Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 793 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

fait tu .. * Dick Doom in Chicago. ~J “ But I arrived in time to find her alive, and to hear from her lips a cranes story which you shall hear, Mr. Carroll, as it is my duty to tell it ou. ‘‘T shall be glad to hear all you wish to tell me, Mr. Leffingwell, and you have my deepest sympathy in what, i know now you have suf- fered—a triple affliction, for I ‘feel that you dearly loved my little girl,” ‘* With all my heart and soul I loved her, sir,” ‘‘T feel that you did; but tell me now, was it because you were married and her love was hopeless that she took her own life?” ‘‘ Yes, Mr. Carroll, that was the secret of her life, for bers was a nature to love but once, and with no hope that I could honorably return her affection, she became wretched, and ended her own life as she did, and the thought is enough to madden me, when I feel that she whom I loved, and'who so loved me, Jies in her grave, placed there by her own hand from a lost love which now [ know was impossible, as I will explain to you, for our sorrows must be shared together,” and the strong man buried his face in his hands and his whole form quivered with emotion, CHAPTER XII. THE MILLIONAIRE’S STORY. WueEn Samuel Carroll had expected to feel anger against Leo Leffingwell, he found himself full of the deepest sympathy for him, and be- came the one to console, He could see in the marriage withthe rancher’s daughter but an act (of gratitude for her kind care of him, and when Leo Leffingwell had afterward met and loved his daughter Clarice he could not, as her father, knowing all that she was, condemn him, Then too he bad confessed to Clarice his being a married man, told her his story, even though he had also made known his love for er. That she had loved him, the preserver of her life, he did not wonder, when he gazed upon the splendid looking fellow, That she had loved him in spite of bis being bound by a sacred tie to another, was a thing she alone could judge herself for, How she had judged herself, how she had suffered, and suffering bad taken her own life, was proven by that very suicidal act in driving the knife into her heart, ‘‘My good young friend, I feel that we are companions in sorrow, that we are bound to- gether now by mutual grief, and you have my sympathy as | know that I have yours. “t f acted as I believed for tbe best, advised by a friend in whom I trust, when I kept that letter from the public eye, ‘*Tt hinted at a secret which I now under- stand, but which the world would have taken a cruel view of, and so it was not spoken of,” ‘Do others than yourself know of this letter, for I believe you hinted as much, sir?” ‘‘ My dear friend, Wheatley.” ** No other?” ‘‘ Crumbs, my butler.” ** And no one else?” ‘None, except that I have now told you,” * And Wheatley ”” ‘* Is as true-as steel,” ** And Crumbs?” _** Is equally so,” ‘* T am glad of this, for that secret could never be explained to the public that she simply loved a married man, ‘¢- Yes, it is better so.” ‘6 So I think. ‘Now, Mr. Carroll, I have for you a surprise, and*what may also give you pain,” ‘““Ab! what more can be said of my child,” groaned the unhappy man, “Tt is not of our lost Clarice that I would speak, sir.” ** Indeed ?” Y _ is of one ag wll ana am ready to bear at you may have to say, Mr. Leffingwell.” 7 ‘“T wish first to ask you, sir, if you were twice married?” The millionaire started, his face became a shade paler, then flushed as be said: ‘* Is this necessary to know?” ** It is, sir,” “I will trust you, Mr, Leffingwell, and tell you frankly that I was married twice,” ‘* And your wife, sir?” ** Is dead,” ‘* May l ask what reason you have for beliey- ing her dead?” ‘Tl tell you my story, sir, if you will bear with me.” “Twill be only too glad to hear what you | have to say, sir.” ‘*T met and loved a young girl, in my earlier years, who I believed returned my affection, ‘“‘At least when I asked her to become my wife she consented and we were married, **She soon after our marriage insisted upon going to New York to live, and I told her that could ill afford it, that I was a poor man, but with prospects of becoming rich, ‘Then tha, truth came out that her parents had led her to believe I was the owner of the Gilt-Edge Mine, when in reality it was owned by one who had the same nameidentically with my- self, ‘*T soon saw that, disappointed in my not being a very rich man, my wife began to show the cloven foot, for she deliberately told me that she bad never loved me, but instead loved another who was richer than I was. ‘*Soon after the birth of our child, a little boy, I was called away from home for some weeks, and upon my return found my wife had one, | a She told me in a letter left for me that our little boy, only a few weeks old, had died, and that having nothing in common with myself she had gone forth in the world to seek her fortune, ‘¢She had taken with her all she had in the house, along with several thousand. dollars in money, and said that I would search in vain for her, ‘*{¥ did search diligently fora year, or more, while my rg comfort in life was in visiting the tiny grave of my little boy. **T could never find her, and so at last I began action for a divorce which was granted me, ** | prospered in business however, accumulat- ed money, and one day, when I felt that I was a rich man, [ went to San Francisco to live, “There Il saw in the papers that a person of my wife’s name had been killed in an accident upon the railroad some time before, ‘* Some years after I met and married a young girl who made mea tru; wife, but alas, it was the same old story, for she had loved another, and believing him to be dead, bad married me, ‘* That lady was the mother of Clarice, and it was when, as [ believed, happiness was in store for us all, that this supposed dead lover turned up, and my wife, with the same sense of honor that my poor daughter exhibited, took her own life, rather than love one man and be bound to another, ‘‘T was heart-broken over my affliction, Mr, Leffingwell, but, determined to live for my daughter, | came to Chicago and entered into business in which I continued to prosper until I retired several years ago a very wealthy man, ** Now, sir, you have tbe story of my life,” CHAPTER XIII. A WOMAN'S CONFESSION, Lxo LEFFINGWELL had listened with rapt at- tention to the story told by the millionaire of At last ho said, when be had heard all; ‘Tot me ask you if your first wife’s maiden name was Beatrice Field?” ‘¢ Ah} do you know this? ‘That was her name, sir.” ‘‘You were married in St, Louis, May Ist, ” ‘* You are well posted, Mr. Leffingwell,” ‘*'Your son was born just one year after, to the day.” ‘“ He was,” ** And died when fiva, weeks old?” 66 Yes,” ‘‘ And was buried in the village near your home?” ‘+ He was,” “ Your wife was killed, as you said, upon the Erie Railroad, in an accident in which many lives were lost?” ‘6 Yes,” “Now, Mr, Leffingwell, I wish to tell you that, though reported. among those killed, your wife recovered from the severe injuries she re- ceived in that accident,” ‘* Do you know this, Leffingwell ?” asked Mr, Carroll, with deep emotion. sé I do, sir,” *¢ She yet lives then?” ** No, she died only a few days ago.” ‘* Poor woman,” ‘*Shehad married a second time.” ‘¢ Indeed?” ‘She married her early lover.” ae and where did she go after leaving me ‘* She became a teacher and supported herself and child.” ‘*Her child?” ** Yes, sir.” ‘** What do you mean?” ‘* She deceived you, sir.” »“* How?” ** Her boy did not die, as she asserted,” ** My God! our child did not die?” *‘No, sir, it was very ill,and a nurse was paid to carry it away, while a doll was dressed, and placed in a coftin, to represent the dead in- fant, and that was what was buried in the grave which you mourned over,” ‘*Oh! the wickedness of that poor woman who once was my wife,” cried Mr, Carroll. ‘Tt was a very sad and sinful act to be guilty of, sir, but it was all true,” ‘* How do you know this, Mr. Leffingwell?” ** From the woman’s own lips, sir.” ‘That is proof, ‘“* But you say she is dead?” ‘S Yes, sir.” ‘* Died a few days ago?” ‘*She did, sir.” ‘* Poor, sinful woman,” ‘‘ She is dead, sir, so peace to her ashes,” “Yes, [ can only say to that, Amen,” ** She is buried in Omaha, sir,” ‘‘ And being dead can be forgiven, so I will send and have ber grave properly marked,” ‘** That is kind of you, Mr, Carroll, but it has already been done.” ** And by whom?” ** Her son,” ‘* Ah! and my son, if he yet lives,” **He yet lives, sir.” **’You are sure of this?” ‘**T am, sir,” ‘Thank Heaven for this, but with such a mo- ther what can the son be?” ‘* Would. you wish to see him, sir?” ‘* If he is poor and in distress I would be glad to aid him, even if he bas gone wrong in life. ‘* But of he has made a man of himself, if he has risen above temptation and has proven bim- self worthy of my affection, even if be were ever so needy, I would gladly welcome him to my home and my heart,” ‘‘You are a noble man, Mr. Carroll, and I will not bave to plead for your son.” ‘‘- You knew his mother, you said?” “ As I did my own motber, sir.” ** And her boy, my boy?” ‘* A man now, sir, for it was man since bis mother deserted, yes, that deserted you.” ‘* Yes, he is a man now, ** And you know bim?” ‘6 As I do myself, sir.” ‘‘ Mr, Leffingwell, I have lost my last anchor in life, my cbild, my beautiful Clarice; but if you can bring to me my son, to let him cheer me in my declining, rapidly flying years, I will forever bless you,” ‘I will do so, sir, in fact I have done so, ‘* Tam Leo Carroll, your son.” Words can never describe the feelings of the father at thus,meeting his son, whose supposed grave he had mourned over in the long ago, _ He was almost completely overwhelmed, and it was a long while before he could command himself sufficient to speak, ‘¢ My son, in you I find one I am proud of, one to respect and regard with love and admira- tion, ‘‘ But tell me about your mother, my son?” and the old man dwelt tenderly upon the last two words. ‘Hers was vot a happy life, sir, for she felt thet she had done wrong is leaving you as she 1 . ‘* Bat she worked bard to support herself and give to me a good education, and she did, ‘** At last again she met her early lover, the man whom sbe bad always loved, and as she knew of your baving gotten a divorce from ber they were married, ‘*The man’s name was Leffivgwell, and I was forced to take his name. ‘““But he hated me from the first, and at last his treatment of me became such that I was forced to run away from home, ‘‘ But sill I kept my mother in remembrance, and after his death I went to see her. ‘‘Then she was taken ill and I went to her oa and then only learned the sad story of her ife, ‘‘Then only I learned who I was, and that I was owe son, the half brother of Clarice, ‘Oh, that I had known this before, for then she would have been alive, and I would have been more than happy in having such a sister. ‘** Seeing by the papers that she had taken her own life I hastened to you as soon as I could, though I should have remained to settle up my - years ago the word, Cor = =) | ed : : ’ y y icbooKS- com