Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 426 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

¢ df. liberal check to Mitchell on the home bank, ordering | vestigation of the other apartments cf the strange him to erect tombst’ nes for the dead, and as the balance of his money was safe at interest, to allow it to so remain, As the gold excifament was waxing hot at this time, and having io ties to take him back East, Jacobi resolved to remain in the mines indefinitely, and did so. At length, at the end of twelve years’ absence, all teld, having amassed another fortune of twenty thousand dollars, he drew it from his western bank and set out or. horseback for the nearest railroad station, eastwird bound. It was whil’, thus en rou/e, that he was attacked by the Ee RAS ers and subjected to the terrible indig- nity that lori him his sight and his fortune as well. A tale fui as strange as that awful experience that had b :fallen himself, awaited his home-coming. He lear’ ed that neither his wife nor any of the family h/ 4 died at the time such news had been sent him, buf. that Milo Mitchell, by altering the check sent hi) 4, bad drawn all of Jacobi’s money from the bank, and, accompanied by Mrs. Jacobi and her young est daughter, had fled to parts unknown. Rey ort had it that, not many months afterward, Mrs. Jacobi and her daughter had been seen witha stro/iing band of Gypsics. That was the last ever seex, and heard of her, while nothing was known of Mitchell's whereabouts. Jiancy, Jacobi’s maiden sister, had also disap- pared from the home, taking with her the elder gaughter of the unfortunate miner, whom Mrs, acobi bad left behind. Such was the story the blind beggar had told Sam Slabsides, He also averred, that he had had a revelation in a dream, that it was really Milo Mitchell who led the highwaymen inthe western outrage, and who had put out his sight and that, if he kept on wandering about the country, he would eventually find his man, and the oper to visit vengeance upon him would be afforded. But, as yet, that opportunity had not come, and it did not look probable that old Felix would live long enough to hunt down the scoundrel who had done him such hideous wrong. When Sam Slabsides entered the spacious hall of the old mansion, he was surprised to find that it was carpeted! To be sure, the carpet was old, dusty, moldy, in laces,and scattered over with leaves that had drifted nat the open door; but it was a carpet, all the game, and extended up the broad staircase. This surprise, however, only partly paved the way for others that were to follow. Turning off from the hall, he entered the parlor. Mere,an ‘*c'*tion burst from bis lips. Although dus. and (d were conspicuous every- where, the parlor was grandly furnishec with an- cient, but e egant furniture, P ctures, rich curtains and ornaments, and asplendid velvet carpet of light color covered the floor. It appeared that whoever had formerly occupied the house had decamped, leaving nothing behind. Although tho light was somewhat dusky in the room, Sam was able to discern all this, and also saw two things, not usually included in parlor furnish- ing. Pending downward, half-way from the ceiling, to which it was attached with a screw-hook. was a rope, the lower part being formed in the shape of a slipping noose. irectly under this there was a large, dark-red stain upon the carpet, which had been caused, with- out a doubt, by bloodshed. Attached to the rope was also a card; upon it was traced, in bloody letters, tho following: * John Van Gelder, Here, Took His Own Life. Beware. And Keep Away From This Haunted House. I Am Present, Even In Death. JoHn VAN GELDER.” “Oh! ye are, hey?’’ Sam soliloquized, on reading the card. ‘If rHat’s the case, I reckon thet’s why people don’t hang their hats up, an’ stay awhile around here. Dunno, tho’, "bout ghost bizness. I never took much stock in such things. Maybe it’s ’cause I never see’done. Hello—J iter hes Little wonder he uttered this sudden exclamation, for some invisible hand, or something that felt like & Dane, had slapped him a stinging blow upon the chee He wheeled completely around, but could not see a sign of human presence. Who had struck him? Or, what had struck him? | This was 4 puzzling question, which Sam had no means of answering. He had been standing in the center of the room, at the time of receiving the blow, with his back turned to the door, but it was impossible that a man could have dodged out the door without being de- tected. And yet there was no other source of escape for the on who had dealt the blow. “ Well, I'm darned ef that ain’t funny,’”’ Sam ejaculated, staring helplessly around, and at the same time feeling of his cheek. “I'd jest like to get a squint at the snoozer that lammed me. Say, hello! Where are yer, ye sneak? Come out heer, till I size yer up, an’ squirt terbaccy juice in yer eye!” ‘ No answer to this challenge. “Kinder looks as if et were a ghost, or something funny,”’ Sam muttered; ‘‘ but if there's any humang $m here I'm g: in’ to know it.” With this resolve he left the parlor, to make an in- | | | | | old mansion. It was growing darker and darker, and he knew he could not make a tour of all the rooms, before it would be too dark to see anything; so he hurried his movements through the lower apartments, and found that they were empty, not one of them except the parlor before described containing any furniture whatever. So Sam was about returning through the dark hall, to the front of the house, when he felt a rush of air before him, as though some one had hastily crossed his path. He made a sudden bound forward, and his out- stretched hands touched a garment which he con- cluded was a woman’s dress. Another bound brought him still nearer, and his hand grasped a small shoulder, and brought the owner to a halt. At the same instant there was a tremendous crash of thunder, a vivid flash of lightning, and a wild, blood-curdling shriek, that fairly made Sam Slab- sides’s hair stand up on end. While the lightning flash revealed to him that the rson whose shoulder he grasped was a young and uteous maiden! CHAPTER IV. FRANK AND RALPH, We have said that Ivy Cottage was across the Dark Pond, from the point where Frank Jamison attempted suicide, and that the old deserted man- sion loomed up on the bluff, at the southern ex- tremity; that the road kept around the base of the at ye and wound on in @ zig-zag course, down the valley. Branching off this highway, half a mile from the bluff, was a wide lane, which ran up the shore of the pond, until it reached Ivy Cottage, where it widen- ed, and surrounded the dwelling where half a hun- dred stately maple trees bordered either side of the lane, rendering cool and complete shade, in the sun- niest weather. This lane was not a public thoroughfare, but be- longed with the ee rty on the west, to the Ivy Cottage farm, which comprised about a hundred acres of very fertile land. The shade of the lane. however, was so tempting that strolling bands of Gypsies frequently camped therein, for a day or two, during which time they attracted numerous visitors from the village of R——, a mile below—romantic young folk, mainly,who came to have their fortunes told by Gypsy queen; or, now and then, a horse-jockey, who came to get up a ‘ swap.” hese Gypsies were generally a well-behaved lot of wandering traders and tinkers, whose usurpation of the maple lane was never particularly objected to, by Miss Priscil'a Tangle._ot, the ancien. maiden ret wh. owned Ivy Coictage, aaa vuhe lands at- ed. Priscilla could usually make an honest penny, by pine | milk and other little luxuries to the nomads, and if there was oue thing above another that Pris- cilla liked to do; it was to capture that honest pen- ny, and hoard it away fora ey day. Next to her money, she probably doted upon her niece, Miss Dolly Denning, who was not only the belle and the beauty of that section of the country, but was Priscilla’s prospective heir. This fact alone, was enough to draw her plenty of suitors, let alone her beauty, educations! accom- plishments, and charming manners; for, besides owning Ivy farm, clear, Priscilla was believed to have quite a number of thousand dollars stowed away. She had bought Ivy Cottage farm, a nuuwber of years before our story opens, and b judicious man- agement, had got every cent out of it that was ob- tainable, without running it down. Ivy Cottage was a pretty structure of modern de- sign and conveniences, and its porticos were overrun th flowering ivy and climbing roses, while white beds of flowers lent an additional charm to the place. The day that ushers in our story found a camp of considerable magnitude located in uae e Lane, for not only did the tribe have a score of good wagons, but their horses were of fine stock, and in excellent condition, and the nomads themselvcs were better dressed and more intelligent-appearing than the general run of their race. There were twenty families, averaging four to a family, with the female sex slightly predominat- ing. The afternoon of the day of their encampment brought a merry crowd of young people down to Maple Lane. from R——, and as she knew ay of them, Miss Dolly Denning joined the gathering in a stroll through the camp. She was a decided blonde, of attractive form, charming of face, and tasty of dress, and wherever she went, she attracted attention and admiration. It was so at the Gypsy camp. There were Sévera! stalwart and duskily handsome young fellows among the band, who had a keen eye for beauty, and they took occasion to stare at Miss Denning in a way that was not pleasant to er, So, seeing Mr. Ralph Jamisoh present, she accept- ed of his offered protection, and he returned scowls for the admiring stares of the Gypsies. Ralph Jamison, in personal appearance and dress. was an exact counterpart of his brother, Frank, and not two out of every ten persons who saw them could tell them apart, so alike were they. It was by their difference in temperaments that they were distinguishable, for, while Frank was hab- itually mild and retiring in bis habits, Ralpb was of a somewhat wilder nature, and more inclined to be reckless and jolly. As hed some, and Frank was a total abstain- Sam Slabsides, the Beggar-Boy Detective. er, some of the farmers had been known to say that *‘ they could pick out Ralph by smelling his breath, if in no other way.”’ Ralph Jamison had another peculiarity; oe much sougbt after by the ladies, he was practically not so much of a lady’s man as his brother, and seemed to prefer the companionship of his gun to that of any one of the many pretty girls who would have been delighted with his society. He had often said he would not marry the hest girl in existence, and the belief prevails that he meant what he said. His lack of appreciation of the fair sex, however, did not prevent his being a polite and agreeable chaperon when occasion demanded it, and he did the escort for Dolly pyre about tLe camp in a way that made many of the fellows envy him. ‘““I suppose you have had your fortune told al- ready?’’ he remarked, as they sauntered along. **Oh! no, sir; I never had it told, as aunty says it: is all nonsense.”’ ‘“*“Ah! Isee. That's because aunty has got a busi- ness eye after the everlasting penny,’’ Ralph laughed. “I don’t know, I’m sure. Of course, aunty ig. close in some things, but she is liberal and kind ip others.”’ ‘I think I could tell your fortune pretty well,’” Ralph chatted on. ‘“ You are soon to be married— that is, if that is any indication,” and he pointed to a solitaire ring upon her finger. “ That should not be construed as having any sig- nificance,’ she said, looking confused. ‘“ y, who in the world should I marry?” ‘*Whom you should marry, and whom you will marry, are two different things. I suppose if youare hankering after love in a stage, you should be- come Mrs. Frank Jamison, but I have understood that the tp a are more favorable for your be- coming Mrs. Judge Jamison.”’ Dolly made no reply, although her face assumed: a pained expression, and she soon adroitly changed the conversation to enother yee During the afternoon she visited the tent of the Gypsy queen, in company with Ralph, to have her fortune told, nearly all her girl acquaintances hay- ing had their fortunes expounded. The Gypsy queen proved to be quite an invisible person, for she was attired in a robe of somber black, and her face was obscured from view by a thick vail, through which two round holes were cut for the eyes, and a third one for her to speak through. Her hands also were gloved in black kids, and, al} considered. she might well be said to be a somber Dame of Fortune. Mie her request Ralph Jamison retired from the nt. What she then said to Dolly Denning he had no. means of knowing, but when the girl came forth all the roses had left her cheek, and in their place was an unnatura! pallor, “Why. what is the matter, Miss Denning?” he quickly asked, stepping forward. ‘‘ NotLing!”’ she gasped. ‘* Take me as far as the an pe and, for heaven’s sake, say nothing to aunt: Priscilla that I visited the Gypsy queen.” ‘Of course not. But, tell me, as a friend, did she do or say anything to ie that necessitates her chas- tisement? If so, by Heaven, for Frank’s sake, I'll turn the whole Gypsy crew from this Jane at the point of my revolver!” ‘‘No! no! For m must go home. As home.” He took her arm, and they walked silently away toward Ivy Cottage. Once or twice she shuddered on the way, and when they came near to the cottage she thanked a dismissed him, and entered the cottage grounds: alone. “Strange, what the Gypsy queen said to agitate her so,”’ Ralph muttered. " a like to know, for I always fancied there was some secret connected with her life,” He turned to retrace his footsteps, and, as he did s0,8aw a man standing but a few steps away, bis: figure partly screened from view by the trunk of one of the huge maples. i He was a Gypsy, of commanding figure, and evi- dently of great muscular strength. s skin was as RWarthy as anative Italian’s, his face a coarse. evil- expressioned one, with gleaming black eyes, a coarse, sensual mouth, with pearly teeth, and shaded y a fierce, black mustache. His hair, of alike hue, fellin waves over his shoulders. He was, apparently, some thirty years of age, and was attired in rather fantastic Gypsy garb, and wore a broad-rim hat, pinned up at one side. He was gazing after Dolly Denning’s retreating form in a way that caused Ralph Jamison’s blood to fairly boil in his veins. ; ‘See here!” he cried, stepping quickly toward the Gypsy , whom he remembered as being one of those whose staring had annoyed Dolly at the camp, *‘ who are you, and what do you want?” The Gypsy folded his arms across his breast and surveyed his accoster. ‘lam Gril Guyandotte,” he announced, coolly. ‘* You are, eh? And what do you mean by dogging me and this young lady?” “TI haven’t been weeeing you.” ‘None of your lying! You were in your camp when we left.” ** And took a notion to walk this way.” ; aan Then why were you standing behind the ree ‘* That's none of your business, gir."’ “Isn't it? I'll show you whether it isn’t. Youget back toward your camp or I'll send a bullet through ou . And by a dextrous move Ralph Jamison whipped sake say nothing. Only I me nothing, but take me CcCOmMmIcDOO