Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 853 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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The silver tag has Mr. Beall’s mame and address upon it.” Yes, ** What does it mean?” *‘Simply that I robbed him of his keys, entered his office last night, opened his safe and took out every paper belonging to you and referring to the Granger estate, and to your family history.” ‘*T cannot believe this.” **You doubted me before, but now be- lieve the testimony of your own eyes.” She opened the desk before her as she spoke and held up the bundle of papers before the woman. ‘Mrs. Granger groaned and covered her |. face with her manacled hands. ‘You see that I hold trump cards?” ‘* Yes, but you shall not defeat me, for I will give up all before you, fiend, devil that you are! sball triumph over me.” ‘‘Bah! you are making an idle threat, Georgine Gerard Granger—a threat that you will not keep.” : ‘*] will do so.” ** You love money.” ‘* Yes, but revenge is sweet and I will en- joy thwarting you.’ ‘Speaking of revenge do you know I am acting from revenge?” ‘‘ How have I ever wronged you?” ‘“‘T will tell you. ‘‘ Long years ago, when you were a mai- den of twenty and La girl of fourteen, you won from me the man Fioved. whom I idol- ized, child that I was. ’ ‘“He wedded you, and my heart was wrecked. “TI grew callous, wicked, but married some years after, and the day my child was born my husband, a good man,-was killed. ‘*T believed him to be rich, but he was poor, and [ was left nothing to live upon, and so it was that I grew revengeful and now I am being avenged upon you,” CHAPTER XXIX, THE REAL POWER. **-Yus, Georgine Gerard, I became revenge- ful, and hated you for stealing from me the man that I worshiped,” resumed the masked ‘woman. “IT know you now—you were a child then, and I never dreamed of your loving Lawrence Granger; and would to Heaven he had loved you—you are Charlotte Cameron.” “Yes, Little Lottie as they called me then; but I am a woman now, large and strong in mind and body. ‘‘T sold my child to one who I knew would care for it, to your sister, for she had no child.” ws 7 God! is Loyd Granger that child?” ‘* He is.” “And I adopted, I believed, her child! Oh, I thank Heaven I know that the serpent in my bosom was no kindred of mine. ‘*] could never love him, and when he was believed to be my son I felt horror at the ae ie: ‘‘Ah! now I am happy to know that he was not Geraldine’s child even—but yours!” -** Yes, mine! and it was for him that I have plotted through all, to get for him a fortune. | ‘You did not know me, and so I entered your service as yourmaid. _ ‘*Tt was I who plotted and planned the death of the two Captain Grangers; then of the woman the junior Granger married after he put you in the asylum, and it was the boy, my son, that administered the poisons I ie ny “That is why he was driven from home _ when coin by his father, and r . Pay . : ~ ' ~ ; : * : a . ite 0. ese = ? _ ae he = ~~ % a* i ee | * .. ‘ — a 2. 4 : = Dwi daaca TN) ea “But I kept my eye upon him and molded him to my will, for 1 was working for the Granger fortune for him,” ‘Woman, you are indeed a devil incar- nate.” ‘“‘T grant that; but I am working for re- venge and for gold. ‘* Now, tell me if you will purchase your freedom upon my terms?” “ T will not.”’ ‘‘T shall expose the whole story of the Grangers as they were known to be in the past, and the Government will claim your fortune as it was made from smuggling and fraud.” ** Let it all go.” ‘* You would give all up?” ‘« Every dollar.” ‘¢ You are a fool.” ‘* So be it, I willthwart you and have my revenge.” S Vary well, I will have to play my last card.” ‘* What is it?” ‘1 did not wish to do so, for I had not. cared to give you other than pain, but now I will be compelled, through your stubborn- ness, to give you joy.” **In what way?” ‘You had a child?” ** Ah, yes.” ‘“‘Tt was stolen by Gypsies?” é Yes.” ‘* And died in their keeping or was put to death to prevent their being punished by the finding of.the child with them?’ ** Alas! alas!” “Now let me tell you that I wasa member of that Gypsy band,” ‘* You?” Yess ‘* And you are the monster that stole my boy?” ‘“*T was,” ** And killed him?” ‘*No, he is not dead.” ‘* Not dead?” ‘*No.” , ‘‘Oh God! what are you telling me?” “The truth, for he was, sent away by the Gypsies, and the one who carried him off was shot while traveling through Mississippi.” ‘¢ Yes, yes,” eagerly cried Mrs. Granger, ‘“‘The boy was found by a planter, taken to his home and adopted.’ ‘* And still lives?” ‘* He does,” “Tell me where he is and {I will pray even for your guilty soul.” ‘‘That will come later; but let me tell you that the Gypsies supposed the planter had, killed their chief, for he it was who carried the boy away, and one night. they went secretly to the plantation home and every member of the family was put to death. “They sought to find the boy, but he was away at school, and soon after became a boy tramp, a wanderer, but he has been on the track to avenge those who cared for him ever since, and yet it is too late now, for the little band of Gypsies has been wiped out, I who joined them being the last Oe . ae ‘‘And my boy, my poor boy ‘Tell me where he is!” ** Upon one condition.” ‘* Upon any!” “* That you agree to my terms.” “Vl do it, for I would give up every dollar to find him, and I would know him, woman, for you cannot deceive me in my child.” . ‘All right, rest content, and when I am ig Bh act, when all is ready for me to go far from here, without danger of pursuit, I will take the money you pay me, and leave you to return to your home and claim your son.” ‘‘ And bad as you are, if you do this, I became | will bless you,” was the mother’s fervent re- | sponse, | Dick Doom’s Kidnapper Knock-Out. A ATT ARS 6 EE EE A aT a a Na ee RR AS ——_- , Ps, ee ae ce * : CHAPTER XXX. THE CROOK’S WIFE. Ler me now return to Dick Doom, after his long interview with Wirt Westley, the aider and accomplice of Loyd Granger and the woman, Carlotta Cameron, in their crimes. : Having. angered the man by exposing the intended poisoning of him by the woman, to thus silence his tongue, and caused him to tell all that he knew, Dick Doom felt that he had his hand upon the helm and could manage affairs to suit himself. He went to the office of the Secret Service chief, his firm friend, and the two sought the chief of police, so the story went into the papers that Wirt Westley had taken his own life. This accomplished, Dick Doom asked the permission of the chief of police to see Beu- lah, the young wife who had allowed her wicked husband to escape at the sacrifice of herself. . He was ushered into her cell, the same that Loyd Granger had occupied, and left alone with her. ‘I am Dick Doom, the detective, and I have come to have a talk with you, to save you from a cruel fate, and from one of the deepest-dyed scoundrels that ever lived,” he said in a kindly tone. Tears came into the eyes of the beautiful girl, for she was not over seventeen, and the somber surroundings, and belief that her husband had left her to her fate, impressed her deeply. ‘Now, I wish to ask you several ques- tions, and I desire truthful answers.” * ¥en. eu? ‘‘T have seen your parents, and they are willing to take you back to their hearts, to go away from here and seek a new home, if all is as I hope it is, and you are content to do as I ask.” ‘* What do you ask, sir?” ‘* Are you the wife of Loyd Granger?” In response she put her hand into an inner posses of the youth’s suit that she wore and anded to Dick Doom a paper. He glanced at it and said; ‘* Yes, this is a certificate of marriage, and protects you. ‘* Now tell me if you knew what he was when you married him?” ‘‘Oh, no, sir; but having married him, I clung to him,” ‘‘Now let me tell you all that he is, and then I have one question to ask you.” ‘* Yes, sir,” Then Dick Doom told the story of the wicked youth and the woman, as he knew it, and when he had finished he agked: ‘‘Now, if I get you out of this, will you return to your parents?” ‘* Gladly, sir, oh, so gladly.” ** Allright, 1 will send iy some clothes I will get from your mother, and to-night I will call for you.” This he did, and the heart of the detective was made glad in the joy he brought to the household of the young crook’s wife, and blessings were rained upon his head by the parents and their repentant daughter. The next day, at the earnest request of Dick Doom, the charge against Beulah Granger was squelched, the court being willing to confer this favor upon the famous detective who had done such splendid service against the crooks. The day after receiving word that she was not to be tried, Beulah Belton, for she took her own name again, put in a plea for a divorce in Mr. Beall’s hands, to free herself from her crook husband and it was quickly granted. Then, as Mr. Belton was a man of ample means he took, his wife and daughter away from Chicago to seek a home where no cloud hung over their lives. * ” 4 t —~" . . ‘Sy » , :. as Ae : ’ tA. _ . = {V4 - y 7 — | af 4 — ere Aan eR. Y ol ,rtF_ / | \y/ ee OOM —_— ee —_ .. . . J leg f | a F i" a Aa i | e s* . "a. 7 7, . a: - . ~~ - : Ped 3 ° .t ‘ 7 ‘ . 4 » cvs , : . , ¥ - * pel as , . on ? ~~ a Des _ wis : , a hint, ae » ) \ >» ; ° . £ 7 e en < - n> jo ~~ Fn — - -_ — we <- - on te ee * -