Beadle's Dime Library No. 111 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

‘ | you and J, T guess he’s in love with my Betsy ; and love always makes fellers soberer, 1 think, from what I’ve seen. And Betsy thinks a heap of him, and I shouldn’t wonder if they made a match of it, for they seem dreadful thick lately. It wouldn't put me out a mite if they did; for he is uncommon smart, and is right well off, now.”’ ‘“ Women are ticklish creatures about love. They don’t keep one mind a great while. They'll like one man first-rate for a while— think they love him to distraction—then a new face, or a man With a little more money comes along, and they're off after him, forgetting all about the first love,” said Mr. Smith. “That may be the way with city gals,” said Nehemiah; “but here in the eountry a gal don’t cut up in that way, If she did, she'd be read out of meetin’ inahurry, But there comes Napoleon withthe eggs. Will you have rum or Srondy in your nogg ?” “ Half of both!” said Mr. Smith. “TI think mixed liquors go best in an egg-nogg or a puneh.” “They make the drank come the quickest, I’ve noticed that,” as he set to work to manu- facture the nogg. CHAPTER XXI. Captain Hewlet went daily to the place which he had pointed out as a place of deposit for a note from Miss Rosalette Drummond, if she should desire a further interview with him. For he felt sure that he had awakened a feeling in her bosom which could not, would not, let her rest until she knew more of the secret which he either possessed or pretended to possess.» And his judgment was correct. Only three days had elapsed before he found beneath the stone in the ledge of rock a tiny note evidently written with a trembling hand. 1t was in these words: ‘6Capratn Hewtet:—You are a man—you should possess something of generosity and justice in your nature. After informing me of enouvh of a secret which you profess to have obtained, and which so nearly con- eerns me that I cannot make my heart feel insensible to its importance, it would be more than cruel to retain from me the knowledge so important to my present and tomy future. I appeal to your sense of justice, to the chivalry which is natural to all honorable men, to the finer feelings which should be possessed by any one de- sirous of winning either the respect or regard of the female sex, and pray yeu to let me know in writing, who and where the person is whom you say is my mother and living, and who my father was, and when and where he died, If you do this, 1 pledge my honor that no person now op this side of the Atlantic shall know what I shall learn through you—nor shall you in any way be compromised by any werd or act ef mine. If you do not, I shall believe that all you have told me is false, and that you have unmavfully invented the atory to try to forwerd vour own unweleome suit. Do not force me to a conclusion which would render you both odious and coulemptible in my sight! An answer to this note, left where yon find it, will be looked for with anxiety, by your respectful R. D.” A sardonic sneer and then a low laugh ex- pressed the first feelings of Hewlet when he read this note. “Cool!” aaid he, bitterly; “ Very cool. If I do not reveal that which she confesses to be important to her future and present, she will consider me as having invented a falsehood for the purpose of gaming her precious hand, You never will believe it a falsehood, Miss Rosulette—not by a long ways. And she ap- peals to my justice and my ehivalry, I don't think that where my interest is concerned, I possess either of those admirable qualities. She wants me to appear ‘odious and contempti- ble’, does she? She carries her head too high for a petitioner. I have a great mind to write areply that would bring it down @ peg or two, But policy must rule the day, must use diplomacy, or else I shall lose a prize which I would risk much to gain! I will answer her, but not exactly aceording to her desires!” And the wily villain tore a page from @ mem- orandum-book and wrote his reply. It ran thus: “ Lapy:—You seem to permit your personal repug- nance to me to conquer all other feelings and even to profess to disbelieve the truth of what I have already revealed to you. Aud yet you ask all my secret. | have named a reward—I know it is daring for me to hope fur it, yet despair and love make me bold, and Ido ask it as the only coudition which will fully unseal my lips. Your contempt will be painful to me—but I will bear ft, if I must. You doubt still, You have tested Mr. Drummond with the lines [ told you to repeat, and the effect was startling. I know that. You need not ask how I learned it, but 1 know it. Lady, to test my truth once more, I ask you again to sing a few words ip his presence, as carelessly as before. They are these: * Where rolls the surf on Albion’s shore In cadence stern, forevermore, There is a dark and dismal cave here dwells the Demen of the Ware. The Smuggler Captain, “ A smuggler’s haunt, the peasants say, Who shan it both by night and day ; In truth, a dungeon and a grave— Its guard, the Demon of the Wave, “Though Delorme rears {ts turrets proud Beneath the inland-driven cloud, Its knightly lord sleeps his last sleep Within that cavern drear and deep. “Tf, lady, the singing of those words do not produce such an effect upon Mr, Drummond as will satisfy you that I have told you truth and only truth, though not half that I can reveal, I will never venture again to think, mach less breathe the love which makes me your slave. Tell Mr. Drummond you dreamed the words, as before. Frank Hew.er.” “Pp, S.—TI still hold you solemnly to your promise not to reveal what I have told you. I will still hope for a more favorable answer from you: but if it comes not, in afew days 1 shall leave this place forever. F. H,” “ There !” said Hewlet, as he folded the paper and deposited it beneath the stone. ‘I think that will add fuel to the flame of curiosity already burning high in Miss Rosalette’s fair Leosom. And if the song don’t raise a storm i- the cottage in the Pines, I’m mistaken, Old Drummond will think the lady a great dreamer, I reckon!” And with a light step he hastened away. CHAPTER XXII. The path by which Captain Hewlet descended from his extemporized post-office to the village led him in sight of the cottage in the Pines, and an exultant smile passed over his face as he saw a while dress fluttering away along the path which led to the sea-shore, and he said : ‘The lady is in a hurry for her answer!” And he turned, quite well satisfied, down the hill toward the tavern, thinking that most likely his next visit to the ledge would be re- warded by the finding of another note from the lady, couched, perhaps, in a different tone. He did mot see that the white dress which fluttered through the trees was followed by a person in the garb of a masculine, He did not pause for that, but hurried down to the sign of the “Golden Anchor” just in time to see Miss Betsy Lunt go out riding in the neat buggy which was used to transport the person and wares of Mr. John Jenkins Smith. And Mr. Smith was driving her, An angry flush seemed to pass over the face of Hewlet as he saw them drive off. Nebemiah Hunt saw it, He felt for the man whom he had eee looked upon as his prospective son-in- aw. “That gal does go on scandalous!” said Mr. Hunt, in a tone full of indignation, and with a sympathetic look for Hewlet. “I mean to tell that durned pedler that his room will be a heap better than his company. He’s given the gal a few trinkets, aud they seem to have sot her crazy !” “She is not the only one who has received presents from him!” said Hewlet, abruptly, glancing at the golden anchor which was so conepicuously worn in the landlord’s shirt- bosom. “Durn the thing—I won’t wear it a minnit longer,” said Nehemiah, taking off the pin spitefully, and then very carefully putting it away in his pocket-book. “Napoleon!” he shouted, very Joud, though Napoleon was standing within a rod of him, watering a horse at the trough by the sign: post. «* Wall—what is it now?” replied Steve, “1 nin’t deef—you'll get the lung-fever, yet, hol- lerin’ so loud !” “Take off that are watch what the durned pedier give you!” said Nehemiah, sternly. “What for?” asked Steve, taking it ont, looking at it fondly, and returning it to the leathern fob which he had sewed on the outside of his waistband for it. “'Cause I don't want to see nothin’ about here that ever belonged to the mean cues!’ said Mr. Hunt, angrily. “Mcan cuss? Why, he spends more money at your bar than all the rest of the folks in town a Steve, in astonishinent. *“Durn him and his money! He may pa his duds and be off jest bs hae as pune? back!” said Nehemiah, who always grew mad if anv one opposed his ideus. “You darsen't tell him go!” “Yes I darst! And now you take off that watch, and don’t make @ fool of yourself no longer.” “Nehemiah—I sba’n’t do it}!” said Steve, deliberately. And he pulled out the watch and took a long and affectionate look at it, “It's jest two o'clock by my time!” he added triumpbant ly. “Id you dou't do as I tell p00, yon can Jett ¥ sie this tavern, and that mighty quickI” shouted Mr. IJunt, turning purple in the fnee. “Wall, I can quit!” said Steve, wiih a snuffe. “ And you'll see how you kin git Mong without me. It’s been Napoleon here and Na- oleon there ever since I’ve worked for you, ‘ve come at your callin’ and gone at your bid- din’, jest like a dog, and never growled, no - But I'll pack @ matter how much I had to do! my duds and go—maybe the mean cuss of a peddler will find me another place |” And Steve deliberately tied the horse, which he had brought from the stable, to the sign- post, and went into the house. “Napoleon!” shouted Mr. Iunt, who had heard his words and watched Lis actions with a dumb surprise. “Well, whatis it? Spenk quick, for I don't want to be loiterin’ round where I ain't needed,” said Steve, curtly. “Look here —I don’t want you to leave! M old woman wouldn't know how to git along if ou eleared out,’ said Nehemiah, in a much ower tone than usual. ‘ Let's make what the oall a com-promise; you just ‘put the watoh away till the peddler is gone, and then you may wear it, and I won't say a word Ain it.” “That would luok pesky unthankfsul to him,” said Steve. “To it, and you shall have the free run of the bar for a month,” said Mr. Ilunt, and now his voice and look were both beseeching “Well, jest to please you, Nehemiah, and ’enuse I think the mississ couldn't well vet alon without me, I'll go and lock up the wach cil the peddler goes; butl hope he'll go right soon, for I've got so used to wearin’ it that I enn’ keep no time o’ day by the old clock in the bar- room as I used to.” “He'll get a hint to go jest as soon as he comes back with Betsy,” said Ir. Want. “J ain’t goin’ to stand his gallivantin her around no longer. “ That’s anid!’ “She actsas if she'd like to go with him,’ anid Steve, quietly. “Durn her, I'd break her neck as short off as a pipe-stem if she'd offer to think of such o thing. There’s Cap'n Hewlet jest gone to his room with a face a heap Joager than the ten commandments, and twice as serious!” “He's green for earin’ for the gal if she’s fickle-minded,” said Napoleon, going in to take the “freedom of the bar” and put his cher. ished watch away under lock ans key. CHAPTER XXIII. Rosalette Drummond had seen Tlewlet when he went toward the spot where she had hidden the letter, and anxiously she had awaited his return, presuming that he would leave his an- ewer if he had a pencil and ‘alt with lim. No sooner did she sce him walking along the path that Jed to the village than she hurried out of the house away toward the place which he had so lately left. And she was followed by one who had no- tleed her wild and nervous manner, for her actions were go singular that he feared some sudden frenzy had seized upon her brain. But she, in her haste, having no thought of bein followed, did not look behind her. If she had ehe would have seen Ethelbert Drummond walking at a rapid pace, yet not so fast as her- self, in the same direction. She was but a few minutes in reaching the desired spot, and quickly found the hasty note which Iewlet had written. Ifurrying to the mossy rock'so often used by her as u scat, she ppened and read the note. At first, during its perusal, her face flushed up with anger and vexation, but afier she had read it, she wept—wept freely and bittetly, “OQ my God, why—why must I be so une happy! she moaned in a tone of utter anguish. Chat makes you 80 unhappy, sister?” asked a voice at her side. Ethelbert had approached while she was sob bing, and she had not heard bim., “Quickly thrusting the crumpled note which she held in her hand, into her |oaom—but not unnoticed by him, she rose and said, in 9 moro angry tone than she had ever used before to Lim or in his presence: “Ethelbert, are you set asa sry upon my actions, that you have followed me here 1” “A spy, Rosalette! a spy?” “Yes—a spy. Why did you follow ma here ?” “Rosalette, how Jong ie it since you have found my companionship in your walks upp weloome?” he asked, eadiy—alinost uleraly, TeEomicbooks.co ge a * =s ——E