Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 67 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

os “a eae Scr Be iina’y n-~ ut =} _ by only an occasional spasmodic sob. — — OO _— and broken her heart. She begged him to bring back her sid S000 lé he would only do that, she would forgive him every thing.” Shaded by his hat-brim, Patent-leather Joe’s face underwent a variety of expressions while the girl was talking. There was cold, relentless hatred, and gloomy remorse; there was white-tipped anger, and humid-eyed pity and perhaps a faint quicken- ing among the dead embers of a love that had been quenched long years before by a fierce flood of passions. Walking in silence, with averted face, he cut at the flowers and shrubs with a stick which he carried in his hand. The girl glanced up at him anxiously several — She could not see the expression of his ace, Presently she broke the silence. Walt.’ He made no answer, but turned his face to the front, as if willing to listen to her, and so walked with his eyes on the ground. After another pause, the girl again spoke, in low, hesitating tones. ‘*Walt, you have never told me about—Aunt Sue and—myself—as you promised.” She clasped her hands with a wringing mo- tion and drew her shoulders forward, gazing up into his face panting and with great tears in her eyes, as little children are sometimes seen to do, when they have broached a forbidden sub- ject in which strong desire centers. “Oh! I have so longed to know!” she mur- mured, pleadingly, with her whole heart in her quivering tones. The man started. ‘Wait! wait!” he said, soothingly. ‘‘ Not now. But I will tell you, all in good time. There! there! do not cry!” But with her hands pressed hard over her eyes, the girl sobbed violently, and stood trem- bling in every nerve. Then Patent-leather Joe sat down on a bowl- der, and drawing the sorrowing girl! to his side, and placing her head on his shoulder, began to stroke ber luxuriant hair: and so soothed her until she rested quietly, gazing . at the moon and tranquilly sailing clouds, her breast shaken Her y temperament would not long be overcast by grief, and soon he won her to smiles. Then he approached the subject which he had been meditating ever since he had awakened | that night to the fact of her womanhood. ‘* Berry,” he said, ‘‘do you love me very much?’ Yes,” she replied, innocently, ‘‘ you have always been good to me and Aunt Sue.” A slight trown flitted across his brow. She was so much a child that it was difficult to make her understand, without an avowal which he feared would shock her. Again he drew her close in his arms and kissed her lips. Again the resistance she offered was very slight, and sprung from a vaguely startled feel- ing rather than from any clearly-defined repug- nance. ss I am going away from you for a ’ time "he said, watching her narrowly. “Going away? When? Where? Why are you going, and for how long? Her questions were eager. The anxiety in her eyes was open, with no trace of coyness. Instead of answering her directly, he asked :— ** Shall you miss me?” ‘Why, yes, of course; we shall both miss you 80 very much. But it seems so strange. y are ie going?” ‘* Business will call me away.” ** Not for long?” ‘‘ A few weeks, perhaps.” “Can’t you take us aioeig with you? It will be so lonesome here, with only Aunt Sue and Nero. I shall almost be afraid.’ “Berry,” he asked, trying to control his voice, ‘‘ would you like to be with me always?” ‘‘ Yes,” she said, wondering somewhat at his manner. ‘I always shall be, shan’t I?” ‘‘T have been thinking of it a great deal of late,” he replied. Abruptly he added: ‘‘ Berry, do you know that you are a woman, now?’ Patent-leather Joe. build air castles with the handsome Prince whom nothing could daunt. ‘**Oh, no,” she said, ** that’s ever so far away yet.” ‘‘ Berry,” he said, softly, ‘‘I have hoped that Do you know, dear, that all these years I have watched you growing more and it was not. more beautiful day by day, until—’ He drew her down until his lips were at her ear, / ‘‘Until—oh, Berry, is it strange that I should learn to love you and want you for my wife?” CHAPTER IV. a 3 —— = = i eel It was divided into compartments by curtaizs strung on wires; and coarse matting covereé thesmooth sand floor. Light was obtained from ordinary dip candles, made from the fat of wi! animals. Though the furniture was by no means pre- -oergtan it was all that was necessary for com-. ort. In an inner apartment, which evidently serveé! as a kitchen, a woman sat crouching over # small fire, crooning monotonously in a low tone. as if lulling a baby to sleep. er stragglir gray hair and her cminclated figure, wasted- most to a skeleton, made her look much older A BETROTHAL—FALLEN FROM THE CLIFF—A NEW | than she really was. LOVE—** OH! MY HUSBAND!” “ Your wife!” the girl cried, breathlessly, | with a spasmodic effort to start from his em- brace. But he held her fast. Wrapped in am old faded shawl, with onm corner thrown over her head, as a sort of hood. _ she was in appearance not far from the typica: hag. | Tots up to her, Berenice rested her hand om Then. up went her hands, and, the tide of | her shoulder, and said: maiden shame streaming all over face and neck, | she murmured: **Oh! let me go, please !” ‘Berry! Berry!” he breathed, plaintively, ‘all my life happiness depends upon you. Do ou wish to ake me miserable, after all that I ave hoped and so longed for?” ‘* No-o-o,” she whispered. ‘*And, dear, don’t you love me page to make me happy every day of my life, by being my wife?” rembling violently, the girl was mute. ‘** Don’t you, Berry?” he persisted. ** Ye-e-s, if you wish it,” was the hesitating reply, ‘* My darling !” he cried, clasping her ecstati- cally to his heart. ‘*‘NowIs me always!—always !” ** But—but—can’t I live with you—just the same—without—without being—yvour—wife?” ‘Oh, no, dear. You'd slip through my fin- gers—going off with somebody else, you know.” ‘Oh, no, I shouldn’t,” said the girl, eagerly. Patent-leather Joe laughed, though he was not altogether undisturbed by her evident willing- ness to resort to any expedient other than the one he wished. ‘* Well, dear, we won’t discuss it,” he said, ‘since you have consented to be my wife.” ‘* Perhaps—I won't suit—you,” she faltered. ‘** Oh, yes, you will,” he replied. ‘‘ And when _ we are married I will tell you all about your- 9? self. ** Will you?” cried the girl, with sudden ani- mation. “Certainly, dear. And now, will you seal our bargain with a kiss?” Smiling he drew her toward him. Held by the magnetic power of his eve, so that she could not look away from him, and with her heart fluttering like a bird yielding to the fascin- ations of a serpent, the girl felt herself helplessly tyre nearer and nearer, until her lips touched iis. ‘* Mine !—all mine !” cried Patent-leather Joe, kissing her again and again with such passionate vehemence that, when at last he released her, she was faint and dizzy, and trembling with a vague fear of she knew not what. ceeded, taking from his pocket a plain gold cir- clet, evidently old and much worn. ‘‘ But I do not wish you to wear it on your finger yet. See, [ have put it on this silken cord, so that you can wear it out of sight about your neck.” And with his own hand he slip the cord over her head and dropped the token into the throat of her dress. As the girl felt the ring glide into her bosom, she shrunk away from it with a little involun- tary shiver; but offered no further resistance. ** Say not continued the gambler. ou. It willseemanage tome. Good-by, dear. member !—my happiness is now in your keep- ” Fic bent and kissed her, and then strode away. She stood looking after him like one in‘a | dream. She was startled by the touch of something cold and moist in her palm. It was only the nose of her faithful blood- | hound, who thus sought to rouse her from her ‘** Am I?” asked the girl, with ashow of sur- | long reverie. prise, as if it were a new thought to her. “Yes; and it’s pretty near time you were married. Don’t you think so?” At that the girl laughed, an amused, care-free laugh. Then she blushed and drew her shoul- | ‘ers together, with her head on one side and a reamy half-emile on her li S, which showed bat in her solita ry rambles st Taking hold of his ccllar, as if somehow she needed his protection, she turned with a sigh lifting the curtain of vines she disappeared from view. The space which she entered behind the cur- tain proved to be acave of some extent, adopted 1¢ had begun to | asa place of abode, i ' ' 4 | in feverish restlessness. l have you wit | ‘* Aunt Sue, are you feeling better?” The woman paid no heed, but kept on rocking her bent form to and fro, and mumbling her strange melody. The girl bent down and kissed her gently. and ae her arm about her and lifting her up, said: ‘**Come, Aunt Sue; it is bed-time.” ’ The old woman submitted in silence, an@ ee herself to be led away, disrobed and pnt to ; Then the girl went to her own curtained apart- ment and threw herself on her couch. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes ur usually lustrous. For hours she tossed about At last, toward morn ing, she sunk into a troubled sleep, in which she frequently started, or sobbed, or gave vent to # _ gasping sigh. _ tell me how I can help you. to begin.” With the first chirrup of the birds she was - up and out, to greet awakening Nature, the friend she loved so well. Out of harmony with the universal cheerful ness of the early morning and the bright fam? liar light of the sun, the phantoms of the night fled away, and the girl went about her accus- tomed tasks, singing almost as lightly as ever. She was neither glad nor sorry for the change that had come into her life. It only seemed all so strange. Whatshe thought of most was, that when she was his wife, Patent-leather Joe would tell her all about herself. So she passed the day ina state of suppressed excitement, until toward night, while she was wandering amid the cliffs with her constant companion, Nero, she heard a low groan, and the dog showed signs of restiveness, and uttered a low, whining bay. 7 A moment later she had gained the side of a man who had evidently fallen from the rocks above. The first emotion of her gentle nature was keen pity. It was instantly blended with 2 sense of strong admiration. At a glance she noted his strong, symmetré cal frame and his frank, kindly countenance. The hero of her dreams lay before her, ap» | pealing directly to that pity which the poet has said is ‘* akin to love!” “Here is our betrothal ring, dear,” he pro- | Her heart beat wildly. She forgot all abont Patent-leather Joe—about Aunt Sue—about herself—about everything but the injured man ‘Oh, sir! you are hurt! What can I de How can I help you?” she cried, tears springing to her eyes in her excess of sympathetic pain. And kneeling beside him, sli ped her arm un der his neck and raised his Sy | Arthur Hamilton—for it was he—looked up at this angel of loveliness who had come to sue _cor him; and in spite of the pain that blanchaé _ his cheeks and lips a radiant smile of wondering 1ing to Aunt Sue of what has passed | between us; and do not let her see the ring,” | ‘* And now I must leave | admiration overspread his face. He felt her warm arm against his neck, ané his ear was so near that, he could hear the throt | bing of her heart, while her fluttering breat& and her tearful eyes told of her sweet pity! All this he drank into his soul, and throughk- out his frame darted delicious thrills of ecstasy. ‘Who are you?” he asked, scarcely above e whisper, with a sort of reverential awe. a oo Berenice,” replied the girl. innocently. ' ‘* Ber-e-ni-ce!” repeated Arthur, dwelling om the syllables of the name with a sort of brood ing tenderness, while his eyes clung to hers ina worshipful gaze that might have disconcerted her, had not her sympathy for his pain been se _ all-engrossing. and walked back to the face of the cliff, where, | “Yes! ves!” she se But replied, hurriedly. I don’t know how He would have preferred that she should keep on holding him, just as she was doing; brt-qe that could not continue, he said:— com ,OoOKS;EcomM