Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 423 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

—— -- | —— —-——e— a dozen rats had penetrated to the cell from un- derground passages in the damp floor. Their diamond-like eyes sparkled in the lam light. The most of them had retired to their holes at hismovement, but two or three sturdy fellows stood their ground, looking at him with glittering eyes. A shudder ran through the strong man’s frame. Here was a new and horrible danger. The Jamp, once out, would he not have to fight in the darkness for his life with these voracious crea- tures? Yet this feeling was but transient. It was fol- lowed by asentiment of reckless desperation. A laugh of hollow mockery came from his dry lips. ‘‘So, little fellows,” he said, asif he was ad- dressing human beings, ‘‘ you and I have got this palatial hall to ourselves. You have rather the better of me, for you know the way out, but we might as well be good companions while we are together. Art hungry, little folks? Well, I have more here than I want. I will share my platter with you.” He cut up a piece of the meat on the dish into small fragments, which he flung toward the rats. ‘There, eat and be merry, little ones.” The scary creatures scampered to their holes at this movement. Yet after.a minute or two their eyes again —— outward, Harry kept perfectly still, and his miniature visitors soon again ventured from their lurking-places. They were not long in discovering the parti- cles of meat on the floor, and attacked them voraciously. Harry again shuddered when he saw their sharp white teeth, and heard the sig- nificant crunching sound. He shut his eyes. For the time he could not ‘bear the spectacle. When he opened them again it was to start hastily to his feet with surprise and horror. The rats, which he had left busy at their re- past, now presented a different appearance. Some f them were staggering feebly toward their holes. Two of them mt rostrate on the floor. As he looked a thir fell over, with a taint squeak of pain. There was no mistaking the meaning of this. ‘They had been poisoned! He had been served with poisoned food, and only this fortunate ac- cident had saved him from the fate that had be- falien the rats! He shook as if in an ague as he stood with his distended eyes fixed on the dead animals. This was death in a shape of which he had not dreamed. <A deadly and rapid poison had been mingled with his food. He fell again heavily into his chair, with a groan of dismcy. ‘*Great God!” he cried in agony, ‘‘am I to die such a death as this! To perish from poison or starvation! Todie the death of a poisoned rat! Thore must be—there shall be some means of escape from this dreadful fate!” He sprung to his feet and hurried wildly around the cell, examining every crack and cre- vice in the wall, in the hope that some avenue of flight might present itself. He tried the iron door, but it was immovable. He even caught the knife from his plate and dug furiously into one of the rat-holes in the earthen floor, in the wild hope that it might lead to some neighbor- ing apartment. he earth, at first hard, soon became soft and yielding, and he was not longin making an aperture through which he could thrust his hand under the wall. As he did so his groping fingers encountered something soft and furry. He oe it and drew it out. Then, with a groan of horror, ho dropped it as he would have dropped some terrible object. It was one of the poisoned rats that had died in its hole, The half-insane prisoner Jet fall the knife and ye egy back, with bleared eyes and dishevel- ed hair, his gaze fixed on that fearful object as if he had encountered a basilisk. The thought ran through his mind that, but for a happy chance, he might at that moment have been in ‘the condition of the dead rat, At that instant, to add to his horror and de- spair, the flame of the lamp fluttered, shot up brightly for a moment, and then sunk downand vanished. The utter darkness which he had feared wasupon him. Trembling from head to foot he groped for his chair and fell heavily upon it. For the time being he was utterly un- manned. An hour more passed. He had no longer dread of attack by the hungry rats. There was enough poison in that fata] dish to kill a legion of them. Yet the horrors of his situation were enough without this added dread. Suddenly he lifted his head and assumed a listening attitude. He had heard a faint sound which seemed to come from a long distance. It . i¥y -her with stern eyes. The Lost Finger. mn was followed by a fumbling movement about the iron door. Was he about to have a visitor? He waited, with clinched hands, half resolved to spring on and throttle any one who might enter his cell. The lock shot back almost noiselessly. The door opened a crevice. The light of a lamp pen- etrated the dismal cell. The prisoner, who had drawn by the wall mear the door, waited in im- patient fury, ready to spring on his incautious visitor, But he suddenly started back and threw up his hands, while a wild cry came from his lips. ‘* Estelle! You here? You, faithless, vile, treacherous! Do you dare visit me in this foul dungeon to which you have consigned me?” It was indeed Estelle Laurent, who stood in the half-open door, lifting her lamp and taking a slow and gradual survey of the cell. Her eyes fell on him with an enigmatical expression. ‘*'You forced me to it,” she said, as she closed the door behind her. ‘‘I mean you no harm. No injury shallcome to you. But you shall not betray and ruin me and mine. Youhave dared the contest, Harry Foster. Here you shall re- main tillI am far away. But, good Heaven, I did not mean that you should be here in utter darkness!” ‘* You trust too much to my folly or forbear- ance, Countess,” he answered with a sneer. ‘* You forget that the door is open, and that I am stronger than my jailer.” ‘** You cannot escape. The house is guarded at all points. Your enemies are not of the kind that leave open avenues to their prisoners.” ‘*Do you mean me noharm? My life is safe here?” 7 ‘*Yes. You will be released when we are far away, and out of all danger.” ‘*My life safe? Look at this!—and this! Is this the kind of safety you mean?” He rushed wildly forward and thrust toward her the lifeless rats. Her eyes opened with amazement. ‘* What do you mean?” she faltered. ‘‘I do not understand.” ‘Then ask your confederate, Juan _Vernel. There is the food he provided for me. I shared it with the rats. You see the consequences, yes ee I had partaken of thatfood?’ . s the terrible truth came to her senses she sunk nearly to the floor, in a fearful revulsion of feeling, her eyes fixed on the dead animals as his had been an hour before. Then she sprung up again with face and eyes blazing. ** This is the last of it all!” she furiously cried. ‘* They deceived me, they lied to me, they would have destroyed me! From this moment I dis- own all allegiance to, and throw off all fear of those vile wretches and murderers! You! you, my love, my all! You, whom [ had torn my very heart out to discard at their command! —Well for them that their murderous scheme failed, or they would have found what a woman like me could do! You, my own! I will defend you, or die, with you.” In her wild passion she rushed across the floor and threw her arms impulsively around him, as if to save him from the strokes of a ruthless foe. He broke from her embrace with a feeling of utter loathing. Her asseverations be did not half believe, In his heart he charged her with — his death. She fell back, repelled by his thrusting hands. A thousand emotions appeared on her speaking face. That he to whom she had given herself so utterly should treat her_ thus. er heart was ready to break with despair. -Then a new thought came suddenly to her, ‘* Let us fly!” she cried. ‘‘ There isnot a min- ute to lose! You cannot leave the house alone, but I can conduct you out of it. I know ways of escape not known to those wretches. Quick! Follow me! Any minute may bring them here.’ He had grown cold and hard. He moved not at her violent prompting, but stood surveying ‘* And what isto be the price of my safety? Am I to yield to that love which I now loathe?’ ‘*No! no! I make no conditions! I have told ou already that we can never wed; that there is that in my life that must forever separate us. You donot dream of the terrible secret which has made mewhat I am. But we are wasting words. Fly! fly! before it is too late!” At that instant the door closed with a re- sounding clang. A lavgh of bitter mockery came from behind it. ‘“‘Tt is too late now,” cried the cold voice of Juan Vernel. ‘‘ You would betray us, woman, You have sealed your doom. We leave you to share the room and the food of your friend.” CHAPTER XI. WHAT DETKCTIVE SHARP THOUGHT AND DID. WHILE these events were taking place within the mysterious precincts of Red Hall, others of interest were occurring in the city outside. The new day dawned upon the great city, ard life again began its flow. Business was resumed after the night of rest, and the torrent was soon rushing on in its strong daily tide. Within the banking house of Ditson & Co. the clerks had long since gathered, and the hour for opening the doors to the public was at Land. Mr. Ditson had just made his appearance. He did so to encounter curious glances and signifi- cant looks. He saw that something had hapyen- ed, and nervously demanded tke reason of this strange behavior. ‘‘The safe is still closed, sir. Mr. Foster is absent, with the key. He has sent no word to explain his absence.” The banker stared at the speaker in blank amazement. ‘Then he rushed from the room and to the nearest telegraph station, where he sent a hasty message to Foster’s address. He followed this by a messenger, who was directed to make all haste, and bring back the key if Mr. Foster should prove to be sick. No reply came to the telegram. The messen- ger returned within an hour with the startling information that Mr. Foster was not at home. He had left the house at an early hour of the evening before, and had not yet returned, At this information significant glances shot from eye to eye around tae room. ‘‘Great Heavens! can it be possible that Sharp was right?” cried Mr. Ditsen, in a terror. ‘*Go for him, instantly, some one. Here, Clark ou make all haste to the detective’s office, and ring Mr. Sharp here without delay. You, Thompson, run for a locksmith. Business cannot go on till we get that safe opened.” An hour brought both the parties sent for, the locksmith, with his tools, and Detective Sharp. The latter looked askance at the operations of the smith. ‘‘T fancy he will not get that iron box open easily,” he remarked. ‘‘ What is wrong, Mr. Ditson? Have you lost the key?” ‘*Something startling has happened. Come into my office.” Sharp followed him without a show of emo- tion on his stolid face. It was as if he had ex- pected such a summons. { The detective quietly helped himself to a chair, and waited calmly for Mr. Ditson’s com- munication. ‘* T remember,” kad suspicions of time of the burglary.” ‘‘ Very true,” answered Mr. Sharp quietly. ** But These no such suspicions now. I think he is an honest man.” ‘You do?” exclaimed the banker. ‘ You have changed your opinion?” ‘““In part. fear that Mr. Foster has been made the tool of some designing people. I fancy that, without his knowledge, he has been made use of by these burglars.” “‘Ah! Then you have kept him under your eyes? You know something of his movements? ou may be able to trace him?” ‘“Why?” asked thedetective simply. ‘*Some- thing has happened then?” ; ‘Mr. Fo ter, who has charge of our safe key, . has not appeared this morning. I have sent to his house. He is not there, and has not been since last night. _I don’t know what to think of it, Mr. Sharp. Was he really the burglar be- fore, and has he absconded now with the con- tents of the safe?” The detective fell into a moment’s. deep thought. ! " No,” he replied. ‘* You will find your cash all right. Unless—” ‘¢Unless what?” ‘‘The case stands this way, Mr. Ditson: Fos- ter had nothing to do witlt the burglary. If he had the safe would have becn opened with the key, and emptied of its contents. The findin of the woman’s finger clearshim. But I think he has been made the dupe of the true burglars. Do you remember his story that he left the early that afternoon to escort a lady friend to the cars, on her way to Boston?” “Veg.” “That lady did not_reach Boston by that train. She returned to New York in the even- ing. She left again in an early morning train, looking pale and feeble, and in CORpD Any with a gentleman. She had reason to look pale. Dur- ing the interval her finger had been chopped off by your safe.” “+ Mr. Ditson, “‘ that you r. Foster’s integrity at the mil