Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 100 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 —_— woman in Paris who Enows everything, if re port does not lic.” ‘* Who is that?’ ‘* X¥lmo, the Voodoo!” ** Oh, I see!” “Tam ging to her—now—this minute—” ** But is is near midnight.” ““By the bones! What care I for that? I must find Helen Varcla without delay, and get the promise of a pile of money—a big pile—for producing her long-lost daughter. Guard her as a treasure. Oho! have an unsleeping eye upon her. Now 1’ll be off. Eh? Let me see if tnat crowd is outside,” Pierre Plaque threw wide the door and ste d out, To his surprise, not a soul was in sight. erhaps there were those in the approaching crowd who knew the abode of Pierre Plaque and had no desire to make themselves prominent with the Death-cart driver, Pausing to close the door, Pierre wriggled away in the gloom, rubbing his skinny palms together, cracking bis kuuckles, and grinning | with gay anticipations, Jacoli, atter the departure of his companion, took a long draught from the whisky-bottle, and then turned to have another look at the maiden oa and recoiled, while his hair rose on enil, Osalind was in a sitting posture, with one hand resting on the head of the largest and most ferocious-looking dog Jacoli had ever seen. The Breat, bloodshot eyes of the dog were fixed upon im with a bale‘ul glare, and a on he licked his chops in a way that seemed to say: **Be about your prayers, quickly, for 1 mean - have a feast off your carcass in a minute or ess! While Pierre Plaque had glanced about him for signs of the recent mob, leaving the door open, Belial, the dog of the Voodoo, had glided into the room, and now planted himself before Osalind in the attitude of a champion whose aye with an adversary meant death to the atter. ‘Tell me,” demanded Osalind, addressing the astounded and thoroughly frightened ruffian, *‘are you my friend or my enemy?” CHAPTER XVI. THE PRICE OF A SECRET. THE announcement from the lips of Victor Bramont, that he was willing to impart the in- formation desired by Helen Varcla, though upon certain conditions, caused both the actress and the Voodoo to grapple with Franz Edouin —aide i by the muscular Zabach, who now tock part in the scene which he had heretofore wit- nessed in silence and with folded arms—and while the combined strength of the three forced him away froin the grated window, the Voodoo exclaimed, angrily: ‘Franz Edouin, you are a fool!—first, be- cause you cannot get in there; second, because I have told you that Victor Bramont is the risoner of Helen Varcla, and must not be armed by you. If you continue to give us this trouble, we shall have to tie you down again with knotted ropes!” “Yes! Bind his arms and bag up his head— the madmin!” cried Victor Bramont, drawing near to the grated window, and grinning sar- donically at Franz Edouin, as the latter stood helpless in the hands of the others and glared like a tiger upon the villain beyoud his reach. “Never fear, scoundrel Bramont, but I shall et twine my fingers round your windpipe!” oarsely retorted the aroused detective; and en: ‘‘ Release me. I see I cannot get at him, so I will bide my time.” “Sacre! Tie | the lunatic!” urged Bra- mont, now laying bold upon the bars and lean- ing forward unti: his long, white, pointed nose protruded ve. Ce the bars, over his slick-ended mustache and grinning lips. The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Franz Edouin, again free of limb and arm, took one tremendous bound forward, and bis fist, like a solid shot, struck Victor Bramont squarely between the eyes, knocking that per- son over and backward in a complete summer- set, ‘Sacre diable !” he roared, springing up, but remaining away from the grated window, where Franz waited for an opportunity to re- at the blow; and with lightning quickness he urled a small, sharp-bladed stiletto at the young man’s head. Franz dodged the missile, which broke, with a thud and a ring, upon the opposite wall of the paseage. low, chuckling laugh came from the Voo- doo, who said: ‘“*Now, Victor Bramont, you are completely at our mercy. I know well that you never car- ry but one weapon, and that weapon a knife. In your thoughtless rage, you have disarmed yourself,” and again she chuckled. “Come,” incerposed Helen Varcla, with an pppatent serure, ‘‘all this is time wasted. Proceed, Victor Bramont, with your answer to my question. Where is my child?” ; Ho! Not so fast, I imagine. You forget, there was to be a condition.” “True. Name it.” : “You are to spare my life and allow me to to the arrangement which Xlmo, the Voodoo, The French Spy. ** When I have recovered my child, Eitodgh _ expressed, it was far from his intention to give information you may give, I am wiliing Frauz Edouin or any one else, an opportunity forego my vengeance,” assented Helen Varcla, | to carve, slice and hack Lis body with the dead- promptly. | y weapon known as the American howie-knife. “And if you make this restoration—giving, | In a moment of silence which followed his last besides, a detail of this particular crime | speech, his brief thought was something like you have carried on for so many years—I | this: am willing that you should be rel although “If I can get rid of these cursed beings for I had sworn that you should die,” also agreed | some time, I may effect my escape and see the Voodoo, Philip De Vin, a man who will aid mein almost ‘By Heaven! you are too ready to treat and | any deed of revenge! They think I have dis- trade with this fellow!” exclaimed Franz | armed myself, because this Voodoc knows my Edouin. ‘‘Heis the murderer of my mother, | love for the stiletto. and I cast a stiletto at the and, by all the laws of the just, I am entitled to | head of Franz Edouin. But I came to Paris a voice in his trial and disposal!” well armed. In each of my boots I carry an. ‘* Silence, gabbler!” snarled Bramont. ‘‘ That | other stiletto, and with two stilettoes and plenty is an affair for you and me outside. Diable!” of time, I may dig my way out of this abomin- ‘Franz Edouin is right,” said Ximo, ‘‘As | ablehole. Diable! Give me time!” Victor Bramont is the poisoner of his mother, The others attributed his silence to an effort the son should take part in our decision. Franz to recall the past, in order that he might Edouin wants this man’s life, for which he can- | recite, link after link, the secret which Helen not be greatly blamed. Let us step aside and | Varcla would have torn his very eyes out to consult together.” She beckoned the others to | obtain, and which forms a portion of the plot follow, leading the way a few feet from the | of our story. grated window, where the actress, the Voodoo Presently Victor Bramont began drawing and the detective proceeded to discuss, in low | cut each sentence with a studious slowness that voices, a compromise over the fate of villainous | indicated a desire not to have to repeat or inter- Victor Bramont. polate during the brief recital. Bramont, confident that he would regain his| ‘‘ Now listen,” he said, gently stroking and liberty as the price of information which he , twirling his luxuriant mustache, and gazing alone could give, and not much disconcerted by | thoughtfully down at the hard, earthen floor, the threats of Franz Edouin—only so far as to | ‘ Listen, Isay. Twenty-two years ago—diable/ méditate a terrible vengeance for the blow dealt or thereabouts—Dor an Ray and Gertrude Some- by the young man mly await: d the result body were married. I had nigh forgotten her of the conference, He felt that, once a sacred ; name, though I fancied, once, that I loved her. promise given by the Voodoo and theactress, to You know, I imagine, that Ray, atout three or restore him to freedom, he could rely upon such | four months after, was compelled to fly from a promise; and they must agree to bis terms, England. Within the same year, Gertrude Ra for upon no less a condition would he speak | gave birth to a child—a boy. You wantall this what he desired; more, they dared not kill him | in detail, you said?’ while his secret remained unspoken. “Yes. Goon,” replied the Vondoo. — While he contemplated his surroundings with “One year later—that is, after the birth of a feeling of uneasiness and disgust—the di the child—Selissa Gordon—s{terward Gordon— augmented by sounds of unceasiog payer — married the jeweler, and within the same year hissing and rattling from the cages of deadly | she had achild—a daughter. The child of Ray snakes—he also stoutly believed that he would | was then two years old. Follow me closely. soon be at liberty, for he was the prisoner of | Gertrude Ray had written to notify her hus- Helen Varcla, and she, in order to recover her , band of the birth of her son, but I, being en in- child, would disregard the wishes of a hundred | mite of the house, intercepted the letter. Franz Edouins. Diable! I intercepted several letters. Subse- During the few moments in which his captors | quent letters were all read by me tefore they were debating upon his proposition, his brain | went to the mail-bag, and if any contained allu- was active with a plot tocounter-foil the deteat | sion to the child, I consigned them to the fire- which would be his when he revealed the secret | place. I say I had fancied that J loved Ger- ty by Helen Varcla, and he muttered, be- | trude, and, mad with rage because of her mar- Se rr hind his long-ended mustache: riage with another, my plot for vengeance be- ‘No doubt [ can easily turn the tables upon | gan by tringing Ray into a difficulty which them—these three—if 1 can but find a certain | made him an outcast. I also read letters from man who is now high in authority in the Com- mune. That man is Philip De Vin, whose uncle lost money by my forgery of the note which compelled Dorlan Ray to y from England. De Vin, the nephew, knew that I was the true forger. To stcp his mouth, I shared the pro- ceeds of my speculation with him. Sacre/ yes. I will find this Philip De Vin, I will have the house of the Voodoo razed about her ears and herself guillotined for a witch! Helen Varcla I will have banished from France, and obtain, by some artifice, this child of hers! Franz Edouin I will have shot as a spy for the Versaillese! Ho! Diable! Wait until [am free! Waitun- til I can find Philip De Vin, who is, I know, a big gun among these devil-Communists, ready for fire, plunder and death!” It did not require many minutes for the trio to effect an understanding in regard to the dis- posal of Victor Bramont. They presently re- appeared at the grated windows, and the Voo- doo, acting for the others, said: ‘Victor Bramont,two of us are willing to ition as it stands.” Ray, and if I saw fit, I permitted them to go to Gertrude. I finally made advances to ar SURES DE 80 elopement, or something as de- lightfully romantic—when she threatened to bave me kicked from the house—or something as delightfully empkatic. Sacre! That was the last straw. I then batcdher. 1] Legan a system of slow poisoning-—” ‘* Monstrous devil!” exclaimed Franz Edouin. “Silence, there!” snapped Bramont. “I em telling a tale that_is to save my life, and vou want the detail. You shall haveit. Di ble/ yes. After a time—and when Gertrude Ray, from the effect of the slow poison, was confined to her bed—I grew tired ot that kind of play and resolved upon a culminating stroke. i placed an unusual dose in ber medicine pre- scribed for her by an ess of a physician, and forced her to swallow it—” ‘"Sdeath! How can I tamely listen to this!” burst from Franz Edouin, ina Lreath of indig- nant borror, “T had written to Dorlan Ray that same morning—in view of my intention to hill at once the woman I had loved and hated by turns—” continued Bramont, reflectively, ‘‘in- foiming him that his wile was stricken With a feariul illness and could not yossibly survive. When I gave the last fatal cose, Helen Varcla— or Selissa Gordon—from an adj ining roc m saw me, though too late to prevent the deed and its result. Gertrude Ray was dead in five min- utes. Selissa Gordon—diatle! Helen Varcla, as you call yourself—pursued me frcm the bouse and across the pet It was her inten- tion to have me caught and bung, no dcubt! I grappled with ber, choked her, left ber lying on the sward. Perhaps she remembers the grip of my fingers?” Helen Varcla made no answer. Bramont con- tinued: ‘* But, the fact of her knowing that I kad poi- soned Gertrude Ray made it necessary tbat I should hide myse)f—which I did cffcettelly, you may depend. Diable! yes. And Selissca Gay. don—half-glad that the woman who kad roLbed her of Dorlan Ray’s love was deed—did not care for unpleasant notoriety by hunting me down, Dorlan Ray returned in time for his wife’s funeral. but bis mind was ccmpletely accede to your pro **Good! Sacre ** But one is not.” “Ho! In counsel, the majority wins!” ‘‘Not wholly in this case, as you shall hear,” the Voodoo informed bim. **Oh, ‘not wholly.’ Diable! Goon!” ‘*Give us a detail of the crime, and the where- abouts of Selissa Gordon’s child. When we have recovered the child, you will be placed in a large, square, empty room in this house. Franz Edouin will be pieces there with you. Both will be armed with the American bowie- knife—” . “Ho! This grows interesting. Diabdle!” “Tf you can, at the expiration of half an hour, come to the door of that room and de- mand to te released—after first passing your knife over the transom—then you will be al- lowed to depart, provided that you will leave France forever. Do you consent to this?’ ‘‘ Diable! yes._ For I shall cut off the head of that dog, Franz Edouin, in much less time than half an hour! Ho! I consent with great satis- faction! Do you all swear, by the cross, that a shall be faithfully carried out ‘We do,” answered the three. one. His grief bad made a wreck ot him. ‘Good! Satre! Now you shall hear the de- hen they eto him of bis child, or some tail you make such a fuss about!” hinted that his vife must have died by foul means, he only laughcd—an idiot’s laungh—and seemed not to understand, He was forthwith confined in a private asylum—the only thin which saved him from trial and conviction an a sentence to the penal colony, Very lucky for cs) CHAPTER XVIL THE CRIME OF VICTOR BRAMONT. Wuen Victor Bramont so readily consented rr rrr Sa LLL EE Gomicboo . (E(0) / ee