Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 765 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

. Lebar 14 Flipper Flynn, the Street Patrol. — eee death ter come in here? Want terrun out the ; but I should know you anywhere, The last I links o’ yer life fer nothin’, do ye? Wal, you’re | heard of you, you wrote you were to marry a in a fair way!” This address did not tend toincrease Viola’s confidence, She dimly remembered having plan- ned what she would doin such a crisis, but she could not recall the plan, now. She turned to Isaac in the vague hope—grounded on what she cculd not tell—that he would be able to get her out of the dilemma, The result was surprising in the extreme, For the first time she saw Isaac distinetly. When she did so, Old Spicer was for- gotten entirely. She reeled back like a queen of tragedy and gazed at him in startled wonder, Then she drop- ped into a chair just in time to avoid falling to the floor, Her head swam dizzily, and she was strangely pale. She had nothing to say, ** Wal, begosh!” remarked Old Spicer, ‘** I don’t understand this! What the howlin’ monkeys is the racket, anyhow?” Isaac did not answer, and the fellow’s face brightened, ‘*One thing’s clear,” he added; ‘‘l’ve got the whole gang o’ you foul!” CHAPTER XVIIi. POINTS WON AND LOST. OLD SPIceR looked like a very happy man, out he could not understand the new arrival, Failing to get any answer from Isaac, he looked at her sharply. *T ain’t on,” he admitted, ‘* Don’t know her: ’ mever saw her—did 1? Somebody eloocidate! | | | New York girl, named Olive Osborne,” Isaac uttered a loud cry, ** Olive!” be exclaimed, ‘‘Ha! I remember, now! Olivel—my affianced wife! And this trouble of mine, this loss of mind and sense—” Greatly excited, he turned his gaze upon Gil- bert Dunning, again. ‘* It comes to me!” he added; ‘ the past grows plain! You, you—I know you, at last! By my life! it was you who sougbt Olive’s hand in vain, and swore to be avenged when you were reject- ed. And it was ip this way you sought to carry out the oath!” There was more in his excited speech than words could well describe; there was a power and pathos which made Gilbert reel and drop into a chair. ‘*T am undone!” he gasped, ‘*So you repent, at last,” put in Viola, ‘*Tbhen, perhaps, you will allow us to go free?” ‘* No, no!” the schemer cried; ‘‘I bave risked all on this matter, and I rise or fall on the re- sult, Let you go?’ Never! I say, never! I will keep you, though the hosts of the world stand in my way!” ‘* Then we will fight you to the bitter end!” “Fight? And whatcan youdo? You areas pigmies in my hands,” ‘* Mister, here’s a feller what’s a genooine old- time giant, an’ dead ag’in’ you. Let these folks Ro. you measly snake, or out goes yer candle. ou hear me?” And at the door stood Flipper Flynn, as cool and resolute as usual, By his side was Betty Say, she’s jest a-faintin’, be gosh! What fer a | Gray, and it was not bard to arrive at the con- ' clusion, which was perfectly correct, that she He rubbed his forebead in a very perplexed | bad released bim, The Patrol now had a con- way, but was then relieved of the necessity of | fident air, as if he bad all fixed to suit bim, game is this, anyhow?” taking the lead in the affair. Gilbert Dunning ‘* Malediction! are you again at large?” Gil- entered, If he was less surprised than Spicer, | bert cried. the fact did not appear. He stopped short and looked in wonder, ‘* Who’s this?’ he demanded. Viola looked up. Their eyes met, She was } | off her guard, and though the old clothes were | still upon her, much of her true locks was re- | Betty Gray, ter wit, come in fer their share of vealed, Gilbert started back, _ “ Viola!” be uttered, There was more than surprise in the exclama- tion; there was urbounded dismay; and be had cause for the feeling, Se saw she was known and rallied surprisingly. Rising, she confronted him accusingly, ‘** Yes, Gilbert Dunning, itis I!” she exclaimed. **T have come to see your captive!” and she pointed to Isaac, ‘* What is he to you?” Gilbert demanded, an- grily. ‘*He is my cousin!” *¢ What?” **T say he is my cousin, Alfred Marshall!” Once more Isaac made an effort to rise, and he came nearer succeeding than on any previ- ous occasion, ‘‘That name!” he exclaimed, ‘Surely, I Mave beard it before, Yes; it is familiar; itis no new thing to me, The name!—surely, if is —yes; it is mine! Great heavens! 1 am no longer a nameless creature! But what else am I? Ay, who am J?—what am I?” His excited speech gave Gilbert a shock, The plotter trembled and could find nothing to say. Hesaw his cherished tose in danger; he saw more thanthat. State Prison stared him in the face. Isaac was pressing his hand to his forehead, trying to grasp the lost past, but Viola looked only at Gilbert, and her gaze was stern and ac- cusing. Her fear bad gone when she marked Dunning’s own dismay, ** Behold your work!” she exclaimed, ‘“‘He may yet recover,” the guilty wretch faltered. ‘* Will it be your work if he does?” ‘*T have been mad, mad!” groaned Gilbert. ‘‘If you repent, proveit by ‘etting us all go free,” ‘*To drag me to jail?” **One word!” Viola exclaimed, ‘‘Is Harold Dunning as guilty as you?” Gilbert did not answer, The question involved so much that he found no words for the occasion. **T can’t get at this,” complainingly observed {saac. ‘‘ Tell me moreof myself; tell me what Iam! Did yousay I was your—cousin?” and he still pressed bis band to his head, Ou surely are; the son of my father’s sis- ter. ‘* Even that gives me no light.” ** Your mother was Mary Stowell. She mar- ried Maurice Marshall, You and I have seen each other but rarely, for we lived far apart; ! | ‘*T ain’t no larger than common, but I be on deck, Yes, old boss, you are a dune-up crook, Ketch on?” ‘* Tt is all due to you.” ‘Wrong! I reckon that Viola an’ one Miss glory. I should be in bock now ef it wa’n’t fer my frien’ Bettv. Damsel, I say ter you, you’re a baked brick!” He shook hands with Betty, gravely. She looked bewildered, and did not see what reason they had to exuJt when they were still in the hands of the enemy. Flipper, however, had a theory of his own in the case, He did not think Gilbert would dare to try and carry on war against so many, Just then Old Spicer made bis reappearance, He was too much excited to notice that anything wrong was transpiring. ‘*Say, boss, read this!” he requested, ner- vously. . He held out a paper, but Gilbert waved it away impatiently. ‘“* | have no time for such nonsense,” he an- swered, ‘* But it's from Blogg, an’ he says he has given us away; an’ef he bas, where be we? Why, we're here, when we oughé ter be som’ers else, by gum! Read it, read it!” The paper was wildly waved, and Gilbert took it mechanically, It was not the work of a scholarly person, but it made its points as fully as if the work of erudition, It read as follows: ‘** DUNNING, AND OTHERS:— “IT hatea sneak, and that’s w'ot yore kaliber is. You tho’t you was asmart feller when you took watter an’ did me owtovajobb Wal, you madea Big Blunder. Them who a’u’t with Me is ag’inst Me. See? Now, (have Told the pellice on you, an’ you may expect them at your howse at any minnt. You kinder made a Blunder w'en you took «atter, didn't you? Wal, you wa'te an’see. That’s awl, frum your duttyfull Cirvant, who doan’t take watter at awl, Mr. B. Bioaa.”’ Gilbert was uncertain whether to take this as it proclaimed itself; it seemed almost impossible that any one should betray an affair in which he had taken a guilty part; but it wasa fact that Blogg was vindictive toa surprising degree, While the reader hesitated footsteps sounded he- hind bim, and he mechanically turned around, This time he saw Mother Jacobs, and with her was Roger Hethington, The latter looked a little alarmed to see so many present, but Jacobs came to the point at once: ‘* Here’s a man with sometbin’ ter say,” she announced, in an ill-humored tone. ‘ He is a- kickin’, but I told him you would settle his case right away.” Her manver indicated confidence that Mr, Hethington would be disposed of unceremonious- ly: she had not learned the trouble which was in progress. Now, however, she caught sight of ‘** Zvlpba,” and her eyes grew large and wonder- ing. Evidently, Roger was not ambitious to speak in such a crowd, for he remained silent, gazing from one to another of the party as if he wished him- self wellaway. If be did not want to speak, he was in luck in one respect. A band was unex- pectedly laid on his shoulder, and a gentle voice inquired; ‘** Will you let us act as your attorneys, sir?” **Howlin’ hyenas!” shouted Flipper Flynn, *‘ef it ain’t Mike Moran, I’m a measly liar!’ It was the detective, nor was he alone, Back of him stood Harold Dunning. There were reasons why the coming of the lat- ter meant more to some present than any detec- tive could mean, and sight of him caused a lull as striking as it wasominous, Harold, however, did not long remain inactive, Striding forward, he faced his brother with contracted brow and well-lighted eyes, ‘*Gilbert,” be spoke, in a deep voice, ‘‘if you have one grain of honor left, it is time for you to prove it, I have suffered for you, and ycu have made no effort to clearme, Now, convinced that I must save myself if iam saved at all, I am here to demand justice of you. It remains to be seen whether you will force me to use the severest measures, It rests with yourself,” Gilbert shrunk from the address and his face was pallid, ‘‘ What do you want?” he mumbled, ‘*The truth! You have allowed me to rest un- der a cloud, when one word from you would bave cleared me, There are those who believe me a crook, and the ally of men of the very worst re- putations. You have known I was thus wrong- ed, yet you let it go on.” ‘‘T could not clear you without ruining my- self,” tremulously explained Gilbert. ‘And so, rather than let a guilty person suffer for his misdeeds, you would make one who was innocent take bis place as a sacri- fice?” Gilbert folded his hands, half-despairingly, half-angrily, as if he thought be was beiog misused, ‘* What do you want?” he demanded, ‘‘ Justice, and no more, It is believed I have been your associate in certain crooked: work you havedone, Is this true?” ‘*From the time you followed me to New York our paths have been different. This was because I willed it so, As a result, you have known nothing of me or my business, J bave gone my wey; you have gone yours. If you have done anything illegal, | have not been ‘party toit. If I bave done wrong, you have bad no hand in the matter.” **At the Cozy Cove Hotel you had trouble with a certain man who isnow present—Roger Hethington. He was heard to use the name of Harold Dunning, Can you explain that?” ‘* Tecan!” cried Roger; “I knew bim as a man who had done me wrong, and, with others, lately assaulted me, I knew his name was Dunning, and I thought it was Harold, I called him so, but I was wrong. I had only one companion, then, and he was Gilbert Dunning!” Viola’s face grew radiant and happy, but Old Spicer was the only person who could find words. **Oh! won’t you sweat fer that, me beauty!” he muttered. Gilbert’s eyes were flaming, now. **Coward!” he vebemently exclaimed; ‘‘ you would betray us, would you? Know, all, that Roger Hethington is a criminal at heart. He bas an older brother, Lionel, who came to tbis country some time ago. Roger hired city crooks to kidnap him,so he (Roger) could enjoy the family property until he could steal euough of it to make himself solid at the expense of the older brother. The plot worked too well; the crooks played Roger false, and sent him word that un- less he came on and paid bush-money they would turn to Lionel, ransom him out, and betray bis false brother’s share in the work, It was this brought Roger to America,” ‘‘ Yes!” cried Roger, ‘‘and you are the leader of the crooks!” ; “The pot calls the kettle black,” interrupted Flipper Flynn, ‘‘ Gents, you need not fight; we are dead onter the both on ye, b’jinks!” ‘‘ Correct!” agreed Detective Moran, who was content to remain silent for the time, Viola went to Harold Dunning’s side, ‘‘T am ashamed to ask your forgiveness,” she began, brokenly, but he interrupted: ‘Why should you be? We have been the victims of circumstances, I certainly bear you no ill will,” | ‘‘ One thing I can say in extenuation of my sin in thinking ill of you—even when I regarded it ge. oo) Py,