His first impulse was to send it across the room, by a viclent kick. But he had grown somewhat more capable of sober thought, “My life may rest on that focc,” he said to himself. ‘These men would have the fiendich- ness to starve me. I must sustain my strength as long as possible,” He placed the platter on the rough table that occupied the center of his cell. But he could not eat now. He thrust it from him in disgust, fell upon the solitary chair which his cell con- tained, and buried his head within his arms. He was lost in the utter misery of the terrible situe- tion into which he had fallen, For a full hour he continued thus. The lamp- light sent a feeble gleam throughout the cell, Its oil was growing low. Inan hour or two more it might be out, and the prisoner be plunged in- to utter darkness, Was this one of the terrors. provided by the ruthless jailers for their helpless. captive?’ or an hour all had been silence in the cell. The prisoner had not moved from his attitude of depression, Then there came a faint sound, as of the patter of light feet. It was a peculiar sound, too feeble at first to penetrate to the muffled senses of the captive. Yetin time he seemed to recognize that there was something’ odd and unusual abouthim. He raised his vo i from his arms, ard gazed around the cell, Suddenly he sat bolt upright in his chair. At this movement there came a hasty scamper of the light feet. The mystery was out. Atleast