Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 496 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

‘ here it is: eee —_ at —— — Last Will and Testament of Pedro Mellique, and dated but a month ago, Hello! svhat’s this? ‘ Confession of a crime, by Pedro Mellique.’ By the heavens, I never knew that | my uncle wasacriminal. {[ must look into this | matter. Perhaps the confession is something | regarding the early history of Nola!” | i i your wife. come the wife of such a leper as you. ter I love her, but she shall never come between you and me!” <— - “geo ee of = RRS ys Pree Monte Cristo,. Jr. bitter enemy. ‘Tis said that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and even so will the say- ing hold good, in my case. Nola shall never be She is too pure and innocent to be- As a sis- “Whether it is, or is not, you will oblige me “Bah! how will you help yourself?” he by handing me over the confession, and also the | sneered. “What! Myra’s voice?’ and Don Juan wheeled around as if thunderstruck. Yes! It was Myra. The library door was open, and Myra stood in the middie of the room, looking pale. almost shostly, in her mourning attire. * In her right hand, she clutched a revolver, which was Teveled full at Don Juan, and was cocked, ready for instant use. The Don uttered an imprecation, as he saw her, and the expression of resolution that gleamed from her tear-reddened eyes. The surprise was most unexpected. ‘‘Why, Myra, is it you?” he said. “‘ What’s the matter with you? Put down that weapon. It might go off!” “Tt will go off, too, unless you hand me over those papers you hold in your hand,” was the re- ly. ‘‘Lsurprised you, dia 1? And so I meant. T played off sick, at the church, and hastened home, to find my poor father’s murderer playing thief! Ob! you wretch! I’ve a mind to shoot you down in your tracks!” “Put away that revolver, and don’t be a fool, or it will be the worse for you!” Juan cried, angrily. ‘‘ D’ye hear?” ‘1 hear but I don’t heed!” was the retort. ‘I mean business, Juan Mellique, and you'll have a painful realization of it, if you don’t hand me those papers. I’m in no mood for trifling. Hand me those papers !” ** Curse you, they are nothing to you. They are mine!’ ‘‘ Hand me those papers—twice!” Don Juan looked viciously, and still hesitated. ‘‘Hand me those ero third and last time!” fairly screamed Myra. This time Juan dared not refuse, and with an oath he hurled the documents on the floor, at her feet. Keeping her weapon in hand, ready for in- stant use, Myra first picked up the will, and proceeded to examine if. Juan watched her, like a lynx, expecting by the expression of her countenance, to divine the contents of the document; but he was disap- pointed, for he could not see that she was in the jeast surprised. ‘* Well,” he demanded, interrogatively, ‘‘ what bequests did your father make? ‘Tt does not bequeath anything to you, sir, except on conditions!” Myra said, haughtily, ‘Ah! On condit ions, eh?” “Yes, on conditions.” -* And what are these conditions?’ Juan de- manded, eagerly. ** They are, that you honor the promise you once made me, Juan Mellique—the promise you dishonorably broke for the sake of my foster- sister!” “You mean for me to marry you ?” he sneered. ‘* That is precisely what I mean. When you keep the promise you made, to Marry ime, lL will give you one half of my father’s money and landed property. Refuse, and you get not a cent!” ‘Bah! You can’t work that game on me! Pil not believe your father disinherited me until I see the will, And as for marrying you, that is out of the question, There’s but one person in the world whom I will marry and she is Nola.” Mvra laughed, sarcastically. “You'll never marry her!” she declared, ‘She's gone With the man of her choice, and he’s just the one to take care of her!” «“ Pghaw! I know better. 2 can lay my hand on Nola’s shoulder, within ten minutes, and as for that scoundrel, Bristol, he'll never cross my path, or interfere with my love affairs, again!’ “Ah! You brag of that,do you? Then you have murdered him!” “Well, I reckon not.. However, I have brought influence enough to bear to induce him to quit the country. [ have the field all open ‘+efore me, now, and Nola shall be mine, in spite of anybody or anything 2 Myra’s dusky eyes scintillated angrily, as she heard this heartless declaration, and she shook the revolver at Don Juan, menacingly, ‘We shall see!” she retorted. ‘You have dared to break faith with me, Juan Mellique, and tospurn my love. Now-I hate, loathe and despise you, and you can count upon me as your ‘How will I help myself, Juan Mellique? Why, before I'll see her your wife, with my own hands I’\] murder you!” she cried. He glared at her a moment, perfectly furious with rage, then, with a vengeful cry, he bound- ed forward, and bore her to the floor, at the same time wrenching the pistol from her grasp. Then, the gleam of a madman in his eyes, he clutched her throat and choked her until she ceased to struggle, and lay like one dead. Seizing the papers, he regained his feet, put on his hat, and rushed from the house, as if pursued by Satan and all his demons! CHAPTER XI. BASER THAN THE BASEST. Noa passed a restless night, the one following Dick’s departure for **‘ The Turrets” being trou- bled by gravest fears for her husband’s safety. Prior to the hour for retiring the Salems tried their best to cheer her up and cause her to cast aside all apprehensions, but they illy succeeded, for she could not dismiss from her mind the be- lief that Dick was in danger. After retiring, she could not sleep, and soon got upand paced the floor all night long—a fear- ful bridal night’s vigil. It was a great relief when day once more dawned, and long ere the forenoon had haltf-ad- vanced she began to watch expectantly for Dick’s return. But, the forenoon passed, and the sun reached the meridian; still no Dick appeared. ‘Don’t worry, deary,” Mrs, Salem said, sooth- ingly, as, with a sigh, Nola turned away from her patient watch at the window. a distance to ‘Lhe Turrets,’ and your husband no doubt overrated the time it would take toac- complish the journey. turn all in good time.” ‘It is quite Zest assured he will re- ‘No! no! I cannot believe it!’ Nola replied. ‘““T cannot believe that he will ever come back to me alive, premonition of coming trouble. that a gulf yawns between me and Dick, which can never be bridged. he should prove false to me, it would surely kill me. Oh! I know it would kill me!” I am baunted by some terrible I seem to feel Oh! Mrs. Salem, if he “Tut! tut! my dear young lady, for you do your husband an injustice to believe he would be so base!” Mr. Salem spoke up. While his rood wife echoed his words. ‘Oh! Lonly hope Ido! I hope Ido! But, try as hard as I will, I cannot shake off this feeling that something is about to happen tha will change the whole future course of my life.” “Try and think differently, my dear; you’ve kept worrying until you have worked yourself all into a fever of excitement. Be patient a lit- tle while longer, and if he is not returned by that time I will go and see what I can learn in regard to the mater,” declared the minister. ‘Oh, thank vou, sir, Youare both very kind to me; and if he should never return, will you let me make my future home with you, the same as if I were your daughter? I have all this money he left me, and if will be sufficient to pro- vide a comfortable home for us for a very Jong time.” ‘To be sure you should remain with us, my dear. in casa there should be sucha thing as a confirmation of your fears. But, of course, such a thing is not worthy of a thought.” But, despite all this reassurance, Nola refused to be comforted, and was literally as restless as a caged bird. At last it came four o’clock, and still no Dead- wood Dick had put in an appearance. Mr. Salem now hegan to show some symptoms of anxiety, and at Nola’s pleading consented to co forth and seeif be could learn anything in regard to whether Dick had returned to town or not. He had not been gone long when Mrs Salem uttered an exclamation of surprise that quickly brought Nola to her side. : ‘Why, look here,” the good woman snid : (‘come one has shoved this under the door. Good stars!-and it’s addressed tovyou, too, child!” With a faint ery of alarm Nola snatched from Mrs. Salem’s band the enveloped letter, which had been found thrust in under the door, and way the wrapper. P Maneriy she scanned the first few lines; then, — LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LO EE EEEEOEeeEEeEeEeEe aa = ee <i ‘a CCl CCl lll RRR RRL LLL LLL LLL LLL ' armed to the teeth and masked. 4 uttering a piteous moan, she reeled and fell to the floor in a dead swoon. Nearly distracted at this occurrence, Mrs. Sa- lem lifted the stricken form and deposited her on the sofa, Then, rushed for the letter, to learn what was the matter. What she read was written in a masculine hand, and ran as follows: “Santa Fs, September 10, 18—. ‘Dearest NotA!—l have just returned from ‘The Turrets’ to make one of the most alarming discov- eries of my life. It comes in the shape of a letter from one i have long believed dead—from my first wife, whom I believed to have been killed by the In- dians, over a year ago. She now informs me of her being alive, and is coming here to meet me, ‘‘My God! dearest Nola, just_ see what a position Iam placed in. I cannot stay here; I must hasten away to intercept herand turn her back. Nola, you will forgive me, I know, for thus unintentionally having wronged you. Heaven knows, if I could only repair the injury I would doso, As it is, you must see that lam powerless, As long as this wife lives I can never be aught vo you, even though I loveyou dearly, I must flee forever from here, never again to look upon your face. Forgive me, Nola, and forget you ever met such a miserable wretch aslam. I amunworthy of your simplest thought. Destroy the certificate, and wi h the good minister and his wife to keep your secret no one need ever know that you were ever married. ‘*‘ As for me, my lips are sealed forever. ‘*God bless you and forgive me! Dick.”’ Little wonder poor Nola had fainted! Even Mrs. Salem felt like sinking through the floor, as she read the terrible news conveyed in this lying letter. As soon as she recovered her scattered senses, she laid the letter on the table, and set to work to restore Nola to consciousness. But she bad undertaken a bigger task than she could accomplish. | Poor Nola’s swoon was not simply an ordinary fainting spell, but was deep and lasting, and stubbornly refused to yield to ordinary restoratives. While the good woman was busied, doing all in her power, ber husband returned, and Jearned the news, with a sad shake of the head, and both he and his wife worked faithfully over the un- conscious girl. Finally they succeeded in bringing her back to the light of reason, and with joy saw her open her eyes; but it was only for an instant, for she almost immediately went into spasms, and had one after another in rapid succession, each one growing harder than its predecessor. Now thoroughly alarmed, Mr. Salem hastened away and got a doctor, who looked grave when he saw Nola’s condition, but expressed the opin- ion that he could bring her around all right. He labored steadily until midnight, and at last, succeeded in breaking the spasms by the use of opiates. He then took his departure, leav- ing Nola sleeping peacefully, and promised to return early in the morning. There was no sleep for the eyes of the Salems that night, and with grave faces they sat beside and watched over their protegee with as much anxious concern as though she were in truth their own child. It was the darkest hour before day-dawn, and all Santa Fe was wrapped in quiet, when a foot- step sounded outside the Salem dwelling, and directly a light rap came upon the door. Both the minister and his wife exchanged in- quiring glances. Only a moment before, the minister bad been expressing it as his opinion that Deadwocd Dick, Jr., never was the author of the letter, and now, as he heard the rap, he arose immediately to bis feet. ‘‘Tt’s Richard’s knock,” he said, and immedi- ately opened. the door. Instantly, headed by Don Juan Meliique, half a dozen men pushed into the room, and the door was slammed shut and locked. All the men but Mellique were roughly dressed, The Don pre- sented his usval appearance, At sight of the intruders, both the good minis- ter apd his wife retreated to theside of the couch where Nola Jay, as if to shelter and protect ber from harm; but Mellique only uttered a laugh that was full of villainous significance. “Oho! so you're alarmed, you precieus pair?” he said folding his arms across bis chest, and elarine at them angrily. ‘‘ You feel dismayed to find vonrself in so unenviable a_ position, Well. upon my word, I don’t wonder, Td feel uneasy if I were in your shoes!” “Sir, what means this intrusion, at so unseeme . ly an hour?’ Mr. Salem demanded, ‘Who are vou, and what do you want?” Don Juan laughed, hoarsely. “Who are we?’ he said, witha leer. “ Welk ‘‘T allow you know who [ am, you ol¢ fraud. 7