Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 453 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

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One thing I am inthe dark about, is this murder business.’ ‘*Humph!” and Andre did not look pleased at the way in which the remark was put, ‘I guess everybody isas much in the dark about the matter, as yourself.” **Do you think so?” “Why, to be sure! One would infer from your speech, that you have an idea I could throw some light on the matter.” # -*Oh! no. You misconstrue my meaning. I didn’t know but you might have an opinion,” ‘*Maybe I have. I am not so sure about that.” ‘* Well, who do you think murdered my un- cle, and what was the object of the crime?” \ndre stroked his glossy beard. ‘‘ Well, if I were to express my candid views on the matter,” he said, finally, ‘‘ I should say the matter of guilt rests between one of two per- sons.” ‘Who are they?” “ Joe Colby, and Sunflower Sam.” ‘““Pshaw! What object could Colby have in committing such a crime? Not that 1 wouldn’t just as lief auapac? him as any other person, but fail to see the object, and as for Sunflower Sam you have not the slightest proof,” ‘* Perhaps not, but the fact that after the murder, Colby and Sunflower Sam walked to- gether as far as the hotel, and appeared to hold a more interested consultation than two utter strangers could be expected to do, gives a good clew to follow, I should say,” ** Ah! did you see them?” **T did.” ** Did you overhear what they said?” ‘No. They talked too low. You see, [ don’t directly charge that they did the job, but it looks to me as if they are more to be suspected any one else.” | “Perhaps you are right. But, in case they killed my uncle, how about their getting the re- ward until they produce the guilty man?” Andre laughed. **“You are not much of a reasoner!” he al- lowed. ‘‘ Why, they will no doubt try to fasten the crime on some innocent man, and scare up enough bogus evidence to make a case, No telling but what either you or [ might be selected as their victim, for a man who will take one life will not scruple to take another.” “Then, both of these men are dangerous?” _**T regard them so, To be sure, I don’t rate Colby as being shrewd enough to make a first class villain, but, what he lacks, the sport will make up for. Dye set him down for a , and he will improve the graft he has already got, and endeavor to rule the town, if he ain’t checked,” ‘Curse him, yes! I don’t like him!” “Nor I. But, he’s in solid with the boys, and unless you andI can work together, and get him in some way implicated, so that he will lose his prestige, this camp will be too small to hold him, inside of a month,” ° L quite agree with you there, I dislike Col- by equally as much as I do the sport, and if both were three feet under the ground I should not mourn their loss. Now, how about. this will?” ‘ ‘* How do you mean?” “Is it genuine?” “Why, of course! There can be no doubt of that. Green and Guff were witnesses.” ‘“Humph! Two of the biggest liars in the camp. Between you ‘ind me, I believe the - willis a forgery, and that you know all about drop, again!” he growled. fe . Ae 2 . : \ Aihe he - a — 0 ‘ —_ bbw tltineds 3 * of w, - , won't discompose me. , cP a’ é . é P 4 - ‘eae . TY ‘ sty") ~t) 7, ed ° \ a r=. '« es » 7 “4 ie tel it!” | Andre scowled. * 'You’@ better not let anything of that sort ‘*Tn not over fond of that peculiar kind of flattery, PU have you know.” psa if “Oh! you needn’t get wrathy, because it : m satisfied of one thing nee incle’s wife.” isn’t, now? She’s his widow.” : : ‘ : , - \ , we, > * * ’ ’ : a ,f.2 2 ‘ cs ahead a , j : an > ¥ . ' iw. * ee ae ey ne tea Ne oe * a a ste , 4 7 a@ I f ~ Yd + Seoe + --, . ! wars te cae em “ 1 \ a nia at & : IF) i> 4 7 “4 A »? ry * a + ¥ 4 » ° ae. \ CF ‘ : ¢ en * sunflower Sam, of Shasta. ‘*T doubt even that, In fact, Andre, you’re playing a bold game—-you and Queenie, and I cnow, it!” ** You know nothing of the sort. What the devil is the matter with you, anyhow! Are you not satisfied? Wath a fifty-thousand-dollar gold mine, you have no cause to kick.” ‘* Maybe not. I prefer the cash, however.” **So much the bigger fool you. You’d have the whole boodle blowed in, in two weeks. If you know how to play your cards, you can have an interest in the money, as well as the mine.” 2 Rt by marrying Queenie?’ es] ‘*Thank you. You are a liberal man, ain’t you, now? Get me married off to Queenie, and then you would have almost a clear path to ap- proach Bly Barron, Oh no! my dear Andre— not any of that. Bly shall belong to me!” ‘* She shall not /” Andre exclaimed decisively ; ‘*T have sworn to possess that girl, and no power on earth shall prevent me from having her,” ‘* We will see!” Max retorted, hotly. “TI too have sworn to have her, and both of us cannot do so, so one or the other of us must drop out of the race!” ‘*Do you mean fight?” ‘* That’s. precisely what I mean; to-night at twelve will suit me exactly.” CHAPTER VIII. SAM AS THE GOOD SAMARITAN. WHEN Sunflower Sam reached the hotel, he went to his room, and was busied there for a couple of hours, in reflection, and planning. e then came down-stairs, and took a stroll about the camp. The excitement had in a measure abated, and the men of the camp were more scattered than at any time since the murder. | In the course of his stroll Sam passed quite near to the Mora dwelling, and as he did so, the front door opened and Bly Barron appeared up- on the threshold, As soon as she caught the detective's eye, she motioned to him, whereupon he turned back and approached her, ‘I trust you will excuse me,” she said, ‘ but, mamma would like to speak with you, if youare not too busy.” ‘Certainly. I shall be glad to talk with her, and yourself,” Sam replied, and followed her in- to the house, Bly conducted him into a rear parlor, where Mrs, Mora lay upon a sofa, bolstered up with pillows, | She was very pale, and traces of tears upon her face showed that she had been weeping. Sam drew a chair near at hand, and sat down, while Bly stood near his side. ‘‘T hope you are not ill, dear Mrs, Mora,” he said, solicitously, ‘No! but the shock has made me very weak,” a7 replied, ‘*T am so glad you came, Mr.— r.— ‘You may call me Bristol, although I am known in the camp as Sunflower Sam. Is there anything I can do for you Mrs. Mora?” ‘*f do not know—oh! I do not know, This has been such a terrible blow that it has driven me nearly crazy. I knew something dreadful was going to happen, for I had a premonition of it, but, Heaven only knows, I never expected it would be this foul lie, Ob! sir, you surely can- not believe it true, what that will says, for, as sure as there isan All-Wise ruling Power, it is not true! Iam the wife of Joseph Mora, and have been, for twenty years, nor do I believe that he ever married the Andre girl!” ‘T haven’t a doubt but what you speak the truth ma’am!” ‘Then, tell me, why is this in my husband’s will? I cannot understand it. Our life has been one continuous ray of sunshine, and we never knew an unhappy hour together.” ‘* Well, in the first place, one of you evidently had an enemy—your husband, most likely, as he suffered death, In the second place— well, I don’t believe we have your husband’s true will!” | ** You don’t?” ‘Ido not. The will I read to-day no doubt is a base cheat and forgery!” ‘But it was witnessed?” “True, but witnesses can be bought readily enough,” ‘* But, what could be the ardly attack upon me ?” ‘That remains to be found out, Have you your marriage-certificate, Mrs. Mora?” ‘Alas! no. It was destroyed by a fire, years ago, and we were negligent, and never got another,” ai) | Sam scratched his head. object of this cow- me he ofA “A < a ."} ‘ > Sg 7 af ly ee Y +4 ji é hs eds Sos Ao me | . ; . tg _~ + ~ a Oe { of months ago; and, t : i% *“That’s bad,” he said, slowly. ‘* Not possessing the certificate, you cannot, i resume, positively prove that you ever were awfully married to 5 oseph Mora.” ‘**{ fear not. We were married in a city in the Kast, that was not our home, and dear knows what has ever become of the minister who married us, or his wife who witnessed the ceremony. I can prove that I have always lived with Mr. Mora as his wife, and have been known as his wife. Would that not be sufficient in the eyes of the law?” **It would, no doubt, in most States and Ter- ritories, but I cannot speak for Arizona, as I do not know its laws in relation to such matters,” ‘**Oh! it is terrible that such disgrace should fall on me, at my age in life. You said you be- lieved the will to be a forgery.” se Yes,” ‘** Who do you think did it?” ** That is uncertain, although, if I were to sus- pect any one, I should look toward Augustin Andre,” ‘* Ah! yes; I believe he’s a bad man. He has for some time been trying to ingratiate himself into Bly’s: favor, but she has repulsed his ad- vances, and given him to understand she did not care for his society. It may be this has caused him to seek such a cowardly revenge,” * Not at all improbable, though I should pre- sume his main object was to get possession of your late husband’s money.” ** But how about his claim that Queenie was married to my husband? He said he could prove it, and—oh! sir, I cannot believe that my husband would have been so false to me as te marry another woman,” | ‘**Nor do I believe anything of the sort, Mrs, Mora,” Sam declared, ‘The matter is plain enough to me that a diabolical scheme has been set on foot to defraud you ot your rights, and if I can prove this, ree that Andre is the insti- gator of it, I shall have but little difficulty in fastening the murder upon him.” “Oh! sir, if you can only help us out of this — trouble, we shall be so gratetul to you,” Bly said, earnestly. ** You can bet I willtiry,” Sam assured. ‘‘ Has Andre ever had any business connectien with your hushand, Mrs, Mora?’ , : ‘*No, Joseph has frequently told me that he had a none tco exalted opinion of Andre, and » the two were barely speaking acquaintances.” “One thing rather puzzles me,” the Shasta detective said, after a pause, What's that?” ‘* Why, about the will heing in the safe, It this will was not your husband’s, then what was it doing where it was found?” “That is more than I can explain, I am sure. No one knew kow to open the safe except Jo- seph, for he has often tcld me that he had not much fear of being rol.Led, since no one knew how to open the safe tut himself.” ) “Strange. Did ycur bLustand ever say any-~ thing about making a will?” | ‘* A couple of mcnths ago he joking] capi ed that, if the Beruty mine continued to yan o so well, he should Lave to be thinking of makin a will kefore he got so rich that he would no Ses how to dis; ose of all his money. All. Sunflower Sam, took the will from his pocket, and glanced it over, then gave it to Mrs. Mora, ‘* Do you recognize that as nature?” he asked, ‘It ishis signature, or else a perfect fac-simile of it,” was the unhesitating reply; “the writing of the will is not bis, however..” - ‘**Ah! That is one point, of the will similar to that employed by any one else you know?” | ** Not that I can remember now,” , ‘‘Have you ever seen these witnesses, Tyler Green and Guff?” ‘* No, sir.” | : | ‘“T have,” said Bly. ‘*They work at the Hickory mine, when they are not drunk. That ain’t often,” “They are what can be classed as hard cus: _ ae ‘s tomers, eh?” ‘* Yes, sir, notoriously so.” “Then it is not very likely that Mr. Mora he | would have had them as witnesses to his will?” would give them employment because they w “Tam pretty sure he wouldn’t, for he rere oy Re. ware so much, ‘ an ‘Well, that’s another point. quainted with Andre’s sister, Miss Barron?” ‘No, sir, She only I took no pains to get acquainted with ber, Sam wrote a few minutes on his memoran dum-book, and then glanced at his watch, | your Luskand’s sig- ome to You Bet a couple 1S as I did not like ri i aid ae : { That is a ee! * * LF “ dat i - z ,s i * *, 4, ; = + nm >) — ‘ AA F \g , . ; -. ee ral A dap f at 4 - te j ‘ Is the chirography re / i such disreputable men?” om ‘ . D>, Are you acy" /%)) 7 c* b Hoe 7 a ri