Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 527 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

a | ‘ . - a the girl, and of resentment toward her persecu- _ tor. As every one sought to get a glimpse of Miriam at once, those in the rear almost climb- _ jag upon the shoulders of the more favored, the whole roomful of eager faces surged like the surface of a troubled sea, each pair of eyes seeming to glare at her with savage gloating. To the timid girl, it was as if she had sudden- ly been thrust into a den of wolves, These were the men—the demons, rather— whom she had been, taught to dread, when they should catch sight of her fresh young beauty. She believed that the terrible crisis of her life was upon her; and throwing her arms about her lover, she buried her face in his breast with a low cry of despair. Old Abraham beat the air with his feeble hands, crying: ** Ach Gott! ach Gott!” Miriam heard his voice, and with the bound of a startled fawn, she tore herself from Harry's - Parr erting arms, and leaped into those of the old man, whom she felt that she had wounded by this turning to another at such a time. Her vail caught eee Harry’s badge, and was torn from her head, leaving her face exposed, at last, to the stare of the curious crowd, With the instinct of protection, even when all was lost, Rebecca closed her arms about her darling, hiding her between her own body and Abraham’s. Jim Gladden ordered back the crowd, and hurried the party forward to their places. Isaac Salomans rose, pale with excitement. Now was his hour of triumph or defeat. The latter probably meant rough treatment at the hands of the crowd, besides the loss of his daughter. As he stood there in their midst, he was well worth a second glance. He hada dark yet clear complexion, a deli- catély aquiline nose, and intensely black hair and eyes. He wasa Jew unmistakably, yet not of the German type. There was a fineness and light- ness about him that seemed to indicate the best blood of the Roman nations, He might be of Spanish or Italian lineage. This much he owed to his a ioe i while, as the outcome of his individual life, he had the reckless dash and sparkle of a professional sport, instead of the usual shrewd Limtnvese air of his Trace, His dress indicated that he had used his wits to good account. Take him allin all, he was a good-looking man, whose rather “loud” tone was not sufficiently marked to provoke comment in the West, ¥ 70 The girl, who had never seen him before since babyhood, was fascinated by him. The crowd, too, struck by his wonderful resemblance to her, exclaimed with astonishment; and once more on fickle tide of public sentiment turned in his avor. In that ig moment, Harry Keene un- consciously fingered the butt of his revolver. He had it in his heart to shoot this man before a word was spoken. It was not the instinct of a murderer. It was the impulse of one who would save all that he held dearest on earth. He believed that the girl’s life happiness was menaced. What mat- tered bis fate, then, if she was spared? It required Jim Gladden’s stentorian voice backed by the authority of the judge, to still the hubbub that prevailed, The Jolly Pards to the Rescue. Isaac Salomans wrung the cordial hand, too much moved seemingly to express his thanks. The judge then turned to Miriam, who sat be- tween Abraham and Rebecca, and said: ‘*Look ye, my gerrul! Do yez think this owld mon, that’s mesilf, would do yez the least taste o’ harrum?”’ Miriam looked at him without replying. ‘*Come now!” he ejaculated, patting her on the head, ‘‘ Ye’reafoine gerrul, 30 ye be; an’ it’s the divil’s shame to kape yer face hid undher a bushel, the way they tell me this owld spal- peen has been ch’atin’ all the b’ys o’ their just dues. But we'll mend all that, pl’aze the Lord!” And he winked at Harry. ‘* Now b’lave me, my child, ye’re not goin’ fur to be hurted. Just hairken till this gint. Luck at’um! Has he the laste bit o’ hairrum in him, at all, at all? Faith, he axes yez only the taste of a worrud, an’ then ye go yer ways if ye will.” Miriam looked at her unknown father. 3 Isaac Salomans drew from an inner pocket an envelope, from which he took a package care- fully wrapped in tissue paper. With the touch of tenderness he removed sev- eral coverings, and sben gazed for a mcement at a photograph which he thus brought to light. ‘rom the photograph he looked at Miriam, and advancing, extended it to her, in silence. The girl gazed at the photograph, yet fearing to touch it. ‘* My picture!” she exclaimed, in an involun- tary whisper. Then she looked at the man before her, in as- tonishment at his having it in his possession. “It is the picture of your mother,” he said, sadly, ‘* My mother?” exclaimed the girl, opening her eyes wide. Then she turned and looked at Rebecca, whom she supposed to be her mother. The old woman bowed her face in her hands, and moaned aloud, ‘*My mother!” repeated Miriam, and turned to Abraham for explanation. He could not look her in the face. The ter- rible moment that Harry bad warned him against was upon him. His own obstinacy had brought it. For a moment the from one to another, picture. Suddenly she sprung to her feet, and nesting the air with her hands, to repel the picture an the man who had brought this agonizing doubt upon her, cried: ; ‘*Go away! goaway! I’m afraid of you!” And whirling, she cast herself upon Rebecca, clasping the old woman in her arms, and cry- irl sat trembling, gazing ut ever back again at the ing: i Mamma! mamma! my own mamma!” She felt as if she were on the point of being robbed of her nearest and dearest, ‘*And you can turn your back upon your dead mother?” asked Salomans. Miriam clutched her supposed mother only the more tightly. : But Rebeeca could stand this no longer. ‘*Tt is true! true!” she sobbed, | “True?” cried Miriam, starting away from her. ‘‘ What is true?” That I am not your mother!” ‘ ‘“‘And he?’—pointing at Abraham—“‘he is not my father?” The old man answered neither by word or look. | ‘You have been deceiving me all my life!” ~ = \ ‘ . | : 7 ~ a pe . : ing, she suddenly threw her arms about Salo- mans’s neck, crying :— “Take me away! Take me to my mammal Ah, those cruel perpen they have kept me from you!—they have robbed me of mymamma! All my life long they have lied to me!” Salomans clasped herin his arms, and bow- ing his face to hers, wet it with his tears. So far the ‘‘ boys” had stared at this scene with open mouths. Now a murmur of rage be- an torise. Wrathful eyes glared at Abraham rom every side. ‘* Snake him out o’ this!” suddenly shouted a voice. ‘ The old fraud!” The crowd surged. Harry started, as if out of a dream. ‘* Hold!” he cried, springing before Abraham, with drawn revolver. ‘‘ The man who lays a fin- ger on him dies in his tracks!” But here Jim Gladden interfered: ‘* Stand back!” he commanded. Meanwhile, with excess of emotion Miriam had lapsed into unconsciousness, ler father lifted her in his arms. ‘* Are you satisfied?” he asked of the judge. ‘What have you tosay against this man’s claim?” inquired Judge Maglochlin, of Abra- ham. a old man shrugged his shoulders disdain- fully. The judge turned to Salomens, who was wait- ing for his decision. ‘The gerrul has settled it hersilf,” he said. ‘Take her away. It’s her own words,” Without more ado, Salomans walked through the crowd, and out of the court-room, The lover stood dumb! Outside was the waiting coach. ‘* Driver, have you room for two passengers more?” ‘* You bet! All the room ye want.” ‘« And you are ready to start at once?” ‘‘ Tt’s only a crack o’ the whip, an’ we're off.” ‘* Then lose no time.” ‘Hadn't you better stop to git a bonnet fur the—the—lady? We ain’t in such a sweat as all that comes to.” **] wish notbing—she will want nothing—to remind her of her past. Take us as we are. Drive on,” And throwing open the coach door, the ‘man entered with the insensible gir! in his ai ms. As he did so, Jack Downing leaped up, ex- claiming: ‘*The deuce; Salomans? Is this you?” ‘* Ah! the Jack of Hearts!” ‘‘But what have you there? Here! put her on this seat. But what’s the matter? You must be crazy, man, to set out like this.” ‘ All right?” cried Dave the driver. ‘“ All right!” responded Salomans, There wasa crack of the whip like a pistol- shot, and then the lurch and swaying of the coach, and the roar of the wheels. They were off; and the unconscious girl lay in the comfortable berth that the Tnok of Hearts had fixed for himself, while he sat gazing at her wan beauty with a wondering stare. : Among the crowd that had poured out of the Terpsichorean Hall, some just in advance and others upon the heels of the bearer of that fair burden, and who now stood staring open-mouth- ed after the receding coach, were two men to whom a detective might have ‘“‘dropped” as being in disguise. On the disappearance of the coach, the rest of When he could be heard, Isaac Salomans | cried the girl, in sudden wild grief and indigna- | the crowd re-entered the dance-hall, not to miss spoke. tion. the next trial; but the two whom we have desig- ‘Tf it pleases the honorable Court, and be Without warning she snatched the Vee alee nated lounged away, and mounting waiting ging the pardon of the learned counsel, this | out of Salomans’s hand, and fell to kissing it and | horses, rode out of the camp in the direction o Matter need gono further. All has been ac- soaenee that I sought. Ido not wish to use the law to force my child to go with me. No! no! it is her love that [ would have, ‘‘The law bas brought her face to face with me, and compelled those who would prevent her from listening to me to stand aside. If now I may speak to her, she shall be then free to do as she chooses,” He stood in the attitude of a man bowed with the weight ofa great wrong. He wrung his hands, as if unconsciously, in the anguish of a moment that was to decide alJl the hopes of his life. He gazed at the girl with the yearning of crying over it. ‘Dis is my mamma—my own true mamma! Ah! dey have robbed me!” ‘‘Thank Gott! thank Gott!” murmured Salo- mans, ‘* And you!—who are you?” demanded Miriam, turning abruptly to him. ‘‘Can’t you guess?” he asked. ‘‘ Why have I carried that picture in my bosom these many, many weary pe rid Why have I wandered over the a of all this broad country, searching for rou me Who are you?” re ted Miriam, seizing hold of him with bot hands, with the sharp posite to that taken by the coach. ‘* Could anythin’ ’a’ worked purtier ’n that thar?” cried the taller of the two enthusiastic-~ all . a Why shouldn't it work? Thar warn’t noth- in’ to hender,” replied the smaller, with the churlish air of one who grudges the slightest praise to another. | ‘* You be blowed!” exclaimed the first speaker, ‘‘ When you kin set up the pins fur such a racket as that thar, then you come round, and ay talk to ye. I tell ye, the sheeny’s knowledgable,” ‘You may larn as he’s altogether knowl- . edgable, before you git through with him,” a great love, long denied its satisfaction. Tears | petulance of a child. growled the other. yal were in his sad eyes. i" ; ‘‘ Your father!” he replied, with infinite ten-| ‘‘ Nixy!” returned the first, with off-hand hush fell upon the crowd. It was plain | derness, confidence, ‘* That thar prize-package is a-goin’ _ that every spectator was deeply affected. — ‘Ts dot true?’ she demanded, turning fiercely | straight through, Pakstane Cale Burchard, _. __ Judge Owney’ Magiochlin, like the impulsive | upon old Abraham. Bowlegged Banty & Co., C. 0. D. We've seen _.__ _Trisbman_ he was, sprung up and grasped this it off!” superb actor’s hand. ‘Be. the sowl £. me body, I b’lave ye’re an _ honest mon!” he cried. | He set his teeth doggedly, and made no reply. All was lost. What was he ude’ of words? . ‘Tt is true! itrs true!” : With a sharp cry, as if her heart were break- ‘* An’ run jest one sweet-resk a-seein’ of it.” business.” Ae Y *~< _ , oe z oi 2 ‘ ia 9.’ Rasases, , - , ‘i ’ vee . f a, % - é a { ‘ "4 4 . rst . V4 ° Va , | ee Se > wAGt on * uy . 3 ad try r Pry ; ce ¥ - "Saati a 2 are eee i. —— + + teem po =~ . aii rane _ We de / bo “ f kee pie O | PU fee , dp ee gh ad al ie PARE MES eared