Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 705 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

= * oa wd _* “si a | > 7 * = a - ~~“ a > in , * ie ~de. ef “fens ay Soe ~ ~" i y “ ke ‘a . hood!” “ ee” ~ f- x ra ° - ee — “ r, Be - * m sociating with each other, and you surely knew with how much admiration I regarded Miss Meta. If you had not wished her to accept my attentions, you might have stopped it long ago; but you have given me every reason to think you were satisfied with the way things were oing— oe ou have taken too much for granted, young man. Have I ever encouraged secret meetings between you?” ‘* You have not, for there have never been any such meetings.” * Till to-day, eh? Perhaps not, but having discovered this one, I am not certain about the past. It is panin you have led this child to de- ceive me or keep her movessecret from mein a measure at least. don,” Royal turned red as fire, but struggled to smother his indignation. “You are mistaken, Mr. Duke—” “Oh, I am!” with great sarcasm, ‘* You have the audacity to tell me thatin such an in- solent manner! Well, sir, [ am now more than ever convinced lf have been deceived in you.” **Oh, papa—” cried Meta; but he stopped her with an imperious gesture, **Do not attempt to deceive me with a false- he exclaimed, with a barshness that chilled her blood. ‘ What I have seen with my own eyes is enough for me, i fear I shall not be able to trust you in the future as I have in the past,” Meta’s eyes filled with tears, but she choked back the sobs, She could scarcely believe this was the same man who had been so kind to her during the years since she had been left alone in the world at the death of her mother. He had takeu her, a sad-eyed, fair-faced child of four- teen, and since then he had been all that a kind and loving father could be to an only daugbter, She bad grown to love him asif he were truly her own father, but of a sudden, in a single night, a change had come over him that repelled her from him and made her afraid in his pres- ence, What did it mean? The question was too deep for her to answer. ‘*Mr, Duke,” said Royal, with forced calm- ness, ** will you listen to me?” ‘No, sir,” was the prompt reply, ‘I will not. I do not care to hear anything you may have to say.” ‘* Da you know that by such a course you are aOR forcing us into secret meetings?” ‘*“Ha! then by that I am to understand you will do as you choose about paying your atten- tions to my adopted child, regardless of my de- sires? Thatis enough! I see that I have been deceived by you in the past, but my eyes are open, From this moment you are nothing to eta. I forbid her speaking or even looking at you. You shall learn you can not openly defy a man in my position when you aspire to the hand of his daughter. It is plain to me you are a fortune-hunter, and it is probably my wealth you have been scheming for,” ** You should know better than that, sir,” said Royal, his voice trembling with the intensity of his pent-up emotions, ‘‘ You knew my father before you came to Damascus, and you knew he was a wealthy man. He aided you when you needed funds, and this is your gratitude. You know Iam not a fortune-buoter, for my father is dead and I was his only heir, I can not un- derstand why you sbould make such a ridiculous statement.” Horatio Duke’s face crimsoned and he looked somewhat confused, but he quickly recovered his composure in a Measure, “Yes, [do know these things, but you know your father never lost a dollar by me.’ “I know you did not pay the debt while my father lived. Itis true you have fully settled with me, and, according to my father’s direc- tions, | did not charge you one cent of interest. ‘To-day | bave witnessed the manner in which you reciprocate such favors, and I could not bave been more amazed had you struck me in the face.” ‘You have presumed too much on my friend- ship for your father, young man. You are not like him.” ** And you are not like the Horatio Duke of the past.. There has been a change. You do not seem to be thesame man. Your face and voice, as well as your nature, have changed. To-day there is a different man in the clothes Horatio Duke wore yesterday. By your de- cision to enforce the cut-down in the mine you have made every working man in Damascus your enemy. You bave turned against me for nothing at all, but the time may come when Such a thing I cannot par- * you will be glad to recognize me as a friend.” eee een eee ee ee __________ ee - eee Ss 2 = = eee ec, 7 Fcr a moment the magnate did not seem to have words for a reply at hiscommand, Finally, he said: ‘‘T hardly think such a thing possible, but I will permit you to dream of it as much as you please, Just now I bid you a very good-day.— Come, Meta.” Despite the presence of the man whom she had grown to fear, the beautiful girl gave Royala look that told him there would be no change in her feelings toward him—a look that caused the blood to leap warm in his veins, Then she turned her horse and rode away at Horatio Duke’s side. Royal Norman sat and watched them depart, his face dark and gloomy. When they had quite disappeared, he muttered: ‘So it hascome to this! Well, thisis not the end by any means, I will yet have that girl for my wife, or my name is not Royal Norman!” ‘*Pully vor you! I like dot kint uf grits!” Perched upon a high point of rock a short dis- tance away was the little Dutchman, Fritz Schricker. ‘*Py cracious! I pets me two peers you dit nod know I vas arount somevares, don’d it? I vas peen ub heer takin’ in all dot bicknicks, Dot vas petter than dot leedle varietys shows vat I vent to somedimes su long agoes. How you feels now mit der schmall uf your packs after peing valked all ofer py dot vellers v’at don’d lige you vent mit his girls? Von dimes l pets me zwi tollars you vould lick uf him der stuffins oudt, put you did nod do him, undso [ loses all dot moneys v’at I don’d haf in mein bockets. Don’d dot vas funny?” ‘‘Have you been there all the time?’ asked Royal. ‘‘Nix. Der dime haf peen here a creat deal longer than I haf, V’at you dakes me vor? Berhaps you dinks I vas oltre than Meduselums? Vell, r guess nod! I saw dot mules come up arount dis vay und so I stard out to look after him, I dinks berhabs he vas runnin’ avay vrom dot vimmins some more. V’en I gatches him und gids his pack on he kickt ub his heels und IL vent sailin’ lige a paloons mit der skies. I vent ub so high dot I dit nod haf some drouble to study astronomies mitoudt a microskobes and I gits sonear der sun dot | pelief I scorches uf me der viskers off. Ven I game downI striges der grount so hart dot I mage a dents in him, I pets you. Den I vorgits v’at vas der madder mit Hanner, und der next din v’at I knows I vas ub here und you vas down there mit der olt mans und der girls. Py Shim- miny Jewsharps! I vas going to ride dot mules if I gits kickt righd ub acainst der proad side uf der moon. Dot vas der kint uf a Dutchmans I vas!” Then Fritz slid gracefully down from his ex- alted position and struck on the ground in a sit- ting posture, | ‘* Vell, bere I vas!” he laughed, his jolly_face being the picture of good nature. ‘ V’en [ can not git down some other vay, I vas alvays aple to vall down, Und now I vill broceed to bick meinseluf ub,” Getting upon his feet, he approached the horse- man and held up his hand. ‘‘ How you vas, don’d id? You vas clat to see me, berhabs. I vas stuck mit vour styles on, und v’en you vas pud ub vor offices, I pelief I gites you mein votes, You pets you dot you gits ot girls v’en you vants ber. She vas deat gone mit herseluf on your shapes, und der olf mans vas goin’ to git left, V’en vou gits married to- gether I vants tosthand ub vor der pest mans, V’at you dinks uf dot?” ‘“T am afraid you will have to waita long time,” said Royal, smiling despite bimself. ‘‘Now don’d you pelieve dot, Idinks that you gits her pefore you ogspects him. I dells ou somedings, Der olt mans vas going to git his dails sthepped on pefore long. You seeif dot vas nod so,” ‘What do you mean?” Fritz winked in a knowing manner. “Dit you efer hear uf Hannab?” * Hannah—” “Yaw, Dere vas somedings der madder mit her. Der towa uf Damascuses vas goin’ to git vanked der wrong side oudt pefore long, und der Dukes hat petter look oud that he don’d dakes yon tumbled mit himselves. I dell you dot Dukes vas valking on soft-shelt eggs apout now.” : Royal looked puzzled. He could not quite un- derstand the little Dutchman. Fritz compre- hended this and Jaughed beartily. ‘You don’d catch on mit der idears, I pelieve. Vell, yon vill hat to ogscuse me if Idon’d og- splains him now, Put I dells you somedings. I vas von very fly poys, und I dit nod come arount this town uf Damascuses vor nattings, I haf ~ URNS Se eae ahi. ody Nia | Rea tone 8 Violet Vane's Vow. peesness here, I pelief, I guess so, V’en I gits retty vor to let dot cats uf der pags oudt der vas goin’ tv be some surbrise bartys, und don’d you vorgit him,” ‘You are too much for me,” confessed the young man. ‘‘Ob, 1 vas a britty deep ones,” smiled Fritz, thrusting bis thumbs into the arm-holes of his vest and strutting about a little. ‘‘1l vas nod so much uf a vool as some beoples thought I vas v’en I vas von babies, Mein mutter bears v’at they says apout me then, und so she calt in der doctors und asks him if 1 vasa vool. He said I vas nod a vool, put 1 vas simbly von idiots, vich mages mein mutter veel some reliefs.” ‘* How are you going to get back to Damas- cus?” ‘““Oh I rites pack mit Shank’s hoss. spects it vas nod very far, eh?” ‘** Less than a mile.” ‘* Vell, I gids ub von abbytites vor mein tin- ners. I baf nod hat somedings to ead since morning, und I yas empty as a pase-drums, I pets you I greates some famines in dot hotels v’en gids there, I vas von pad mans at der taples. Yaw, dot vasso.” After a few moments more of conversation they started toward Damascus, Fritz walking beside the borse and keeping up ‘a ruvning fire of odd talk all thetime. The little Dutchman was an enigma to Royal, who began to believe it was true that Fritz was not as much of a fool as some people might imagine, When they approached the town they were startled to hear hoarse shouts and the roar of many voices. Then they saw a mob of men surging around two persons on horseback, A second glance revealed the fact that these two persons were the Duke of Damascus and his daughter. “By heavens!” exclaimed Royal. ‘‘The strikers have got Mr. Duke cornered and he is in great danger. In their anger they may lynch him!” ** Dot vas so,” Fritz agreed. ‘*T will now show bim I am nota friend to be despised!” cried the young man, and putting spurs to bis horse, he thundered down the trail. Fritz followed as fast as his short legs could run. I eg- CHAPTER X, VIOLET VANE LOOKS BEHIND THE VAIL, BEFORE Royal Norman reached the excited mob of strikers, Horatio Duke and his adopted daughter succeeded in urging their horses through the crowded mass of men and breaking away. But the furious miners pursued them, shouting and cursing like a mob of maniacs, It was plain they bad been drinking freely. Savagely Royal spurred his horse forward till he was able to ride in between the pursuing strikers and the fleeing man and girl. ‘*Stop!” he shouted. ‘‘Are’youmen? There is a lady with the man you are pursuing!” A furious roar came from the aroused strikers, ** Death to old Duke!” ** Lyncb him!” ** Shoot him!” ‘‘ Down with the aristocrat!” Royal turned a shade paler, but shouted agaip: ‘““Tf you are men, have some thought of the young lady! Hold on, for God’s sake!” He saw weapons gleaming in many a hand and feared the liquor-maddened gang would open fire on the escaping mine-owner. If they did, the chances were more than even that Meta would be struck by some of tte flying bullets, It only needed a single pistol-shot to call fortha general fusilade, ‘Out of ther way!” shouted a big fellow in advance. But young Norman was not in the least a coward. Hereined his horse in sbarply til] the animal reared on its haunches in front of the mob, pawing the empty air with its front feet. ‘“* Hold a moment, gentlemen!” he cried once more. ‘*Do not be too hasty, now. Think of Meta, whom you have often called ‘ the Pride of Damascus.’ By your rashness you are en- dangering her life. Icallon every man in this crowd to help stay this mad rush. Another day is coming.” Of a sudden one of the leaders of the pursuit joined with the daring young man. ‘* Hold on, boys!” he cried, facing the men, and flinging up two brawny arms, ‘“‘ Put on ther brakes! Norman is right. We all know him, and he is a white man, if he is rich.” ‘You bet!” agreed another, ‘ He lent me twenty when I was out of work, an’ didn’t have a bite in ther house to keep my wife and children oo. . . . 4 Pr pai — a ve . ~ o! | - a r~ = * © we AY >} oks.c in sls go +o Fi Ps RA) eet ° * * é : om