Beadle's Dime Library No. 152 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

Captain Ironnerve, THE COUNTERFEITER CHIEF; OR, The Gipsy Socedl Legacy. BY MARMADUKE DEY, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ WILL 0’ THE WAVE,” “‘ A LEGACY OF HATE,” “ A BROTHER'S SACRIFICE,” ‘‘ HIS OWN ENEMY,” ETC,, ETC. on : A . — CHAPTER I. . THE QUEEN’S CURSE: _A BEAUTIFUL summer night; a night redo- lent with the breath of the flowers, whose many odors were wafted into the darksome hut, where Vega, the Gipsy Queen, lay dying. ° Slowly, but surely, her life was passing away to that distant land, where, we are told, . all is summer time.” Slowly, but surely, her breath was becoming shorter and more difficult to inhale, and the threads of her life were snap- ping one by one. She was very old, but the traces of a dead beauty could still be seen upon her pinched and withered features, and the white hair fell over a forehead wrinkled and pale, but beneath this | | Lorna. shone two star-like eyes, whose strange bril- lianey startled the beholder, so lurid was their gleam. : (a t Jar a common shelter where she, was lying |" | lonély hut far back into the woods of Vir-. t L seta A rickety apology for a, stove stood in one corner, upon which a pot was boiling away, the steam escaping from "neath the cover and floating upward, until it was lost in the mazy cobwebs and soot that formed a canopy beneath the roof proper. Vega stirred uneasily and moaned as if in pain, while she lifted her long, bony fingers and attempted to brush back the long saowy locks that fell into her eyes. “Will she never come?” she muttered. “Surely, it is two or three hours since she left me. Out in the night, andalone! Who knows what may happen & her, and she is all I have to accomplish my revenge.” Again Vega half-turned, emitting a low moan as the sharp pains shot through her body there e The. door opened softly, and Lorna the Gipsy’s granddaughter, came centlae. the in- valid’s side. “ Asleep, mother?” she asked, in a so iaie as she peered down into the face of her grand- mother; but the great, black, staring eyes equally black, but more dreamy ones, and an impatient tone she replied: “How could I sleep in peace with y you out in the night alone, just when I you so. the sick woman were gazing up into oe shall not!” and» ne P glaring eyes re sdoubled | their lurid brilliam 3 as they gazed ra, child, trying to bi sh away a tear thats down her cheek; ‘‘I went to the spri ig a as you told me, but could find none of th e herbs th and so kept on to the Sighing knew they grew in abundance. Indeed Idid not mean to be absent long,” and. at tears began to ooze from ’neath her ful lashes, and roll silently downward. Vega gave a sudden start when Tens meti- tioned the “‘ Sighing Pine,” but controlling her- self with an effort sbe merely waited until the child (for such she was, g scarcely mo _ than sixteen) had placed the herbs in the pot, and then calling her to her. eens ‘‘ Listen, Lorna, { have nge story to tell you. I did not mean that’ you should hear it 58) but ere another dé 8 I a be dead.” ee he “Oh, no! don’t say that, nsCeHGT; "you are all i have in the world!” “Ti is the Ali rill,” said Vega rev- pleasure trip through Spain "ant during one of cee ebee: baranee the acquaintance of your = ee Sear mother was beautiful, and this Gor- ovevds | and his’ prot yon if you do not,” é a ’§ eyes were shining as brilliantly and ily as’ the old queen’s now, and her mas fell in love with her and they were mar- *“T knew nothing of the marriage until you came, and then my daughter told meall, She said she had met him one day and loved him, and that she had wedded him, even against the rules of ber tribe. ‘“*A council was called and it was decided to eapture your father and make him join the band or put him to death, and three of the number were sent to do the deed. But the bird had flown. ‘Been gone three days,’ they told us, and as weeks and months fled by and no news of him came, your mother began to grow thin and pale, and finally, one bright Septem- ber morning she died. ** All that she would ever tell me concerning her husband, was that he was either English or American, and she spoke of him as Gordon. *‘ Ag soon as it was possible I took you and started on his track, determined that I should find him, and compel him to own his daughter, or kill him. Do not turn pale, child! The Zin- ara. blood in your veins must keep you brave,” She paused and: passed her ‘hand across her brow. ‘‘Give me some of the herb tea, child,” and Lorna sprung quickly to comply with the re- uest. iam? This pain is killing me, but I must finish my story,” said Vega, more to herself than to ‘‘Have you never been able to find any trace of him?’ asked the child, presently. “No, curse hint! Ten“ years L passed in England without obtaining the slightest clew, and thén I came toAmerica. ‘Upon the steamer there were two gentlemen who were together, and I often heard one of them address the other as ‘Gordon,’ “One day in passing him I bent forward and whispered your name—it is like your mother’s —Lorna, in his ear. He stared wildly, and clinching me by the wrist, led me to one side. *** What do you know of that name?’ he de- manded, ‘Tell me!’ ‘¢ *She was my daughter,’ I replied to him, and he laughed a low cynical laugh that made my blood curdle. ‘ Your daughter!’ he said, ‘Lady Lorna Atherton your daugbter?’ and he laughed again and left me, » ‘For days, during the whole passage, I zt | watched him, but he pretended never to see me, nor once did he speak to me again until we had arrived at New York, and» then, as he was leaving the steamer he saw me and stopped. ‘¢¢There may be two Lornas in the world,’ iy , ‘but it is an uncommon name, The t w is high-born, and her mother ~ —nantibe 6 was Gordon Crandyl’s wife,’ and with that he left. ; **T endeavored to’ follow him, but he and his friend sprung into a carriage, and were driven ‘away so rapidly that I could not. I 1g for you to lo, child,” — fo) one tie Push of blood choked her, and she pauted ‘for br eath. The night was almost spent; it lacked but.a short time and dawn would appear. ‘*I shall die with the rising of the sun, Lorna,” said Vega whén she- had regained suf- foient strength to speak. ‘Listen! I will finish my 4h wg believe that the man who came e steamer with me was your father, and yet Iam ‘certain they are related, and I think this Gordon Crandyl] is the man, “You must find him, and become assured if he is your parent, and if 80, claim your rights on, and my curse will follow quivered’ with Bag as Vega it “had _no for man, Gordon Crandyl the pterg! of my vl been preserved, and I m= ds —a|. tone: dying breath! would have ’ ot now be dying e cur of | inter« ar, far away from home 2 _ frien = ee te 8 sarang | ,| Heaven eta his : joa posse tear aod then grasping, we ae sega Sehr tee Captain Ironnerve, the Counterfeiter Chief. “Promise me, child, that you will never give up the search for your father, and that, when found, you. will claim. your rights, Promise me this or I will curse you with my See! the day is dawning. I have not-long to live. Quick— promise!” “{T promise,” said Lorna, in a low intense tone, for the other’s excitement had lent itself to her, and she trembled in every limb, Vega’ s breath began to grow shorter, and her muscles twitched with the _ pains that shot through them. “Tam going, Lorna—the day—is breaking to me—and to the world... If you ever yisit— our people—tell them that Vega—died a true Zingara; tell them that—though in a foreign land—her thoughts were of—her people; her prayers for them. “When I am dead—go to the Sighing Pine —rap loudly on its bark—three times—then pause—and rap again; bury me.near the spring,” Lorna was weeping as though her heart would break, but the old woman put out her hand and rested it on her dark tresses, “Don’t. ery, my Lorna—it is weak and childish to mourn for that we cannot remedy. We must—all die sooner or later—and when— our time comes—we must go. Don’t weep— child, Be brave—and true—and remember— all the lessons—I—have taught you, And don’t neglect your mission—it is my legacy.” ‘*Obh, mother — mother! don’t leave me alone!” and the child dropped on her knees by the side of the rude couch and wept aloud, ‘‘T must, darling; it is—God’s She gasped for breath and pede ot on. ‘‘-You will find some money—in the ground —under this couch. It is yours—don’t—for- get—my—legacy—go—Sighing—Pine- Baldo —help you. —Good—by—God—bless—you— ah!” She was dead. As the last spark of life flickered and went out, the sun rose over the tops of the hills, aud his glorious light proclaimed the Gipsy’s words: * T shall die with the rising of the sun.” For some time after life had fled from Vega’s body, Lorna sat quite still, except for an oc. casional sob that seemed to shake her whole What was she, a young girl searcely more than sixteen years of age, to do, alone in the great world, without a home except the but she now occupied? Without a friend in the wide earth! But stop! what had Vega meant by telling her to go to the Sighing Pine and rap in that~ mysterious manner? Who was there? Baldo? Who was Baldo?” She had not paid any attention to these things when the dying woman had spoken of them, but now they came to her with a thou- sand questionings, and she sprung quickly to ber feet, brushed the tears from her eyes, threw a blanket over the dead body, straightened up things about the hut, and then passing out and locking the door securely, sped away toward the Sighing Pine. As she started away over the bright green moss that sparkled in the morning light, the figure of a man, clad in an embroidered hunt- ing dress, and with a gum slung over his shoul- der, stepped from among the trees and watched her as She gradually disappeared from view. ‘¢ By Jove!” he muttered to himself, ‘‘ not half bad for the back-woods. Tm in a burry now, 80 I'll call again, Miss Wood-nymph, or my name is not Ralph Gordon,” and whistling ome f to himself, he st ode away into the CHAPTER II. BALDO—A PHOTOGRAPH, , AN hour’s brisk walk brought Lorna to the ighing Pine; and after hesitating an instant, she» pooped and picked up a,fallen limb and ear to the tree, ~ She had not hesitated or stopped a moment to Tick what might be the consequences of the signal she was about to give. She trusted pcomert in be word of tha’ oll -woman—trusted transpire or her grandmother would noitave given her the directions. The pame “Baldo” kept ringing through her brain, and with a firm hand and steadily beating eart, she smote the shaggy bark thrice. She waited and no response came, Tt’ was an enormous tree, whose high top far overtowered weaker growth Phot but C comicbooks. rc ~g