Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 580 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4b Upon reaching the mansion they were met by | | moody and silent, Oscar Leighton, who said: ‘I thought that you were at the boat-house, Miss Pearl?” ‘I left there to go back to the grave after my cousin, Mr, Leighton,’ was the reply, and the | words were coldly uttered. Just then the butler announced tea, and the little family sat down together, each one seem- ing to strive to drive off haunting spirits from around them, But the effort was a dismal one, for the memory of Rodney St. Orme would not away at their bidding. CHAPTER V. OUTLAWED, BaAckK to the military academy went Richard Dabney. But be had not more than met bis fellow- cadets than he was made to feel that the story of Rodney St. Orme’s death was already known, and more, that though he had been found “ not guilty,” that he was believed tobe really the murderer. the gallows, and each day of bis stay his friends grew fewer and fewer. At last he was completely ostracized by his commades, and he found himself really outlawed from every friendship he had once held. Unable to stand this treatment, this bitter outlawry, though standing at the head of his class, he decided to resign. It was bitter indeed ‘for him to make this re- solve, for his ambition had been to become a eoldier and win fame as such. He struggled hard to bear the slights put upon him; but all to no use, for at last he knew that his remaining could but end in one way: trouble with some of his insulters, And so his resignation was sent in and prompt- | ly accepted. + It was ae that he was considered an out- cast by all, professors as well as cadets, and he must go forth to face the world with the brand of Cain upon him, at least as far as the thoughts of bis fellows went. : Back to his boyhood home he went, Sleepy _ Hollow, where he had - years of his life. . Madam Vavasour was there, calm, dignified , and coid in manner as was her wont. -.. But she seemed more so than ever to him upon his return, -_ Pearl was away at boarding-school, finishing her last term, and the servants went about in a ‘gloomy, stately manner that was by no means cheerful, That Sleepy Hollow belonged to him the cadet ‘new, for it was part of his inheritance, his father having desired to keep it under the name of the family for generations to come, Dick Dabney was lord and master there, or would be in a couple of years more when he reached bis majurity. And yet he seemed like a stranger in his own house, If he gave an order the servants obeyed it, and yet he seemed to feel that they regarded him with suspicion. _ While riding out on horseback one afternoon | several days after his return home, he met Lela Lawrence and her father. He hesitated, expecting them to halt and speak with him; but they passed him by with- out recognition, ** No, no, it must not, shall not be!” and the face of the cadet grew pale and stern. Several days after to care whether it reached the ears of the cadet or not, cousin for his money, an jury whitewashed for big pay, it is said,” Instantly Richard Dabney turned upon the speaker, his face livid with rage, and by a quick, terrible blow full in the his back. — He heard whispers about him that Pear! | Vavasour had testified falsely to save him from | passed so many bappy | | corome® poor Rodney’s death, goes. by the terms of od! am I to bear this cross through ick Dabney was in the village, and he overheard a remark made re- garding him, and which the speaker seemed not ———_ For some days after the young cadet was He went to his meals alone, shunned his aunt’s society and scarcely spoke unless spoken to, even to the servants, The fangs of remorse seemed to be gnawing into ‘his soul, and his burden seem too heavy for such youvg shoulders to bear, ‘* Heaven have mercy! Iam outlawed by all who were once my friends, ‘*T am an outcast among my fellow-men, and wherever I go, whatever I do, the face of Rod- ney St. Orme rises before me, ‘*T must, [ will end this misery.” He was seated upon the piazza as he -noke, gazing out upon the moonlit waters of the. ud, and he held between his teeth a cigar, which, in his bitter reveries, he had allowed to go out. Rising as he spoke, he entered his own room, and for a long time sat at his table writing. Then be arose, put on his hat and strolled out of the house down to the beach, as was his wont each night before retiring. Along the shore he went, until the white tombs in the little burying-ground of his family glimmered in the moonlight hefore him, looking like grim specters. Like an uneasy spirit, he wound his way among the trees until be at last stood at the grave of Rodney St, Orme. The next morning when the servant went to call him to breakfast be was not in his room, and the bed showed that it bad not been occupied during the night, Search was made for him at once, and late in the afternoon a servant came in with a letter. It was addressed to Madam Vavasour, and the servant said that be had found it upon the grave of Rodney St. Orme. With eager hands Madam Vavasour tore it open and read: “My Dear AontT:— ‘“*My punishment is’ greater than I can bear, for I am outluwed by ail who know me, and 1 am not sitong | enough to bear up against such a load of anguish. “: fa Iend my sorrows, for I seek oblivion in eath, ‘*There is no need to search for my body, for the waters will not give up their prey, until the day wh n all secrets shall be known. “My inheritance’ from my f ther. as well as the will to Pearl, and may she know only bappiness in its possession, is my only wish, ** Varewell, RicHARD D, Dabney.” Such was the letter, and the tears welled up into the cold eyes of Madam Vavasour as she read it. ‘* Heaven have mercy upon bim! ‘* He bas taken his own life!” she moaned. And going to her room, she wrote three tele- ams, one to the family attorney, another to earl, calling ber home, and the third to Oscar Leighton, asking him to come at once to Sleepy Hollow. Then Madam Vavasour gave orders that the mansion should again be draped in deepest black and become a house of mourning. CHAPTER VI. A TEXAN AT SEA, A’ VESSEL was dashing along over a tempest- swept sea, her masts gone and her hull almost a wreck upon the waters, It was a schooner, and she had been a trim craft until caught in one of those violent torna- does that often sweep over Southern seas. Upon her decks stood her captain and crew, and several passengers, perhaps half a score in all, and their faces, as the Jightning-flashes re- vealed them, showed that they ;realized that death stared them in the face, The passengers consisted of three men, two of them heavily-bearded, rough-looking specimens | of humanity, and the third a tall, fine-looking young | man, whose odd dress showed him to be a front- ‘That is Dick DCabney, who murdered his | we. w He was dressed in buckskin leggings, top- whom the coroner’s | boots, and a hunting jacket embroidered with beads, while he wore upon his head a Mexican sombrero. " About his waist was a belt, and in it were a face, laid him flat upon | pair of serviceable revolvers and a bowie-knife. He had been North ‘to see his kinfolk,” as he Not a word did he speak, he merely acted, | had said, and was on his way back to Texas, and a moment after had on. ‘* Must my hand be raised against every man?” he murmured. ‘‘It was in my heart for an instant to kill him; but no, [ conquered myself, for have I not enough to bear now?’ Mounting his horse, he rode. back to his elegant home, and yet,a home gloomy in spite of its lux- + : wrious surroundin 7 < wit. where he had lived since he was a lad, He had put himself down on the schooner’s register as “Lone Star LUKE, Rio Grande Ranger, San Antonio, Texas.” If he had another name, no one on the vesse} knew it. He was aman of fine physique, and his face showed intelligence, resolution, and indomitable luck, f In the tornado he was the coolest man on board, not excepting the captain, and now, as he clung to the taffrail while the schooner drove along over the waters, be showed not an atom of dread. ‘**Pard Cap'n, it do look as tho’ we were going to be fish-bait,” be said, quickly. ** Yes, the chances are against us, sir; but I never give up hope,” replied the captain, ‘‘Nor I, and I’ve come out of some tight places in my time; but then | bad a footing on the ground, and here it’s some miles to bottom, with a chance 0’ going clear through to China, as I’ve heard tell, ‘‘{ were in beautiful luck to go to the old bome on Long Island and see the good _kinsfolk, for I gue-s this will finish me,” and Lone Star spoke wlth an air of perfect resignation. “IT guess you are rigbt, Mate Lone Star, for we are driving right upon the Bahama Islands, and we’ll go to pieces within the hour.”’ ‘* Does yer hear that, pards?”? and Lone Star Luke turned to the two other passengers, “We hears it, and you bet we doesn’t want ter,” was the surly reply of one of the men, ‘‘Then, if you beerd it, why don’t yer act accordin’?” ‘* Does yer want us ter pray?” ‘‘ No, fer durned ef I believes prayers would save yer souls, if yer faces is a mirror 0’ what yer has witbin yer in ther way o' goodness, ‘But I wants yer ter do es duty like men.” ‘* W hat’s left fer us ter do?” ‘*You hasa prisoner in irons down in ther held, hasn’t yer?” tr Yas ” ‘‘ Yer say yer is takin’ him ter Mexico ter be tried fer murder he committed theref” ‘Yas, and he’l] hang.” ‘‘ Waal, then, be bain’t. born ter be drowned, so ji t go down and. set. him free, so thet be kin have a chance for, his life with the rest of us, when we goes upon ther rocks.” ‘It’s more marciful to let him drown than hang,” said one of the men, gruffly. ‘‘ Pard, thet may be your creed, but it hain’t mine, ‘‘Ther man has had no trial yet, so yer don’t know that he is guilty, and whar death stares us allin the face yer must give him/a chance with ther rest o’ us.” ‘‘ Must, did yer say?” doggedly asked one of the men. ‘¢'Yas. must were ther word I used, pard, an I meant it,” ‘* Waal, we don’t give him a chance, that are ‘‘ Then [ does,” ** You!” ‘‘ Yas, me, Lone Star Luke, Texas ranger o° San Antone, will.do it.” ** How will yer?’: ‘¢T’ll jist step down and fetch him on deck.” ‘¢ What’ll we be doing?” ‘‘Swimmin’ in ther sea, ef yer gets inmy way: pards,” s he spoke Lone Star Luke stepped forward, as though to carry out his threat to free the prisoner. Instantly the two men sprung before him; but, quick as a flash a revolver was in each hand and ‘they covered the prisoner’s guards, while the words came quick and stern: ‘¢‘ Hands up, pards, and Vl trouble you for them keys that unlock the prisoner’s irons, for I says he sha’n’t die like a rat in a hole,” cried the Texan. The men were fairly caught, for they were not armed, their weapons being in the cabin. ‘* Hand over them keys!” repeated Lone Star Luke, and with an oath one of the men obeyed. Taking them in one hand, and keeping a re- volver in the uther still covering the men the Texan went forward and made his way into the hold, a sailor obeys bis command to accom- pany him with a Jantern, a Below decks sat a young man heavily ironed and chained ‘to the deck. His face was very pale, but it bore the stamp of refinement, and the stamp of courage rested upon each feature. He was well dressed, bad the air of a gentle- man, and bis face was one to remember if once seen, though it wore an expression of almost despair and upon the mouth was a look of full of bitterness, . . He looked up as the lantern flashed upon him, and seemed surprised at behclding a man like the Texan on board sbip. Y ‘‘Pard, we is a-going to ther deuce pretty -— oe ee - Fre Peer ee ee - “ { - ~~ comicbooks co us