Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 580 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

PO ee 6 fo pegs eee dee { 7* = .-y = ot ae 6 dew 989 b> "7 epee Oe 2 vm y ome “ ~~ +m". 8 The Outcast Cadet. The lawyer was puzzled. He could not solve the mystery; but the will was plain, and there was nothing to do but to ‘*One that I hope some day will be removed. ‘** Now I cannot say more.” Then botk were for a moment silent, and lace the lovely heiress in full possession of her | Pearl suddenly broke in with: ortune. Pearl was urged by her mother to give up | school and remain at Sleepy Hollow; but she said that she preferred to return and graduate, and, after ten. days passed at home, deter- mined upon her departure. During the ten days at home the artist, Oscar Leizbton, had been the guest of Madam Vava- sour daily at dinner, though he was stopping at the botel in the village. Tuis gave rise to the rumor that Pearl Vava- sour was engaged to him, and the young artist found himself envied by all of the beaux living near Sleepy Hollow, it was the last day of Pearl’s stay at home before returning to school. Oscar Leighton aud Lawyer Lennox had both dined at the manor, and after dinner the young artist asked Pearl tu join him ‘n a stroll. ** Will you and Lawyer Lennox come along, mamma?’ asked Pear|, But Madam Vavasour feigned fatigue, and the lawyer seemed to preler to enjoy his cigar seated upon the piazza. Pearl was in deep mourning, and it set off her exquisite complexion and red-gold hair, for she looked very beautiful. It was late in the afternoon, so she wore no hat, and the two set off down the gravel walk toward the beach. ‘* Let us go for a row, Pearl,” said the artist, and he turned his fine eyes tenderly “upon her, He was a handsome man, this Oscar Leigh- ton, older evidently than be looked, and with the easy, polished manners of a man of the world. He had a darkly-bronzed face, and one that was full of character and intelligence, He had told Pearl that he was an orphan, had been born Soutb and had been left to make his own way inthe world from the time he had graduated at an academy and been given a thousand dollars, his inheritance, and told to build up his fortune on that. He had passionately loved art, and purchasing a horse and wagon had started out to build up his fortune and win a name. For years he had drifted about, going from land to land, painting, enjoying life, making a good living and, ever restless, always roving. Such was the artist, and certainly he was a man to win the heart of any fair maiden, with his striking face, superb form and fascinating manners, And yet Pearl did not look exactly happy in his company, and somewhat pettishly replied, in answer to his invitation to take a row: ‘* No, I do not care to go upon the water. ‘* Let us walk.” ‘*As you please,” and he turned down the highway. ** Let us go this way,” and Pear! turned to the rightabout. He did likewise without a word and they walked on in silence until they came to the road brauching off to the point, where was the Dab- ney burving-ground, ‘* You do not care to go that way?” said Oscar set hg as Pearl turned off from the highway. sé es, ‘*It is a gloomy spot to visit at best,” ‘*] wish to go there: but if you do not care to come you can return to the house,” she said im- patiently. ‘*T will come of course, for I wish to bave a talk with you.” ** And I with you,” ‘Then we both will be satisfied,” he replied with a smile, and the two walked on to the little buryiog-ground, At the request of Pearl the artist opened the gate and they stepped within, stopping by the grave Of Rodney St. Orme, while Oscar Leigh- ton raised his hat and stood with uncovered head out of respect to the sacred spot. For a moment both were silent, and the artist saw tears dimming the eyes of the young gir). Suddenly she turned toward. him and said: ‘*Mr, Leighton, that grave holds a secret I would give much to fathom.” CHAPTER XIII. A SECRET MARRIAGE, THE remark of the young girl seemed to deep- ly interest the man. He turned his fine eyes upon her in a wistful sort of way, and replied: ‘What secret does the grave hold for you, Pearl?” . i ' | | | | | | | | | | ** Do you know why I vame here with you?” ‘*T do not.” ‘*] return to school to-morrow.” ‘*T am aware of that.” ‘*T will soon complete my school-days and then return to Sleepy Hollow to become its mistress,” ‘*So I know, Pearl.” ‘*Do you know chat I would give much if [ was only free once more.”* ‘* Free?” and the man started, ? 24a," ‘* Why would you be free, Pearl?” She seemed deeply moved for a moment, and then said: ‘‘lamso young, Oscar, I do not know my own heart, and you know that it was unfair in you to bind me as you did,” ‘‘T can only plead my great love for you, Pear!, and the fear of losing you. ‘* But you forgave me for that, and you have said that you loved me.” ‘*T thought that I did; but I now know that it was not love that I[ felt for you, at least, the love that I could*feel for a man whose wife I was, The artist fairly turned pale at this, and asked with evident emotion: ‘** Pearl, it cuts me to the heart to have you speak so.” ‘*Oscar Leighton, let us thorough!y under- stand each other. ‘*A year ago, I met you, as you know by accident, ‘* Your daring, in having sketched me while I lay asleep upun the river-bank, won my ad- miration, your exquisite little sketch, and your giving it to me, added to the romance of our meeting, caused me to feel a regard for you that I mistook for love. ‘“‘Our meetings were wrong, for they were clandestine, and I have only myself to blame that our friendship increased, ‘You made acquaintances in the town, and can I ever forget the day that we all attended a picnic on the island in the river? ‘‘ We were carried away with the joy of the occasion, and when a mock marriage was sug- gested, | yielded to your request and stood up with you. ‘* Tt did not seem very real then, for all of us were joking, and even -serious-faced old Profes- sor Tolbert, who gave me away, was joking about it, and said that he was sorry not to be the groom, ‘ ‘‘ A stranger, your friend, performed the cere- mony, and with its ending I considered it as but a joke, ‘Then, some days after, I met you on the river-bank, where I went to sketch, and, with entreaties for pardon, you told me that you had deceived me, " ‘**- You told me that your deep love for me had caused you to do wrong. ‘*Then I learned that your friend was a ae tice of the peace in a neighboring town, and had the right to marry us, aS you had recently got- ten a license. ‘**Oh, Oscar Leighton! my regard for you al- most turned to intense hatred in that moment when you confessed you had deceived me, ‘**T might have loved you, had you not deceived me, and, when you seemed so contrite, and said that you loved me better than all the world, I forgave you your sin, for 1 can call it nothing eise, rd “But it was upon the conditicn, that you should not make our marriage known until ave you permission. ‘I told you that I would try and love you, would try to look to publicly becoming your wife some day, ““Now I have tried to keep my pledge, and yet, Oscar, I must frankly say that I have not increased in my love for you, **lam bound to you, yes, and I will yet con- tinue to try and love you; but, alas! it cannot be, ( fear, for, bound to you as I am, I would like to have it so, ‘*T know that you are of a noble nature, that you love me, while balf the girls are in love with you, ‘* You are brave, generous-hearted, have a wonderful talent, and can win hearts whenever you try, while you bave seen much cf tbe world. ‘*It was, perhaps, your betraying me intoa secret marriage that prevented my loving you; ove reek Oscar, I do not, and I fear I never sha ‘‘ Ah, Pearl, if you would only allow me to claim you openly as my wife, I would win your love, 1 would do all in my power to make you happy,” Oscar Leighton said, earnestly. ** Why will you not set me free, Oscar?” ‘*Set you free?” ‘* Yes; we can secretly be divorced,” ‘Would you love me then?” **T could not promise that.” | ‘*It could not be done without publicity, so let the compact remain as it is, for I will keep aloof from you, write to you only now and then, and give you six months from to-day to try and love me.” ‘* And then?” ‘* What do you mean?” ‘* Will you release me?” ‘*Tf you do not love me, 1 certainly will not wish to have you bound to me for life. ‘* But, Pearl, try hard to love me, will you not?” She made no reply, but held forth her hand and taking it he bent over and kissed it. For some reason she shuddered, and he saw it, But he made no comment upon the strange act on ber part and said: ‘*Come, this is a gloomy place at best, and the shadows of night are making it more so, ‘* Let us return to the house.” She made no reply, but stooping down placed some flowers that she took from her breast upon the grave of Rodney St. Orme, Then she turned away and the two walked slowly back to the mansion. The next day Pearl, under the care of Lawyer Lennox, returned to her school, while Oscar Leighton went back to his roving life as an artist, and Madam Vavasour was left alone in the grand old home that was now the property of her beautiful daughter. CHAPTER XIV. THE KIDNAPPERS, A YOUNG man in the garb of a huntsman was seated on a rocky point of land that jutted out into the Hudson River not very many miles above New York City, His suit of corduroy fitted his splendid fourm to perfection, his top-boots were of the best material and a slouch hat half-shaded a stern, handsome face, which was bronzed by exposure to sun and winds. His shot-gun lay across his knees, and a game- bag, well-filled, hung over bis shoulder, fis had seated himself among the rocks, where be could command a fine view down the river, He had been there but a short while when a small sloop came across the river on the star- board tack and dropped anchor a cable’s length off shore. Then, turning bis face landward he beheld a feminine form strolling down to the river-bank. ‘* It is one of the fair scholars from the young Jadies’ school on the bil], and she is an artist judge, as she carries a portfolio, easel and camp- stool,” he mused aloud, and he observed the lady take a position not far from the river and begin work with the air of one who knew what she was about, She bad not seen bim, though he was, but two hundred feet away from her, and hé was de- bating in his mind whether it was really fair to watch her while unseen himself, when he saw & man approach the sbore and make a signal to some one on the sloop, A boat at once put off from the little vessel, and in it were two Men, It came straight tothe point where the man stood, and the two men got out and held a con- sultation for some minutes with the man on the shore, Then the Jatter turned and walked back into the woods, though directing his steps in the di- rection of where the fair artist sat. The two men returned to their boat and rowed slowly around the point of rocks, where they graspe stationary, thus holding their boat steady. They had not seen the huntsman on the rock for they had not glanced in that direction, an yet they were now within a few feet of bim. The men were hard-faced fellows, and by no means had an honest look, and the young man on the rocks watched them with some interest, while he heard one say: f “Tf this goes our way, mate, as it is planned, we'll finger a cool thousand atween us.” ‘‘ It?s got to go our way, for Sandy, yonder bain’t goin’ ter make no mistake, and he’s gob the thing down fine; but yonder he is preter close to ther leddy, so we might as well j’ine him.” The speaker let go the limb of the tree as he * A one d an overhanging tree and remained | , f hh a fa -, 2