Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

—— —— —_— above your father’s ashes, Marian, here, upon this sacred spot, I swear to you that I knew not that emp cepieln of the brig was your father—” “ Oo ‘Hear me, Marian: I gave chase to-the brig, not even knowing her name, but aware that she held Conrado Costelle a prisoner on board, doomed to die. I sought to gain him without force, but was attacked, and in self-defense I fired You know the rest, and I know now, Marian, that my dream of love is over forever, for Lhad hoped against hope that you had re- membered me in my wanderings, and had not, as Others have done, branded me as a pirate, and thus hoping I sought this spot once more, at the risk of my life, and was going to your home yonder over the hill, longing to see you, and also up to North Square to see the old home once more, and look. again upon my father’s face; but alas! Marian, all hope goes from me now, and I dare not even ask your forgive- ness, “TI forgive you, Victor, but I can never for- get; from the day you fired the fatal shot that placed my poor father here, our paths in life er atin for how can his slayer ever be aught to me ‘“My poor, poor father, after three long years’ voyage in foreign seas, came home again, merely touching at Boston to land the mail, and receive passengers, and then stood on for New York to meet bis doom at your hand—the hand I believed and hoped was to lead me through life; but I dare not now dwell on the Poms ictor, and the future holds for me no ope, only sorrow, Farewell, and let it be a last farewell.” She held forth her hand to prove she had for- given him, but he dared not trust himself to touch it, and with a smothered groan he walked rapidly away, and watching him she saw him disappear in the gloom of distance. A walk of some minutes, mechanically find- ing his way, for with bowed head he seemed overwhelmed with grief; brought Victor De Lisle to a grand mansion, surrounded by large, ornamental grounds. Entering the gate he ascended the steps and turning the knob found the door was open, and he stepped into the dimly-lighted hall. Can- tiously he crossed to tae other end, to pause be- fore a door, as though dreading to enter; but summoning up courage he turned the knob, and softly entered. ' It was a large, handsomely-furnished room and upon all sides rested an air of luxury and comfort; a lamp burned upon a center-table and, seated in an easy-chair reading, was.an old man, with gray hair and pe, St pe ring. ‘Is that you, Mabel?’ asked the old gentle- man, without rey his eyes from his book. ‘No, father, it is [, your unhappy son.” With acry the old man sprung to his feet, dashing the book to the floor, and turned upon the one whose acts, a year before, had brought dishonor to his proud name. ** You are no son of mine, Victor De Lisle.” The words came slowly and distinctly, and the burning eyes were riveted npow the returned son, who stood with bowed head before his aged father in silence; but at length he cried in pleading tones: ‘Ob, say not that, for Iam not as guilty as you believe.” ‘* Ay, guilty you are; your hands are stained with the blood of the father of the woman you rofessed to love; you are branded as an out- fone a murderer, ay, and worse—a pirate,” ‘No, no, no, father! I am not rhat! An outcast I am, a murderer if so you will it, but I sail under no pirate flag, for I am a commander in the Labi easy navy.” ‘‘ A navy of outlaws, another name for piracy —ha! here comes your sister to witness your shame, and point the finger of scorn upon you.” A light step was heard without, the door sw open, and a young and beautiful girl ot peared in the wer bike: 6 and, at sight of the tall, cloaked form, shrunk back, while the white- haired old father, in tones, cried: ; ‘* Mabel, my poor chil ee stands your pi- rate brother !” ) CHAPTER VI. : A FATHER’S CURSE. For a moment Mabel De Lisle stood like a statue, pale, staring, silent, while her father inted scornfully toward his son, and repeated is words: ‘‘ There stands your pirate brother!” She shrunk back, as though in dread, but, noticing the look of pom that crossed the dark handsome face, and seaing his outstretched arms, she sprung toward him, crying: ‘*No, no, father! Victor has never become as bad as that, and ke never can.” 2 bless you, sister, for those words!” came in choking tones from the brother, and, infolding her in his strong arms, he imprinted a kiss upon her forehead, and said: ** Bless you for not ing from me, Mabel, after all the dishonor the world has put upon my name, ‘Crushed by misfortune, because I did that one act to rescue my more than brother, as I be- lieved him, Conrado Costello, who had been eR RK KS Oe COC Sr er SC CSC Ch - * O--r--- 2 ---——-—OO ee a eee The Chevalier Corsair. er ee ee condemned to die, I was branded as an outlaw —ay, asa pirate; but, I meant only to take him out of the clutches of the law and save his life from the gallows, for I did not believe him ilty of the murder of which he was aceused.” “‘ And yet, the law so decided him to be, sir,” said his father, sternly. ‘*The law has hanged many aninnocent man, sir; Ladmit that circumstances pointed strong- ly to Conrado as the murderer of Professor oane, after_the quarrel they had; but, my friend was a Mexican, in a foreign land; public opinion was hard against him; he wassentenced to death; and, determined not to let him die, I took my own yacht, manned her with some gallant spirits, and took him off the brig, but, unfortunately, not without bloodshed, though I only acted in self-defense, ‘* That act sent me.a wanderer upon the seas, and I cast my lot, my sword, and my vessel with the Carthagenians, and yet am hunted down and branded as a pirate by my own coun- trymen—ay, by my own father!” ‘* Yes, Iso brand you, for you are no son of mine!” came from the white lips of the old man. ‘Father! father! say not so, I entreat you, for 1 came here this night, at the risk of my life, to see you and Ma I; ay, disguised my vessel as a trading-schooner, and ran into port to find, alas! that it was Captain Dan Dalton who had commanded the brig, and to hear from Marian’s own lips, and at the very grave of her father, that 1 was his murderer. ‘*Oh, have pity upon me, father, and cast me not utterly out of your heart!” ‘‘And I implore you, too, father,” said Ma- bel, with pleading voice and look, still clinging to her brother. ‘Never! You are no son, of mine, sir, and more, I bestow upon you a father’s curse.’ ‘* No, no, no!” ‘I say yes! Go! Leave this roof, forever; and go at once, or I will be tempted to call the police and turn you over to them as a pirate,”’ ‘Father, listen to me, lL implore you!” and Mabel threw herself before the stern old man. ‘*Not one word willl hear! Go, sir, or I will call for help,.and never stretch forth a hand to save you from the gallows.” A look of intense pain passed over the face of the unfortunate son, and he said, in a low tone: ‘Your duties as judge, sir, would doubtless cause you to sign my death-sentence for racy ; but, though I fear not death in battle, { shrink from it in ignominy, and worse still, from allow- ing a father to con n his own son to die; but I torgive you, sir, as you are the author of my being, and now I bid you forever farewell,” He turned sadly away, but Mabel sprung into his arms with a low moan, and her weight proved to him that she had fainted. He laid her upon a sofa, kissing her white, upturned face once, twice, thrice. A moment after he had gone from the home of his boyhood, and in an hour after his fleet schooner was flying out of the harbor of Boston, while her crew were working like beavers, tak- ing down the dingy sails and rigging new, and tearing the canvas coverings from off the black hull, which had so disguised the beautiful craft. ‘An outcast, indeed, from home, land, and the hearts of my wae o ed the unha Pp young sailor captain, as he leaned over the ath. rail, and bebeld the lights of Boston swiftly - fading from his vision. CHAPTER VII. THE HUNCHBACK’S CAPTIVE. ‘‘ SAVE me, sir, oh save me!” The ery in a woman’s voice, and musical in tone, though raised in dire alarm, rung out in the evening air, for the gray twilight was dee ening into darkness, and obscuring the stree of New Orleans, to which the scene of my sto now changes, on the last day of the fantast and merry ‘‘ Carnival,” which from time imme- morial has gladdened the hearts of the denizens of that strange city in the land of the orange and the cane. ) | The one from whose lips broke the pleading cry for help was a young a ee with white, face, and largs, st ips fixed upon the masked visage of a man of huge stature, who held her firmly in his strong arms, as he fled toward the river, where was dimly visible a boat, or barge, containing half a dozen swarthy oarsmen, — Behind this flying personage, and his fair captive, for such she seemed, ran an individual of short, stout form, massive head, huneh back, and face also masked, while in stern, angry tones he urged his companion forward, for he saw that the call of the maiden had attracted the attention of the merry throng that tramped the streets, singing, laughing, and making the night ring with their joyous voices, for the car- nival time was upon them, and old and young, rich and poor, the citizens had turned out en masse to indulge in pleasure to their heart’s con- tent. deangling with the merry sounds upon all sides, and it being a time of revelry, the maid- y. en’s shriek for aid had not attracted the atten- a i i ee — 5 tion it would have done at another time, and those who heard it, with one exception, looked upon it as the wild freak of some lover, bearing his sweetheart. away in his arms, while her pleading for succor was looked upon as feigned. But that one exception caught sight of the nem frightened face, and the angry or- er of the hunchback: ‘On! on, I say, or all will be lost in the mo- ment of success.” ‘‘Save me, sir, oh save me!” pleaded the maiden, as she beheld a tall man, wearing a heavy cloak, and completely mask pause, glance at her and her captors, and then hesitate, as though undecided what to do. But her words reached his ears distinctly, and one glance into her face proved she was not a willing captive. Instantly he sprung for- ward and confronted the man who bore her, saying, firmly: | : ‘Pardon, monsieur, but this lady claims my protection, and you must release her.” An angry curse arose to the man’s lips, but witbout direct reply he would have on, when he was seized in a of iron, his arms torn apart, and the maiden stid quickly to the gen with a fervent exclamation of joy at er esca pe. ** Senor, attend to this iron-handed fiend, and I will recover the lady,” cried the discomfited man, appealing to the hunchback, who sudden- ly sprung forward with a cry of e and aim- ed a blow with.a sword directly at the head of the daring rescuer. : But the stranger raising his arm, holding a short blade in hand, skillfully parried th ee Ke he . stroke, and at the same timesent his fist into the masked face of his deformed assailant with a force that sent him reeling to the earth. | Then, with the spring of a tiger he was upon the man who had again seized the maiden, and. hurled him upon the ground with an exhi of siren that was remarkable, and elicited a. round of bravas from the gay crowd that had gathered around, and who seemed to still look upon the whole affair as a part of the perform- ance of Carnival time, which aijlowed licenses not to be tolerated under any other cireum- stances. Rising quickly to his feet the hunchback again confronted the stranger, and said in fierce tones, though he made no effort to attack him; _ “How dare you interfere with me, monsieur, in my innocent amusement?” “ By the right to protect that maiden, who claimed it of me,” was the calm reply. ‘** It was but a joke, and for your interference you shall answer.” ** So be it, sir: here is my card, and I am al- ways answerable for my actions,” and the stran- ger placed a card in the hunchback’s hands, the crowd standing by and watching all with interest. ** Oh, sir, lL have gotten you into trouble, for this man is a very devil when aroused,” and the oung girl, whom now all saw was beautiful in ace and form, and trembling visibly, 5, adoro ed and laid her band upon the arm of who had befriended her. ‘I care not if he be Satan himself, thongh I regret having mistaken your cry for one of real “Tt was, sir, acry for your aid, as that man and his hireling took advantage of Carnival) time to take me by force from, my home; but I recovered from my face and cried out, and to youl owe more than words can ever thank ie or.”. “The girl is mad; it was but a joke, and monsieur, you will regret this night's work,” | said the hunchback, with suppressed and he stepped toward the maiden, adding: **Now come with me, Edna, or it will be the worse for you,” . But the maiden shrunk from his touch, and turned quickly to her preserver, saying, im- ploringly: **Oh, do not let him take me, sir.” ‘‘ What right has he to demand that you go with him?” ‘“Oh, do not ask me, do not ask me; only save me from him,” was the piteous answer. ‘‘T will,” and turning to the hunchback, he continued; ‘*This lady is under my protection, sir, and if you value that hideous form of yours you stand aside and let us pass.” z The allusion to his deformity seemed to drive the hunchback to frenzy, and again be sprung forward with drawn sword, a shriek upon his lips, as though the insult had transformed him into a madman. But he was met as before with a parry of his blow, and once more was hurled to the earth with a force that stunned him, for he lay as one. dead, while his comrade sprung forward and knelt by bis side, seemingly not anxious to_ aven is fallen friend. | ** Now, lady, 1 will conduct 7a home, stand aside, please,” and the crowd giving way, he pee hrough the opening matie for him and is fair charge, and wended his way up the thronged and gayly lighted streets, the maiden og ees leading his steps in the direction of er home. CGOMlIGEVOOKS GO bition. consciousness and removed the mask.