Beadle's Dime Library No. 111 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

Captain Hadley, who had at one time been her father’s partner in the ownership of a fish- ing vessel, and always a valued and truaty friend, hurried back with the evrvant, wonder- ing what Rosalette could possibly want of him. When he reached the house he was ushered into @ room, where she sat alone, tearful and very sad. ‘ How do you do, Miss Rosalette? You look ns pale as a ghost. It won’t do to eall you rosy now!” ‘* My health is not poor, Captain Hadley, but | feel very badly for all that!” said Rosalette. “If you will keep & secret for me, and under- take a journey which I cannot take myself, you will du me and my pect futher a fuvor that can never be repaid and never will be forgotten !” suid Rosalette. “ My dear girl, you know that I ever stand ready to do anything in my power to serve you vr your good father. But I am at a loss to think what oan trouble either of you?” “Ah, Sir, I canuot tell you all; but this I know will be enough to enlist your sympathy and aid. {n some way, Captain Hewlet, whom I know to be a villain and a libertine of the basest stamp, has obtained an important secret which im some way involves my father—some matter of times long gone by—of which | do not know the precise nature. This he holds over my father to try to force a marriage with me, when he knows from my own lips that I hate and loathe the sight of him.” “ The unprincipled scoundrel! He ought to be horsewhipped. Does he forget that your brother saved his worthless life?” cried honest Captain Hadley. “ He forgets everything but his base and sel- fish purpose in regard to me; and he only wants me because he thinks I will inherit a por- tion of my father's wealth.” ‘The mercenary wretch! But you have not told me, Miss Rosy—for you are rosy now— how I can aid you ?” “ By securing, as I am sure you can, proof of his having eommitted a crime, which will at least send him to State Prison. I am sure that he abducted poor Betsy Hunt, and for her ruin,” “Why, she ran off with a peddler!” “No, Sir; that man was not a peddler. He gave uway jewelry in the village, but where was he known to sell an article? His dress, his language, his manners, all showed that he was in disguise; and I am confident that he was a confederate in the employ of Hewlet. I charged the latter with the crime, and his erimsoned face and Jowneast eye acknowledged jn an instant the guilt, which even his tongue dared not deny.” * You astonish me, Rosy! But there are many things which rush to my mind to con- vince me that your suspicions are not without guod foundation. But how can I detect the villain?” “By going to the cities of Boston and New York, securing the aid of some skillful detective police-officer, and elle, & the pretended peddler, Hewlet, and Betsy. iscover the poor girl, and bring ber back to her parents. f he is the guilty man I believe him to be, Betsy's evidence will send him to the State Prison, and Tand my father will be relieved from his perse- eution.” “You are right, Rosy—you are right. J will sturt to-morrow morning.” “Thouk you, Captain Hadley—oh, a thon sand thanks! and I will pray for your succes all the time you are gone.” , f “ Bless you, my dear girl! I will do my est.” “I know you will, Captain Hadley. And te aid you, take this pocket-book. There are five hundred @ollars in it—all saved from my fa- ther’s generous allowance to me of pocket Oa “Tut, tut! my dear girl! I sha’n’t take your money. I cau pay my own expenses !” “| know it, Captain Hadley; but you must take this, for the detectives will work a great deal sharper if you reward them liberally ; and The Smuggler Captain, + ere ' own family shall be led to think that I am | going north to see a relative I have on the Canada line. Now, good-bye! I must hurry to get ready, to be off before day da..ns.” And the warm-hearted old sea-captain hurried | out, meeting Mr. Drummond in the avenue, on his return from the village. “ How are you, Mr. Drummond—how are ag I was up your way, and called to sce ow you all were,” eried the old Captain. *j] am not well,” said Mr. Drummond. And he really looked ill. A few days of such misery as Hewlet had given him was enough to alter bis appearauce fearfully. “TI hope you'll be better when I see you again,” said Hadley, hurrying on; for he ‘did not want to be questioned. “Til! Yes, sick at heart and soul—sick al- most unto death!” muttered the unhappy mer- chant, as he went into his house, CHAPTER L. True to his word, as he ever was where evil rather than good depended upon it, Frank Hew- let made his appearance at the Cottage in the Pines at twelve o'clock on the next dav afte his hurried retreat from the muzzle of Rosa lette’s pistol. He was dressed with the most elaborate care ; and if it bad not been for the eK gene pompous air of assumed gentility which marks the man of low breeding who bas succeeded in getting good clothes on his back, and the stamp of villainy which Providenoe bad kindly laced on his good-looking face, he might have Se mistaken for a gentleman by a stranger. Both Mr. Drummond and Rosalette were on the porch, ready to receive him. For the latter, learning that he was determined to force his company there, had formed her plans to render herself just as hateful as possible, and to make him just as uneomfortable as she could. She was dressed in an old, dirty, calico dress, bor- rowed from a servant for the oecasion ; her hair, purposely tangled, hung all about her shoul: ders; her little feet were encased in a pair of old cast-off slippers, a great deal tuo large for her; and her face looked as if she had been eleaning pots in a sooty chimney-corner. Hewlet bowed quite low to Mr. Drummond, as be advanced, but a great deal lower to Rosa lette. “Tam most happy to see you, Miss Drum- mond,” said he. “ You look charmingly to- day.” “Dol? Since you say so, Sir, I suppose I do. If you've come to get your dinner, you've / geome most too early; we don't feed till two o’cloek,” replied Rosalette, with provoxing cool- ness. ‘IT shall be in no haste to dine, provided that _Ican be entertained by your charming pres- | ence,” said Hewlet, trying not to notiee her evi- ee I shall feel a great deal happier if my money | ani to bring that mouster to justice,” . Well, to please you, I will take it, Rosy.” “Thank you, Captain Hadley! Now, do not let your business be known here—not even to my filher, Leave town as quietly as you can, without letting any one think you are going to the city; for Hewlet must not be put on his guard, or .our wisest sehemes will fail. That isso. I will leave te-nigiit; and my a} pe to bring back poor Betsy to her parents, — dent intention to annvy him, ‘‘T don’t entertain folks,” she said, with a look of contempt. ‘Sometimes [ entertain myself talking with the dog, the cat, the pigs, or some of their kindred ; so 1 suppose I am capable of entertaining two-legged beasts when I feel like it.” Mr. Drummond, who had looked angry and pale as Hewlet came up, now began to appear amused , for Rosalette’s cool manner reassured him, and he began to think she would soon sicken him of his visits. Hewlet made no reply, but took a seat, evi- dently struggling to keep from exhibiting anger, though he doubtless felt it. “Have you an our presence, ast. ‘None in the world,” said she. “ Chimneys smoke, and if a man wants to make a chimney of his mouth, why should a woman object. Wouldn't you like some buttermilk with your eigar? You look thirsty.” “No, thank yon, fair lady. It seems to me that you are in a dry humor to-day.” “Yes. I have such turns every time the moon changes. How was Betsy Hunt the last time you saw her ?” ‘“ hiss Druwmond, I believe you design to in- sult me!’’ cried Hewlet, turning ghastly pale, and rising frow his seat. “T never knew that a gentleman could be in- sulted by being asked how his ludy-luve was,” said Rosalette, with a sarcastic smile. “ Miss Hunt is nothing to me, or any one else in this world. She is dead, thank God!” cried Hewlet, utterly forgetting himself in his anver. * Dea! objection to my smoking in iss Drummond ?” he asked at 27 ree se dered! and you, Sir, are her murderer, er the enuse of it!” cried Rosalette, confrouting him sternly, aud looking him through and through with her fearless eyes. Hewlet and sunk moment, that had left him for a moment. beard so,” he stammered. “You just thanked God that she was dead,” _ “T do not know that she is dead. uailed before her look and glance, ack iato his chair, speechless for a But he soon regained the assurance I only said Rosalette, still keeping her eyes fixed on his face ; * but, Sir, if she is, her blood will er out from the grave, even as the blood of Abel called for veugeance ; and if she is not, justice will not sleep until her wrongs are avenged. And now Sir, let these thoughts remain on your mind to give you an appetite for dinner I will | leave you to entertain your own interesting self until that hour arrives.” And Rosalette went into the house. els. the abashed villain cowerin with fesr an choking with an anger which it maddened him to restraln. “ The foul fiend take the woman !" he gasped. “Tf she were but a man, the words she utters | should be choked back dowa her throat. As it is, 1 must bear it, or lose the game I am play- ing for.’’ hen, as he again resumed some command over his feelings, he said : ‘Miss Rosalette is decidedly humorous this morning, Mr. Drummond.” lad you find her so, sir,” said Mr. ae). to restrain a tri- oubtless will entertain “T am umphant smile. ‘“ She yon still more agreeably at the dinner table. | Bhe is proud of exhibiting her accomplishments Drummond, searcely when she feels like it.” ‘* So, I see,” said Hewlet, throwing away the | ing another. | eigar he had crushed out in his anger and light- rom that time, until a servant summoned them to dinner, Hewlet never uttered a word, but sat and smoked cigar after cigar, as if he used the weed for a sedative. For his flashed and angry face told that he needed no stizau- Jant. Rosalette made ber appearance at the table, not at all improved in dress, and Hewlet and Mr. Drummond took their seats in silence. “Won t you say grace, Mr. Hewlet? Or don’t you know how?” snid Rosalette, looking as quiet and demure as if she meant no harm ia the questions. “T am too Szecelsee to say Rosalette. race, | fear, Misa erhaps you will officiate,” said Hewlet, trying to force out a smile on his anyer- ed face ; but making a miserable job of it. ““Yes—I can do it!’’ she said. Then, in a tone, deep, solemn, and thrilliny, she said ; “Thou, Lord, who knowing all hearts, ean read the wild and wicked thoughts that are in them, bleas this food and drink to those who are pure and trust in Thee; but oh! make it as gall and as Wormwood to those whuse minds are evil! Curse them in their eating and driuking! Curse them in their waking and sleeping! And thwart thei in all their wickedness, and in the end let bell-tire be their portion. Amen !”" Hewlet heard and trembled—trembled and turned as white as the cloth that covered the table. “Help Captain Hewlet to some wine, father,” said Rosalette. ‘*He looks pale. I am afraid his ois pte will not do justice to our regal fare !" Ani she glauced at a piate of codfish-balls at one end of the table, and a platter of pork and beans at the other. Hewlet saw that Rosalette’s plan was to drive him from the house by her continued annoy- ances, and he determimed not to be driven thenee by anything she could do, and to bear her merciless sarcasms Without appearing tu heed or feel them. “I did not know before that you were piously ‘nelined, Miss Drummond,” serious tone. said he, in a most “Oh, I always am in gooseberry season !"' said she. “Shall I help you to a plate of pork and beans ?” “ Yes, if you please. am particularly fond,” he replied. beuns. It is a dish of which } - “Cannibalism will never cease!” said she, ae she put a laryve piece of pork ou bis plate, and then followed it with » spoonful of Hewlet had hard work to keep bis resolution. He detested pork and beans, and would have stopped his steward’s grog aboardship if he bad ever mentioned, much less cooked, codfish balls, ‘Then sly laa bee wiagtered —mur- , fr renee ee at . & o> com (E v.00 se * ks “ - (E(0)