Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 570 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

POET SO — 4 > 7° <cee se & . . A Se) here ke hae . 8 ; b . @ a Oe 4 = : Wr ae edi, Pe 7 - ~ _— “~~ . i YE pe \e oat cme ee | - ete 14 Camille, the Card Queen. **T did not.” **In the Sunset City mining-camps, you said, I believe?” * Yes,” ‘Strange, is it not, sir, that there should be a King of Cards and a Card Queen also?” > ‘It is a coincidence, Madam Camille,” an- swered Surgeon Frank Powell, and he knew that there was some tie that bound the two strange persons together, but what it was he did not try to fathom, feeling that it was none of his affair. There was quite a stir at the Flush Hotel when Camille rode up with a soldier escort, and the two bodies and the prisoner were seen. The judge in alarm ran out to greet her. ln a few words Camille told of the attack on her and the rescue by Surgeon Powell, and then, telling the latter that she \. ould see him at supper, she went to her room, Judge Dal was a man of quick action, and he no sooner heard the story of Camille than he called the miners together and had them draw lots for twelve jurymen to try the prisoner, Sandy. The judge acted as judge, and Surgeon Powell was invited toa seat upon the ** bench” by his side. ' But the Surgeon Scout declined the honor, and while smoking a cigar on the piazza, calmly looked at the surroundings. The judge told the story as he had heard it from Queen Camille, and called upon the surgeon as a/witness. The testimony of the Surgeon Scout was quick- dy given, and in a few words. ** I was ahead of my escort half a mile, and heard a cry in a woman’s voice. ‘‘ Running up the canyon I saw the lady, whom you call Queen Camille, struggling with three men, who were trying to bind her and wrap a blanket about her. * They saw nde and opened fire, and returning it I killed two, and then made the third a pris- oner. . ‘* That is all there is about it.” ‘It’s enough,” said Judge Dal, and turning to the prisoner he said: **Sandy, what have you to say?” ‘* Mighty leetle, Pard Jedge, and that’ leetle won't do no good.” ' ‘* Well, out with it.” ‘Yer see Wicked Will were sweet on ther queen and axed my pard and meto help him carry her off. ‘*He said he would take her to a cabin in the mountains and make Parson Cross Bones go there and marry them. ‘* He said she always carried plenty o’ money with her, avd that would go to my pard and me, and her diamonds too, and we agreed, but the leetle game went ag’in’ us.” The judge then turned to the jury and said: ‘*Gents, you have heard the why and where- fore of this disgraceful affair in which Sports’ Paradise miners have been engaged?” ‘* We have,” came in a chorus. “Two of the villains are unfortunately dead, gents of the jury; but there’s one left, and I’d now your pleasure regarding him?” ‘‘Hang him,” came from every lip, and the crowd shouted with one accord: ** So say we all of us!” That settled the doorn of the desperado, and ten minutes after Sandy was dangling from a rope end from the limb of a tree, CHAPTER XXIV, CURLEY KIT’S AVOWAL, THE day following bis arrival in the camp of Sports’ Paradise, Surgeon Frank Powell went on his way. Queen Camille had treated him most kindly, and he had gazed with wonder at her as she stood at the gambling-table that night, in very truth a Queen of Fortune, for lack seemed to constantly attend ber. Without solving the mystery of her being in that wild country, he bade her farewell, feeling a deep interest in the strange woman, When she saw him ride away Queen Camille sighed, and the tears came into her eyes, ‘ There is a noble man, indeed! ** Would that I could tell bim all and ask his advice! “‘ But he would have urged me to return to my friends, and give up this trail of revenge that [ am on. ‘No; I must follow it to the end, and I be- lieve the end must come soon.” ' The Surgeon Scout had not been long gone when a horseman rode upand asked the fodge if Camille, the Card Queen, lived there, “* She does.” She grasped bis hand and a tear fell‘upon it. ** Will you tell her that I am here with a letter | rig for me to travel in, and I am well accustom- for ber?” The judge delivered the message, and the | stranger was asked to go up to the Card Queen’s | little sitting-room. | ‘** You do not know me, miss?” ** Yes; you are the man who went on the trail | of Donald King?” | cs Yes,” “Well?” | ‘I traced him to Sunset City camps, miss, | and he bas disappeared from there, but his wife | yet remains,” ' ** Ah! and where has he gone?” ‘**1 do not know, nor could I find out; but I believe his wife knows, though she pretends to | believe that he has deserted her.” ‘**'You have done well, and I will go to the Sunset City camps with you. ‘** When can you start?” ‘* Whenever you wish, Queen Camille,” ‘* Then we go to-morrow. | “Here, take this money and get three pack- | horses, and buy a fresh animal! for yourself, and | Weapons, too, if you need them. | ‘YT will give you a list of what IL need,” and she hastily wrote out what she wanted, and the | eee man departed, That night the miners of Sports’ Paradise saw Queen Camille for the last time, and they were fairly dismayed when she told them that she was to leave them. More she did not say, but she firmly refused their offered escort on her way, and the next day, attended only by the man whom she had employed as a detective and guide, she rode away from Sports’ Paradise followed by the farewells and good wishes of the miners, both god and bad, for all were greatly attached to er, The judge seemed almost broken-hearted and vowed that he would give up the Flush Hotel and go East and marry. As Queen Camille entered the canyon, which shut out the camps from sight, she saw a man standing in the road apparently awaiting her He had arrivedin camp that morning, and looked fairly dismayed when told that the Card Queen was going to leave Sports’ Paradise. She had asked for him, to suy good-by, but he could not be found, and she suspected that he had gone off so as not to bid her farewell. ‘*Poor Kit,” she said to herself, as she saw him in the trail, and telling her guide to ride on and she would overtake him, she balted and said: ** Well, Kit, what are you doing here?’ He dropped all dialect of the border, and look- ing intosher face with earnest eyes and grasping her hand said, with a voice that quivered with emotion: “Camille, I am here to see you, to tell you that lam glad that you are going away from this place, to ask you to let me follow you, for I love you and would make you my wife.” “It cannot be, dear Kit, it cannot be,” she said, sadly. ‘*f am not the rough fellow I have seemed to you, for I am a college graduate, **T ran off from my home to make my for- coming. It was Curley Kit, and his face was pale and manner nervous, tune, and though I drive the coach, itis from love of adventure, for I am rich, Camille. ‘* Let me beg you to allow me to follow you to where you are going and make you my wife?’ ‘No, Kit, I have always had a sincere friend- ship for you, and you have been most kind to me; but we can never be more to each other. 6 Good-by, Kit, forget me, and God bless you. “*Good-by, Camille,” he said sadly, and his lips were white and quivering. . As she turned a bend in the canyon she lanced back and saw him standing where she d left him, gazing after her. CHAPTER XXV. THE FATE OF ISABETL, ._ Hapany one from Sports’ Paradise, except- ing Kit Curley, seen the Card Queen the morn- ing after her departure from the camps, they would never have known her. She had brought on a pack-horse the contents of her trunks, and the red-gold wig had disap- peared, as bad also the dress and other feminine attire. The guide had_ fairly sta ing, when he sought the wic d the next morn- p which he had made as a camping-place for Queen Camille, to find a young man there, “Don’t be alarmed. guide, for this is the best ' f — ed to man’s attire,” she said, quietly. . And so they continued on their way, and the third day reached the Sunset City camps. Going to the Bed Rock Hotel, she asked for one Donald King, known as the Card King. The landlord told her that the Card King had left. there some time before, going no one knew where. ‘* And his wife?” she asked. ** Is in her room, poor thing, and ill with sor- row, ‘‘ If you are her friend it will be a comfort for her to see you, young pard.” ‘I will go up and see her,” and Camille went to the room occupied by the deserted wife, Entering, when told to do so ip answer to her ia: x she saw before her the wreck of a beauti- ful girl. Haggard, white-faced and with a look of in- tense sadness upon her face, poor Isabel was but a specter of her former beautiful self. She gazed with surprise at the bandsome youth who entered, and asked: ‘* Who are you?” ‘Your’ friend,” replied Camille, touched to the heart at the suffering face turned upon her. ““T have no friends.” ‘Yes you have, for I am one, and I have come to see you, if you are the wife of Donald King.” Isabel shuddered, and hid her face, “Come, my poor child, | am not a man, but like vourself, a young girl, who bas assumed this disguise for a purpose, so tell me of your sor- rows?” . In answer Isabel threw herself into the arms of Camille and burst into tears, After awhile sbe became calm and said: ‘** Yes, I married Donald King, believing that he loved me, and would make mea true hus- band, ‘*T found him to be false, cruel and all that was wicked, and now he has deserted me, while my heart is breaking, ‘Oh! if he only had remained until I died, for my bealth is broken and I cannot last long.” Then Camille made known to the poor wife who she was, and all that Kent Kingdon had been. ‘‘Now you know how unworthy he was of you, so or him, cast bim out of your heart and go with me, and we will live togetherin a pleasant little cabin home until you are once more in good healtb.” ‘* No, 1 cannot go, for Iam dying. ** My poor father died with consumption, and I will soon follow him. “* But you will not leave me?” ** No, indeed.” ‘Tell the landlord you are my brother, and then you can be with me all the time, and I have much for you to do for me, as a letter re- ceived from my father’s lawyers tells me that I am heiress to quite a fortune. ‘* wish to leave you a—” ‘‘No, no, Lam well off, so do no think of me.” ‘‘ Then, after leaving my aunt scmething, I will devote the balance to a home for friendless girls, such as need belp, and you will attend to all for me, for you can feel for me,” Camille promised, and from that moment devoted herself to the care of the dying wife, Her guide she paid for his services, and told to o his way; but if he could find out aught of the ard King to come back and seek her out and he should be well paid, Thus some months passed, and Isabel gra ally faded away, until one night she sunk into her last sleep, her dying words breathing a bless- ing upon the head of the Card Queen who had proven her truest friend. ; In a pretty vale the gambler’s wife was buried, and with her papers and effects Camille was preparing to go East and deliver all into the bands of the attorneys of David Drew, — the guide suddenly appeared in Sunset ity. Well?” she asked as he came to her room. ‘* He is dead.” How know you?” * He left with a gold train to go to the near- est station, and some white renegades led the Indians upon them and massacred all but one man,” ‘* And that man?” ‘* Was myself.” “* You?” ‘é es,” ‘¢ You have more to tell?” “« { left bere and began thesearch for the Card King. adu-— ee a ee a > Se a ee ee ee ee ie * ; > er . Diy ‘ % ey al ba - be ¥ - -