Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 114 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

1 i| i} ' i i 14. i rete owe Ob. ; Tho lady changed the sub Cr abruptl Did you hear the story of his aadoatives with the man who stopped the coach?’ “The Frisco § arp? Waal, now, thar’s sdme- somethin’ between them two. it that they go cahoots, ye understand; though the Gent. has let Frisco off twice; which the same looks a lit- tle queer toa man up a tree, allowin’ that’ they hate each other like p’ison.” | Sutler Bob told the story of St. Auburn’s strange encounter with the Gentleman from thin’ curious about that, The Ne alps thar’s 0 Pike, as witnessed by the “‘ boys,” then proceéd- ed to philosophize: oe “This hyar’s what gets prety body atk the Gent wanted to let him off, why did he'shoot his hoss? He had the pistol to his head when the boys come in sight; an’ all of ‘a sudden ‘he scemed to wilt, an’ he was all broke up.” Perhaps tho lady had the key to the. riddle; | for when she was alone again she paced ‘her | room in anew excitement, ‘He loves mo still!” she*murmured. “Else why would he be so deeply moved? I must see him at once! A look may bridge all the bitter past, i ‘But this girl,” she pursued; ‘‘who is she? What are her relations with him?” ne pallor of 4 jealous fear oVerspread her cheek, oe “Can she be beautiful?’ she miséd— more beautiful than I?” Cag AB mer ; She turned to the little square Ipoing glass. It showed her a petite. figure and piquant, co- quettish face—a face and figure ‘that disguised ler age, making her look at least ten years } ounger than she really was. “Bah!” she mused disdainfully, “ what ‘have I to fear? Some mountain hoiden! I have culture, refinement, style. They, will count most with him.” : But a feverish unrest ssed. her, and just in the gloaming she left the hotel, to Wander sarang what she had heard called the *‘ Angel’s e. A few minutes after her departure a rather small an in rough miner’s garb ente ‘the office of the Metropolitan and exam the register. The last entry was— “Mrs. BELLA SEAFORD, | San FRaNoIscoO, Cau.” The miner was seized. with a sudden fit of trembling, and his spasmodic grip rumpled the age. , : . Hallo, thar, stranger!” shouted Sutler Bob. ‘t What's the matter with you? Are you drunk?” {° Mumbling some inarticulate apology, the miner slouched his hat further over his eyes and Ok the room and the town, passing the Angel’s 4ode, The sun sunk behind the mountain-peaks, and the moon took her place in the Reivers a In the wilderness of rocks and woods the miner lifted his hat to let the ‘cool night wind fan his fevered temples. The silver light, stream- ng over him, disclosed the features of the Frisco ae ‘ BcKe? A “It isshe,” he mused, ‘1 Kfew it. I have followed her into the lion’s den.’ She oan Get lure me to my doom! Ha! what’s this?” . He shrunk to cover at the sound of fc ps. Into the moonlit glade which he had. just va- cated came a man with a strange, rapt light in his steady gray eyes. ° He swung his hat care- lessly in one hand, while he ran the fingers of the other through his hair with nervous rest- | lessness. There was a grand, uplifted look about him, as if his soul had been flooded’ with a new i‘ piness, a new hope. It dilated his ings t irradiated his face, it thrilled in the tones of his voice as he asked himself, aloud, with ‘a sort of exultant defiance: “Why not ?” 7 As if in answer to his question, the ) Of a woman appeared at the hd sid of the glade. She sunk on her knees in the moonli He and raised her clasped hand and téar-streaming eyes to him in a mute appeal The man stopped and stared at the woman in | dumb amazement. mr | Sate A crimson cloud seemed’ to ‘float petra, the vision of the Frisco § , the smell of blood was in his nostrils; the sound of rushing waters in Lis ears; his brain was in a whirl; er was in his heart! sid dae come Scarcely conscious of what he’ did, he drew git wid from its holster. hen— ey FROM PIKE AT HO Tux strange conduct of the Gentlen) am Pike was thoroughly canvassed in the 3 Metropolitan, _ big reprebeusion, and found supporters among the worst men of the town. | oe ED 3 , “T tell ye what it is, gents,” he’ said, ‘it’s mighty cur’ous when a ae SC hi an’ Inighty that be kin stand off a hn Et ae ever heard 0’ lettin’ a road-agent slide when ye bad him dead torights? It’ud take a power o’ gpap to male ms Diieve that ther wan't a ‘nig- 4 one he gits a sheriff's deed” laughed Sutler i | gineral show o’ hands all round; an’ then some “was suddenly forgotten. She saw ‘with the’ Frisco woods, love. Now she undert cheerfulness woo him from his trouble <8 as they entéred the cabin. toot better than a triple plating of silver. ose Finley was open in his’ ! | face, there was a ‘that yér in the fence somewhar. I allow the time fur’off when this burg ‘Il have to havea 0’ these white-livered individooals will open their es, Co-rect!” assented one burly knave. _ ‘‘ Now’s as’ good a time as any, accordin’ to my OOD, suggested another. *« All I want is backin’,” said Mose. ‘‘Come, put Bia shut up! Who's a-givin’ of us wind, an’ who’s got the sand to back up their chin- music?” “Hold on, gents,” interposed Moxy. ‘“‘ Jest remember it’s a bad man you're pro n’ to handle. After you set the ball a-rollin’, hev you calkalated whar it’s goin to fetch up?” ‘*T reckon a man’s only a man.” “But this hyar’s Sy hefty one.” **Tarnt some o’ tricks on the road, no doubt.” ig ‘*- You know better, Mose, He ain’t that sort.” a Maybe you’re his pard, as well as the Frisco Sharp. Not much! No more is he in with Frisco. Me boys, a man with half an eye could see that thar was a red-hot Db’ilin’ between them ‘two. ' Let ’em alone, I say, an’ it'll be dog eat dog afore long, take my word furit, When the ae os come to a head, then stand from er M Whether it was that many held to this view, or becatse they dreaded the prowess of the man under discussion, atany rate Mose did not get gent @ growled, see jes what this byar town’s worth. Ef you see him laid out some fine mornin’ without none o’ your help, don’t ask me who done it!” , 1 all knew big Mose Finley for a des- rate character, no one realized the result that s threat was destined to work. ‘Meanwhile, the Gentleman from Pike, careless of what judgment public opinion passed on him, sought his own liome. gentle ward espied him coming, and with her blonde hair flying loose in the wind, ran to re Oh, Will! I’ve such a supper! Just what you— % But here her pride in her Niscnaragt triumph ! that some- him more deeply than she Bad fren him moved since that strange partin | Sharp in the night-shadowe It was yet an unsolved mystery to_ her. Without question she had soothed him with her low the task anew. Slip- g. Sapa ea his, shé walked silently by e. The man was ‘touched. He made a brave effort to throw off his gloom, that it might not cloud her hepp ties. ‘“*T have a treasure in my little housekeeper, I know,” he said, trying to smile. She looked shyly up into his face, Might her She would try. - The vetitshii is done to a turn,” she said, ** And the potatoes!—they are Howw-fkow ed ina quick oven!” _ “She rippled a silvery laugh at her dest, and elt repaid when he affectionately stroked her ithin ‘all was as neat as a new pin. The lech was £0 SH Ory that it did not matter that the table beneath it was plain pine instead of walnut. Ifthe cups and saucers were delf in- a of china, one forgot the fact in sipping the nectar they contained. As for the viands that smoked on the clean-swept hearth, their hsomeness disguised the steel knife and fork n ‘that you could see your face in,” A freshly filled from the sparkling mountain rill, ‘awaited the lord of the manor, together with an honest crash towel that had no reason to envy the more pretentious Turkish. Clear, cold water is a wonderful antidote for ills spiritual, as well as physical; and while the ae the house wae naneing himself a new nature’s simple medicament, the young Rbubaite flitted hither and thither like & flut- tering bird-mother, and set a banquet fit fora king, made poetical of fern leaves. arrangement ow the delicate color came and went in her fair cheeks—how her eyes danced—how her by ana | breath fluttered with pleasurable anticipation, as she captured him and led him to his place at the heal ut the table! It was touching to see how self-complacency and shy timidity strug- gled for the ascendency, as she waited for his approval. t brightness she brought méhow, the ¢ into his life impressed him deeply to-night, the more deeply by contrast with the shadowed part that fe had been recalling; and when é looked down into her upturned, expectant Strange humidity in his hee no one but shé ever was allowed to see. He had not bee oven. to let silent tears inher presence. _ Now he bent and kissed her sunny hair, and said, in a voice somewhat husky with emotion: “Tt is perfect, ccar. After all, there is a gold The Gentleman from Pike. a aa CC more precious than that which we dig out of the earth. You are the warmth and brightness and rfume of my home, little housekeeper—little ome-keeper !” She blushed with pleasure. Her lustrous os sought his fora moment with an indescribable look—a look that thrilled him strangely, and awakened new thoughts. What was it? An answering leok in his éyes? With a subtle, gliding motion she sipped from his encircling arm, inspired, it seemed, with a sudden shyness that drove the color from her cheek, and left her pale end tremulous. Then she sat down in her place at theo te side of the table, and tried to look ma y as she poured his tea. lt plainly cost ber an effort to appear natural and at herease, What was the meaning cof that nervous incertitude, that shrinking t ee! and those thrills of unreasoning delight? e felt as if she must burst into tears, if shefor a moment relaxed the restraint over her ¢mo- tions. Was it with excess of happiness, or with a vague pain? She did not know. And for the first time in her life she had'a se- cret from ‘‘ brother Will.” For all the world she must not let him know!—oh, no! na! no! She blushed at the very thought. Just what it was, or why it must be hidden, she would have found it impossible to put into words; but the feeling was there, all the same— the most powerful she had ever experienced. Opposite sat the man, and, not appearing to do so, watched the rapidly shifting changes in her ingenuous countenance, and over his soul crept a great wonder, a great gratitude, and a great peace! The girl chatted incessantly, flitting from theme to theme with an abruptness of transition which showed that she -was not thinking of what she was talking about. Her ‘avacitye and sparkle was a new revelation, even in hersunny nature. The man replied quietly, almost in'mondsy)- lables; but there was nothing of sadness it his manner, now. “ After the meal, he could not trust himself to sit with her as was his wont. She had a fashion of playfully tumbling his hair and then combin it, to produce various, ofttimes ludicrous, ef- fects, which she hightened by making’ corre- sponding modifications in bis Now she would tie her handkerchief about his throat, like a “choker,” button up his on’ and brush his hair “slick,” in the ministe style. A moment later she would have his’ hair tossed ‘‘seven ND ir for Sunday,” his collar ulled up, and his hat slouched over his brows, e a veritable brigand! ; How gleefully she would laugh. How she would do bim mock reverence in one character, and pretend to be afraid of him in the other. How childlike was this innocent little girl-wo- man, after all! And the man who could awe a furious mob with a glance of his eye, enjoyed it—indeed, at such times, seemed scarcely Jess a child than she. The fact spoke well for bis heart.” , But to-night he was afraid to put himself in this position. He must get away and think it out by himself. > She scarcely understood the excuse he made to get away from her. When he had left house she ran to her room, and hiding Her face in the pillow, athe way to the flood of tears with which she had been struggling. That ed, to be succeeded by a strenge sense of elation, and she flitted about the house with a lightsome sty singing like a bird. er face was irradiate; her eyes took ona new AL Hage the ni grace of her move- ments became a rhythmic poem; her beauty would have been a revelation, even to those Who knew her best. . And at this crowning moment a pair of black eyes were regarding her from out in the dark- ness, and in a woman’s heart was being kindled the fires of a maddening jealousy. ‘CHAPTER XX. THE RIVALS. | More than one masculine eye brighténed av the sight of Mrs. Bella Seaford, as she left'the Metropolitan. The homage of Angel’s Find em- bodying itself in rude metaphor, she was nounced a “crusher,” a “screamer,” 7 “« daisy.” Everybody asked everybody else who shé was, ‘‘whar she come from,” and what “ it abe had at Angel’s Find—to all of Which thé ‘reply was, in substance :— . “Blowed ef I know. Wich I did! ‘Bet ye even that she stays, ur that she don’t stay. What d’ye say? Is it a go?” a a The enthusiasm of Angel’s Find always found one vent. Every man was ready to “back” his opinion “for all he was worth” in Tatters of far less moment than that graceful walk. ‘“Ef a dainty bit o’ caliker like that wa’n’t ‘wo’th losin’ yer money on, there wa’n’t nothin’ !” Perhaps the lady was used to admiration. Certainly ibe: re no heed to the '‘‘boom ” nde ontaneous! red her by the cit of Angele Find. “The broadest amniter of failed to attract her notice. Even Jtid gins’s ruffled shirt? osom and allige try «rk boo ro) (EO) JOOKS GOmile a.