Beadle's Dime Library No. 152 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

a err = brows, as if trying to recall something, but at length, opening them again she shook her head. ‘*No, Ido not remember you. Go away and leave me; I want to rest, I am so tired.” “All right, Ralph, go to sleep, if you wish,” and he leaned forward and placed his hand upon her héad, gently pressing it over her closed lids, and he smiled when he noticed that she almost immediately fell into a sound sleep. He bad, mes.* + ized her. Going over to where Lawrence was sleeping, he roused her, telling her he bad something of importance for her to do, and when she had fully awakened, he pointed to Lorna, and asked if she had ever seen that face before. The girl-boy shook her head a little, then going to the mirror, she gazed first at the re- flection of herself therein, and then at the sleeping woman, when, turning to Baldo with a mystified look in her pretty eyes, she said: ‘“Why! she looks like me, only my hair is short.” . ‘*Exactly! and I want you to personate her.” ‘*To what?” “To personate her; take back your old name of Lorna, but instead of becoming Gipsy Lorna again, you will be Lady Lorna Atherton, and live at Laurel Lodge.” “fT do not understand,” said Lawrence, rather mystified at Baldo’s words. ‘*T will explain more understandingly to you presently, but now I am‘ going to leave the room for a time, and while Iam gone I want you to change garments with that lady. “Make an entire change, even to under- clothes.” ‘* But suppose she won’t change?” ‘‘She will change with you; I'll fix that,” and going up to the sleeping one, he made a few passes over her throat, at the same time speaking to her in a low tone. “Tam going away for a few moments,” he was saying; “and while Iam gone I want you to take off the clothes you have on, and put on the ones which will be handed you.” He backed toward the door, keeping his eyes upon her until he had closed it between them, when the Lady Lorna, as if obeying some un- seen power, slowly arose to her feet and began divesting herself of her garments, Lawrence was not slow in doing the same, and when this operation was finished, she handed her ‘‘ Lawrence ” garb to Lady Lorna, who took them and began putting them on at once. Lawrence stood for a moment regarding the fine apparel which she was to don, for her eyes had never before beheld anything half so beautiful, but recovering, she hastened to array herself in the “‘ borrowed plumes,” not forget- ting to remove the portrait she had found to the pocket of her new costume. In a short time the exchange was completed, and then Lady Lorna returned to her couch, and ‘‘ Lawrence” poised herself ly be- fore the mirror and gazed upon the transfor- mation with looks of mingled astonishment and pleasure. ' Baldo soon came in, but stopped in the mid- dle of the room and looked at first one and then the other. , “Tf Il didn’t know which one was on that couch, I'm blessed if I could tell whether any change had taken place or not,” he muttered, half to himself. Lawrence left the glass when he entered, and going up to him, said: **Don’t I look nice, Baldo? It’s too bad, though, that this pretty dress is awfully torn in some places, but if I bad a needle, I could soon mend it.”’ Vega had not neglected to teach her child the use of the needle, and her knowledge of the mysteries of fancy-work would soon stand her in good stead. ** Never mind the needle or the rents,” said Baldog “‘ you will have some one to do such work for you now. ‘“‘Bic down; I want to give you some in- structions.” Baldo had rightly conjectured that Lady | Lorna had been lost in the woods, and was certain that a diligent search would be made for her hy the owner of Laurel Lodge, and had laid his plans accordingly. “] will take you out into the woods,” he said, after thinking a moment, ‘‘and you will wander about, aimlessly, for some tim», but all the while working in the direction that will take you near to Laurel Lodge. You know where it is located, although you have never been there, do you not?” ‘*Oh, yes! I was there once.” “You were? when?” ‘One day when I was roaming about the forest. But nobody saw me.” **T’m glad of that,” said Baldo, in a relieved tone, and then continued: “In your hands you will have a pair of lady’s scissors. and the hair I cut from your head the other day **' You will also be softly singing some song | to yourself, and when anybody meets you, | you must appear not to know them,—as indeed you will not—but if you are asked to accom- pany him, you must do so, “He will take you to Laurel Lodge, and hand you over to a maid wbo will undress you and put you to bed. This you must allow her to do. “Strangers will probably stand around you, and you will hear anxious whisvering going on about you but to these you must pay no atten- tion, but keep continually humming the same tune in the same low tone. ‘*'You will have to take bitter powders, in all probability, but you must take them with- out a murmur. ‘* At last you will be declared well enough to get up, when this same maid will dress you. ‘*Wander around, not recognizing anybody or anything but at the same time being sur- prised at nothing, until you bear from me again, when I will tell you what you are to do next. Have you understood me?” “Yes; but why am I to do this? Why can I not remain here with you, when I am happy?” “* Because, Lorna—your name will be Lor- na again—it is for your good to do as I wish you to in this, and some day you will thank me for it.” “What is to become of that lady?’ she asked pointing toward Lorna Atherton, who was lying like one dead, upon the couch. ‘“T will take good care of her; sbe will not suffer through the change, and you know my child, it is perfectly right, for you are obeying Vega’s instructions. Now are you ready? be- cause we must start at once.” “T am ready,” replied Lorna, taking up the sun-hat that the sleeping one bad worn. They were about to leave the room when Baldo stopped ber, and after removing the ear- rings, bracelets, and watch from Lorna Ather- ton’s body—for she had retained them when shemade the change—he told his companion to put them on, and together they left the apart- ment. For some distance they proceeded along through the woods in silence, until finally Baldo came to a halt. “This is as far as I dare accompany you,” he said. ‘‘ Do you remember all. the instructions I have given you, and will you follow them out implicitly?” ‘*T remember,” she replied. ** Very well,” said the old man, placing the pair of scissors in her hand. ‘‘ Now don’t for- get a word I have said to you, and remember that your safety depends upon your success in obeying me.” With that he left her. For some time Lorna stood still and thought. The events of the last few days had brought so Many changes to her that she had ceased to be surprised at anything, and she was resolved to earry out her benefaetor's instructions. Determined in this, she commenced hum- ming a wild, weird Gipsy air, and wandered on throagh the woods. Ob, what a difficult task she had under- ey but her very ignorance would assist er. CHAPTER XI. DICK PRINCE. To say that Lillian Leonard was left in a dangerous predicament would be to recall the reader’s miud to the fearful railway accident that happened to the train on which she was a passenger, bound for Washington. She was almost unhurt, but the shock and jar had nearly deprived her of consciousness, although she still had senas enough to know that she was in great danger, for the crackling, roaring of the flames, and the smell of the smoke, was borne to ber by the fierce draught that was drawing through the burning car. But she was helpless, Seats were piled, heap on heap, over and on —EE ee | every side of her, although the position in _ Captain Ironnerve, the Counterfeiter Chief. 9 which she was lying prevented them from rest- ing heavily upon her. | Voices could be heard above the roaring of the flames—voices of humane men, who, hav- ing freed themselves, were now trying to suc- cor those. who still remained within the wreck. Would they reach her in time? Place yourself in the same position, reader, and then imagine with what anxiety you would wait for help to come, She could not see any thing but the seats that were piled up about ber, and hence she did not know how eagerly death was reaching out for her, helpless as she was. Slowly, but surely the fire was momentarily drawing nearvr and nesrer, and at last she could feel the hot air as it tanned her cheek, and made the air difficult for ber to breathe. ‘“ Help—help !” she eried frantically; but the workers were all engaged amid the ruins of the car in front of the one in which she bad been a passenger, and could not hear ber shouts, “ Help - HELP!!” she cried again, as the crack- ling and hissing of the flames sounded nearer and the air she was inhaling grew denser, warmer, and more laden with suffocating smoke; but the shouts of the men; the cries of the women who had lost a husband; the wail- ing of the children who missed a loved father or mother from their sides, all helped to call the attention of the workers in anotber direc- tion, And the fire was nearer still. “Help! Oh, God help me!” she wailed in the agony of despair, as she caught sight of a tongue of flame as it shot into the car, not fif- teen feet away. There was a crashing rfoise on the side of the car, over her head, as axes were being driven into the yielding wood by stronug arms and irou muscles. Oh help! make haste !” she called out again when the welcome sound fell upon her eurs and she could bear the blows as they fell, as if applied by redoubled efforts, Crash! A piece of the siding of the car is loose and has fallen upon the heap, underneath which Lillian is lying. Crash! Another piece is added to it, and a voice ex- : claims: ‘‘Keep up your courage, we will be to you soon.” Crash—crash ! ‘** Now quick with that grappling,” shouts a masculine voice in a harsh, gruff tone, but oh, how sweeti and musical it sounds to Lillian as she lies there helpless. She can hear a noise as if somethingis drag- ged from the pile upon her, and the voice calls out: ** Courage—have courage—we will be to you soon,” and then she hears the sound of violent hissing, as bucket after bucket of water is dashed upon the flames, which are now send- ing outa beat which almost scorches her. Another obstruction is pulled away, and she can again detect the sound of the grappling being lowered, and then she hears it as they pull it up, laden with pieces of the wreck, Still another! She can see through the pile of confusion now, and ber eyes encounter the forms of the mev at work above her, some dashing water upon the fire and others working with might and main to remove the obstacles that stand between her and liberty. She feels that they must be quick or they will be too late, but she ki eps up her courage wonderfully, aud at last has the satisfaction of seeing the last piece of obstruction thrown aside by a man who bas leaped down to ber more immediate assistance. She feels strong arms lift her from her un- comfortable position and then she knows no more. Her courage held out to the last, but when she saw that she was safe, the reaction was so great that she fainted, Help bad come to her just in time, for they had bardly got her outside the car, when little tongues of burning flame began to shoot in and out, and all around the very place in which she had been lying. She was carried to a grassy spot where dozens were lying, some but slightly injured, and others in the last throes of death were groaning and calling aloud for some one to, in mercy, kill them, One poor woman, whose head and face was terribly burned, was sitting underneath a tree, es EORNIE MOO KS cor * . * ie 2 ee