Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 743 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ee rm - — — —_ = ee a mm eee ‘In the first place he was to kidnap little Belle Hassan, the daughter of the Mexican lady who had refused to marry him. ‘‘ Wor the child he was to receive a large ran- som, and his next blow was to be against the mother and the father.” ‘*T understand.” ‘¢ But first he was to make a raid upon your ranch.” sé Mine ?” ‘‘ Yes, miss, he was to capture you and force you to pay an enormous ransom, or rather your uncle for you, for your uncle and your aunt werefliving then.” ‘‘So he was to strike at me, his unfortunate victim again?” bitterly said the woman, ‘‘ He did strike at you, miss, for he was upon his way here to kidnap you, when he beheld you take refuge with your cowboys in the old chapel on Mission Hill.” ‘ Yes,-and that accounts for his persistent at- tack upon me,” ‘Yes, he was determined to have you at all ds ‘* He showed this by keeping his whole force there to fight your defenders, when he could have sent off two bands to raid the settlements.” ‘‘- Yes, and I wondered that he did not do so,” ‘¢ He would not lose you.” ‘¢ But he did.” “Yes, Buck Taylor sent him and his men fly- ng. ‘I was with the same party coming from the settlements, and when we overtook Buck Taylor and his Boys they were doggedly driving the Comanches, and causing them to lose heavily. ‘*T saw the chief, for [ readily picked him out, and he recognized me, ‘¢ When our force aided the cowboys of Buck Taylor in the attack, as we had brought the Co- manches to bay, I saw Chief Ka-noov-ka—” ‘* What is the name he bears?” **Ka-noou-ka, It means the Death Hand.” This did Ruth Redmond write down with the other notes she had taken. ‘Whether he deemed that I was false to him, or only wished to get rid of one who knew him as he was, I do not know; but 1 saw him expose his life terribly, and it was for the purpose of killing me, for suddenly he raised his rifle, and, aiming full at me, fired.” ‘*So it was Devil Dick, the renegade chief, who gave you your death-wound?” ‘Yes, miss,” “Well, Ralph Ross, the secret that you have told me is safe in my keeping; but let me tell you that I have vowed to kill Richard Drum- mond, and now, before you, dying, I repeat that vow. ‘‘T will avenge my wrongs, and I will avenge you, Roper Ralph, ‘* You bave heard my vow?” **T have,” was the firm response of the dying cowboy. CHAPTER XIV. TO TRACK HIM DOWN, RALPH Ross the cowboy grew weaker and weaker, and just as the sun rose over the prairie and its rays crept through the window, falling upon his face, be said: ‘* Good-by, miss.” The words were faintly uttered, and were his last. Ruth Redmond sat by his side, holding his hand, and she felt his grip relax and knew that he was dead. j But the ray of rosy sunlight resting upon bis face seemed to indicate that life yet lingered, and she did not move until it passed away and the awful pallor of death crept over the fea- tures. Then she arose and gave orders for the funeral, and sent a cowboy with a letter to Bessie Harris, who, asa girl of fourteen, bad come with her arents to Texas with the same wagon-train that Ruth had. The letter was as follows: * ScenseT RANCH, Thursday. **My DEAR BESSIE:— “Tt is my painful duty to tell you that Roper Ralph—Ra ph Ross—die to-da at sunrise, Of a wound received inaction withthe Comanches, who you know made a raid down upon this part of the settlements, “IT promised Ralph I would let you know of his death, and permit me to say that I would be most happy t» have you return with the messenger who bears this, and be present at the funeral, remaining as long as it is your pleasure to do so. ‘* Ralph will be buried to-morrow, for I shall give you ample time to reach here. * You may have learned from the returning ranch- Buck Taylor’s Bovs, men that my unc!e and aunt are both dead, and that now I am alone in the world. ‘*My love to your parents and, hoping to see you soon, ** Affectionately your friend, ‘*Rura REDMOND,” The other severely wounded man also died, and was buried over on the prairie where the cowboys kad a little burying ground. But Ralph Ross was to be taken tothe Old Mission Hill and given a grave there, It was after nightfall a couple of hours, when two horses with riders rode up to Sunset Ranch, and as Bessie Harris dismounted she was met by Ruth Redmond, ‘*Oh, Miss Ruth, it is terrible that he has gone!” cried Bessie Harris, who was a pretty, rosy- faced graceful girl of eighteen. ‘* Yes, he told me his secret, that you had promised to be his wife, and so I wanted you to come,” and Ruth led ber young guest to ber room and did all in ber power to cheer her, while never a hint did she give of the true life of the man whom she loved so devotedly, ‘*T told mother all about it when Ralph went off to fight the Comanches, for somehow I dread- ed trouble, ‘So they were glad to let me come and be with you, ‘* Ralph was not like the other men, Miss Ruth, for he was a gentleman, and well educated, and he was so good to me.” And thus the poor girl ran on, talking of her lover, and Ruth gave ber all her sympatby in her sorrow, Two cowboys from Sunset Ranch remained all night in lonely vigil with the body of the dead man, and the next morning another cor- tege filed away from the house across the prairie toward Old Mission Hill. The ambulance was driven by a cowboy, for Primus had ‘ played ’possum,” saying he was ill, as he never intended to trust his valuable body so far from the ranch again. As for his wife she would not have gone for her weightin gold. **'W hat’s de use o’ ’sperience ef yer don’t profit by it,” she said, recalling with sorrow her ex- perience in the ruin when besieged by the Co- manches, The two girls, for Rutb seemed hardly older than Bessie, rode on horseback behind the am- bulance bearing the coffin, and an escort of half a dozen cowboys followed. Arriving at the hill the grave was dug, the cowboy’s body was laid to rest, while Bible Bill slowly repeated the service and sung a hymn, in which Rath joined in her rich melodious voice. Then Bessie covered the grave with wild flowers, and with an aching heart mounted her horse and rode with Ruth back to the ranch, For several weeks did Bessie Harris remain a guest at Sunset Ranch, and when she returned to her home Ruth accompanied her, and they had an escort of half a dozen cowboys, A led horse carried Ruth’s baggage, for she had decided upon making a trip to the north, for her vow must be kept, and she felt that her first duty was to stand face to face with the woman whom Roper Ralph said had been Richard Drummona’s wife. W hen she knew that this was true, then would Ruth Redmond set about the keeping of her vow, and track Devil Dick, the man who had wrecked her life, to the doom he so justly deserved, at. ae CHAPTER XV, THE DESERTED WIFE, In the pretty little town of G——, in the mountains of Pennsylvania, & teacher of the lit- tle school, pleasantly located on the banks of a stream that wound round a bold hill, dismissed her half a hundred charges and wended her way homeward, The scholars, boys and girls, went scattering away in every direction to their homes, while the teacher, her arms ful! of wild-flowers, gath- ered by her pupils, locked tbe school-house door and started homeward. She possessed a thin, graceful form, and her face was that of one reared in refinement. But the face was a sad one, and her eyes Seemed to hold some sorrow that always haunt- ed them, Her path led along the stream, by a grand gateway leading into large and_ well-kept grounds, Surrounding a mansion visible in the distance, _ She burried by the gate as though not wish- ing to look within, for once that mansion had been her home, there she had been born and reared, Now she wasa village school-teacher, and 7 wending her way to an humble little home where she dwelt alone with her mother, As she approached the tiny cottage, with its flower-beds in froat, she saw her mother seated yee the little piazza, and with her a visitor, a lady. Entering the yard, she beheld the eyes of the visitor fixed upon her with a strange look that seemed to almost unnerve her, Her mother, a sad-faced woman of fifty-five, with snow-white hair, arose and said: ‘* Killa, this lady is Miss Redmond, of Texas, and she has come to see you upon a business matter she tells me,” Ella Glenn greeted her visitor with some re- serve, for who and what was she? She put down her flowers and Junch-basket, and as her mother went out to get tea, she said: ‘*T do not think that we bave ever met before, Miss Redmond.” ‘* No, we never have; but we are both fellow- sufferers, from one who wronged us both, and I have come to see you, to hear the truth from your lips,” ‘*T really am at a loss tounderstand you, Miss Redmond,” ‘*T will make myself fully understood, for I do not mean to talk in riddles, ‘* You are known as Miss Ella Glenn, I under- stand?” ‘lan ‘But you are the deserted wife of Richard Drummond?” The face of the teacher became deadly pale now, and she uttered huskily: ‘¢ How do you, a stranger, know this?” ‘¢ 7 will tell you all in good time, Mrs, Drum- mond—” ‘No, no! do not call me by that name,” ‘Ts it not legally yours?” sé Yes,” “Then, why not?” ‘Let me tell you that I gave it up forever, years ago,” ** You have no divorce—” ** No, no! only such a oneas is lasting, for my husband is dead,” ** Richard Drummond?’ “© Yes,” ‘¢‘ He is not dead,” ‘* Great God! is this true?” ‘Tt is; for I saw him not two months ago,” “You saw him?” ‘* Yes, face to face, though I did not recog- nize him then.” ‘‘Then you are wrong, for he was killed ina railway accident in the West,” ‘* When?” “Right years ago.” ‘* Who told you so?” ‘‘T saw an account of his death in the papers,” ‘Tt was sent you for a purpose, for he is alive,” ‘You know this?” ‘“T will tell you how well I know it, if you will only bear with me and tell me of your mare riage with him,” ‘‘Tt is a sad story, and I deserved all I have suffered for my crime, “The truth was, I loved a young man de- votedly, the friend of Richard Drummond, and was engaged to him, ‘* But he went to the bad, committed forgery, and fled from the towns, and then I learned how Richard Drummond had done all in his power to save bim, ‘I do not know why, but I forgot Ralph and married Richard. ‘Then he began to show the cloven foot, and both mother and I had given him full control of our estate, ‘*He literally robbed us of every dollar, sold an elegant home over our heads, and deserted me, ‘‘ This little home we purchased out of the wreck, and I am teaching to support my poor mother, whom I brought down to poverty in her old age. 4 ‘*T took again my maiden name, and I have the sympathy of the people here, for after Rich- ard Drummond fled, all his crimes were dis- covered,” ‘* And perhaps his worst was to eatrap Ralph Ross in crime, though he himself was the guilty one, force him to fly and then marry you for your money.” ‘You know this?” gasped Ella Glenn, ‘“]T do, for I beard the dying confession of Ralph Ross, who was a cowboy in Texas—” ‘+ He is dead?” ‘* Yes, he was killed by his old boyhood friend who proved his worst foe, Richard Drummond bi ; ‘*My God! this is terrible! . ‘* But do you know this to be true?” 74 ) € +1) ¥ ws Pifh ' - ‘ ; , 7 , : > ry | ‘ “VOOKS:GO ge Fal + m