Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 899 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

‘It does not surprise me in the least.” ‘© We did not try to kil) you.” ‘** This slung-shot would deal no love-tap.” ‘*We knew you would not let us get out of here, and had to strike in self-defense. Evena dumb brute will do that.” ** You cannot claim to be dumb, though I ad- mit that you are a brute; but let that pass. Prevent you fromleaving here? Great heavens! I care not how soon you go; the sooner, the bet- ter.’ ‘* Do you deny that I am trapped, here?” ‘* Woman, I told you long ago that I never wanted to see your face again. Such was my position then; it has not changed, Keep your distance and you are all right—I even forgive this attempt on my life—but if you come near me, you need not expect me to act a passive part.” Pearl looked puzzled and uncertain, ‘*T repeat that we did not want to harm you, but merely torender you insensible for a few moments so we could slip quietly away. We thought you had laid a snare to arrest me. Since you have not, let us be friends. But,” she continued, her "usual audacity breaking forth, ‘* you do not ask after Adrea.” Warland’s face grew hard. ‘*T care not for Adrea.” ‘* She is your daughter.” **She is not! I disown her!” ‘* Hear the dear man talk!” cried Pearl, mock- ingly. ‘*There wasa time when Adrea and { filled all his thoughts, but there has been a change. Strange, isit not? Once he asked me to be his wife.” ‘¢ Sneer on, female fiend!” Warland retorted. “* Kvery word you ay is lost, for 1 know who and what you are; our present companions | | know not. They smile misoly at your words, Well, what of it? Ide y nothing. I met you under such circumstances that | supposed you to bea respectable woman, I know, now, that ae are a thief, swindler, and ally ‘of men of ike pattern, When 1 learned the truth, I threw you over. You had gained hold upon the mind of my daughter, and, despite all I could say, she preferred to stick by you and: your coupons fortunes, rather than by her family. I used superhuman efforts, almost, to save her, I failed! She went with you. You complain that I do not ask after her. I care not, Adrea has chosen her way; let her follow it. The speaker’s manner showed theutmost con- tempt for Pearl, but when he tried to assume indifference in regard to his daughter, it was not wholly a success, ‘* Your son is not so rigid, ” Pearl returned, after studying the captain’s face a while, ‘* My son is his own master.” ‘‘ He is searching fur Adrea,” “What is that to me?” ‘*Tt may be much, Captain Warland, you have wealth and influence. lf you will ‘use them in my favor, and have all complaints against me withdrawn, I will use my influence to have Adrea return to you.” ‘‘ Once and for all, madam, I tell you I am not interested in her fortunes, I moved ear th, if not heaven, to keep her among respectable people, but when she left me and went with an adventuress, [ was done with her, For her and the adventuress I have no good-will to waste!” Witha haughty air Warland walked away, and Pear! flusbed deeply with anger. ‘*The old fool!” she sibilated; ‘‘if positions were reversed, l’d make him sweat well for this!” ** Did ae really know him once?’ ‘‘Did I? I played the respectable dodge, and actually got engaged to marry him—an old trick of mine—but he gave me the grand shake.” ‘Why didn’t you sue him for breach of con- tract?” ‘*Dear boy, old Mark had learned too much about me; he would have jugged me had 1 cut up rusty, But where is the boy who foiled our last game?” They looked around for Basement Bert, buthe had been wise enough to retreat to the cover of the curtains, near the dvor, where he could listen but not be seen. He felt almost certain that Pearl had not recognized him, and wished to give her no chance to study his face, “Never mind the boy; he’s a servant here, and not of account, Let’s getaway, Warland has professed indifference, but how do we know he is sincere? He may set the police on,us. You and Alf would run your heads into a lion’s mouth without thought.” . yezong | The instinct of self-preservation | | DE ee eee... alone led to the attempted assault on old Mark, You know it, for I told yousothen. What was I to think, except that he would prevent oar leaving here? I did not suppose he really had thrown his daughter down, But you are righ about leaving; the sooner we are on the Elevat- ed, and bound home, the better, Dll go and get ready at once,” She hastened away, while her companions talked in a subdued, irritable manner, Pearl’s usual recklessness had led her to attend the evening gathering, though Holmes and Draper would not come; and the men w hom she had pressed into service as her escorts were sorr they had run the risk, | fobody ever followed Minnie’ s company without getting into trouble,” declared one. ‘*So Pearl has got another name?” thought Bert. ‘* What of it? Prob’ly she’s had a dozen. But I’m goin’ ter take the fair lady’s trail, an’ as I don’t want ter desert out-an’-out, DU try a bit o’ strategy ” He found one of the managers, and remarked: **Can [ see a lady home what is goin’ now, or will l be needed here?” ‘* We didn’t hire you to see any one home, but, of course, it makes no great difference, Go along, but make sure that you’re well paid by her,” Chuckling over the success of his plan, Bert secured his jacket, put it on over his uniform, and left the place, Sock after, Pearl came out, alone, and walked away. “Bold asa Bengaw1 tiger,” the cobbler mut- tered. ‘‘Guess she don’t need any pr otector, but my contrack was ter ‘see her home,’ IT'lido it!” Pearl took an Elevated Railroad train, and the trailer rode in the car behind hers, The journey was but short, and when she Jeft the station she had only a ‘block to go. The hour was not yet late, and when she finally turned and ascended the stoop of a house, he saw thata light was burning within. From the first he had acted with all possible Caution, and he now held back and acted inno- cent. He wasasaoxious toavoid being seen as he was to know her headquarters, Just asthe key clicked in the lock under her touch, some one passed Bert quickly, ran lightly up tho steps and pressed after Pearl with a resolute air, ** Great snakes!” Bert muttered. He had recognized Meredith Warland, and knew that another crisis was at hand, Pear] crossed the threshold and turned unsus- piciously to lock the door after her, Then she, too,saw Meredith, and was not slow to recognize him, She was quick-witted, and made an effort promptly to close the door in his face, but he in- troduce his foot, preventing this, and then crowded in after her, Determined not to be left out of any interest- ing scene, Basement Bert ran up the steps and took place behind Warland, ‘* You ruffian!” cried Pearl, with the headlong temper peculiar to women who have no restrain- ing element of honor in their make-up, ‘* what do you mean?” ““T mean that I’ve hived you,” Meredith swift- ly replied, ‘* Get out of here, or Pu have you arrested |” ** Do it, if you dare,” “Dil cali Help, and have you done up.’ ‘* Oall whomsoever you please,” **Oh! your jaw for you!” It was not an elegant speech, and it had no element of originality; both Meredith and Bert had ‘heard other high- -tempered women talk that way before, ‘* Never mind about my jaw,” returned War- land, coolly. ‘* You know why [am here. You and I are no friends, and we need not waste soft words on each other. I am here now by merest chance; I saw you on the Elevated and followed you, feeling confident that, at last, 1 was in a fair way to track you to your lair. I have | done it, and now I want you to produce Adrea!” | CHAPTER VITl. ANDREW'S TERRIBLE CALAMITY, THE two genial gentlemen from the South, Mr. Andrew Moss and Judge Hackland, found each other such agreeable company that the latter decided to accept the former’s invitation to visit him at his quarters on Greenwich avenue, Sigers Long preferred to return home, The Judge was getting a good deal of pleasure out of his visit to New York; Mr. Long was getting none, Jf the mad-dog had not ‘bitten Long, neither he nor his friend ever would have seer the great city; but, while the bite of the dog led } wish I were a man, and I’d break, | 7 A A LL a ee ae ee ee LT TS the Judge on to pleasure, it gave Sigers a good deal of trouble. He was being treated for his injuries, but the remedy, or his fears; or something else, made him ill nearly all the time, and occasiv-nally he saw dogs and monkeys which existed only in his imagination, Not being in a mood to visit any one, he went to his boarding-house, while Hackland and Moss went to Greenwich avenue. ‘* Here’s my room,” Andrew announced, ** an’ [ must say it’s a right smart place. Hot an’ cold watah, gas, an’ a fiah when needed, Three clean towels on the bracket, too, That would he ¢ hats ed prodigal in Horry county, South Cabh’lina ‘*} reckon I should like to live in New York,” observed Hackland, ‘*T reckon you wouldn’t, when you learned it well. I was heab ten days last yeah, an’ I Varned about as much about the village as the natives know. I'll show you some things—” Andrew had gone to his valise and opesed it, ‘* Hallo! what’s this?’ he demanded, ‘‘A package in heah which I didn’t put beab, an’ all tied up as nice as you please, onder what tis?” ‘‘T reckon some young lady has sent you a present.” ‘* Judge, you are a sensible manin the main, but I hate to ne your thoughts rvn so much on the females. The ladies in Sygeces! may be worthy of it, but I tell you the New York girls are vipahs. Do you understand? Vipahs, sah; vipahs!” Mr. Moss had taken the neatly-tied package to the table, and stood with his pocket-knife suspended above the stringing as he made this assertion. Ashe was not contradicted he cut the strings, and unrolled several thicknesses of aper, ‘* By Gineral Jackson! they wrapped this up right smart!” he declared, ‘‘ Brown papah enough heah to last a store a week. Hullo /” ‘** Hullo /” Hackland echoed the exclamation, springing up as he did so, and both stood staring blankly, and in amazement, at what was revealed inside the wrappers. On the table lay a package of oblong slips of paper, neatly held together with bands, and the glory of green and gold, and of well-known ligures and signs, dassled: | the eyes of both be- holders, ‘* Money /” gasped Moss, ‘* Money !” echoed the Judge, ‘* A ten-dollah bill on each side, an’--- Why, there must be a hundred of them.’ ‘A thousand dollahs!” exclaimed the Judge. ‘*Suably, you don’t mean to tell me it isn’t yoahs?” “ Do you s’pose l|’d leave all that cash where any o’ these New Yorkers a et at oo Judge, you don’t know them. Why, they steal the boots off yoah feet if they aoe : chance!” ‘* Have they stolen from you?” ‘* Wal, only that wife o’ mine, but---” ‘Then don’t condemn pepple who, instead of stealing from you, have given you that big pile of greenbacks, Open it, man; open it! There may be a note there,” Audrew obeyed the direction, and handled over the bright, crisp bank-notes so strangely put in his keeping. There were One hundred and forty-seven in all, and the total amount, ranging from one to twenty- -dollar bills, count- ed up one thousand and ninety-one dollars, Not a word of writing was to be found, ‘* Be [dreamin’?” finally asked Moss, abruptly, ‘** No dream about this,” ‘* But I nevab seen the money befoah, sah,” ‘*Can it be a present?” Andrew shook his head, ‘* Are there othah boarders heah?” ‘* Only me, an’ I only hiah the room,” ‘*‘ Then there can be no mistake,” ‘* But there is,” ** Call yoah landlady.” Andrew hesitated. He was as honest as men average, perhaps, and would not knowingly wrong any one, but this money had been placed = in his possession without any effort on his part, ii he was human enough to wish to hold on ta if possible. If he called the landlady and made the facts known she would be a barrier to his uninterrupted enjoyment of the money, and enjoy it he intended to do, unless some one proved a better right to it, He was of the opin- ion that @ man who would not accept such a flood of good fortune would be a stupid man. He meditated, and then put the money out of sight and rung the bell. Kate C ‘ooney appeared, Now, Kate hud been troubled over the visit of