Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 517 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Jim Gladden’s Deputy. 9 ee ‘** How can we prevent it?” ‘* By flying with her at once,” ~** To-night?”’ Warry’s heart gave a great bound. fe was to be her protector! He was to save her from an unknown terror! She could not withhold her heart from him after that. Once away, be would not have the interposition of her father to fear; and he would work upon the fears of the old people, to overcome their prejudice against her marrying outside of her own race and religion, and to induce them to give him a legal right to protect her—a claim upon her which would come even before that of a father. ‘*It can be done!” he cried, ‘‘It shall be done! Get everything in readiness. I will look to everything outside—horses for flight, and hands that will defy him and all the lawyers he can muster!” He wrung the old man’s hand; he patted the old lady on the back, assuring her that she could tie to him, and he would see her through. feelings sought a very characteristic Western vent, Striking his sides repeatedly with his el- bows, he gave utterance to as lusty a crow as ever issued from.a barnyard. ‘* A paper?’ repeated Harry, faintly. ‘‘ What sort of a paper?” ‘* A writ of habeas corpus! issued by the court in Paddy’s Flat! I hada sneakin’ notion fur to sarve it myself, bein’s as it was the fu’st; but I ‘low as it’s the proper caper fur to make these hyar leetle p’ints by deputy. Then ag’in, bein’s as how you had a bigger stake on this hyar turn than anybody else, I reckoned as it ’u'd be the square thing to give you a show.” ‘* T have an interest in it?’ Harry’s voice trembled. He knew what was coming. ‘Oh! you can’t close my eyes!” cried Jim, gayly. ‘*D’ye think I don’t see what’s goin’ on directly under my nose? Waal, I reckon!” The fu’st one if he were a natural curiosity. ! remiss in yer juty to humanity. Think o’ the self. ‘* He'll have all the boys in sympathy with him, as a wronged father, and down on old Abraham, as the villain in the play. And he will adopt the same course with Miriam. He'll persuade her that both he and she have been wronged. She will go with him; and then good- by to me!” ‘‘This is the officer who serves dot ae 2g said Mr. Salomans, with a smile that might be interpreted as cordial or sarcastic. ** You must join us in a social glass, sir.” ‘‘ Excuse me,” said our hero, drink.” He spoke almost curtly. He knew that there was no use dissembling his true feelings. Judge Owney Maglochlin bridged over what might have been an awkward pause, in a coun- try where that sort of speech is very apt to call for an explanation. ‘‘ Not dbhrink!” he cried, staring at the boy as ‘* Faith, you’re ‘*T never ‘*Ah, you gif me new life!” she said, cling- And making a facetious sound at the base of | dhrunkenness ye’ll be held to answer fur! All ing to his hands, so brave and strong. his tougue which cannot be represented by let- | me loife |’ve been throying to get as much o’ the 5 To his infinite embarrassment, she even bent | ters, but with which every one is familiar, he | vile stuff out o’ the worrvld as possible, so’s not : and kissed his hands with gratitude, leaving a | poked the boys in the ribs with his finger. to l’'ave it as a sthumbling-block to them as can’t we: tear upon them. ** What do you mean?” asked Harry. resist timptation. “Pon me sowl, I b’lave l’ve a His heart swelled. He loved this kindly old “That you’re goin’ fur to have a dog-goned | swallied enough, wan toime and another, to “ float a man-o’-war!” Harry laughed. ‘‘You’re very earnest in the temperance 4 cause,” he said. ‘““Be me sowl, it’s kilt entirely that Iam fur couple. How they depended upon him—Rebecca on one side, and old Abraham on the other. But he wanted one thing more. Before set- ting out on his new enterprise, he longed to feel the clasp of the soft, warm hands of the girl he sight better-lookin’ father-in-law than you ‘lowed to!” declared Jim, with a wink. ‘* A father-in-law?” repeated our hero, fight- ing shy to no purpose, ‘What d’ye think that ole fraud has been up ae loved. He hungered to gaze into her eyes, glis- | to?’ asked Jim, with a sudden change to indig- | the binifit o’ humanity in gineral. But here tening with admiration and gratitude—to hear | nation. goes fur martyrdom ag’in! We'll have our re- her low voice tell her confidence in him. Harry knew that, if he was to steal a march | ward in the nixt world, b’ys!” ‘*Call Miriam down. Let me see her a/| on Jim Gladden and all the others, he must not But the boys drank with one eye directed ~4 minute,” he asked. let it be seen that there was en understanding | toward where the deputy marshal was forming She came, like a timid fawn. between him and old Abraham; so he persis his men. They marched in a squad, with our hero 4 abreast of the first two. Everybody in the dance-hall followed them out, leaving the judge alone with his toddy, Straight to old Abraham’s store they went; ' and the young deputy rapped on the door with | the butt of his revolver. Abraham obeyed the summons promptly. ‘‘l am here, shentlemens,” be said, with dig- nity. ‘“ Vat you vant mit me?” a ‘*It is my duty toserve this summons upon . you,” said Harry, handing him the document. | ‘You will accompany us, and make your ap- a pearance before Judge Maglochlin.” Harry trembled fully as much as she did, as she approached him, Both of the old poo poured his praises into her eager ears, until his ears tingled with em- barrassment, He reached forth and took both the hands that fluttered into his, ‘** Miriam,” he said, ** 1 am going to take you away. Are you afraid to go with me?” ** With you?” she breathed, her eyes distending with wonder. ‘The plan of their flight had flashed upon him all at once, while he was waiting for her to come down-stairs. He had not consulted Abra- in his pretended ignorance, ** What fraud?” ‘*That blasted sheeny.” ‘* Abraham?” ‘** Is thar any other?” ‘* What has he done?” ** Rung in a cold deal on this hyar hull bloom- in’ camp—the which we’re a sweet lot not to drop to sich a racket as that. The galoot as wouldn’t know as sich a spring chicken as that thar leetle sweetness couldn’t have sich an ole mummy fur its dam, ought to put his head to soak fur a month o’ Sun: ays!” * Are you talking about Mr.—Abraham’s a ham; but he out with it as boldly as if it were all arranged. ‘* Your father will have to stay behind to pro- tect your mother. She is too old to ride as we shall have to—for several days, with scarcely any rest. You are young; and that makes a difference, When you are in safety, I will re- turn and fetch your parents, patel ina 3 de pends upon the swiftness and secrecy of our movements.” Old Abraham’s jaw dropped. He had never dreamed of leaving the girl to this young Loch- invar. But, maturing his planas he went along, Harry proved that this gave almost the only hope of success. n the end he carried bis point, without any opposition which the girl perceived. nd she? She blushed divinely, as, in a voice scarcely above a whisper, she told him that she feared nothing with him. Had not her parents, in their gratitude, seconded her own heart? But, as he let him out of the back door, old Abraham clung to his hand. ‘*T trust you with more than my life,” he said, ina husky voice. ‘‘God will avenge the inno- cent, if—if—” “ That will do!” interrupted Harry, with the prompt indignation of a chivalrous nature. ‘*She is as safe with meas with you. One of these days you will believe that, if you do not now. “I do!—I do!” cried the old man. ‘* God bless you, my son!—God bless you!” And the boy went out into the night. CHAPTER XII, ‘“ DRAWING EYE-TEETH,” ‘“*HautLo, Hal! Jest my size! Step this bi ” t was Jim Gladden’s voice; and for the first time since he had known it, Harry’s heart sunk at the sound of it. daugh—” ‘* Abraham’s nothin’! He’s a double-distilled liar, all round! I’m talkin’ about Mr. Isaac Saloman’s daughter. He’s a sheeny, too—beg- gin’ yer pardon!—but he’s upper-crust. An’ he’s behavin’ mizhty white, considerin’, He might bring that ole humbug up with around turn, fur abduction. But what he’s after, he says, is the kid; an’ he’ll let the ole man off easy.” ‘* Then this summons—” ‘‘Commands Abraham Schlossmeyer to pro- duce the infant— Haw! haw! haw! a sweet ‘infant,’,—eh? Blast their hides!—these hyar lawyers is constitutionally opposed to takin’ anythin’ straight but their whisky! To produce the infant, Miriam Salomans in open court, an’ show cause why he should detain her from her natural guardian, as aforesaid!” ‘* But not to-night!” cried Harry, seeing all his plans ruined by this promptness of his adver- sary. ‘it isthreatening astorm. You would not drag a young girl—” ‘t An’ sich a sweet one, at that, out in the wet, fur to melt? Waal, I reckon ef you yank the ole man up before the jedge, he’ll let him go se- curity fur to chip in when his turn comes in the mornin’.” ‘*Common decency would demand that,” said our hero, with warmth, ignoring the fact that he himself was meditating the thing he condemned, ‘**] reckon the boys of this camp will stand off any man—” ‘* Why, consarn yer pictur’!” cried Jim, in warpuye at the tone the mt had assumed, ‘I reckon. you don’t drop to this thing. It’s her dad, jest a-rollin’ in rocks. He'll give her an outfit that old fraud never would ’a’ dreamed ‘*Oh, yes,” said Harry, seeing his mistake. ‘* Well, give me the paper.” **An’ ye want to do it up in style. Take the hull posse along. Spread the thing out over as much ground as it'll cover.” Together they went to Terpsichorean Hall, ‘“*Tam ready. Do mit me vat you vill.” The old man closed the door behind him, and took his place beside Harry. So they made their way to Terpsichorean Hall, where the judge awaited them in anything but judicial solemnity. ‘‘ Well, me foine fellow!” was his selute, as old Abraham stood before him, bowed like a veritable Shylock. ‘‘ Faith, it’sa gay laddybuck eair, fur tohave the gerrul they teil me ye’re harborin’ as yer own child. Where is she, man? Let us have a look at her, annyways.” ‘*Your Honor would not drag a young girl out of her home at night,” suggested Harry. ‘““ Will it not be enoughif she puts in ber ap- pearance at the trial?” ‘‘Thayre’s sometning in that,” admitted the judge. He looked at the young deputy with a merry twinkle in his eyes, as if he saw how the wind lay, and added: ‘‘ It’s tinder of her ye air, fur a stony-hearted minion o’ the law! Be me sowl, I’m wid yez in that same. What won't we do fur the ladies?” ‘* We sball want security that she will be pro- duced in the morning,” said Mr. Jsaac Salomans. - He was standing at the judge’s elbow. He looked at old Abraham with a smoldering fire of hatred under bis never-varying smile. The old Hebrew lifted his eyes to the face of his son-in-law, and gazed at bim with cold dis- dain, making no reply. “ Be ’azy!” said the judge, with a touch of rity. Fre didn’t like being jogged as to his duty. ‘‘ Who'll go on yer bond, owld man, av we let yez off till the morning?” ‘‘T have monish,”. said Abraham, proudly. ‘“T will secure you with all that I have.” | ‘‘ Paith! we'll howld yez by the purse-strings! No fear o’ yer roaming far under thim circum- stances!” laughed the judge. ‘* How much vill secure you?” ‘‘} 11 be ’azy on yez, so I will. Make it five ae ~* 7 “9 7 ** » - af“. * ‘ . ¥ -_” ~ ) ok et 2 a> ’ \ - a. e - é ee * ‘‘ What's wanted?” he asked, going forward. | where it was plain that Mr. Isaac Salomans had | hundherd.” : oS “A paper tosarve. Got upin A No. 1 style, | been ‘“‘ making himself solid with the boys.” Old Abraham shivered. He was gong to for- el with all the flourishes an’ red tape. Who says They were drinking the whisky he paid for, | feit the money, as he would have done a hun- oy | s Paddy’s Flat ain’t a- boomin’? with no lack of relish. dred times as much, if necessary. But he could | ss Jim was aglow with pride. He was “solid” with the judge, too. You | not do it without suffering internal torture. ce As he flourished a ee errr —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————X—X—____________________—————— ———_— ir . _OCOONOo. Cr ocument which Harry’s | would have thought them old cronies, ‘*T vill go back to my home, and bring you de ‘*He’s playing to win,” said Harry to him- E monish,” he said, huskily. . oF yes followed apprehensively, his exuberant w+ CcDooKs.com J