Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 597 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

r, * .~ : 7 + i oe 8 How Calvin Maynell had gotten hold of the secret Mr, Kennerley could not understand. ‘*‘ The marriage can take place at once, and no one will be the wiser, thinking the other re- ports but rumors,” said the merchant, as he re- returned home, He at once made known to his daughter what Calvin Maynell had said, and she consented without a word to marry the man who had saved ber life, and, upon the day set for her wedding first with Dillon Dumont, then with Gale Davenport, she became the wife of the man who, at least, had the claim upon her of having saved her life, CHAPTER XIII. THE HEIRESS. CALVIN MAYNELL by no means made a bad husband to the girl who had become his wife. He kept his word to the merchant and handed owe, the note, in payment for his daughter’s and, Soon after the marriage of his daughter, Ken- nerley died; but he had recuperated his shatter- ed fortunes and left his daughter a fair inheri- tance. To Calvin Maynell and his wife a child was born, a little daughter the image of her mother, and soon after Mrs, Maynell expressed a desire to travel. She seemed restless, and anxious to be con- stantly on the go, though she made a true and devoted wife. Her husband humored her in all things, and they roamed from place to place, their hearts and souls wrapped up in their daughter. As the little Cora grew in years, her parents spared no pains or expense to have her become a most accomplished woman, But, as Cora developed into womanhood the first deep sorrow of her life came in the death ot her idolized mother. They buried her in the cemetery where were the graves of bygone generations of Maynells, and the husband bought a house near and the ’ daughter made her daily pilgrimages to the last resting-place of ber mother. From tbe day, almost, of his wife’s death Culvin Maynell became a changed man. His devotion to his daughter appeared the some, and yet he became morose and seemed to take nu pleasure in life, He seldom went away from home, and when Cora one day told him that a young army officer whom she dearly loved had asked her to become his wife, he said simply: ‘Captain Borden Branch isa fine fellow, a gentleman and one to make you happy, my child: but I do not believe that he has much else than his pay.” **Tf he can live on it, sir, I will not be much extra expense to him, while I believe I have an inheritance of my own from my mother,” ‘* Yes, she placed in my keeping a handsome sum in money for you, and I invested it as I have done my own fortune, but which I am sorry to say is notin as bealthy a condition as i could wish. “But I shall certainly give my consent for vou to marry Borden Branch, wien be asks me Jor your hand,” And this Mr, Maynell did, and the lovely girl became the betrothed of the young army officer, and a day was set for the wedding. But Mr, Mayrell’s affairs went from bad to worse, for a bank failed in which he had large deposits, and some stocks he had bought dropped Jearfully low in value. These misfortunes seemed to arouse the man trom his moroseness, and he attempt .d to re- aiv bis fortune by speculating with what he ad left. At first he was successful; but he grew reck- less, like all gamblers when they win heavily, and lost by one sweep more than he had re- gained. Another speculation also failed, and the home property was mortgaged to get money for fur- ther speculations, The man became desperate, for the day ap- pointed for his daughter’s marriage was ap- proaching, and he was so cramped in money matters that be was driven to the last extremity, and that was to mortgage for all that he could his last piece of property. A great belle in society, Cora Maynell had many lovers, won as much by ber beauty and lovely character, as the fact that she was an heiress, or, at least, supposed to be. But she was true to ber soldier lover, and re- fused all offers from others, Among those who had sought her hand was a cousin, a wild fellow, but one who, like her father, had inherited a large fortune, - a 4 7 - « ‘ : vi et P + “¢ ee ° - “Gs . abe <2 AD : -" ie 4 -. The Young Texan Detectiv He dearly loved Cora, and changed his wild ways to please her, though she regarded him only as a friend and cousin, As the marriage day of Cura grew nearer and nearer, her cousin urged ber more and more to break her engayement with Borden Branch and become his wife, and: one day, to ber surprise, her father also made the same request. She was indignant at this, and a coldness at once sprung up between the father and daugh- ter, But soon Cora Maynell was to know all, for ber father told her that the end was at hand, as every dollar of his fortune, and her own in- trusted to his keeping had gone, Mortgages were due and if not paid they be. came paupers, **T will not marry, Borden Branch under false pretenses, letting him believe me an heiress when I am a pauper, so will write and tell him so,” she said. She wrote and released him, telling him the whole story, and intrusting the letter to ber cousin to mail. P To her surprise, for she had hoped it would be otherwise, a short note came in reply, accepting the release, Then the story of her mother’s life was re- peated in her own, and, to save her father from ruin, financially, she consented to become the wife of her cousin. The day of marriage was set by the young men who seemed most anxious to have it over with, As it drew near he became anxious, nervous, and appeared to suffer mentally, while Cora Maynell seemed to become utterly indifferent as to ber future, The day at last came round, and the marriage was to be a private one. But at the last moment came news that the AE RONED that was to be had taken his own ife, The papers that had the marriage notice one day, having prematurely given it, followed the next with an account of the suicide of the bride- groom, and the cause became known. He had run through with his fortune, was anxious to get possession of what he believed would be his cousin’s legacy, and discovered only on the wedding-day that she was as pen- niless as himself, He had committed crimes to get money to tide him over, and knowing that all was lost took his own life, Cora Maynell and her father gave up their home and the two parted, the father to go to the mines of the far West toseek another for- tune, and the daughter to struggle with the world for a living. Ina grand Hudson River villa, the home of Mr. Thomas St. John, a wealthy New York merchant, Cora Maynell obtained a place as governess and companion to the beautiful four- teen-year old heiress of Wildlands, and the idol of her parents, and with every luxury about her, a loving charge and kind friends in Mr. and Mrs. St, John, ber life ran smoothly if not happily along. er father, digging in a Colorado mine, found gold, and thus had the foundation on which to build up another fortune, But death came to him one day on a mountain trail, and he had to confide to another bis hard-earned gold, and beg him to find bis daugh ter and give to her the riches he had dug for her from the earth. That one sought honestly to carry out the trust placed in him; but in that wild land death from an assassin’s bullet overtook him one day in the mountains, just as a horseman appeared to drive off his enemy and listen to his dying words, and the entreaty to carry out the wishes of Calvin Maynell and his own, That borseman was Borden Branch, the soldier lover of Cora Maynell, who had resigned from the Sray and become a wanderer about the world, in) CHAPTER XIV. WILDLANDS. Mr. THOMAS St. JOHN was a merchant prince of the metropolis, and his business was founded upon a firm footing and brought him in a very large income, He and his lonely wife had been ‘ sweet- hearts” from childhood, and they were most happy in their home life, for they had a lovely child of fourteen, Allene, to bless their declining years, From an advertisement in the Herald one day, Mr. St. John had obtained a governess for llene, He found her to be a sad-faced, beautifu young lady, highly accomplished, refined in manners, and one who was just what, he wished for the governess of Allene, who was budding into lovely maidenhood. Since the day of her coming to Wildlands the St. Jobns, parents and child, had heen drawn toward Cora Maynell, the governess, with the warmest regard, She had proven that she possessed a superiar education, ber accent in French and German were perfect, she excelled as an artist and her voice was one that would have gained for her a situation upon the stage had she been willing to accept it. She had no references, and in fact needed none, for ber face was sufficient. She was wel dressed, in fact handsomely dressed, and in perfect taste, She had jewelry, but seldom wore any, and of ber past nothing was known, nor did she vouchsafe a word, She was a beautiful mystery, so sad-faced that all knew she had known bitter sorrows in the past; but no one dared question where she gave not ber confidence without the asking. Her duties were perfectly attended to, and Allene improved rapidly in all her studies under her tuition, while she also became toned down, for she had been quite wild with the little re- straint put upon her by her parents. ‘* Miss Maynell never scolds, she only looks, and that is worse than a spanking used to be from you, mamma, when I was a little girl,” Allene had explained to her mother soon after the governess arrived, It was not long before Cora Maynell became one of the family at Wildlands, as much so as though she had been Allene’s elder sister. Wildlands was certainly a most charmin spot, and no more beautiful home overlook the majestic Hudson River, Its grounds comprised hundreds of acres—a park, flower-gardens, conservatories and beauti- ful walks and drives, with summer-houses and arbors in which to rest. The views were superb, and the mansion was large, with most comfortable rooms throughout, and furnished with a degree of magnificence that showed great wealth in the owner, as well as refined taste, The liveried servants were as trained as clock- work, the library was full of the choicest books, there were a piano and harp in the parlor, an organ in the grand hall, and Allene also was the possessor of a guitar, violin and banjo, all of which she played with no mean skill, and upon the last two instruments took delight in in- tructing her instructress, Miss Maynell, whom, a skilled musician, she found a most apt pupil. One day a letter came for Miss Maynell, post- marked from a Colorado mining-camp. It told of her father’s death, and that she was heiress to a considerable sum laid up in the mine for her, The name of the writer was Delorme, he stated, and he was carrying out certain instruc- tions as he bad received them from her father. As requested, Miss Maynell answered tbe let- ter, after seeking the advice of Mr. St. Jobn, telling her unknown correspondent what to do regarding ber share of the money, But days passed into weeks, and months fol- lowed without reply, and then came another letter, in a different hand, and from one who signed himself B, Borden, This writer explained that the man Delorme, her former correspondent, had been slain, and that he, the writer, had nursed him in bis dying hours and had pledged him to carry out certain instructions. ; As he, B. Borden, understood it, the mine was known as the Maynell-Delorme Mine, and she was half-owner in what had been gotten from it, and what might be yet found there, The writer sent her a Salt Lake City bank draft on New York for five thousand dollars, and explained that the balance on hand due her would is forwarded by draft when he had in- structions from ber. This time also Clara Maynell submitted all to the merchant as her adviser, and a letter was written in response, Ferg’: There was one thing that puzzled Miss May- nell, aud that was that the writing seemed dis- guised, and the name, B. Borden, recalled to her the name of the one man in the world she had ever loved—Borden Branch. But she knew that the officer had resigned from the army. after she had broken her en- gagement with him, and had gone to Europe; at least it was so said, - Yet the name had recalled bim to her, and the recollection was a sad one indeed. 7 7 ae = >. ee Caen - » F ee a , — x > iia ~ at hy . _* 2 ‘7 ae ~~ - ~ oi > ~\ 46 as oO. >) . — yr m