Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 114 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

SED — . & *.ee& tem. + E41 men ee cb ire oe Se Be ee Pe eee a nl ep ‘* My little er gal baby !—my lost, lost treasure!|—where are youf—oh! where are you, in all this great, cold world!” What love is like mother-love?—what con- stancy so defies time and circumstance? The man gazed at the woman, and over his soul swept a great reverence, a profound pity, a tenderness beyond words! ‘“‘Ten long years!—ten unending ages of separation!” wailed the woman. ‘‘ She would not know me! The mother who bore her, who nurtured her at her breast, who has wearied heaven with unavailing tears and prayers that her heart might be gleddened by one more look, one more smile, one more caress this side the grave, would be to hera stranger! Ohl! can a merciful Father so crown the miseries of my wretched life? What have J done—” ‘* Madoline! Madoline!” ‘Oh! IL know what you would say. But have you a mother’s heart? And have I not been patient? Ten years of living death! Oh, Hugh!” What could he say? The man was mute. And all about them towered giant peaks that ‘bespoke the power of God; at their feet sprung the delicate floweret, protected from the rude mountain blast by His love; and over all the calm, blue sky proclaimed His peace! Perhaps something in nature appealed to the sore heart of the mother; for her plaint ceased, and she walked on in silence. . They had proceeded thus for some time, when the woman suddenly stopped, and, paling, cried: ‘* Hark!” The man thrust his javelin into a crevice in the rock, and unslinging his bow, longer than himself, and fitting an arrow to the string, stood at bay. In this country danger might lurk behind any crag. Constant vigilance was the price of life and liberty! ‘There are several approaching,” whispered the woman, ‘Shall we fly before we are dis- covered?” ‘* Without knowing whether we are fleeing friend or foe?” replied the man. *“‘ No. We must risk something. Let us wait.” The hollow «anyon in which they rode vi- brated with the clang of steelon rock. A mo- ment later quito a cavalcade uppeared down the tortuous vista of the crags, ‘They are whites!” cried the man. “Thank God!” aspirated the woman, The horsemen drew rein, evidently apprehen- sive of this strange pair. Only a moment, Then their leader rode boldly forth. A glance showed the Gentleman from Pike that this pair, as strange as they appeared, had nothing in common with the Ghost of the Can- on; and he approached them with.a look of in- so vient righ At sighs of him tho fear passed from the wo- man’s face to give place to a look of burning questioning. As be drew near all conscious- ness save of that face lefther. The fierce strug- le between a wild hops and a shrinking, fear- ul incredulity bereft her of speech, and almest of iration. he could but gaze, with her dazed soul in her eyes, until he reaciied her very side. Then, with a shriek of delirious exultation, she sprung for. ward and clutched him wita her clinging hands —with those mother-hands that pri oned him and would not let him go, until he had delivered up her lost treasure! How she sobbed !—how she laughed!—how she choked with emotion that stifled speee 1!—how the holy tears rained from the eyes that de- voured him with questioning that her lips re- fused to frame! In open-mouthed wonder the miners gathered round end stared. Bewildered by this strange greeting from a total stranger, the Gentleman from Pike could only stammer; ‘“Madam!—my dear madam!” “Hugh! Hugh!” cried the lady, finding her voico and turning to her escort, who had fol- lowed her, at first in alarm, then in wonder, then in excitement second only to her own, “Oh! Hugh! It is he!—it is he! Thank God!— thank God!” ; She choked. She seemed about to faint from excess of joy. . In adazed sortof way the Gentleman from Pike had the presence of mind to slip from his saddle to the ground and support her. ‘* My child! My child! here is my child?” she gasped, s'ill clinging to him. ‘* Your child?” he repeated, as if he scarcely comprehended ber. “Yes! Yes! I gaveherto you!—ten years ago!—when the flood threatened us all with de- struction! You rode away with her—my baby! You are here!—alive!—well! You must have saved her, Give her back tome! What have you done with her? Where is she?” “And are you that mother?” asked the Gen- tleman from Pike, with unutterable pity and unutterable ‘pain in his voice, gazing at her with humid: eyes, and prolonging her suspense with unconscious cruelty. *AmI that mother?” repeated the woman, interpreting his»words too literally. ‘ Yes! yest Obt:you cannot. doubt it! Look at me! The Gentleman from Pike. There must be some familiar feature—some re- semblance that will link me to my child.” She held up her face for inspection, gazin into his eyes with a wild appeal, as if her sou hung upon his decision. Her frame quivered, and her breath came in panting gasps. Who could gaze unmoved upon such a specta- cle? Who could look into those hungering mother-eyes and tell her the terrible truth? Would not she fall dead at his feet? An agony that transcended speech swept over the man, and he stood mute! Those who were with bim gazed one upon another, and their bronzed fuces paled, and their rugged frames shook. What was this terrible tragedy that they were looking upon/ He whom nothing had ever daunted before now stood unnerved, unmanned. Into the face of the lady’s escort came a terri- ble fear. He advanced and put his arm about her, as if to protect or support her, gezing the while almost fiercely at the man of whom she bad demanded an account of bis stewardship of her child, as at one who was about to deal her a death-blow. This fear had not yet put its icy hand on the woman’s heart. She saw only a man whose dull faculties she had failed to quicken. ‘‘Hugh, speak to him—convince him!” she gasped, in a fainting appeal to her escort. And he, understanding aright the man’s hesi- tation, said in a deep voice, veined with dread: ‘“*T am Hugh Gunnison, captain of the wagon- train wricked near this spot ten years ago. This is Mrs. Amberleigh,; who gave you her ac when you rode down upon us with warn- ng. ‘Yes!—I gave her into your very hand!” cried the mother. ‘ Tell me—where is she?” And the man, constrained at last by her wild ssion, said, with hanging head, not looking at ier “I would give my life to know !” CHAPTER XXXITIT. A BITTER ALTERNATIVE. WHATEVER the nature of the Ghost of the Canyon, it was hampered by human limitations; for the horse of the Frisco or outstripped it in speed, and, if it sought to follow his trail, it lost it in the darkness. Aiter several miles of hard riding over a way that was full of difficulties even bv daylight, the abductor let his jaded animal drop into a walk, while he began to cast about as to what was best next to do. It did not take him long to realize that, havin carried this girl off under the impulse of a blin passion, he was now in a dilenima what to do with ber. ; The indispensable prerequisites were shelter, food, and security from both escape and dis- covery. These could be easily secured for a short time; but what he had not forecast was the necessity of acting os her j iler for an indefinite period in the future. WW bat ultima‘e disposal could be made of her? He could not remain her perpetual jailer; tor, even if so wild a scheme were practicable, it would cut him off from his reward. But the moment she was 'ree from restraint she would rej in her guirdian, Irs. Seafor. would never accept so uncertain a substitute for her heartless pn‘pose. But the need which lay nearest was a place of hiding; and he took the unconscious girl to a cave with which he was familiar. Here, by the light of a pine knot stuck into a crevice in the rocky wall, he regarded her for some time in gloomy thought vefore making any effort to revive her. At last, frightened by her prolonged deathlike pallor and iiimotility, oo to work over her with nervous solici- ude, The moment she showed signs of roturning animation, be arose and retired a step. Ab! how terrible was that awakening '!—alone in a gloomy cavern, filled with shadows, rather than light, by the smoking torch, and standing near the man, terror of whom had thrown her into that deathlike swoon! The girl started to her feet, wild-eyed and panting; then shrunk cowering into an angle the cavern wall, and stared at him her teeth chattering—a poor creature frantic with fear. The Frisco p shuddered. ‘* Don’t look at me like thet.” he said. ‘ You need not fear me. I will not barm you.” ‘Ob! what have you done?" she cried. ‘‘ Why have you brought me to to this terrible place?” ‘* Because 1 was not quite devil enough to carry out a woman’s fiendish barbarity! No— not even when my heart’s desire was held forth as the bribe! See!—you owe me something of ratitude for the measure of my cruelty to you. n sparing you, I fear that I am throwing away my only hope.” Her eyes wandered from his face, in furtive glances cast about into the heavy shadows, as if, in quest of some avenue of escape. “Do not waste stren at flight,” said the “Do you isco Sharp. think that I would incur all this risk, and then | thing yon might. gain. let you slip through my fingers? -No; you shall never leave this. place altnes unless, oe - Sorubeied Ps — ° — + - @env we in a hopeless attempt: deed,.I ' lL will bind myself by any engagement you see, (E(0) IL Ee ae ee eS SS SSS SES eee EEE EEE conclude to carry out your enemy’s infamous urpose. I may bedrivento it in theend. For ow can | bope to keep you always a captive? Then, too, she may not be satisfied with this scheme, The malignancy of a jealous woman is not easily amo The Frisco Sharp seemed to be working out the question in bis own thoughts, rather than explaining the situation to the s}rinking girl. is eyes were fixed upon ber with that unwink- ing stare noticeable when the thoughts are turn- ed within. **Oh! how can you be so cruel?” cried Lilian. ‘“How can | be so cruel/ I will tell you the whole story, and then you wil] understand. ‘Years ago 1 met Mrs. Seaford, then the bride, just over her honeymoon, of the man known to you as William Carleton. You bave seen her. Fiom what she is now, jucge of her when perbaps a year ortwo older then you are, Sie was the belle of any circle which she chose to honor, Men flattered her by their devotion, women by their ill concealed envy. Was it a wonder that rhe should be a ccquette?—that after her marriage she shculd regret ber old triumphs? ‘William Seaford—that is his true name— was a man of ya ideals. He attached great value to woman eee He reprebenced his wite’s levity. But be believed that it was only superficial. He would have trusted her with his lite—nay, more than that, he did trust her blindly with his bonor. ‘‘Me aiso he trusted, almost as implicitly, I telieve, When business called him away from home, he laughingly ‘eft bis wife in my charge, ‘We were thrown upon e#ch other for en- tertainment every day, and all day. We rode and boated, read ard: urg together.. At noon- day and in the treacherous movnli, ht, we were ever side by side. ( ‘‘Had 1 been as honorable as ter husband thought, me, I would have gone away; for every look I bent upon her was a betrayal of his trust. As for the wife, she saw my homage, and Jed me on by the subtlest arts. “No dcubt at the cutset she meant to kcep mesuspended between Leaven and bell, while she careiully adjusted the tarrier of propriety between us so that I could never overstep it to compromise her or myself. But she was play- ing with fire; and in the end she Jost that per- fect control which she haa coufidently expected to hold over herself. ‘*] do nct think that she loved me. But my boundless adoration flattered ber vanity. From excusing my love and reiusing to look upon it as dishonorable to her and myself alike, sbe came to revel in ber power, and, at last, to pity my misery; so that when I cast honor and loyalty to the winds, and fell at her feet, the intensity of my passion overpowered her, and she was swept away in that mighty rush of emotion. “IT do not say that she would rot have re- covered berselt before it was too late. 1 ti ink probably she would. Lut tate denicd ber the cpportunity, . ‘Concluding his business earlier tl an he ex- pected, her busband cetermined to give ber a pleasant surprise. My Ged! what a home-ccom- ing! He came upen us in the meonlit garden, She lay unresisting in my aims, while I poured for h my burning passion in insane tpeech, and rained kisses upon her upturned tace und lips. ‘1 ciscovered bim first. 1 shall never torget Lis!ook. It froze me to ice **T never beard such a cry as come from his lips. It roused bis faithless wife, and she tore Lersell from my eu.Lrece just in time to see him level a — at'my heart, * Perhops ycu can interpret the wemanly in- stinct that prompted Ler. She sprung before me end received the tullet in ber own body. “When he saw her tall exd lie mc tion ) ss and btleedine, it unnerved him. Tie pistol fell from lis bend. For a moment Le stcod pgezing at ler like a maniac. Then he turned and flea, ‘‘T know now that he thought be had killed her. He was not uncecrived until three days ago, when he met her and spurned her repent- ance and protestations of love. “Tt was in the moment when he discovered his love for you. Her appearance crushed him, [think that the knowledge that Ler blood was not on his sou! brought little relief to him, in- volving, as it did, a barrier that would separate bim from you. She read all this in his horrified repulse of her. : ‘Now you know the mad jealousy which gave birth to ber fiendish scheme to crush her rival, I was to be the instrument. And what do you think was to be my reward? All that 1 crave—herself ! “This is what I am foregoing for the sake, not so much of what I owe you, but of your in- nocence and purity. Again, I say, you owe me something of gratituce!” ] ‘Ob! but you will foster these higher, better inspirations!” cried Lilian, with clasped hands and supplicating eyes. ‘‘Such wickedness could never bring you happiness. unceas- ing reproof of conscience would, imbitter anye Give, up this; terri scheme. Release me, and 1 willnever betray you.. 23° EGomicbooks;