Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 767 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

~_ i te, iz i aap ty r “ od . eh. -* bp pe a 2 oT Tae. * df”. 2 _T lp > 2 / ae ‘e. ~ are 4 oo —y M te, al " : . “ id J nw la RK J . . | hn Ae le ot ry ~~ ~ ; are pa ey Ho eR E Lea e . » oy lt eit co f ney - -_ et al ot - Si ate rz oo «+ r ~ -. 4 ~j . ag nr a ee ° ~ * « * >» : ¥ ; af . _ — - - 35° n oy ’ of your speedy recovery,” replied remarks and » » + = 7. ae mo OmMinvus calmness: ‘Very well. Everything is running smooth- ly, so there is nothing to trouble yourself about for the present.” 5 ‘‘ And, now, no more business, gentlemen, or I wili not invite you to luncheon,” threatened the doctor. ‘Very well, we'll stop at once, rather than lose that,” laughed Barret. Fulton looked at him in surprise. ** He certainly is himself,” he muttered, ** My aunt and Eunice?” asked Barret. ‘¢‘ Are both well, and will be rejoiced to hear ulton, In honor of the patient’s recovery, or the visitor, or both, the luncheon was quite an elaborate affair, and before it was over, the doctor had agreed that Robert Barret might be discharged that week. ‘* Very well,” said Fulton, “‘ sign a certificate, and I will get the necessary papers.” The certificate was signed and Mr, Fulton de- parted—but not for home. His carriage was driven further on, fully five milea, stopping at ** Doctor Salter’s Sanitarium,” where it remain- ed an hour before Mr. Fulton re-entered it, and gave the order to drive home, CHAPTER ITT. A TREACHEROUS TRIP. ABouT dusk, on the evening of the second day following Fulton’s visit, Robert Barret was sitting in tbe office of the asylum, with the doctor, when closed carriage whirled up to the ate. ‘* Late visitors,” remarked Barret, looking up from the paper he was reading. “Hello! It’s Fulton!” be exclaimed a mo- ment later, as that gentleman leaped out of the carriage, and burried toward the office. ‘¢ Couldn’t get here any earlier,” explained the visitor, skaking Barret’s hand with his right hand, while with his left, he extended a legal locking document to the doctor. ‘* What’s this?” demanded the latter, in sur- prise, ‘‘ An order for Mr. Barret’s discharge,” ‘* You didn’t delay very long,” observed the doctor, looking sharply at Fulton, after examin- ing the order. ‘No, The sooner he’s out, the quicker that month’s idleness will be over, and then he can return to business,” replied Fulton. ** Right you are, George,” laughiugly exclaim- ed Barret, who, like all men, rejoiced to be re- lieved of even the suspicion of restraint. ‘‘It’s getting late, anid the drive is long and cold—stay to-night, Mr, Barrett,” urged the doc- tor. ° He had a queer, undefinable, almost suspicious feeling regarding this bastily-procured discharge, — disliked to allow Barret to take this night- a, ‘* Nonsense!” angrily exclaimed Fulton, who looked very much excited, ‘‘ nonsense! Do you think a man who would he an bour in a snow- bank for the sake of shooting a duck, cares about a little cold weather?” ‘‘No use, doctor, I am going,” smilingly de- elared Barret, ‘* Very well, willful man—you know, ‘* But, since you will go, don’t delay.” There was very little delay. Fulton assisted in packing the baggage of his friend and patron, and bidding the good old doctor adieu, they en- tered the carriage. ‘‘Hello! Who the deuce is this?” It was Barret who spoke, and his words were caused by the presence of a short, thick-set, pow- erfully-built man, sitting in one corner of the carriage—that nearest ube open door, which pre- vented his being seen until Barret was seated. ‘* Oh, he’s a deputy sheriff!” explained Fulton, witb a nervous laugh, adding: ‘‘ Weare not entirely through with the law, yet, and he must remain with us to-night.” It was the Barret carriage, and the owner quietly, but very firmly said: ‘‘ He can ride with the euachman.” It was bitter cold, but at a sign from Fulton, the ‘‘deputy sheriff—’—the carriage being stopped—left bis seat, and ascended to the box, muttering something, which Sarret did not catch, but which was: ‘* You'll pay for this, pretty dear, too, my fine gentleman!” _ After this, Fulton kept up a constant fire of questions, so engaging his un- suspecting companion’s attention, that the latter did not perceive that the carriage was proceed- ing out of, instead of into, the city. » Fulton’s face darkened, as he answered, | = ne ner 9 ~~ . » - ao a - bad . r™ ' . Mac and Jack, the Invincibles, They had been riding about twenty minutes, and were rapidly nearing their destination, when Barret suddenly remarked: ‘“By Jove, I’m getting sleepy! What’s the matter with me?” ‘Why not take a nap—it will do you good,” suggested his friend, ‘** Believe I will,” sleepily returned the victim, as bis head fell back against the cushions, Fulton gazed at him with an ironical smile, and remarkea; ‘*That last glass of wine was too much—just one too much for you, my dear Robert, Iam very much afraid that you will not resume the management next month—nor next year—nor ever!” The last words were uttered with a flerce energy, that seemed to convey their terrible meaning to the brain of the victim, who groaned and muttered: ‘*Spare me! Save me from those devils!” Fulton was startled for a moment, but recov- ering himself, muttered: ‘*Pshaw! I must be getting nervous, myself, Salter was mistaken about the power of the drug, though. I was afraid it wouldn’t act in time,” And then recurring to Barret’s appeal: *““No, no, Robert! You’ve had your last chance, but you would resume the manage- ment! ‘* Now, you must go mad!” As the fiend finished, tue carriage stopped. They were in front of ** Doctor Salter’s Sanita- rium,” and four men stepped to the door with a stretcher, Evidently everything was in readiness for the reception of Robert Barret. As the unconscions victim was lifted from the carriage he groaned, **Sbut up, curse you!” ordered the®*‘ deputy sheriff,” striking him a savage blow in the face. That was Doctor Salter’s ‘‘ method ”—or rath- er one of his ‘‘ methods,” CHAPTER IV. AT SALTER'S SANITARIUM, As Robert Barret, his face bleeding from the brutal blow struck by the ‘'deputy sheriff,” was carried into ‘* Doctor Salter’s Sanitarium,” a man, somewhat resembling bim, was led out and placed in the carriage, Accompanying this man was Herman, Mr. Barret’s former valet, and as soon as tl ey were in the carriage, it was driven to the nearest railroad depot, where bota boarded the train. ; Then Mr, Fulton gave the order to drive ome, Robert Barret, meantime, had been carried into the ‘‘ Sanitarium,” and thrown into a pad- ded cell! It was daylight when he returned to conscious- ness, and, still under the influence of the drug, the victim could not realize where be was, or what had bappened. In one respect Fulton had overreached bim- self—or rather, his tool had, for him, Had the victim returned to consciousness in thefull possession of his senses, able to realize that he was now confined in a padded cell as a violent maniac, it is more than likely that he would bave become one, But the full force of his situation did not strike Barret for some time. Little by little he pieced out what had bap- pened from the time of Fulton’s arrival at the well-named Dr, Goodheart’s Asylum, until be grew drowsy in the carriage, Then, as with a glance at the grated door, he realized the treachery of the man he had be- friended, raised from a mere clerk to a man of standing and influence in the commercial and social world, his heart sunk, ‘‘This man must be playing for tremen- dously bigh stakes, He will, therefore, hesi- tate at votbing!” Such wes the conclusion that forced itself upon the unbappy prisoner, as be lay upon the floor of his padded cell, doomed to a living death! Cries, shrieks, groans, curses, yells of every description, soon began to echo throughout the ‘Sanitarium ”—started by one unfortunate, and taken up by the others, Barret’s cell was in an isolated quarter of the den, where nove but the violent and most noisy lunatics were confined, and soon the din was maddening. But Robert Barret, free for nearly two weeks from the infernal tortures of Herman, and rested and strengthened by the care of Dr, heart, was more like his old self than he bad been for a long time, (ec CC LL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL, LLL ee A man of iron constitution, great will power, and strong nerve, originally, be still retained enough of these necessary qualities, he believed, to thwart the treachervus vulain who was plot- ting against him. he thought of bis danger, and Fulton’s treachery, now only served to clear a brain that a Saien previous would bave succumbed to the blow, In a few minutes he heard the keeper coming, and with a biow of twe fist here, a crack of the cane there, the cries began to Cease, Soon they reached Barret’s cell, and paused in front of the grated door. ‘‘He’s takin’ a long time t’ come to,” re marked one. ‘‘ Yes, but when he does—” replied the other, and the blank was so expressive, that it was only by a tremendous effort the listener repressed a shudder, ‘Why, I thought he was some big gun— comin’ here in such a fancy rig. Who is he, anybow?” ** Don’t you mind who he is! Who was it had this coop before bim?” ‘‘Hanged if 1 know, except that he was a simple, barmless chap, who had no one belongin’ to bim. Peter Simple, we called him,” ‘Well, this feller’s Peter Simple from this, out—understand ?” ‘‘Of course I do, When the commissioners, or examiners, or whatever ye call ’em, come around, he’s t’ be Peter Simple—and he looks like him, too!” “ Right! And now about treatment. ** You saw me bit him?” io) I did.” *“ Well, Andy, that’s the course of treatment sta the quicker ye begin it, the better the boss "4h ike ye! ‘‘ He'll. be ugly as soon as be wakes up ’n’ finds out how he's been fooled, so you'll have a good chance to begin.” Andy made no response, and the’) other con- tinued: ‘* You heard what I said?” “Of course I did!” testily returned Andy, adding: ‘Come on, an’ stop these divils!, They’re enough t’ drive a sane man mad!” As they moved away from the door, Barret maniged to get a glimpse of this precious pair, and saw that one was the ‘‘ deputy sberiff.” This was svfficient to confirm what he had already concluded—that Fulton was a most diabolical seoundrel! And the course of treatment! The “‘ deputy sheriff’s”” words had revealed to Barret the cause of the soreness and swelling on one side of his face; also, that he was to be beat- en, kicked and otherwise maltreated at every opportunity—and opportunities are never lack- ing, when one wishes to find fault, Still be was free from the horrible torture in- flicted by Herman, and lying quietly on his back, studied the situation, The purpose of the conspirators was, quite evidently, to drive him mad, and that he re- solved to thwart by immediately appearing to be so, ‘T will feign to be what they wish to make me—a gibbering idiot!” decided Barret, Just as he came to this decision, the cries and shrieks, (mingled with the sounds of blows,) be- came terrific; but they soon ceased, and shortly after the ‘“‘depnty sheriff” passed, muttering curses at every step. | Soon after, Barret heard the heavy footsteps of ‘*‘ Andy ” as he approached—notwithstanding the latter’s rubber-soled felt shoes—and, within few seconds, the giant keeper stood before his oor. CHAPTER V. FEIGNING INSANITY. Tue big keeper was talking to himself when he stopped before Barret’s cell door, From his mutterings, the prisoner gathered that Andy bad bad a tussle with one of the noisy lunatics, and had been burt, ‘‘How well it wasn’t Lamb—(the ‘ deputy sheriff ”)—that was hurt,” muttered Andy. ‘‘Lamb, indeed!” he continued, ‘* Wolf ’u’d be a fitter name for him, an’ my wrist ’d be all right now, if it wasn’t for bis beautiful temper, “ God help this poor divil when he begins on him! Metaphorically and literally, the words, and the tone in which they were uttered, opened the listener’s eyes, “This man is partly buman, at all events,” thought Barret, ‘‘ Pll try bim!” a ‘ eit : . aS + *, * . e CS .CcOom