Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 496 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ee Giving this card to the sentinel, he directed: **Convey that to the Don, and he will under- stand.” The man nodded and disappeared within the mansion, He soon returned, however, and said: “Its allright. Dismount and comein. The Don will see you in the parlor.” Bidding his companion await outside, Dick dismounted, and was ushered into the great par- lor, where, faultlessly attired, the Don received him politely. *] am glad to meet you, sir,” he said, ‘‘al- though I had given out orders not to be dis- turbed. By your card, I infer that you are a lawyer.” « ‘* Exactly, from Chicago, and arrived in Santa Fe to-day, in search of a Miss Norris, to whom a large fortune has been left by a distant rela- tive. She had been a member of the family of one Pedro Mellique, but I learned that Pedro ‘was dead, and the present whereabouts of Miss Norris were unknown. An acquaintance of the family, however, advised me to come here and see you, suggesting that you might be able to give me her address.” ‘Quite right, sir; Miss Norris is here at pres- ent, and is to become my wife at eight this even- ing.” ‘*Indeed? You are fortunate, for, in securing her for your wife, you also secure a prize worth having.” ** Is that so?” ‘* Miss Norris’ fortune amounts to half a mil- jion in‘ money.” Juan Mellique’s eyes sparkled. ** Well, I should say that was a windfall!” he said. ‘‘Where is this money if it is in that shape?” ‘‘In Santa Fe. As soon as I have made a few necessary arrangements with your affianced, the money will be paid over to her. Can I see Miss Norris?” ‘*T would prefer you should not, until after the marriage ceremony.” ‘* And why this delay?” “Well, you see,” replied the Don, looking con- siderably embarrassed, ‘‘it might not be edvis- able to let her know of her good fortuné until the excitement of the wedding is over. Iam marrying a poor girl, and it is a mutual case of love, you know. But you also know what a fickle thing love is, and how weak women are. If Nola were to know of this fortune before- hand, she might take it into her head to post- pone the nuptials, or throw up the matter alto- gether.” ‘‘ Well, there is something in that. Perhaps it would be as well not to apprise her of her good fortune until after she is your bride.” ‘*T am sure it would be advisable not to. Not that I bave any mercenary motives in the case but I prefer to marry her as a poor girl, and then she can never throw it in my face that I married her for her money.” **Quite proper! Quite proper! Then, too, the fortune will be a magnificent dower for her.” “True enough!” Juan said, all eagerness, * And now I can rely upon you to withhold the joyful tidings until she has been made legally my bride.” ‘As you wish it, it shall be so,” Dick replied, rising, as if to depart. ‘*T will return to the city, and you can look for my return to-morrow.” ‘‘No, no! Thatis not to be thought of,” the Don. hastily replied. ‘I shall insist that you remain as my guest for the night, and be present at the wedding. After the ceremony we are to have a little banquet in ce.ebration of the event, and it will be a fitting occasion for you to make known to my bride that she is an heiress.” Dick made a pretense of hesitation at accept- ing the invitation, but the Don pressed him so hard that he finally gave his consent to re- main. Night came on early in the mountains, and it would be several nours yet before the ceremony was to take place, and as the Don excused him- self, on pretense of having some preliminary arrangeménts to attend to, Dick was left to his own reflections. “The plan will work like a charm,” he mused, as he sat staring at the grand old pictures with which the parlor was adorned. ‘* The avaricious scoundrel bit at the bait, just as I expected he would, and wants to secure his bird before she gets wind of the fortune, lest she back out, as she did before, ‘* But, your exultation at the prospect will pale sadly, Juan Mellique, and that, too, very soon. You have played your cards with extra- ordinary daring and cunning, but you have lost the game. In this case clubs will be the cards ee Monte Cristo, Jr. oe -~- - — ———— TT ee ee — -_ —— -$ — — ? ee i a ee — « to down you, while, with hearts triumphant, I | for your arrest for the murder of Silas.and Re~ wil! scoop in the stakes,” The minister who was to perform the mar- riage ceremony soon arrived, and with him came several ladies and gentlemen from the city, whom the Don had invited to be present. Much to Dick’s surprise, the minister was the same one to whom he had gone for information, when in quest of news concerning the Salem family—-the Reverend Joseph Marston, The time having come nigh for the ceremony to take place, there was considerable expectancy among the guests, Dick felt more excited than he would have been willing to admit, but managed to preserve a calm exterior. He knew that a crisis was near at hand. What if, by any unforeseen contingency, Deputy Burns should fail to be at hand? Then, there must necessarily be a scene, and it would devolve upon Dick, personally, to pre- vent the marriage, if indeed, he must resort to actual force. Shortly before eight o’clock, the Don called him out into the hall. ‘* Mr. Gibson,” he said, ‘‘ would it be asking too much of you if I were te request you to act as my groomsman?” ‘* Well, to tell the truth, ’'m afraid it would,” Dick replied. ‘‘I never filled such a position, and as there are other younger gentlemen pres- ent, [ bee that you will excuse me, and make your selections from among them.” The Don bowed rather stiffly, and turned away, evidently displeased. Dick returned to the parlor. Promptly at eight o'clock the bridal party en- tered the room, Nola, leaniing upon the arm of her father, looking pale, almost ghostly,in her bridal robe of white, The Don was attended by one of the gentle- men guests, The party took their positions at one end of the room before the minister, who awaited their arrival, book in hand. At sight of Nola, the reverened gentleman gave a start, and looked grave. He shook hands with the affianced couple, however, and then motioned Nathan Norris to step one side. A few words were exchanged in an undertone between them. When the minister returned before the Don and Nola, his face had assumed a still graver as- act, are My young friends,” he said in an impressive tone, ‘‘when [ was invited here to perform a marriage service, | was not aware who the con- tracting parties were. It now becomes my dut however, toinform you that it will be impossi- ble for me, as a minister of the Gospel, to unite you in wedlock!” ‘* What do you mean?” cried the Don, growing pale with anger. ‘*‘ What’s the reason you won’t marry us?” ‘“* T have a good and all-sufficient reason. This young woman is already married,” ‘* Tt’s false! it’s false!” cried Juan hotly. ‘*Jtis not false. Nola Norris was married some six weeks ago to a man named Richard Bristol, the ceremony being performed by the Reverend SilasSalem. The certificate Mr. Salem placed in my possession for safe-keeping, and I have it in my pocket-book now!” “T care nota fig for that.” fairly screamed the Don. ‘‘ The follow Bristol was killed ina railroad accident between Santa Fe and Pueblo, nearly a month ago, and this lady is consequent- ly a widow, and free to marry whoever she pleases, I command you to proceed with the ceremony, sir!” “And I forbid you to!” cried Deadwood Dick, stepping quickly forward and covering the Don with his revolver, while, with his other hand, he tore away his disguise. ‘‘ 7 am Richard Bristol and I am here to thwart this detestable scoun drel’s schemes. Juan Melliqne, your game is up! Dare to move a muscle and yon are a dead man, you infamous Villain and double-dyed mur- derer |” Then, casting the false wig and beard to the floor, Dick drew a silver whistle from his pocket and blew three sharp blasts upon it, Instantly the parlor door swung open, and Deputy-Sheriff Burns and his men stalked into the room. ‘* Juan Mellique!” Burns said, advancing, and laying his hand upon the Don’s shoulder. “ arrest you, in tone name of the law!” The Don bad grown pale as death and he trembled like a leaf. “In God’s name, what do’ you arrest me for?” he gasped. ‘‘ What have I done?” ** You’ve done more’n you'll ever get a chance to do again, I'll guarantee, I have a warrant becca Salem, and, besides this, there are plenty of other charges against you, Do, let me have your wrists, till 1 see what size cuffs you wear!” Juan hesitated a moment; then, with a yell of defiance, he made a desperate spring, suec- ceeding in tearing himself away from the depu- ty’s grasp, and at once bounding toward the door; but, ere he could reach it, he was cons fronted by a person who had just entered. That person was Myra Mellique! In her hand she clutched a cocked revolver; and her face was pale and stern with resolve, ‘* Back! Juan Mellique!” she cried, ‘‘ for your time has come. You purposely killed my father, and I’m here now to avenge hisdeath before the law can wreak its vengeance on you for your crimes.” Then there ‘vas a sharp report—a scream of mortal agony, a heavy fall—then another report, and another fall, Don Juan—the demon Don, he might well be called—lay stretched out upon the floor, welter- ing in his life-blood, while across his lifeless body was the inanimate form of the Donna. The end had come, indeed! The fatality of death had pursued the Spanish house of Mellique, to a point of total extermina- tion, for, with the demise of Myra and Don Juan, tbe last members of a once proud race had answered the call of the Great Com- mander, _—-——~— - — Much space need not be consumed in telling what remains to be told. The double tragedy cast a pall of deepest gloom over the great mansion, It was a house of death, but not of mourning. Defeated in their intentions of carrying the Don ‘back to Santa Fe, a prisoner, Deputy Burns and his pards made a capture of the roughs who guarded ‘ The Turrets,’ and then set out for the city, Avalanche remaining behind. The Annihilator was greatly overjoyed to find Dick alive and well; but what was his joy to that of Nola, who was once more restored to the arms of her husband! The night was spent by the inmates of the mansion in conversation. Dick, Nola, and Na- than Norris each in turn entertaining the others who were present with narrations of their ex- periences. The following morning the mansion was lock- ed up, and the party set out on their return te Santa Fe, where they arrived in safety. Dick immediately had the will mattersattend- ed to, and then, baving no desire for a further residence at ‘ The Turrets,’ he offered the place for sale. A party of capitalists, imbued with the be- lief that there was mineral wealth underneath the grim old pile, soon came Le and made him a fair offer, and it was accepted. Work was soon after begun at tearing away the grim, uncanny edifice, and probably ere this, not a vestige of it remains. The bodies of Don Juan and bis victim Jareck Wolfraven, were removed to Santa Fe, and treated to decent burial, while the remains of the ill-fated Myra—the last of the Mellique race —were borne from the elegant residence to a resting-place in the beautiful cemetery, where a monument of exquisite design, brought, at great expense, from afar, indicates the loving care of Nola and her buskand, It was found, upon examining her papers and effects that she had carefully arranged all her affairs and had willed everything to Nola, her foster-sister, ‘‘as some atonement for the great wrong her father Don Pedro, had done to her father, Nathan Norris,” and, as there were none to question the gift and possession the sumptuous place passed peaceably into Nola’s keeping and occupancy. The kedy of Simeon Sykes has never been found. What the demon Don did with it is a mystery to this day. Tired of his New Mexican experiences, Dick accompanied by his lovely bride, ber father, and Old Avalanche, at length bade adieu to Santa Fe, and set out for the more northern terri- tories. : The Mellique mansion was left in charge of its old and tried servants—all of whem seemed to rejoice in the change which bd ‘turned the turbulent current of their lives under the Melli- que reign to one of peace. In their pious and reverent, if superstitious belief, they think that Deadwood Dick had encountered and overcome Satan and his imps, and regard him as one espe- cially sent to destroy the wicked, and to break the evil spell which hung over the very name of Mellique. THE END, ; : , , he hy oo Fon saga | | comicbooks:com