Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 481 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

ee ~ -—- The sceno was tue reilway station at Denver, the Queen Vicy of ube Plains. The subject of remark was a young girl who had just stepped from the cross-continent train from the Golden Gate. The little maiden was sorely beset by a lot of burly hackmen. One insisted on carrying her lap-dog. One would have led her off bodily by the arm. The rest crowded around, bawling at her likeso many madmen, ‘‘ Hellow, you fellow! What do you mean?” And the Jchu who had carried business zeal so far as to lay his hand on the person of the little lady had it struck away with a force that spun him half-round, The whole set fell back toa more respectful distance; and turning his back upon them, the stranger lifted his hat with a polite: ‘‘T beg your pardon, miss! You appear to Lo disappointed in finding friends to meet you. If you will allow me to protect you from these roughs, I assure you it will be a pleasure to serve you in any way.” A pair of the loveliest and most innocent eyes he had ever seen were raised to his face. Roguish dimples and a saucy light in the clear eyes marked this plump little damsel as a right jolly companion where fun was in prospect; and she had the wide-awake air of one who could hold her own. ‘* Oh, sir! you are exceedingly kind,” she said, in a voice of laughing music. ‘‘Il expected my uncle to be in waiting for me.” And she looked about among the hurrying people, all intent on their own affairs, ‘‘Tf you will describe him, I will aid your search,” said the young man, admiring the creamy whiteness of her complexion and the golden beauty of her blonde hair. The blue eyes flashed round wens him, and the red lips broke into a merry smile. ve ht I don’t know him by sight, myself. I have never so muchas seen a picture of him. He is tall and spare; and that’stheend of my infor- mation.” ‘“Indeed? You are in a dilemma.” ‘* But of course I expect him to recognize me. He has my picture.” ‘He is to be congratulated.” : But a quick croae of the eyelids warned the would-be gallant that his compliment was a little too broad. He had a chance tocorrect that blunder when, the bustling crowd having left the depot, it be- came apparent that our httle heroine was doom- ed to disappointment. She looked somewhat dismayed ; when he again came to her relief. ‘Tf your destination is anywhere in the city, a carriage will take you safely to the door. ‘* But itisn’t. I am to gooff into the moun- tains, or out on the plains—I don’t know just where—to a sheep ranch,” The stranger dropped his eyes a single instant, to hide the light that leaped into them. | His manner became more insinuatingly polite, as he said: ‘*That’s a little awkward; but I guess we can get round it without serious inconvenience. If you will allow me to take you toa hotel for din- ner, we can leave a man here on the lookout for your relative. It will only be necessary to have your names,” ‘*'You are very clever at of a difficulty. My name is my uncle’s—” ‘* Can it be possible!” The burst of surprise and keen pleasure was instantly followed by an odd sort of embarrass- ment. ‘‘The deuce and all!” muttered the young man.to himself. ‘‘I’m in for it with a ven- geance! What a go! And row?—whew!—if it ever comes out! But hang the row! It’s worth all it will ever cost. Pll work it for what there jsinit, So here gies!” ‘‘ Can what be possible?” asked the girl, with widening eyes. ‘‘ That your uncle is Deacon Jones,” ‘* Deason Jones?” **T beg your pardon!”—with a short laugh. *“‘ Abednego Strong-in-the-right Swayne—Dea- con Jones for short.” ‘*My uncle’s name may be a little peculiar; but [ don’t thank you for your disrespectful nickname!” ‘‘Tar be it from me to slight the dignity of one whom I honor—not to consider his relation- ship to you.” She was not blind to the twinkle that lurked behind the mask of mock gravity. ‘¢ You seem to know Mr. Swayne,” +‘ Intimately.” seeing your way out edith Vornen * and : . . r ' N, the Megteaer se) so — ne een en een Lx Little Ah Sin. Then lifting his hat and extending his hand: ~ Allow me to salute you a little more cordial- y- In a flash the little lady drew herself uy; and with hightened color and unflinching eye, de- clared indignantly: ‘*T don’t understand you, sir!” : ** You will,” said the young man, still proffer- ing his hand, unabashe - her severity, ‘‘ when Tintroduce myself as Jonathan God’s-grace Swayne, at your service!” Edith only stared at him open-mouthed. ‘*A rather formidable name, isn’t it?’ he asked—‘' which I owe to the blue-nosed tastes of my revered progenitors, but which I hope you will some day—even with your well-known aversion to nicknames!—clip to Jack.” ‘Why, then,” cried Edith, breathlessly, ‘uncle Abe is—” ‘* The author of my being!”—solemnly. ‘* Your father!” ‘* Exactly.” ** And you—” ‘*Ah! in that the re are truly kind! I have the rare felicity of bein ve cousin |” ‘* But, wait! wait!” pante dith, excitedly, the hand still held out for her acceptance em- barrassing her not a little. ‘‘I did not know that uncle Abe ‘had a son.” ‘‘Nor I that I was so blessed, until you de- clared your name. But when you come to know Deacon Jo—I beg your pardon !—Abedne- o Strong-in-the-right Swayne and Mercy Me- hitable, his wife, you won’t wonder at a trifle of eccentricity like that.” “But if you knew nothing about me, how came you to associate my name with uncle Abe the moment you heard it?” ‘““Why, you see, I heard that one Edith Ver- non was expected to domicile with us; but I understood that it was a cousin of my father’s— a schoolmarm from somewhere over the divide.” **T a schoolma’am? Iam just out of school!” ** But I thought you an ancient mariner, just out of the Mayflower, with gimlet eyes, cork- screw Curls, a vinegarish voice, and a rooted belief that birch grew expressly for the benefit of small boys. I left home toavoid meeting you as long as possible. Just think of that!” And he made such a wry face that Edith laughed gleéfully. . ‘* But, sir, 2m not your cousin, after all! I call uncle Abe ‘uncle’ only because he was my papa’s friend, and is now my guardian.” Not my cousin? That does me! But you'll take my hand, won’t you?” ** Oh, yes!” * That’s something! Thank you!” “Isn't it funny that you should happen upon me, uncle Abe being detained? What should I have done?” ‘Without me? Ah! now you're charming! But the fact is we weren’t expecting you until Saturday.” ‘* That was my first letter.” ** And you wrote later, changing the date?” 6 Vas. % “That accounts for the balk. But, I say! now that you’re here, we'll have two days to paint the town red, while we’re waiting for the dea—ahem—the gov’nor.” ‘*T don’t think you a very dutiful son!” ‘*But you'll find me a prince of escorts! They hang me upat every ice-cream saloon in the place; and as for the theater—well! well!” There was a dash about Jack Swayne which pleased Edith, in spite of some little misgivings as to his careless reference to his father. She readily fell in with his plans, yielding up her checks, which called for two immense trunks. ‘But that isn’t all of us,” she said, with a laugh, turning round. ‘*Eh! Whatinthe name of all that’s wonder- ful is this?” cried Jack. The cause of his astonishment was a young Celestial, who stood demurely behind his mis- tress, in his junk shoes, with his pagoda hat, his pigtail, his ‘‘ shirt outside his trowsers,” and a bamboo rod balanced on his shoulder, a band- oe suspended at one end anda bundle at the other. ‘* That’s Little Ah Sin,” was Edith’s laughing introduction. ** You don’t mean to say that this is a part of your— What shall I callit? Luggage? ‘‘He is my escort—‘alla same likee ’Melican man!’ Did you suppose I had come all the way from Frisco entirely alone?” Jack Swayne stared. Little Ah Sin smiled with the blandness for which his countrymen are noted. ‘‘ Hang the wooden image! What shall I do with him?’ muttered Jack to himself, in no slight chagrin. : <_< lll ll lll LLL ll lll Ll LL LAL ll lll LLL ttl tl eee EEE -_e_—_————— ee But he covered his annoyance under his wont- ed banter. ‘*T can understand a lap-dog, or a parrot, cr even a monkey; but what use you can have for a pet Pagan surpasses my comprehension.” ‘Ob! he is no end of fun!” laughed Edith. ‘* And please to remember that he is not a pet animal, but a human being.” ‘*T suppose so. But what do you do with him?” ‘*] keep him to do things for me, and to amuse me. And he isn’t such an insufferable plague as are all the American boys I ever saw, I can as- sure you.” ‘‘He’s to go with us, then, I suppose?” ‘“Why, of course!’ Would you leave him here?” ‘* 1d have lefi him in Chinese Tartary, if my taste had been consulted!” muttered Jack to himself. “I heartily wish he was in Tophet, now!” However, he affected outward unconcern, and bundled Little Ah Sin into the carriage with them, somewhat to the surprise of Edith, who would have set bim outside with the driver. He was on the point of following, when a heavy hand fell upan his shoulder, and a stern voice said: ‘*Come, sir! This thing has gone quite far enone What do you purpose to do with that child? Jack turned with a smothered oath. Startled by the abruptness of the challenge, Edith looked through the carriage door, and held the oddest-looking man she had ever seen, He was full six feet in stature, and so thin that the flimsy linen duster which he wore, in- creasing his apparent hight by its length, hung upon him as if upon a skeleton, Round-shouldered, he seemed to be collapsing, as if too weak to hold himself erect, His face was long and gaunt, with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes, glowing 1n their caver- nous depths with startling intensity. His faded yellow hair hung lank on either side, and .his chin-whiskers, the rest of his face being clean-shaven, seemed to draw down the corners of his. mouth. His voice sounded as if it came up out of a grave, Having arrested Jack’s entrance into the car- riage, he did not look at him, but kept his gaze fixed upon Edith. The girl felt a chill of something like fear creep over her. She queers who it was, even before Jack stammered: ‘¢ This—this—is Miss Vernon!” ‘¢‘T am aware of the fact without your help, said the new-comer, in slow, monotonous tones, ‘“You need not take the trouble to introduce me, Ican make myself known, Begone, sir!” And without looking at Jack, he waved him away. | White with suppressed passion, Jack stood a moment with clinched hands and blazing eyes. Then turning to Edith, he said, quietly and de- liberately: ‘Miss Vernon, you see the constraint under which I leave you. I hope to see you again in more favorable circumstances.” And bowing to her, he turned upon his heel and walked away, swearing that he would have reverge for the humiliation put upon him, CHAPTER II. A PRECIOUS LOT. ‘*CuRSE him! he’s sat down on me for good; and he’ll never let up while his old rack o bones holds together. I knew he’d put a spoke in my wheel with that little beauty. To think that he has kept it dark all these years! But I'll get square with him, if it takes a Jeg! And I won’t give up Little Sweetness either. By Jove! ske’s a darling!” So, between his rage at his father and his en- thusiastic admiration for Edith, Jack sought one of the gilded palaces of vice of which the Western metropolis boasts not a few, where the rattle of dice responded to the clink of glasses on the marble bar. ; The moment he entered the door he was hailed by a party of young roisterers who gathered short a table, losing their money to one another with a great deal of wrangling and not a little rum- ing. Their hats were set on the back part of their heads, or pulled cown over their eyes, or can far on one side, in various styles of recklessness. All had cigars and liquor; and those who were not rattling the dice-box looked scowlingly on, ‘“* dead broke,” | ‘Hallo, Jack! Where in Cain have you ’ n?’ ‘* Tl] bet he’s been up to no good, anywhere,” : , if 4 aan | F € ——_ 4 » 2 -~ 4 . > aw * oa om a -4a