Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 423 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— a A — eee SS a eee Oe are almost a stranger here, Mr. ree .- _— - - . - - —_—- - ———_- — ee “*T see what is working in yonr head. Well, I am ready. The Red Hall let it be, then.” He drove for some distance, and finally drew up in front of a stylish livery stable, where he left his team in charge of the attendants. ‘We have not far to go,” he said. In fact very few steps brought them to the front of a large, handsome mansion, one of a fine brown-stone row, yet very quiet and som- ber-looking in front. A ring brought a colored servant to the door, He appeared to recognize the gentlemen, and made way for them to enter. ‘* Any one here, James?” ‘‘ Several, sir. Mr. Vernel just entered. there was a party before him.” ** Very well.” They walked forward over the velvet carpet, and up the broad, stately stairway. The reason for the peculiar name given the mansion made itself apparent as they advanced. A crimson tone predominated, alike in car- nets, and on the walls and ceiling. The light of the blazing chandelier gave baek almost a lurid reflection. This was still more evident when they reached the head of the stairs, and advanced along a short hall to a door that stood partly open. . It revealed a brilliantly-lighted room, luxu- riantly furnished and ornamented. But the red tint everywhere prevailed, a rich crimson glow that dazzled the eyes that gazed upon it. Several tables stood on the rich carpet. Around one of these, in the upper end of the room, a group of men was gathered. They. were very quiet. Only an occasional word came from them, They seemed engaged in some absorbing occupation. One of these persons lifted his eyes as the new-comers entered the doorway. His face lighted up, and he advanced quickly toward eeted. them. ‘Welcome, gentlemen,” he ** You oster.”’ Vernel. I have had But I promised Mr. But ‘*Good-evening, Mr. something else to busy me. Clifford his revenge.’ ‘That is capital. There is Warner burning to lose some money. We can make up a quar- tette game. What say, Clifford?” *“T am agreeable.” A secret look passed between the conspirators. ‘The prey was in the toils. Mr Weiner proved very willing to take a hand as Foster’s partner. A call to an attend- ant provided them with cards, and a game was quickly in play, with Foster and Warner pitted against Clifford and Vernel. The secret of the Red Hall was out. It wasa private gambling establishment, unknown to the police, and run by the woman’ to whom they gave the odd title of the Countess. But it was very evident that Foster did not suspect the true character and designs of his as- sociates. A peculiar look that had passed be- tween Warner and Paul Clifford showed an un- derstanding very dangerous to their victim. ‘‘Luck never clings long to one side,” cried Paul, with an aspect of ggy satisfaction. ‘I knew I only wanted a fair chance, to discount your good fortune. Game again, and we win.” In fact he and his partner had been winning steadily since the play began. The stakes were high, and their pile of winnings was accumulat- ing. f There was never a lane without a turn,” an- swered Harry, with greatcoolness. ‘It is your deal, Mr. Warner.” The game went on with the same fortune. Harry and his partner continued steadily to lose. ‘‘Had we not better change the game?” sug- gested Warner. ‘No, Let us fight it out on this line,” ‘‘T will send you home penniless.” laughed Paul. ‘I knew that if you accepted my chal- lenge the tables would turn.” ‘He laughs best who laughs last.” ‘‘ But this isa dry business at best,” exclaimed Juan. ‘Let us wet our lips with a glass of wine. Here, James; fetch us some of that old sherry.” : In a few minutes an attendant et ah the wine called for. Foster turned in his chair to take the glass offered him. ae He was but a second, but in that brief inter- val a quick manipulation had taken place. The winnings of the game, which lay heaped before J oa ernel, were alertly slipped from the table. They were as quickly re or at least to all appearance. When Harry turned back to the table, with his glass of amber-tinted wine, there was nothing to show that any change tad taken place. The winnings of his oppo- | | | The Lost Finger. nent seemed still to lay before the thin-lipped player. ‘* Here’s to your better fortune,” laughed Paul, carrying the glass to his lips. ‘*Thanks for the sentiment. prove a true one.” They tossed off their wine, and returned the empty glasses to the attendant. Strangely enough from that moment the luck suddenly changed. Harry and his partner be- gan to steadily win back their losses. The pile of winnings before Juan Vernel rapidly lower- ed. He divided it into two heaps, paying from one of these to Warner, and from the other to Foster. ‘** By Jove, that wine has done for us,” cried Clifford. ‘‘ We have lost our grip.” Harry laugheg. ‘*T told you the tables would turn.” In half an hour he had recovered all his losses, The game was where it began. Clifford a preanee moody and dissatisfied. He flung down his cards spitefully. “Tl be hanged if I play any more to-night!” he exclaimed. ‘*‘That jade, Fortune, has flung me again.” ‘¢Then you want no more satisfaction?” ‘*Not to-night, at any rate.” Harry laughed carelessly, rolled up his mon- ey, and thrust it into his pocket. ‘*'We will cry quits then.” They rose and strolled to the other end of the room, where some deep play was in progress. After a half-hour more Harry excused himself, and left the hall. The conspirators followed him out with tri- umphant glances. ‘*Tt was neatly played,” declared Juan. ‘‘ He never dreamed.’ ‘* The fish is in our net. He cannot escape.” ‘*That depends. He may empty his purse. Something may happen to break our well-laid plans. There is nota minute to lose. The po- lice must be notified at once,” ‘** And anonymously.” ‘*Of course, Come down to the office. Both our heads are needed to manage this informa- tion with proper judgment,” They left the room together. Meanwhile, Harry Foster was proceeding leisurely toward his home, utterly undreamin that he was in the toils of a base and deep-lai conspiracy, which might end in his utter ruin. CHAPTER IV, A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE. Ir was not alate hour when Harry Foster reached his rooms. His experience at the Red Hall, much as it might involve, had not taken much time. He flung himself into a chair, and fell into a deep vein of thought. A shadow of uneasiness marked his fine face. ‘**Iam a fool,” he muttered. ‘‘T should break with those men, 1 mistrust them all. And I fear that suspicion rests on me already, Asso- clation with them may prove fatal.—But Es- telle? What mysterious connection has she with them? If she would but break away from that degrading business! Ah! I fear fT am so infatuated with that woman, that I would fol- low her beck to ruin! She is queenly. She is superb. And I ama poor, blind fly caught in the magic light of her glance.” _ He paused, with a start of surprise. He had just caught sight of a letter, addressed in a fa- miliar hand, on the table before him, ‘‘From her? From Estelle? It must be in answer to mine,” He caught it up eagerly, and pressed it to his lips with a lover’s fondness before opening it, eran his eyes over it with nervous haste, his face changes color more than once in the pe- rusal. e need give here but the essential parts of the long letter. It opened almost immediate- ly, as if the writer’s mind was full of the sub- ject, with: ‘‘What you tell me has filled me with horror and amazement. An attempt to open yoursafe! A wo- man’s finger canght and torn off! Ah! it makes me shudder to think of it! And my opal ring on the finger! Good Heavens, that is extraordinary! You must be mistaken. It is impossible it can be my ring.—And yet, who knows? tt disappeared from my jewel casket more than a week ago. One of my servants had left me to go West, Tu Oregon, she ‘Did she really go? Ialways distrusted her. She ad been sent Fon by her a tel in Oregon, she said. Perhaps it -vas her confederate in New York. Could she have stolen the ring and soldit to a pawn- broker?”’ Harry laid down the letter and fell into a fit of musing. “At any rate that clears up my dreadful doubts about Estelle,” he muttered. ‘‘ The girl I hope it will 5 SS SS ee = ee ee + ee - _ —_ — ——$ i may have placed tlhe ring with afence. That explains its being on the finger of a burglar’s sweetheart. And yet that finger looked as if i5 might have come from the hand of Lady Vero de Vere. Who would have dreamed that any but blue blood had ever run in the veins of that hand?” He resumed the reading of the letter. A slight start and a change of color came to him as he read a sentence further down the page. “Don't go to the Red Hall untl my return. I have reasons for this request, But I expect you to obey my commands without demanding a reason.”’ ‘Tt comes too late,” he said with a smile. ** But I will not go again, Estelle.” ‘“*My friend here is very sick,” continued the let- ter. ‘*It may be several weeks before I can reiurn. But don’t think of coming on, My movements are very uncertain, and I will not have you leave ycur post at this critical period.” A few more sentences, in which, without words of love, there seemed to show a sentiment of affection, and the letter closed. Harry pressed it again to his lips. That-he was an ardent lover his whole expression dis- played. His face burned with a_ lover’s warmth. ‘*Dear Estelle,” he murmured, ‘It shames me that I could have doubted you for a minute. But the mystery of that Red Hall, and of your connection with those men? You must break from them, You must and shall.” He rose and seized his hat. The atmosphere of the room felt close, and he wished to get into the open air. He thrust the letter into his pocket, and then instantly drew it out again. ‘** No, no, it is not safe to carry,” he remark- ed. ‘‘And she tells me to burn it. That is only prudent, It might involve her in this rob- ber ri He held it in the flame of the gaslight until it was in a free blaze. Then waiting until only the corner held by his fingers remained he flung the burnt letter in the hearth, “ve got it in my memory and can spare the yaper copy. She lovesme. Iam sure of that. t speaks through every word of her epistle.” Leaving the house, he walked up and down the street for some time, bis mind full of happy thoughts. Then, with a sudden fancy, he tooka stage and rode down-town. He left it at Twenty-third street, and turned his steps toward the Opera House. ‘Tt is late,” he said, ‘*‘ but the music will quiet me. My head is all in a whirl,” The Blab of lights, the clang and blare of the orchestra, the rich voices of the singers, the gleam of thousands of faces, all seemed like a phantasm to the lover, a glowing accompani- ment to the thoughts that were busy in his brain. It was after midnight when he had left the temple of music and found himself again in the vicinity of his home. ‘*T should sleep well to-night,” he said, as he took the latch-key from his pocket. ‘I have had an evening full of sensations.” ‘*Harry! Harry Foster!” He turned at this call. The voice was familiar, and yet it had in it a ring of distress and excite- ment. He looked into the anxious face that showed itself in the gloom of the street.” ‘Will Davis!” he called out in surprise. ‘What is wrong? What do you want with me at this hour?” | ‘* Hush!” said the man in a cautioning tone. ‘*T have waited for you these two hours, I am on the brink of ruin, Harry. I knew no one who would help me, except you. If yon re- fuse, I shall throw myself into the North river!” = Why, what can be the matter? Do you mean to say that you had any hand in that robbery? Good heavens! Davis, can this be so?” ‘‘No, no! It is not that! Come aside where it is not so public, and I will tell you.” Davis seemed in a state of excitement border- ing on eee as he led Foster toa less publia locality. arry followed, full of wonder. He could not imagine what all this meant, ‘‘Here is a quiet place,” he said, decisively. ‘* Now let me hear your story. You carry the key of the bank. Did you let it go out of your possession ?” ‘It isn’t that, I tell you!” exclaimed Davis, ip a tone as if he wished to avoid this subject. ‘‘ It is nothing about the robbery. The fact is Harry, I am a fool, and have got myself m an ugly scrape. I borrowed money from my drawer in the bank to in- vest in a sure thing on the street. Idiot that I was! I have lost!” He struck his head furiously with his fist, ‘‘I have no money now to replace it. There will be an examina- tion to-morrow. My discrepancy will be dis- COMIC _ ee |