Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 514 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

4, mt ot ee . > - Aa ape Broadway Billy’s Boodle. ames Tl Ob! Iseeit now! You are merely acting. What an actress you would make!” Th. humorous side of the strange affair now revealed itself, and Polly had to smile. ‘Then you do not want your bath?” the maid in- quired. ‘No, I guess not.”’ ‘*Shall 1 put up your hair then?” ‘Yes, you may do that.”’ To the maid’s idea, these were the first rational words her fair mistress had spoken, and she looked greatly relieved. Placing a chair for aoe? the latter sat down, and the maid was soon at work. The reader may question whether these two girls, ‘ Polly Osmond aud Maud Elmore, the one reared in pyr and the other in wealth, could be so alike hat it would be possible for Polly to pass uuder the eyes of Maud’s maid without discovery. ‘ We answer yes. ; Polly, poor though she was, had always been scrupulously neat, and her hair was her pride. It might well have been the envy of many a richer gk and certainly Maud Elmore’s could not surpass tin beauty. : Then as regarded the hands of the two, they were nearer alike than one mig! t have thought possible. Polly’s were used to work, of course, but she had taken the best of care of them, and they were soft and fair. Those of Maud, who took delight in all oo of out-door sports, were equally as firm and rown, The two girls were in all respects alike, except, as we have said, in the matter of education and refine- ment. When the maid had finished Polly’s hair, she asked: ¢ ** What dress will you wear?” **Oh! any one you please,” Polly answered. ‘Let me see them.”’ - The maid threw open the doors of a large ward- robe, revealing an array of pretty dresses that caused Polly's heart to flutter, “Oh! my, how pretty!’ she cried, springing up and ¢lapping her hands together in deligbt, and she ran forward to look at them. The face of the maid became troubled again. “ Will you wear this one?’’ she asked, taking down a beautiful morning gown that had been one of Maud’s favorites. ‘*Oh! no, there are prettier ones here than that, Iam sure. I guess I will wear ‘has one.” The one she indicated was a handsome evening ‘Surely you do not mean it!’’ the maid exclaimed. Aw Way not? Itis as pretty as any of them, I am « But, that is an evening dress, and—”’ “What is the difference? I am sure the color will be becoming to me, and I will put it on.” } The maid could stand no more. Surely her fair mistress had gone mad, And bursting into tears, ghé fled from the room and down the sfairs, When she stopped, it was to knock at the door of a room on the next floor below. ‘‘ Who is there?” a voice inquired, “It ig I—Miss Elmore’s maid, and oh! Mrs. Elmore, I wish you would come up-stairs as quick! f as you can; I do not know what is thé matter wit ' Miss Maud,” ‘Heavens! Thope she is not il'!’’ and the door opened at once and a woman came hurriedly out, She was a pleasant-faced little woman, yet had an ression of sadness, and her hair was as white as snow, although she could not have been more than thirty-eight years of age at most, «No, she is not ill,” the maid assured, * but I fear ghe is out of her mind.” “Out of her mind! Oh! what can it mean?’ and drawing her wrap close about Ler, Mrs, Elmore hur- ried up the stairs, the maid following close be- hind. f When they entered the room, Polly had laid aside the evening dress and was trying on a ch ball dress. At sight of Mrs. Elmore she paused, “Oh! my child! what has come over you?” Mrs, Elmore cried, as she caught the girl in her arms and kissed her. Pully remained pas ive in her embrace, goon as she was released, asked: ‘* Who are you, m’am?” “Who am I? Oh! my God! do you not know me —me, your mother?” ) pa You are Mrs. Elmore, then?” “Of course I am Mrs. Elmore. and as j4 Good heavens! ~* ~ what has come over you? Do youknow your own e? “Yes; it is Maud Elmore.” “Oh! my child, my child! Why are you acting so strangely? You are not_yourself, Even your voice is slightly changed. ave you no kiss for mm y’’ Polly burst into tears, threw aside the fancy dress, and sat down. ** Why do you cry?” Mrs. Elmore asked. “Qh! m’am, lam so unhappy. IamsorryI came here, and I wish I could tell you all.” Polly’s resolve to carry on the deception was faijl- her. In fact, it was an impossible task; she was not equal to it, . “Sorry youcame here! What do - that? And why do you call me m’am « The girl’s only reply was to weep bitterly. - “Come, we must dress her,” Mrs. Elmore said, decisively. ‘‘and then, , you must call Mr, Elmore here at once, and send for a doctor.” The maid took down the wrap Miss Elmore usually wore in the morning, and Polly allowed them to put it on her. ‘i SS ~~.” ~~ = you mean by Then the maid went and called Mr. Elmore, and sent one of the servants for the family doctor. Mr. Elmore soon a. ‘“What is wrong?” he demanded. “Is Maud ill?” “‘She is worse than iil, I fear,” Mrs, Elmore re- plied. “Speak to her,”’ “What is it, my child?” Mr. Elmore said kindly, laying his hand gently upon Polly’s bead; * why are you crying?” **Oh! sir, I—” ‘‘ Heavens! why do you cal] me ‘sir?’ Do you not recognize me?”’ “T never saw you before in my life. sir. Tam—”’ ‘My God! has any one gone for a doctor? She is out of her mind.”’ ‘*No—no, I am not out of my mind, sir; I am as sane as you. But,1 am not your child. Iam not Maud Elmore, but Polly Osmond. I was brought here yesterday.” Mr. and Mrs. Elmore looked at her sorrowfully and pityingty, the latter unable to restrain her tears. ‘You were brought here yesterday?’ Mr, Elmore repeated; ‘‘who brought you here? and where did you come from?” ‘‘T was brought by a Mrs. Smith, sir, who engaged me to be her maid, and I came from No, — Centre street. My name is Polly Osmond.” “At what time did you come?’ Mr. Elmore inquired, “It was about four o’clock, I think. I ate supper here with Mrs, Smith, and then at bed-time she brought me up to this room.” Mr. and Mrs. Elmore looked at each other in bewil- derment, CHAPTER VII. MRE MYSTERY STILL. Mrs. Evmore was the first to speak. oe it be, and after so many—many years?’’ she said. ‘It must be so.” her husband averred. * And what will you do?” she asked, “T shall put a detective on the case, and that at ones. No time is to be lost.” “ But, had we not better wait notil the doctor comes? ' It is possible— “Tt is #mpossible! This girlis not Maud ” Here was the truth, and Polly was more than pleased to have it kaown “Will ~— lease let me return home at once?”’ she asked. ‘1am sorry for my part in this strange affair, mystery, or whatever it is. I came here, as ! said. soy to become the maid of the Mrs. Smith who brought me.”’ ‘“And you say you came here about four o'clock yesterday afternoon?” * Yes, sir.” ‘And ate supper here with her?” 1.68 a “Tn this room?” ‘No sir: it was down-stairs in the dining-room,”’ “At what time was rhat?”’ ‘* About six o’clock,”’ ‘Who was at the table besides you and her?” ‘*No one, sir; we were alone.” ‘See here! are you speaking the truth?” ‘*T am, sir.”’ “Tt is strange—strange.” : ‘© And why,’ asked Mrs, Elmore, * did you tell me your name w ’s Maud Elmore?” “Because Mrs. Smith told me to. She said she did not like my name, and gave me that one, telling me I must use it and uo other.” ‘And where did you get those rings?” ‘IT do not know, sir. They were not on my fingers when I went to sleep.” ‘And do you mean to tell us that you retired to this room at bed-time? and slept here alone all night?’ ** Yes, sir.” “ By heavens! this is mpy incomprehensible!” ‘‘On my word,” declared Polly, earnestly, “Lam speaking only the truth.”’ Mrs. Elmore turned to the maid, and asked: ‘* At what hour cid Maud retire last night?” ‘It was about ten o’clock, I think,” ‘Did she act as usual?” “Yes, m’am.,”’ “ And did you retire at the same time?”’ “Yes, m’am.”’ “And what time was it when you retired?) to Polly. .. tt was not later than ten, m’am."”’ “ And you are certain it was in this house and in this room?”’ ‘Yes, [am sure it was. I remember looking at those beautiful vises when I first came in, and also at other pretty things.” . ‘*And where did this mysterious Mrs, Smith go to?’ demanded Mr. Elmore. ‘‘T supposed she went to her own room,” ‘Did you expect to see her this morning?” “Well, no; that is, she told me I might not see her, and if I'did not, [ must not ask for her, She caid she was alone then, but that in the morning the rest of her family would be here, and then I would see strange faces; and then telling me not to forget the name she had given mé, she went out and left me alone. “Strange—strange! And what else did she tell ou?”’ “ She told me not for a moment_to forget my name, the name she had given me—Maud Elmore; and that my true name must not be mentioned?” * Anything more?” “Yes, she said more, but I fear I do not remember it all. She said I w uld find this a house of mys- tery, and that I was about to enter upon a new life. She had promised to care for me as her own child, young woman,” maid, “is Miss Elmore in the babit of reading at. night?” clared. And then in a lower names. have no doubt if we look further we shall find ‘Os- mond.” too, and the whole confounded legion of them.” and said that when I awoke I would find myself the petted favorite of all, and that I must not be sur- prised at anything I might see.”’ Her identity acknowledged, Polly was her natural self, and rattled off her sentences with full spirit, And every word she uttered carried with it the. conviction. of truth. Presently the doctor came, He was a fat map, about sixty years of age, and! very decided in his opinions. The situation was explained to him, and the ques- tion evolved was: ‘Is this our daughter, with her mind disordered? or is it some one else ?”’ The old doctor felt the importance of the quesion and of the case, and reserved his decision fur some: moments. : Meenwhile he glanced around the room as though he expected the answer he should give to appear in handwriting on the wall. Suddenly his eyes rested upon a table that was literally heaped with books—books of poetry and. fiction. ‘*Ha!l” he cried, advancing to it, “ what have we- here?’’ ‘Those are my daughter's books,” Mrs. Elmore explained. ‘She is very fond of reading.” “ond of reading, are you. eh?” the doctor de- manded, turning suddenly upon Polly. “Yes. sir,” Polly answered instantly and truth- fully. “* 1am very fond of reading.” The doctor smiled knowingly. “The secret is here,” be declared, clapping his hand down upon the books and looking at Mr. El- more. “What do you mean?” Mr. Elmore asked. ‘Too much reading.” “Oh! I cannot think that,” said Mrs, E!more;, ‘““for Maud has read everything ever since she was 7? a child.” ‘Worse and worse’? the doctor cried. ‘Say; he demanded, turning to the Yes, sir,’’ came the reply. ‘Lies awake half the night, no doubt, with book in hand.” ‘Sometimes she does, sir,” the girl had to admit. ‘*Gan you show me the book she read last night?” “TI think it was the one you have your hand on, sir.”’ The doctor took it up and opened it in a manner of contempt for it, turned the leaves, and then ex- claimed: 99 ‘** Here it is, as sure as you live! ‘What?’ queried Mr, Elmore, stepping to his side, “The clew to this whole affair,” the doctor de- tone: ‘See these Here is one ‘ Polly,’ another ‘Smith,’ avd I “ Well, and what do you make out of it?”’ “Why, do you notsee? This young lacy ‘s your daughter—bow can you doubt it?—and she bus gcne crazy from too much reading.” ‘*That is your theory, eh?’ “Bead! dol not prore it? Here is the book she- was reading last, and init we find the very names her head is filled with now. Can we doubt it?” “Your theory is certainly a most reasonable one, . doctor.” ‘*And with the proof I offer it becomes a positive - certainty.” “The main question then, is—can you bring her: around right again?” | ‘lean try. I will give her a sedative. and you must banish all reading matter from her sight, and give her a cheerful companion instead. A few days ich ‘sg pod us a change cne way or the other, I think,”’ ‘Her present maid will be the very person,” said Mrs. Elmore, who had received a signal from her busband to follow his cue. “Yes, no doubt,”’ the doctor agreed. “ And if she can get her interested in some game—checkers, for~ instance—it will be well. “Very well, we will carry out your orders, doc~ tor.” said Mr. Elmore, ‘‘ and we trust it al! to you.” “And you are now convinced that she ¢s your dauchter?” the doctor demanded. ‘Yes, thanks to you,” Mr, Elmore returned, *‘ we- “T don’t see how you could think otherwise. Could two persons possess the same face, the same: form? It is absurd,” The doctor left s»me medicine, said he would call again in the afternoon, and went away. The moment he was gone, Mr. Elmore shut and? locked the door. ‘ “The doctor is blind ” he Ceclared. “T saw that you were only agreeing with him to avoid argument, and desired me to do the same,’”” remarked Mrs, E}more. ‘Yes, and 1 had a purpose in it, too,” ‘And that purpose-— “ Was to let the decepticn be carried on.” “ And your purpose in that— “To give our detective all the more chance to fer- ret out the secret and restore Maud to us.”’ “T see, and I agree with you,” “My child,” said Mr. Elmore then, addressing” Polly, ‘you did not hear the doctor’s opinion of you, did you?’ ‘No, sir,”’ Polly replied; ‘T did not.”’ ‘He believes that you are Maud Elmore, and that. you have gone crazy from too much reading,” +‘ And do you believe that?” “No, I do not,” “J assure you, sir, that 1am no more crazy thar Nic 900 WK