Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 767 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

| - ee atten 2 . saw mounted policemen, and others, com- Zz, and fearing they would arrive too soon, risked a broken skull, and managed to get a scalp wound—enough to draw blood, Then I fell. ‘* He was terribly frightened about me, or- dered a carriage and would bave driven me to the nearest doctor's, but I—for very good reasons —insisted on my own phvsician, ‘* Once in the carriage, | became worse, com- | plaining of intense pain in my side, and head, | and was fairly carried into my room, ‘* We bad called for my physician on the way home, and, on making an examination, be found several ribs broken, as well as a dangerous wound in the head! ‘George was full of gratitude and anxiety, and the papers made mea hero, but even that | failed to fetch the mark, He was with me day | and night until I was out of danger, and then bad me removed to this house, where he declared I should stay as long as I lived; put twenty-five thousand dollars’ worth of stock in my pame-— but, still retained the management,” The speaker stopped, and puffed leisurely at his cigar, as though the story were ended, ‘* Well, what then?” asked the Jady. “Oh, then, be went mad,” carelessly replied the story-teller, adding: ‘* And, of course, having charge of his estate, which gave me the controlling votes, Jam now in nis place.” Some ove was now heard opening the ball door, and the young lacy hastily left the room, just in time to avoid two ladies, who entered the front parlor, ‘What, alone, Mr. Fulton?” asked the elder of the vew-comers, a handsome matron of fifty or thereabouts, ‘* Alone, as you see, Mrs, Barret,” responded the gentleman. ‘*Too bad~—and very unfeeling of Emily,” jestingly observed Mrs, Barret. ““[ fear the Emilys do not favor me, but I trust this Emily eujoyed the concert?” As Mr. Falton says this, he turns to the younger lady, who has been standing a little aside, drawing off her gloves. ‘‘This Emily,” as be designates her, but for the blue eyes and golden hair she possesses, could not be distinguisned from the young lady who q \itted the room a few minutes before. (Juite different to the other, this Emily regards Mr. Fulton very coolly, and answers very coldly that the concert was “ fairly good,”—disregard- ing the question of her enjoyment of it. **And Doctor Lewis?” questions the gentle- man, looking a little malicious, *‘Kmily” regards him with a steady, cold, questioning stare, She can be as freezing as the ** other Emily ” is fiery, and the usually unruffled Mr. Fulton grows confused, ‘| mean—that is, I presume that Doctor Lewis evj fhe it?” he explains. Well, really, that is a strange question to ask me! How should I know?” Mr. Fulton withers under the freezing scorn of the reply, but Mrs, Barret mercifully inter- pOses: ‘* What are you ‘fencing’ about? The con- cert was really good, avd, of course, Doctor L-wis enjoyed it,” This does not end the warfare, bowever, in the rear parlor, for when Mrs. Barret and her daughter retire, (which they do in a few min- utes,) the other ‘* Numily” enters, ber black eyes Hashing fire, her cheeks burning with indiguant rage, ‘* What is the meaning of all this bending and cringing?” she angrily demands, There isa touch of jealousy in her voice, but he does not—or pretends not to—notice it, With, a significant glance at the window, | through which the angry girl bad entered from the piazza, Mr, Fulton replies: ‘‘We must sometimes stoop—very low—to conquer.” ‘‘ Well, I have the right to know!” defiantly answers Emily, adding, as she turned to leave tho room; ‘‘Remember what I said about the mine, George, and beware of the match! if you do not, you will find in that girl, cold as she looks, your match !” ‘*I wish to Heaven she would!” exclaims the gentleman, when his companiov has gone, and as he lights a fresh cigar, adds: ‘Or, at least show some indication of one day becoming so, ‘“Emily says: ‘beware of the match,’ but Eunice appears to be entirely too wary of the match to please me. | “If she would only give the slightest hope, how quick I would decide upon what to do; but— Well, all the worse for her, if she refuses.” ee ee ‘ Mac and Jack, the Invincibles. | 5 —— eee. te — ——_ ____—_ a — ee CHAPTER VIII. LOVE AND JEALOUSY. ON reti ing to their rooms, Mrs, Barret and Eunice had a long cnat, as was customary, in the course of which each had much to say to the other, regarding the man below, | Mrs, Barret, who was the widowed sister-in- law of the millionaire owner of the house, opened the subject with: coldly, almost contemptuously ?”’ ‘* Mother, I do not like him,” ‘* But, you might be, at least, courteous to one who bas done so much for your unfortunate un- cle,” expostulates Mrs, Barret. ‘*Too much, | fear,” replies Eunice. ‘* What do you mean? have done more, l am sure no one could He was unremitting in his at- | | tentions, and kindness and consideration per- sovified, during the time poor Robert was here,” ‘Are you sure he was kind to Uncle Robert?” asks Eunice, without looking up, her cbip rest- ing in her palm, ber eyes sta:ing straight ahead, ‘“Why, Eunice, what bas bappened to you? Sucb cruel suspicions are utterly unlike you! W bat do you mean?” **T hardly know, mother,” she replies, with a weary sigh, ‘* but, something tells me that Uncle Robert has not been fairly dealt witb. ‘Is it not strange that, after his release from the asylum, he should immediately start West without even calling bere?” ‘* But, my dear, that was explained by Mr. Fulton, and it is scarcely just to expect him, burdened, as he now is, with all of Robert’s af- fairs, to keep a bulletin posted, as it were, stat- ing vour uncle’s condition, and whereabouts. ** You are neither courteous nor just, Eunice!” finishes Mrs, Barret, warm with indignation, ‘* Well, perhaps, | wrong him, and [| will en- deavor to avoid another lecture, but, mother, I am often strongly tempted to test the truth of some of these things.” And, kissing ber mother good-night, Eunice passed into her own room, Next the rooms of Mrs, Barret and her daugb- ter, and separated from the former by only a thin door—originally intended for temporary use—was that of Emily Morgav, whose bistory will develop later, Kvery word of the conversation regarding Fulton, bad been heard by Emily, who immedi- ately on entering ber room, bad gone to the key- ie to listen, for she was beginning to grow jealous, When the conversation was ended, she laughed softly, though hy no means gleefully, for her thoughts were not pleasing. soliloquized, ‘‘1 shall be revenged by the one who, | suspect, is beginning to displace me, ‘* But she must be watched, for, if she should yield to that temptation she speaks of, all is Jost, and, until be proves himself one way or the other, I must look after her, ‘*{t will not take long to determine whether be is true or false—now that she promises to treat him with common decency—and if there | 1s a declaration cf love, I will take care to be on | hand at the finish.” | Thus the two girls (so strangely alike in ap- | pearance, and opposite in nature), retired full of | doubt regarding the same man. Next day Fulton was agreeably surprised. to | find bimself treated courteously, even kindly, by | Eunice Barret, At first he was somewhat suspicious of this sudden change, but as it continued he began to grow hopeful that ber previous coldness was only assumed, and finally, at the end of a month, having paid Eunice considerable attention, without being repulsed, resolved to venture on a declaration of his love (2), Keen, villainously keen, as he was in al) other matters, woman was a mystery to George Ful- ton—as she is to most men—and willing to be deceived by Eumice’s enforced kindness, he would not see that it barely concealed an in- tense. and constantly increasing, dislike, Emily, however (who saw all that was going on), easily penetrated the thin vail of courtesy, and, concealing her jealous rage, awaited the bour of ber revenge—now, plainly, close at band, The declaration, however, was unexpectedly deferred, by a sudden business call—of such im- portance that Mr. Fulton jumped into a cab, drove to the depot, and went westward by special train, without notice to any one until he was on the road, A month elapsed before be returned—full of exultation over the successful accomplishment of his business, and of hope that Cupid would not prove less propitious than Mercury—for his ‘*Now, if he wishes to play me false,” she ““Kunice, why do you treat Mr. Fulton so —-— — oo ____—» business had involved bundreds of hitherto solid concerns in difficulties, from which but few re- covered, His return was as unexpected as bis depar- ture, and he was delighted to learn, on his arri- val home, that Emily bad an engagement which would compel her to be out during the early part of the night. ‘*Now is my time,” he thought, on learning this, ‘* Such another opportunity will not pre- sent itself for some time,” and he determined to ‘have it out” (as he expressed it) with Eunice that night. When Emily was going out Fulton accom- panied her to the door, and kissing her tenderly, murmured: ‘“When you return the others will have re- tired; then we will have an opportunity to taik.” Emily looked up with a sweet smile, nodded intelligently, and departed—re-entering by way of the basement—while he, poor, mere, dull man, returned to the parlor, his countenance express- ing the satisfaction he felt at thus being freed of her watcbful eye, As if to favor his design, Mrs, Barret now complained of beadache, and retired to her room, leaving Eunice and Fulton together, ‘*Now or never!” thought the now sanguine SLO and plunging headlong .into the subject, egan: Miss Barret—Eunice—you must have ver- ceived my love for you—” He never got any further, Turning on him with the air and tone ofa tragedy queen, Eunice uttered just one word: *“Srr?’ But, there was a whole font of indignant, contemptuous interrogation points in that mono- svilable, and Mr. Fulton shrunk back, while Eunice swept out of the room, She had hardly gone when the curtains of one of the rear parlor windows were parted, and to bis utter confusion, and not a little to his con- sternation, Emily stepped into the room! CHAPTER IX, EXPLANATION—RECONCILIATION, THERE was an ugly smile on Emily’s face as she stepped into the room, that was almost as a ih as Eunice’s *‘ Sir!” he did not speak, but her eyes were full of jealous rage and fury over his unfaithfulness-— as it proved to be, He could not deny the fact, but he might ex- plain the act, “*T~ah— Why, Emily, I thought that—” ‘* That I was gone to the Vastors! ‘* No, George, dear, as you see, I did not, I thought it would be better fun to wait, and see you crushed—and, dear me! weren’t you?” George looked anything but bappy on bearing this, which was followed by a burst of sardonic laughter. ‘*And so you thoucht I was blind to all that was going on, George?” she continned. ‘‘Why, my dear, dearly beloved, I saw it all from the beginning. I—” “But you did not understand it all—or any part of it—at any time!” interrupted Fulton. He was Sbeginning to fear Emily—if not her- self, certainly what she knew, and .etermined to make a desperate effort to regain her con- fidence. ‘You saw it all,” he continued, speaking rapidly, “‘ but you did not speak—did not ask what it meant, and I, like a fool, supposed it was unnecessary to explain anything to you! ‘“ Now, I shall do so—whether you care or not! ‘* Eunice Barret, through Robert, owns a large interest in the road—but she has not the faintest idea of bow large it is, ‘* Now there will be a combination formed to Oust me, at the »nnual meeting, but, as her ac- cepted suitor, I would be sure of controlling her interest—other wise it might be used against me, and her votes, (which Robert did not even ask the privilege of using,) give the balance of power. Do you understand, now, why I wished—why Eunice Barret is 80 attractive?” As he continued, Fulton saw he was gaining ground, and he finished almost fiercely. Emily knew nothing of business matters, and she was willing—more than willing, anxious, to be convinced that she was mistaken—that Fulton was merely pretending love for Eunice, ‘* Well, you certainly looked the lover,” she said, very mevkly, and then warming up, con- tinued: ‘* And, Dow, allow me to tell you something of int vest to yourself, **} ,arned you that you were standing over amine, and that that girl would prove your i = + ie ) ‘ IH wt i * «a: : "4 Faded 4 ~ Vater - - ; Nee ant "> a . A 4 «< - CS. w6OMICHOO ~