Beadle's Dime Library, No. 198 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

a | rh ee ee - —s —_—_ —- = only a rough sailor, and she a lady; but I love | a little angel, and when I told her my mother her more than all else in the world, and I | was sick, she said she would fix upa basket of would die for her this moment, if it was to | nice things to send her, and oh! such a lot of bring ber joy.” things she did send down aboard.my boat. ‘‘ Have you spoken to Bessie upon the sub- “It took two negroes to carry them.” ject, Jean?” asked Juan Gito, quietly. ‘* Have you seen her since?” ‘‘ Not for some time.” “No.” * And what said sbe then?” ‘‘But you would know her if you saw ber ‘‘ She told me she liked me, and I had better | again?” wait a few montbs and see if my love did not} ‘‘ Anywhere.” grow cold, “ Jean, do you believe in witches?” “I bave waited, Juan, and my love is} ‘ Yes, Juat,” and the young seaman sbud- stronger tban ever for ber, so I came over to | dered. ask you to let me make her my wife.” ‘Well, our house had a visit from a witch He was terribly in earnest, seeming todread the other night.” the refusal of the father to sanction the mar-| ‘‘ Oh, no, Juan,” and Jean Jewett turned pale. riage far more than he did the thought that ‘Yes, and I was the one the witch came to the maiden would not accept him as a hus- | see.” band. ** You?’ Suddenly a strange light came into the face we es,” “You will die, Juan?” * Yes, if Ido not obey the witch.” ‘* What did she tell you to do, Juan?” ‘* She said that there were many who loved my daughter, and tbat 1 could only find out the one whom she ought to marry, by seeing if he would take oath to obey my command.” ‘*T did that, Juan,” eagerly said the young seaman, ‘f'Yes, but you have not obeyed it yet.” of Juan Gito, and rising to his feet he looked the young sailor squarely in the face, ‘‘ Jean Jewett,” he said, impressively, ‘‘ you profess to love my child?” ‘‘T do love her, Juan, with all my heart and soul,” ‘‘ She is all I bave in the world.” ‘‘T will not take ber away from you, but | live here, and [ will do all your work, Juan, for you are getting along in years now, and I | am young and strong.” “Oh, but 1 will, for I would be fearfully ‘Jean Jewett,” continued the fisherman, | frightened to see a witch.” ‘‘are you willing to prove that you love my | ‘You would bave cause to be, Jean; but let child?’ me tell you more, “Indeed I am, Juan.” ‘The witch said that there was one person “In any way?” who must die, for she had become possessed of ** Yes.” an evil spirit—” ‘*You will do anything I ask of you, to “The witch, Juan?’ gain my consens$ to your marriage with Bes- ‘*No, the person who must die,” sie?” “On “Yes,” “Yes, where she was once good, for the sins ‘‘No matter what [ may ask of you?” of her kindred she had become possessed of an “*T will do it.” evil spirit, and that it was but just that she ‘* Tf it is to risk life?” roust die.” * Yes,” ‘So it is, Juan.” “To take fearful chances!’ “ And Jean, I was told to order the one who “Tl take them.” was to marry my daughter to do the deed.” ‘Suppose it was to kill?” ** Kill her?” “ Juan, I don’t understand you.” of i “Would you kill any one to gain Bessie’s ‘“‘T never killed anybody, Juan,” hand?” “ But the witch commands this,” ‘* Juan Gito, I love her so dearly I would do ‘¢‘ And I don’t see how I could kill a woman.” anything to win her.” ‘‘ Easy enough, if you go the right way ‘* You will swear to this?’ about it.” ** Yes, Juan.” “T fear not.” ‘* Will you swear, if [ give my full consent ‘‘ As you please, Jean; but you swore to do that Bessie shall be your wife, to do my full | my bidding, and your reward will be Bessie’s bidding?” band: but never miod, there is Tom Cartei, “ Yes, Juan,” Brent, and a number of others will be only ‘* Kiss this cross and swear it by your hopes | too glad.” that the Skeleton Schooner may never cross “‘Oh Juan, don’t speak of them, for I swore, your path, and thus doom your soul to be | and I will doit.” lost.” *‘ Mind you, not one word to Bessie about it.” He held a gold crucifix, as he spoke, before “Oh no,” the young seaman, who kissed it with rever- “It might break the charm of her love if ence, and said impressively: she knew it.” ‘*T swear to do your bidding, Juan Gito, be ‘‘T'll never tell her, Juan.” it what it may. “That is right.” “I swear it by my hope that the Skeleton “‘ Who is the victim, Juan?” Schooner may never cross my path to doom “A young girl.”’ my soul among the lost.” ‘¢ Where will I find her?” ‘‘Amen! now I will tell you my wish, Jean ‘You must’ seek her home from some ex- Jewett.” cuse, get to see her, and in some way get her **I will do it, whatever it is, Juan Gito,” was | into the boat. . the low reply, for the young man seemed to “Then row her out to sea, and tie her feel now that some fearful ordeal was before | securely so she cannot escape. him. ‘‘When you are a long way out, untie her, “You knuw the plantation of the Morti- | throw her overboard, and then row to the mers” nearest point of land, set her boat adrift, and ** The Everglades?” you come back to your house with all speed.” “Yes.” ‘“‘T can leave my boat at the point [ land, **} do.” and walk to her home,” said Juan, “Have you ever seen tha young girl, Mabel ‘Yes, that would be a good idea. But Mortimer?” aa . . you must tie her, so that she cannot escape, “Yes, and she is as beautiful as an angel, | but set her free when you throw her over- Juan; yes, even though [love Bessie as I do, | board, for it must look as though she was ac- I believe that Miss Mortimer is more lovely.” | cidentally drowned, and her boat being found “When did you see her?” adrift will aid in this belief.” ‘‘T put into the haven once, under stress of | “I'll do it, Juan. weather.” | But who is the girl?” ‘‘ How long ago?” ‘Mabel Mortimer of The Everglades.” “Several years ago, when my mother was “No! ro! no! I cannot do it,” and the alive.” - young man groaned aloud. “ And you saw her then? “You shall, for you must keep your oath, “Yes, I saw ber on the pier and asked if | or the witch will visit you,” was the stern re- I was intruding, and she smiled so sweetly and | ply of Juan Gito. said no. “Then she sent me down to the pier a most magnificent dinner, with wine and fruit, and in the afternoon sne came again berself and “Sister, I wish to speak with you,” said asked me all about myself. ; Mark Mortimer pleasantly, one morning a few “1 tell you, Juan, I seemed to be talking to" days after his compact with Frank Forrester. CHAPTER XLV. IN A WEB. a a ee ee oe —— ——— Do = - = ‘What is it, Mark?” asked the maiden, lay- ing down her guitar and facing him, as he came into her room. ** First, I wish to tell you about a strange thing that Fidele, your maid did,” Mabel blushed, but made no immediate reply, other than: ** Indeed?” ** Yes; do you keep as sharp an eye upon her as you might?” **T think I know of all her movements,” was the cold response. * Did you know that she went, several nights since, to Lakelands?’’ ‘“Why Mark, what could she have gone there for?” asked Mabel with an inncecence that was remarkable under the circumstances; but she had placed herself upon her guard, feeling that she had to pass through a trying ordeal. ‘*I thought you could tell me why she went there, Mabel.” ‘Why how should I know, brother?” | “Tf you do not, I shall have to have ber whipped for leaving the place without leave,” **You will do no such thing, Mark, for Fidele is my slave, not yours, and you have no authority in the matter whatever.” “Tam master here now, Mabel, and—” “Pardon me, but you are not master, for I know that your inheritance you squandered in gambling and riotous living, and that I am mistress here.” He winced under this dead shot, for he had not believed that Mabel had interested herself in the affairs of the estate, but this seemed to imply that she had, and most thoroughly too. “I do not deny your claim, Mabel, only without a master, all would go to ruin berg very soon, and I wished to be the head, until I completed my arrangements for going e!se- where to make my fortune, for, as you hint, I am a mere pauper.” ‘* No, no, brother, as long as I have a home it is your home, only don’t try to rule me as you would a slave, for my spirit won't brook it. “If Fidels3 went to Lakelands, as you say, I shall find out from her, and if it was not to see some of the slaves, I shall give ber to under- stand that she must be careful bow she does so again.” ‘* But the worst part, Mabel, is that a man who saw her followed her, and since then he has not been seen alive, but his body was found to-day, fearfully mangled, ss though torn by bloodhounds.” “This is awful, brother; but who was the man?” **One of the crew of the Lantern.” “*Did Mr. Forrester send bim after Fidele as a spy?’ He saw her look and manner, and at once took upon himself the blame by saying, for fear the truth would injure Forrester’s pros- pects; ‘**No, I sent him, as there was no slave near I could call on.” ** How do you account for his fearful end?” **] only wish I knew.” ** Have you tried to find out?’ **T have,” ‘Perhaps the plantation bloodhounds were loosee—Il know they escape sometimes—and found him on the beach and attacked him,” suggested Mabel, innocently, though she was really deeply distressed to learn of the sad end of the man who had played the spy upon Fi- dele, for the quadroon bad told the whole story to her mistress. Could Percy Wyndham have so cruelly ended the life of the man? she thought. No, she could not, would not believe it of him. The man had escaped doubtless, and knowing the harm he could do her and him, he had without doubt set the dogs on bis trail, and they had done their work but too well. Such would she believe was the case. “Well, Mabel, IL bave something else to speak to you about,” said Mark Mortimer, who | bad watched his sister most attentively while he spoke of the fate of the spy from the Jack- o’-lantern, yet had discovered no trace on her face that she knew more than she would ad- mit. “ Well, brother” she responded, quietly. ‘“How do you like my friend Frank Forres- ter?’ he abruptly asked. “He is very elegant in his manners, hand. some, is very kind to me, and I like him; yet he seems to me to bea man a pure maiden might fear rather than love,” eGomiGconeo <=) j 47 P