Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 496 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

| Ie or ~’ - the parlor and other lower apartments, we ho- newly carpeted. _ fro. Monte Cristo, J Yr, labyrinth of mysterious hiding- places, where one could be hidden away in defiance of the shar 9est search.” Never ye mind,” the Annihilator assured, “ Jest ye show me ther place, an’ we'll do ther bizness ef it takes a month o’ ‘Sundays ter do et ie Fhe “Pm with you. morrow we will meet, and perfect further ar- rangements,” The two separated, the Annihilator soon after- ward turning in for the night, in a very anx- fous and excited state of mind. I'll leave you now, and to- CHAPTER XIII, FOR A FATHER’S SAKE, A LAPSE of one month more, Once more we are at the chateau-like old structure among the wilds of the New Mexican mountains. As we enter the great hall, and glance into tice a great change since our last visit. The carpets have been swevt, the windows washed, the pictures rear? ranged, the furniture reburnished and re paired, and cheery fires burn upon the hearth in more than one room. In fact, everything indicates that The Turrets now is a place of human abode rather than a rookery for night-owls. The great hall and winding-stairs have been Just outside the grand en- trance a liveried attendant, in Spanish costume, and armed with a magazine rifle, paces to and Passing up the stairs, we finally come to the great front chamber, with vaulted ceiling and antique carved panel walls, Here again we find evidence of elaborate refurnishing. Just without the entrance we also encounter another armed sentinel, nearly a counterpart in appear- ance to the one below. Within the chamber all is warmth and cheeri- ness, with a cheery fire blazing upon the hearth, the furniture and adornments tastefully ar- ranged, and neatness and cleanliness visible everywhere. In a partially curtained alcove isa luxuriant bed of snowy whiteness, but it is now unoccu- pied, for, bolstered up in a great easy-chair, near the ‘fire, is the invalid for whom all these comforts have been specially provided. A young lady, not yet out of her teens but very pale and wan, and evidently convalescing from a severe ilIness—a beauteous creature, with a face of marvelous sweetness, even though the roses have faded from her cheeks, and her eyes wear a wearied, saddened expression. Arrayed in a soft satin dressing-gown, and wearing her hair becomingly arranged, we still recognize Nola. A prettily-attired waiting maid, flitting here and there, attracts the fair invalid’s attention, and she summons her. | “Come here, Leonora.’ “Yes, my lady. What can I do for you?” rs Nothing, only draw your chair, here, by mine. I want to talk to you.” Leonora obeyed, and when seated the invalid went on: ‘*T have been very sick, have I not?” “Yes, ma’am—very, very sick. For weeks you have been lingering at death’s door,” “Would to God I had died. To live, with me, is worse than death, I am at‘ The Tur- rets’ am I not?” ‘* Yes, ma’am,” “ How came I here?” ‘‘T donot know, ma’am. You were here when I was brought here to nurse you.” ‘‘Then, I am a prisoner?” ‘‘No, not exactly, althongh you will not be rmitted to leave the place, without the mas- bor r’s order's.” ‘¢ By the master, you mean Don Juan?” “Yes, ma’am.’ « Then, God have mercy on me, if I am again in his power! Where is ke?” ‘‘ He has not been here, for several days, but is expected at any minute. He bas been very ‘kind and considerate toward you, ma’am, an has seemingly dore all in his power to make your surroundings pleasant. He has tearfully watched by your bedside, when we all thought you were dnc, and everything for your bene- fit that money ‘could procure, has found its way to* The Turrets.’ ” ‘* Ah! yes, and all this he has dore,in the vain hope of advancing his own selfish interests, » ‘Nay, ma’am, I do not think so. There can- not be a doubt but what the Don loves you de- ib ag £ When he learned of your hasty mar- riage he was nearly heart-broken, and I am : confident he gave. up all ag But, after the railway accident, whereat your husband and his first wife both lost their lives—” ** What! my husband dead?” ‘“‘Nay, not your husband, ma’am, for the man had no claim upon you. He wasa rank impostor, ma’am, for not only was he married to the woman tor whom he so cruelly forsook you, but has still another wife living in Texas, as has since been proven, So you have reason to be thankful that matters never came to any worse pass than they did!” ‘*No! no! This is not true, what you are tell- ing me! I cannot, will not believe it. You are but a tool of Don Juan, placed here to poison my mind against the only man I ever loved.” “You are wrong, my lady, I assure you. What I have told you is true, and, so far as the Don is concerned, he has never uttered a word of instructions what I was to say to you, my only orders being to — ot h closely that you wanted fo r nothing, He has been exceedingly kind to you, and w rhe n you are a little stronger, has a great surprise in store for you, whic h he feels hope ful will so soften your fee ‘lings toward him, that you will consent to become his wife.” ‘** Indeed! And what is the surprise that could soften my heart toward him?” ‘* Well, you see, my lady, Don Pedro is dead, gue since his de ath papers have come to light re- ealing that he was a very bad man, It seems that years ago Don Pedro committed a horrible triple murder, and that your father, Nathan Norris, was a wit ened to give Pedro up to justice. Pedro, how- ever, secured his capture, and ever since has held him a close prisoner in this place, hiring a hideous dwarf to guard against your fat her’s escape. This dwarf being pi artly demented and afraid of strangers has in some unaccountable manner gained the sobriauet« f the Man-Dragon, but be is simply a half lunatic of pai inful de- formity, for I have seen him. He is very sly, however, and I don’t believe Satan himself could catch bim,” - » But, my father!—where is he?’ ‘At liberty about the house, te not as yet St Bae ed to leave it until the Don sees you.” ‘*Ah! I see. The Don proposes to use my father as an instrument by which to force me to marry him?’ ‘‘T know not, lady, more than that the Don is determined to have you for his wife, and [ heard him say that if you married him your father should go free, a rich man. So, if I were you, I would yield to bis wishes.” ‘** Has my father seen me yet?” ‘Yes, several times since you have been ill, but you were out of your mind and recc ognized no one.” ‘*Go, bring this man here, whom they sa my father, * Nola ordered. ‘I will see now.” ‘**Oh! but, miss, I wouldn’t dare to, without the master’s directions. He would be very angry with me!” “Go and do as I direct!” Nola commanded, authoritatively. ‘‘If I am to be mistress of ‘The Turrets’ [ will take command now!” Leonora looked frightened, but, after hesitat- ing & Moment, and seeing that ‘she was really expected to obey, she arose and left the room, while Nola composed herself as best she could to meet the man who was reported to be her father. She fancied it would take but a glance for her to tell whether it was her father, or whether it was an impostor, put up to lure her into mar ry- ing the Don, Although it wasiten years ago, when she was a child of eight, since she had seen her father, she still retained in her memory a faint recol- lection of how he then looked—enough, at any rate, so that she still believed she might recog- nize him. So it was with keenest interest she awaited his coming. Some ten minutes was Leonora absent; then the chamber-door opened and she entered, lead- ing a man by the arm—a man some fif ty } years of age, with a tall, attenuated figure, thin fea- tures and sunken "ey Os, and whose sweeping beard and long hair were ss white as driven snow. He was poorly clad, yet cleanly in appear- ance, and a pair of handcuffs secured kis wrists together in front of him. He advanced slowly, hesitatingly toward Nola, as if fearful that she would repulse his ap roach. Their gaze met—by one intuition they knew each other—in an instant more he was kneeling beside her, and her arms lovingly encircled his neck. vine —— ee eee eee ness to the crime,.and threat- | £5 “ 11 Can this ‘* Father! my own long-lost father! really be you, or am I dreaming?” ‘* No, my child, lam your father, indeed, and praise be God that Iam spared to gaze upop your face once more—you, my little Nola, whom I have not seen for fen long years, and never expected to see again, in this life. Verily, 1 could now die, without a murmur of regret, for I have lived to see you grow toa glorious w omanhood, the image of your mother who passed away be- fore you 24, grown to an age of understand- ing.” ‘**Speak not of dying, dear father, when we have but just found each other. For each other’s comfort and happiness, I trust we have yet many years to live!” ‘Alas! my child, you know not all. Now that you have come back from the portals of death, at which for weeks you have lingered, we must soon part again. You know not all, my child, and 1—-I cannot tell you!” ‘*T do know all, father—every thing. Juan Mellique has sworn to possess me as his wife, and to attain that end, willstop at nothing. He proposes to make you the instr ument Ww ith: Ww hich to force me to marry him,” ‘SAy! ay! my child; ofly too truly. It is eve ‘n So. “Tf I refuse to marry him he will cast you back into the dungeon.’ ‘‘Even worse than that, I fear. He me that if you refuse to marry him, when he asks you again, be will have me killed before your eyes. “Oh! God, it is terrible—terrible!” | ** Be not in despair, dear father, for no harm | shall come to you, Instead, I will marry him, | and you shall be free, once more, to go forth in- | to the world wheresoever you will.” ‘*No! no! my child, it cannot, shall not be. You shall never sacrifice your pure young life to that inhuman monster, to save my life—ne never! Iam not afraid to die. Better death than ten years more of imprisonment. Indeed, now that God has spared me to gaze upon your angel face, to take your band in mine, and re- ceive your ‘kisses upon my furrowed brow, Ican say I am quite content to yield up this troublous life, in hopes of the great and glorious future re- demption! a ‘* Nay, say notso. Were you a hundred times willing and prepared to go, it shall not be so. [ will marry Juan Mellique whenever he shali demand it, but, it need only be in word of speech. Once the knot is tied, and sou are free, there is no law in the country to force me to live with him. So, cheer up, for all will yet come out right. I already feel nerved with a mighty and a righteous power and resolve to outwit this demon, and I will do sc! ‘* Bravely spoken, my heroic child! But I shudder at the thought of your taking even the name of such a detestable scoundrel!” “It matters little. The only man I ever loved, but you dear parent, is now dead, they say, and so it matters little whose name I bear, as long as I have you to live for. So be of good heart, “for I see brighter light beyond all these dark clouds that hover around us. Leonore tells me the Don will be here to-day, and if he asks me to marry him, and sets you free, my answer will be ‘ yes!” Which proves that you have at last come to your senses!” cried a meant-to-be pleasant voice, and Don Juan, fashionably attired, stepped into the room. ‘You will excuse me, I pray,” he added, ay ologetically, ‘‘ but I arrived’ just in time to catch your last words, and could not resist the temptation to come in. And so, at last you will consent to become mine, Donna Nola? ‘‘To save my father’s life, and secure his liberty, I will make the sacrifice,” Nola re- alized. ‘Noble girl! But, if need not necessarily be a sacrifice, as I shall ever strive to make you content and bappy. even though you say you bear nme no love. And, when shall the nuptial knot be tied, ma belle ?” ‘* As soon as suits you, stronger.” ‘* Say, to-morrow evening, at eight, then.” ‘* As well, then, as any time, 1 suppose.” “Very well. We will consider it so settled, Mr. Norris?” ** Well, sir.” “ Give me your wrists, and I will remove the: handcuffs, But, I shall insist upon your re- maining here until after the ceremony. ’ ‘Certainly. I shall remain.” ‘* Very well. There! You are now at liberty to enjoy the Donna’s society to the fullest, an@ T trust that in the future, our mutual re- lations will be of the pleasantest character. must now hasten back to the city to perfect pre- you speak the truth >? has told ee es after I feel a little DOOks.<« com —.. aL