Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 571 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Be that I did say that she should marry me; but | can a man stand like a pillar of ice when he declares his love to the woman he loves? That was about all it was, Mr. Fielding, and now I | want to ask you openly and honorably for your and behind a row of boxes that stood there, was a ragged girl, apparently asleep. Such was the fact, and further mention will be made of her later on, ‘‘ Now,” said the cashier, ‘‘ I am ready to hear daughter’s hand, You know that I am of good what vod have to tell me.” ’ family, and that I am well-to-do, and—’ ‘Not another word,” said Dan, sternly. “You cannot marry my daughter, and for the one sufficient reason that she is already en- gaged toanother. It is not necessary to men- tion any other. As for the present situation, I take my daughter’s word before yours, and now the quicker you get out of my house the better it will be for your bones.” The information that Lucy was already en- ged, fairly staggered the bank cashier, His ace paled, and for the moment he seemed powertess, : ‘‘Did you hear what I said?” demanded Dan. ‘‘Pardon me,” muttered the rascal, ‘‘I1 was not aware that your daughter was engaged. Had I known this 1 might have avoided the un- pleasant scene of this moment. I cannot say that I am not greatly disappointed, for Lam, and [ do not really give up all hopes, but—” es you do not hear what I said,” interrupted Dan, ‘‘I will repeat it. Leave my house, and never darken its door again.” ‘‘Do you mean that?” the cashier asked. ‘“T never say a thing unless I do mean it,” was the quiet reply. ‘Very well, Dan Fielding, I will go without further words, but you have made me your enemy from this hour.” “T° care nothing for that,” declared Dan; o and all that I ask of you is to keep away from me. ‘‘ That will be easy enough for me to do, and now I will bid you good-afternoon. Miss Field- ing. I wish you joy.” ith a bow the man left the house, but the look he cast at the girl as he did so went to prove that he wished her anything but happi- ness, As soon as he had gone, Lucy told her father all that had taken place, and the expression of Dan’s face as he listened boded ill for Stewart Lyman if he ever put himself in the way. ‘‘ Let the scoundrel keep away from me, if he wants to enjoy good health,” he said, ‘* And,” he added, ‘‘ it won’t be well for him to fall into the handsof Air-Line Luke either.” ‘¢ Should I tell Luke about it?” queried Lucy. ‘‘- You need not do so unless you want to,” her father replied, ‘‘ but I shall tell him, for I would not trust Stewart Lyman. There is no telling what he may do, and it will be well for Luke to look out for him, And you, too, have need to fear him. He is a man of little honor, as I have always thought.” ‘‘T have no fear of him, father, and I guess we have seen the last of him. I certainly hope so, anyhow.” And Stewart Lyman, as he walked away, muttered to himself some terrible threats against Lucy and her father, and also against ber in- tended husband, whoever he might be, for he had not yet learned that it was Luke Jackson. ‘She shall be mine at any cost,” be vowed. ‘“‘[ will not be balked. And now as there is no hopes of hes Ye « her bv fair means, I must re- sort to foul. will have her in spite of them all. Ha, ha, ha! if they only knew me as well as they think they do they would tremble.” He walked on toward his home, but before he reached there be was overtaken by a man who evidently had something of importance to sa to him. This was clear by the manner in whic he stopped him. This man was a rough-looking customer, none too well dressed, and had rather a villainous face, " ‘Well, Jake,” said the cashier, “what is it?” ‘‘T have somethin’ ter say ter ye,” the man explained, ‘‘an’ it is somethin’ that won't be werry agreeable news ter ye, Duther, I’m a- thinkin’.” ‘* Ts it important?” ‘‘T reckon it are, boss.” “ Well, let’s step in here, and I will listen to what you have to say.” , ta erry well. Anything thet suits you suits e, The place indicated was a saloon, and the two passed around to a side-door and went in, As they did so, the cashier looked around to make sure that -he was not seen, for it was plain that he was not proud of the company he was in, There happened to be but few in the room, and the pair went back to a rear table well in the shadow, and there sat down, They did not notice that just behind the table, ———e i aaa LL LLL LLL LLL LLL ALLL ee és erry well,” responded the other man, ‘‘I am ready ter tell ye.” At the sound of this man’s voice the little girl started up, and when she had glanced out for an instant she sunk back into her place pale and trembling. ' ‘‘Ye see,” continued the hard-looking man, ‘vou are a leetie interested in that gal o’ Dan Fieldin’s, an’ it has come ter my kuowin’ that she is goin’ ter be married sooner er later.” The cashier was attentive at once, and could not disguise the interest he felt, Striving to aor as little interest as possible, however, he said: ‘‘T am aware of that.” ‘¢ An’ d’ye know who she is goin’ ter hitch with?” the other asked. CHAPTER VIII. SOME WICKED PLOTTING. LYMAN’s attempt to appear cisinterested was now worse than useless, and he gave it up, while the other man laughed. ‘‘No,” the cashier admitted, ‘‘ 1 do not.” ‘* Well, 1 do.” ‘‘ And who is it?” “Give a guess at it an’ see how fur off ye'll come.” fe F Oh! Iam no good at guessing, so let’s hear it. : The cashier’s mind ran over three or four young men who, he knew, were in love with ucy, and some of whom were men of wealth in the place. And one of them, one Walter Rich- ards, seemed to strike him as the one. ‘Well, I'll tell ye, then,” said his companion; ‘sit is Luke Jackson, that young engineer on th’ railroad that they call Air-Line Luke.” ‘* Blazes!” the cashier cried, as be started up, ‘is that so?” ‘Tt sartainly is.” ‘¢ And how did you learn it?” ‘Oh! th’ wimmen folks got holt of it, an’ so I | heerd it.” The cashier rose and paced the floor in a nerv- ous manner for some minutes, muttering to himself. | “The little fool!” he half hissed, ‘‘to think that sbe will throw herself away upon a lout of | an engineer, when I am offering her my name and wealth. She does not know what is good | for ber, and such a fellow shall not balk me in A omg 5 her. I will have ber now at any cost, | even if I have to secure her by stealth and run | away with her. In fact that— But, no more of this.” Presently Lyman sat down again, and his companion said: ‘6 T see it sort o’ knocked ye off o’ yer pins.” “T admit that it did,” the cashier confessed. “Twas not ‘ely red for such a revelation, I thought she had better sense, when there are several men of wealth in this town who would be glad to win her, I thought it must be one of them.” ‘¢ Jest th’ way th’ old wimmen_ around is fig- gerin’ th’ thing,” declared the villainous-looking man, ‘‘an’ they mentions you as one of th’ dis- app’inted ones, An’ I knowed that you had yer eye on her, an’ I thought mehbby ye’d like ter run in ahead o’ that young feller an’ win fu’st money, so ter say.” ‘¢ What do you mean?” Lyman demanded. “Jest what I say. I have got it in fer that young chap, fer he got my place on th’ road when I was bounced, an’if you want ter put him where th’ dogs won’t be werry likely ter bite him, I’m th’ man ter help you do it” This was said in a low, earnest tone, and the cashier paid close attention to every word, And right here it may not be out of place to pause for a moment to offer a word of explana- tion, and to introduce the hard-looking gentle- man more fully. The man’s name was Jake Hogan, and at one time he had been a fireman on the railroad, but being a little too fond of rum, had been dis- charged. And it 80 i that the one to fill his place bad been ir-Line Luke, From that hour Hogan was Luke’s bitter enemy, look- ing upon him as the cause of his downfall and the usurper of bis rightful place. And further the little girl that was now- crouching bebind the boxes in the saloon was Hogan’s child. Her mother was dead, having died of sorrow and perhaps starvation, a victim of his horrible curse of rum, and she was all alone in the world, except for her worthless father, and she made Air-Line Luke, the Engineer Detective. v4 the saloon her home the greater part of the time. And in speaking of ‘‘ th’ wimen,” Hogan referred not to relatives, but to the women of a fourth-rate boarding-house where he lived, and who were ever on the lookout for items of news over which to gossip. Little Ettie Hogan neither loved—nor was loved by—the people of the boarding-house, for all they cared for her was the service sbe could render in carrying beer for them from the saloon, And they did not hesitate to beat her often and severely. So the child, as stated, made the saloon her home the greater part of the time, for there she was more kindly treated, and was made useful in many ways, such as washing bottles and glasses and sweeping the floor. The cashier, looked at Hogan for a moment in silence. “Hogan,” he said presently, “‘ what has your quarrel with that young engineer got to do with me?” ‘‘ Nothin’, of course,” answered the man, “‘ but I thought that you might have somethin’ in fer him too, now, an’ we could work together ter lay him out.” ‘* No,” declared the cashier, ‘‘I would not go that far; but I do not mind telling you, Jake,” he added, “‘ that if anything should happen to him that would dispose of him, I would never mention a word of what you have said to me.” “Ts that th’ best you kin do?’ the hardened rascal asked, “Tl fail to understand what you mean,” de- clared the cashier. ‘*‘Donot think for a mo- ment that I would enter into any plot with you to injure that young man,” ‘‘ Tn course not,” asserted Hogan, with energy, ‘‘an’ J hope that you don’t fer a single instant think that I would, either.” As he spoke thus, the wretch half-closed one eye in a knowing way, but the cashier would not notice the sign. ‘“‘T hardly thought you would,” he said, ** but still I will not go back on what Lhave said. If any\harm comes to him I will never mention a word of what you have said tome. It would look bad for you if I should, you know.” “In course it would, after my sayin’ that I don’t like him: an’ now if et kin give me just a hundred dollars, I'll tell you about a dream that I had t’other night.” ‘‘ That is rather a high-priced dream, it seems to me,” ‘‘Tt might look that = at first glance, but it is wu’th th’ money, that Tl ’sure ye.” ‘““Well, let me bear the dream, and then if I think that it is worth the money, I will pay you what you ask for it. You seem to know that I ae iB fondness for dreams, Who told you that?’ ‘‘Oh! I guessed it.” ‘* Well, what was that dream?” “It wasa dream that that young engineer was killed, an’ in th’ queerest way that ye kin imagine. Ye know, an’ if ye don’t know 1’ll tell e, that about half a mile west of th’ station ere, there is a big tree that stands close to th’ track.” ‘‘T know where you mean,” ‘“Werry well. dreamed that that tree was cut down by somebody, an’that it fell right across th’ track, an’ that young feller run inter it an’ got killed.” That was a remarkable dream, and no mis- take. It is not worth a bundred dollars to me, however.” ** What is it wu’th, then? “Fifty.” ‘“Hand over ther money.” : The cashier counted out several bright, new bills and put them into the band of the evil plot- ter, saying: : 7 Don't think that I am giving you this money for any other purpose than out of charity. To pay you fifty dollars for a simple dream would prove me insane. It is only another form of ex- ercising charity.” ‘We onderstands that, in course; an’ here’s my hand. If that dream o’ mine comes true, au’ it was soreal that I shouldn’t be s’prised if it did.” with another meaning wink, ‘‘ we won’t sav nothin’ ter nobody.” Ob! I will never mention what you have told me. And now I must go, You had better not go out with me, I will go first and alone.” ‘* Jest as you say, boss,” The bank cashier went out, and as he walked away a smile of hatred and revenge lit up his face. The weapon of vengeance had been put into his hands and be was not slow to use it. “Better Inck could not have fallen in m way,” he muttered, as he walked homeward. “Tf Hogan carries out bis plan, no suspicion can fall upon me, and that lout of an engineer cbooks a” 2 > ee <