Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 773 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

- . * -—e * - ~~ back out of her eyes. ‘* Then why are you crying?” Louise threw down the duster and gave way to a fresh burst of grief. ‘Oh, Miss Latham, you don’t know how father abuses me! He has been cursing me again this morning, and for nothing at all.” Miss Latham had removed her outer wrap, and was now seated, ‘Cursing you!” in tones the most kindly and compassionate. “Yes; and it was about you!” and with a gulping of sobs she threw herself into the type- writer’s lap and buried her face in her hands, It was an uncomfortable situation for Tom Craigen. A red spot flamed in each cheek, and his heart gave a queer flutter. ‘‘It was about you,” Louise continped, her slight form sbaking with the violence of ber emo- tions. ‘‘ Father says l’m not respectful enough to you. I’m sure, Miss Latham, I desire to be!” A great temptation to take herin his arms and soothe her into quiet came toTom, Hecould scarcely resist it. But he did, and said gently, as he passed his fingers through ber hair: **IT couldn’t wish you to be more so. Iam sorry your father has got such a foolish crotchet into his head, If you like, Pll speak to him about it,” “Ob, no! No!” lookiog up affrightedly. ** Please don’t!” ‘**l won’t, then, a thing?’ Tom’s face was as red as fire, almost; and now it was Louise’s turn to flush persis “Oh, I thought you must know!” She stopped and hesitated, fearing she had al- ready gone too far, ‘*T don’t know,” she was assured by Miss La- tham,. ‘‘I can’timagine. What was it?” Louise flushed and laughed, a lavgh which drove away the tears and made her face radiant. ‘* Why, papa means to marry you if he can!” ** Does be say so?” Tom was perspiring most uncomfortably, and mopping his face to get rid of the streaming moisture and couceal his confusion. If Miss Norton had not been blind as a mule, or too in- genuous herself to suspect such a bit of play- acting, she must have bad her distrust aroused by Tom’s all too evident distress, It may be, though, she attributed it to the surprising;nature of her communications. ‘*He didn’t say so in that many words, but thats what he meant. But you mustn’t tell him!” lifting a finger in good-oatured chiding. ‘* He isn’t really my father, you know. You can marry him if you like; and, although it might be pleasanter for me if you did, 1 shouldn’t ad- vise it. You don’t know him as wellas 1 do, Now, I am going. Good-by!” She imprinted a kiss on the typewviter’s face, picked up the duster and fled, leaving Tom ina most distressed condition, He was not given time, however, to think much on what had occurred, for at that moment he saw Red Fee coming toward him along the little corridor leading to the back yard, Miss Latbam knew from the look on Fee’s face that he had beheld the last scene in the little drama which had just been enacted, Red Fee was smiling broadly, aud seemed pleased with what he bad witnessed, ‘*Gittin’' on good terms with Louise, I see!” he asserted, coming into the office and drawing the door to after bim, ‘‘ That’s right! That’s right! I’m glad to notice it. Louise is a good girl, though she does r’ile me once in a while like arattlesnake, I sha’n’t quarrel with you fer kissin’ her!” The sentence wasfinished with looks instead of words, and said quite plainly; ‘*‘ If it bad been me you had kissed in place of Louise, [ should have been pleased!” Tom Craigen could not hide his confusion. His face was still as red as fire, and the perspira- tion continued to stream from it in a way that did not add to his womanly beauty, But Red Fee did not give any heed to this, possibly be- cause he had been drinking heavily again that morning. The liquor had emboldened him once more, and obliterated the bitterness of yesterday’s rebuff, ** Wouldin’t you like to become the mother of so handsome a young woman us tbat?” said the boomer, winking coarsely. ‘ I hain’t so old nor so bad-looking but what you migbt go further and fare wuss, It would bea big b’ist, too, ina wordly way, . I’ve already got a szoodly store o’ ducats, and that Grizzly Bear Mine will make me the richest man in these parts.” Rose Latham’s perturbation was yapidly pass- But why should he think such ee —_— . “ Nothing,” replied Louise, throwing the hair —_- ES Ss sss sss sees sense must be done, | The Rustler of Rolling Stone. ing away, now that tbe original occasion of it had left the room. She felt able to hold her own with Felix Redmond, even if she was not able to doso with Louise. ‘You forget yourself again, sir!” she de- clared, stilling her agitation with an effort and speaking as coldly as possible. ‘‘ I came here to render you a certain service, not to be insulted by such proposals. If you have no other use for me than to tender me an offer of marriage, I am ready to go!” Red Fee became immediately subservient and fawning. ‘*T was only jokin’!” he cried, ‘‘ Jist a-jokin’! You flash up like gunpowder. Where’s them letters I was lookin’ at yisteraay? I’m ready to answer ’em now,” She had partially risen as if to get her wraps, but this change of demeanor stayed her, The situation was so ridiculous that Tom Craigen could not repress a broad smile, in spite of his utmtst endeavors to do so; and this being taken by Red Fee asa flag of truce, peace and harmony once more reigned, CHAPTER IX. A ROLLING STONE THAT GATHERS NO MOSS, EVENTS of an interesting character began soon to tread on each other’s beels, In the first place, gossip of a kind most disad- vantageous to the interests of Red Fee com- menced to circulate in that mysterious manner characteristic of ill-news, and which beffl’s de- scription. It was reported secretly that wurder most foul had been committed in the Grizzly Bear Mine, and that the ghost of the slain mun ted baunted the scene of his untimely taking off. This had a bad effect at the outset, just at the time when Red Fee was trying to push opera- tions in the mine and open it up, that he might the easier sell it, A night shift of miners bad been set to work, but they threw down their tools und incontinently struck before two nights had passed by. They had seen the ghost, so it was said and reported it to be the ghost of a miner—being led to this conclusion by certain low, clinking sounds which they had heard. Tbese sounds could only be explained by attrib- uting them to the agency of the spook, Miners are apt to be a superstitious class, and these were not an exception. The scare spread to the day men, and only two or three of these were courageous enough to venture into the mine, even when the sun was shining brightly without, Rel Fee was in despair, Certain memories made him almost as much afraid of the ghost as was the mostignorant miner, Cold chills chased each other up and down his back whenever he thought of the mine and its dread occupant. Nevertheless, be was resolved that something In some manner the ghost must be laid, or he would be a ruined man. ** Hany it all!’ conversing with Curt Thomas on the subject. ‘‘I don’t think I ever saw sich a lot o’ right-down cowards as this town holds, The idee o’ the hull blamed camp bein’ scared to death ata shadder!” ** Shadders don’t clink on stones like some one a-handlin’ a miner’s pick,” Thomas dubiously averred, ‘‘I hain’t seeh the thing, an’ I ain’t a-wantin’ to; but I heerd its music. That was enough fer me!” Red Fee was disgusted and disappointed. He had hoped to be atle to induce Thomas to enter the mine and lie in wait for the ghost. He saw he would bave to make an advance on that proposition, ** You ought to be too sensible, Curt, to be afraid of a thing like that, I’m not afraid of it; and to show you that I’m not, I’m willin’ to go with you to the mine to-night an’ Jay fer the thing with pistols,” Curt shook bis bead, ‘* Nary!” was his sententious comment, cuse me |” “If we don’t git red o’ the thing in soma way, the mine hain’t wu’th shucks!” Red Fee urged, ‘‘I bad it as good as sold, last week, an’ fer fifty thousand. To-day we couldn’t get five thousand; en’ if this thing keeps up, in ap- other month we can’t give the mine away, |] shouldn’t mind it, if we could go on with the work, But wecan’t, The men air that scared, they’re crazy. 1 don’t believe that some of them would go in there fer a half-interest.” *[ don’t blame ’em,” Curt muttered, *' What good’d a half-interest do ’em if the thing should put its fingers on ’em?” ‘* Bah! You're the worst one in the lot!” and Red Fee could not conceal bis displeasure. ‘Thomas, I took you fer a man of sense, and - you’re showin’ yourself to be a plum idiot!” ** Ko- Thomas accepted the reproach without a mur- mar, possibly thinking it was better to bea live idiot than a dead hero. He went away shortly; and Red Fee com- menced preparations for a trip to the mine. To support bis courage he took a long pull at the bottle on the table, and then sat down to think over the situation. Only the realization that he was being brought to the verge of ruin could bave induced him to contemplate a visit to the place. He had no real belief in spirits, anu this greatly aided him; but what he had already seen had shaken and unnerved him. In his moments of cooler deliberation he was sure the uncanny thing was only a man mas- queradipg in that grim and horrible manner. But this reflection lost its bolstering force whea- ever he came face to face with it. ‘It must be Quintius Quartz a-playin’ that trick,” he asserted, as he vad so often asserted before, ‘‘Of course, it ain’t no ghost. It’s a man, an’ he’s got a reason fer doin’ of it. Now, who'd be so likely as Quintius? He wants the mine, and has set out to gitit. If he can’t do that, he’s determined that he'll ruia me, anvway,.” He did not leave the house until near the hour of midnight, the time when the ghost was accustomed to disport itself. He took with him his big revolver and a heavy knife, but no lantern, reasoning that if the ghost was a man, he could the more readily approach it in the darkness, All was quiet as be neared the mine. Only the swash and moan of theriver could be heard, These sounds added to the loneliness of the place; and Red Fee stopped, shudderingly,*as be drew near the entrance. His courage was already oczing: but he screwed it once more to the sticking-place, and ventured into the black mouth of the mine, He crept forward in a crouching posture, mov- ing with the greatest caution. <A pebble turned under his foot, and be started as if a rifle bad been fired at bim. The interior was gloom itself, No noise, no ray of light, There was no indication that any being, spirit or otherwise, ever came there, Red Fee knew that it lacked only a few min- utes of twelve, The watch in his pocket ticked so loudly he felt sure it would discover. bim, sh iuld any one draw near. Suddenly, and without premonition, a low clinking as of iron striking against stone reached him; and at the same moment a light blazed forth from the darkness; and within the circle of its rays stood the mysterious being who was personating the original claimant of tbe mine, Red Fee could scarcely repress a low cry of horror, There was the same bloody face that ha: so terrified him before, A slight sense of reassurance came to bim, however, when he saw that the light which re- vealed the form was produced by a lantern. Surely, no spirit from another world would need so material a thing. With the thought, Red Fee drew bis revolver aud fired it as rapidly as be could. The echoes were appalling. Tbe light went out; whether shot out or extinguished by the ghost he did not know, No sound came to tell him whether or not his aim had been effective. With the disap- pearance of the light the specter vanished; and Red Fee Jay back, panting and exbausted, an uncoutroll ble panie taking possession of him, ‘*{ believe I got him, that time!” be whisper- ed and then crept from the place, trembling and shaking like a victi.n of ague. No dead man was found there in the morning; and the circumstances taken altogether so shook ted Fee that he could not help detailing them the next day to Rose Latbam, From thence they reached the ears oi Quintius Quartz, © .intius had been 2s much puzzled as any one hy these ghostly pu anifestations in the Grizzly Bear Mine, and had given much thought to the matter; but could hit on no theory that prom- ised a solution. As the reader has seen, Red Fee was inclined to lav these appearances at the assayer’s dcor, But in this Red Fee was mistaken. Quintius Quartz knew no more about the matter than did Fee bimeelf. In fact, not so much. Fee had seen the ghost, and he bad not; all bis informa- tion reaching him at second-hand, But Quintius bad other things to think abont, just then, and so paid little heed to the matter. He had started a rival town across the canyon, more than a mile away, and he was bending all his energies to its upbuilding. This town was to be the club with which he purpcesed to break his enemy’s head. He had called it Rolling Stone, in defiance of the old adage | m S (GE comicboo D3