Beadle's Dime Library No. 162 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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cursed Fate; but come, mother, get your dis- guise on, and go with me, for I have found my wife and cbild,” and the man sunk into a chair almost overcome, ** Found them?’ “Yes, and again reddened my hand with blood, for I found there a wretch who sought to insult and wrong her, and before her very ‘eyes, and the eyes of our child I took his life.” ‘*Great God! this?” Duke Gregory, did you do in a deep swoon, strangely like death, and the child asleep, and hiding the body came after you.” “TI will go at once, Duke; but how about the body?’ said the cautious woman. “IT do not know; itis safely hidden for the present.” ‘*Then to-night it must be removed: a trunk will answer, and—” ‘*] will purchase a trunk and carry it there, and bring the body in it on board; when the crew are below to-night, I can drop it over- board and the tide will carry it away,” said Carl Carter. ‘“A good idea; the address is number 13 Eutaw Row; but come, mother, will you never be ready?” “Tam ready now, Duke; come!” Maddocks put them ashore in the boat, and then returned to the yacht, while the mother and son went direct to the humble home of the young wife, and Carl started in search of a trunk- shop. It was just dark as they reached Eutaw Row, and ascended to the second floor, where Duke Gregory, still in his disguise as Jew Ped- dler, and with his pack upon his back, paused, as if dreading to enter. At last he opened the door and entered. The child was gone from its crib, and the door between was clcsed. ‘She has recovered conscicusness: you go first, mother,” whispered the trembling man. Clarice Bond obeyed; but no response came to her rap. She repeated it louder, and still no answer. ‘‘Open the door, mother.” She did so, and even from her lips came a cry, for she knew death well when she saw it, and it was before her. There, upon the. bed, side by side, the little one’s head resting upon the mothers’ arm, lay Eva and her child. By the bedside was a table, and upon it was a bottle and a piece of paper. ‘Upon the bottle was labeled: “¢ Poison.” Upon the paper was written: “God forgive this act of mine; but it is better so, for hope has fled forever from my heurt. ‘Eva RaymMonp Grecory.” There was no reason for Clarice Bond to say a word. Duke Gregory saw all as quickly as she did. But pot a word came from his lips, as he walked forward and etood with majestic mien and folded arms xazing down upon the mother and her child; hit ~vife and child. His disguise as a Jew Peddler was sunk in the silent maje ty of his grief, and with alarm his mother gazed upon bim, fearing the worst. At last a step came upon the stair, and the mother hastened there. It was Carl Carter, carrying a large trunk upon his shoulders. In a word Clarice Bond told him all. Putting the trunk down, he came intc the room and gazed in silent awe at the beautiful dead and the grief-struck living. Going nearer he said. softly: ‘Come, captain, you go on board the yacht, and I will see to matters bere.” “ Found and lost,” came in deep tones from the stricken man; but his eyes never left the dead face of his wife. ‘Come, captain, for I must remove the body, before others come and it will be im- possible; where are the keys of the box?” Silently he took them from his pocket and banded them to him, and Carl hastened to the wood-box, fitted a key and unlocked it. Then he took from the box the body and placed it in the trunk. ** ask tne captain to aid me with it on my shoulder; that will rouse him,” whispered the young sailor. The mother made the request, and instantly it was obeyed. But at once, without a word Duke Gregory The Mad Mariner. 15 returned to his steadfast gaze upon the faces of the dead. Down the stairs with his heavy load went the young sailor, and once in the street hired a dray to carry it to the shore for him, from whence it was safely conveyed upon the Mis- chief, some suspecting the hideous secret the trunk held, concealed from morial gaze. Then back to Entaw Row went Carl Carter, Going on deck Carl Carter ordered the sails reefed close, and then the anchor was hoisted, and the Mischief darted away down the bay with the speed of the wind. In a little while, after getting well out into tbe bay, the fury of the gale was felt in its full force, Then upon deck came Duke Gregory, no longer wearing his disguise, and gazed around to find Duke Gregory still standing as he had | bim with apparent joy at the wild waters, | left him, and the poor mother almost wild with “Yes, but she did not know me; I left her anguish, ‘*Oh Carl! rouse him, or he will go raving mad,” she cried. ‘“‘T am mad now, mother,” was the deep, calm reply of the grief-haunted man, and bend- ing over he passionately kissed the faces of the dead. Then he turned and said, with a calmness that was painful to behold: ‘* Mother, I shall remain here with my dead until late to-night; then you and Mr. Carter come for me ina carriage, and I will carry them on board the yacht,” “Oh Duke, my son!” “T mean it; I shall carry my dead with me. Come at midnight for us.” “ Duke.” “ Mother, I amin earnest ” She knew that words would be useless, and they turned away, followed by Carl Carter, and Duke Gregory was alone with his dead. CHAPTER XXXII. THE MAD CAPTAIN. ~He market bell had just to: el the hour of midnight, when a closes csrriazs drove slowly up to the door of number 13 of the Eutaw Row. The night had grown dark and stormy, and the rain poured in torrents, causing two per- sons who aligh‘ed from the hack to draw their cloaks close around them, as they entered the house, The door was ajar, for in the house dwelt several families, and banged noiselessly, while swinging shutters, the patter of the rain and howling wind, drowned all other sounds. Up the stairs the two muffled forms went and stopped at the door, which was locked. Their rap, however, thrice repeated, caused a step to be heard within, and the door was opeced by Duke Gregory, still in his disguise ot the Jew peddler. ‘* You have come: what is the hour?” he said, calmly. ‘* After midnight,” answered his mother, ‘‘f am ready; I will carry my wife, you take mj child,” Iie folded a heavy shawl all around the form of the dead wits, aad raising her in his strong arms laid her head upon his shoulder and with- out a word left the room. Clarice followed with the child, also securely muffled up, and Carl brought up the rear with the peddler’s pack, ‘ Leave the door unlocked; let their absence be a mystery that none here can solve,” said Duke Gregory, turning on the stairs. In silence Carl obeyed and followed, Into the hack they got, the driver believing Eva to be an invalid, and the child asleep, and it roiled through the storm to the shore. There a boat awaited, with Maddocks and two oarsmen, “A bad night for a sick lady, sir,” volun- teered the driver, delighted at the liberal fee paid him by Carl. ‘* Yes, the worst night I ever knew,” was the low reply of Carl Gregory, and it was a true one, - The hack rolled back into the town, the oars splashed in the water, and the boat moved to- ward the yacht, The rough waves spattered them, as they broke over the bows, the rain still poured in torrents, and the wind swept by fiercely; but those in that little boat cared not for the ele- ments, and they were unheeded. At last the Mischief was reached, the dead forins of Eva and her child were borne into the cabin and laid upon sofas, and then came the stern orders from the master: 7 Mr. Carter, get the anchor up and make sail, All looked at bim in surprise, and Clarice Bond said with remonstrance: | ‘Captain Duke, it is blowing a tornado out in the bay.” “Those who fear to sail to-night, may go ashore,” was the stern response, in a tone that at once silenced remonstrance. ; i i | | | ‘‘Shake out those reefs!’ he cried, in sten- torian tones. ‘*She will not stand it, sir,” said a seaman. ‘What! do you dare utter a word when I command?’ shouted the now thoroughly mad captain. “TI don’t want to be drowned on account of a fool’s recklessness,” was the bold reply of the seaman, ‘Ha! that’s your bumor is it, my man?” said the captain, with awful calmness. ‘“‘'We are all that way of thinking too, I reckon. ‘*Come, lads, we know who he is, so let us save our lives and get the reward for his neck,” yelled the mutineer seaman, And in answer several of the crew, shipped by Maddocks, moved aft to join their leader. Maddocks and Carl Carter sprung to the side of their captain; but there was no use of their support, for with the yell of a madman he rushed upon the leader, seized him in bis powerful arms and hurled him into the sea, his terrified shriek rising above the howling winds and roaring waters. In dismay his mutineer comrades fled for- ward and crouched down in trembling dread. But Duke Gregory did not follow them, yet sbouted in his trumpet tones: ‘Shake out those reefs, I say!” Quickly the frightened seamen sprung to obey, and, in spite of the fierce gale and wave- swept decks, the reefs were shaken out and the full sails spread to the furious winds. Again at the helm, Duke Gregory held the bounding, reeling, plunging yacht on ber course, while all on board gave themselves up for lost, and stood gazing in horror upon the madman. Once Maddocks had moved forward, pistol in hand, as though to shoot him down and thus save the vessel; but he had felt a slight touch upon his arm, and turning had beheld Clarice Bond, who held a weapon in her hand also, “Throw that pistol into the sea, sir.” Her tone was calm; but he saw her face by the glare of the sea, and obeyed with a mut- tured curse, just as a sudden swoop of the yacht hurled a seaman forward into the mad waters, Mingling with his death-cry came a burst of demoniacal laughter from the madman, as he secured the vessel from her danger, and sent her again flying upon her fearful race with death. CHAPTER XXXIT. AT REST BENEATH THE SEA. ALL through the remainder of that fearful night, the yacht went tearing on her course, the wild laughter of her mad helmsman rising above the shrieking winds, and those on board crouching down in terror at the fate that threatened them. Once she had swept so near a huge vessel driving along under only storm-sails, that all believed she would dash into her and the sus- pense must end; but Duke Gregory swept her by almost at an oar’s length, and hurled back a mocking laugh at the curses heaped upon him by those upon the large vessel. Again, like the very wind, they sped by a wreck, and to the pitiful appeals of the crew for help, the madman answered with his wild laughter. But, with the break of dawn, the wind sud- denly lulled, and the seas beginning to run down, Duke Gregory left the helm to Mad- docks, while he went into the cabin. All that day the Mischief cruised listlessly about, Carl Carter and Clarice allowing no in- terference from the crew, and, as thesun went down, a dead calm fell upon the waters, and the moon, in its first quarter, hung in the east- ern horizon, silvering the sails and rigging with its light. Then out of the cabin came Duke Gregory and gazed in silence around him. The sails hung listless, there was no ripple ‘upon the waters, and the quietude upon the face of the deep could almost be felt. (E(0) EOMIEcbDoOoks i