Beadle's Dime Library No. 204 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

well, His friend Bowen was a wonderful man, | Frank will be a pauper! But there is one according to his account of him; the owner of vast possessions in Virginia, of good family, the very soul of honor, and the hero of several famous duels. It was the old. story over again. ‘‘ She loved bim for the dangers he had passed,” Up to this time, the fair widow had evi- dently been more favorably disposed toward Captain Ames than his comrade, but.as the former so generously ‘‘gave himself away” in favor of the latter, Mrs. Duval unconsciously began to find herself thinking of the elegant and distinguished stranger, whose calls were now made more frequently than before. The end was close at hand. It was with deep’ concern and anguish of | heart that Major Adler realized all that was going on. When he did, he resolved on mak- ing a final appeal and remonstrance. sides reminded by the lady that she was. capa- ble of using ber own judgment in affairs whether of her beart or of finance. No hope was now left. Frank Adler disposed of his Florida planta- tion, and returned to Texas, where he pur- chased cotton lands, on the Rio Brazos, and spent his leisure in educating his son George, a noble youth, with all the integrity and up- rightness which distinguished his father, Soon after the departure of the Adlers, Col- onel Bowen was accepted by Mrs. Duval, and the happy pair left to pass the honeymoon in Cuba. Meanwhile, the festive Captain Jack Ames was left in charge of the Duval planta- tion; and that excellent individual made good use of his time, disposing of a large amount of sugar and other products, and pocketing the proceeds. His little boy he at once placed in a boarding-school; and then, afver an inspection of the plate-closets, he made a trip to New Orleans, where he entered into a contract with a gang of burglars to make a descent upon the mansion, he aiding them allin his power. Upon the return of Colonel Bowen and wife from Cuba, the former took charge at once of the plantation, thus being able to cover up the felonious acts of his friend. One of the family »servants, however, secretly divulged the trans- actions of Captain Ames to her mistress, soon after her return, A stormy scene ensued. Mrs. Bowen insisted that. Ames should leave forthwith, and the latter refused to go. This, and the fre- quent interviews of her husband with Ames, made the lady not only very indignant, but suspicious as well. At length, in a fit of anger, she accused the captain of, being connected with the disappearance of her plate, and threa*ened to have him arrested on this charge, This so infuriated him, that he at once demanded a private interview with Colonel Bowen, when he began with the very words he had used on a former occasion: ‘I say to you now most emphatically, Tom Bowen, that this thing can’t last much longer. There is no safety for ine here. A woman is liable to sometimes do as she threatens, and it would be a pretty kettle cf fish if I should be | brought before acourt of justice. Many things would be raked up, and both of us would go under, Dv you see things in that light?” “IT see we are in the crater of a volcano,” | said Bowen, “and Iam at a loss what to do, Agnes insists that you are nothing but a low gambler, and furged the letters which induced her to become my wife.” Jack Ames turned aside his face to conceal the fiendish joy that contorted it. Everything was working as favorably for his cause as he could wi-h. “Tom,” he said, ‘there is but one road open to safety. You remember that you solemnly swore that if you found, after marriage, tbat you could not accomplish what you promised as the reward of my services, you would do a deed that would place everything in your own power. I hold your note for twenty-five thousand dollars, and as things are now work- ing, you will never be able to pay it. Neither will you be able, in the far future, to bring about the marriage you have promised between the children. There is just one thing, Tom Bowen—your wife must die !” “Great God!” exclaimed the wretched man, ‘Has it come to this? Jack, you know, I never dreamed of it!” ** There, that will do, Tom,” said the other, assuming a despondent air; “I see you are not the man I took you to be. After all that I have done for you, I must now go to jail, and His ad- | dresses were firmly rejected, and he was be- | Big Foot Wallace. 7 ' consolation; you will also be in the same—” ‘*Stop, Jack! there! You are putting things too strong. I am almost insane with this continual worry. I want peace. You shall have your money, even should Agnes thrust me out into the) I_ know that she keeps that much in | world. her private safe, and I will do my best to get it. But I must go now. My brain is on fire. I must ride this thing off, or I shall be ill, Jack, I tell you, those little ones, Eddie and Belle, have greatly changed me. I wish I had been a better man!’ With these words, Colonel Bowen rushed to the stables, mounted his fleetest saddle-horse, and was soon dashing at beadlong speed up For Gods sake, stop right ) / ' | i i ] ! the river road, as if the Eyil One were in pur- | suit of hit, It was from seeing him, and their conse- quent fear that something dreaiful had hap- pened, that influenced some of the older slaves to depute one of their number, an aged negro who was greatly privileged around the man- sion, to ascertain if ‘“ Anythin’ done gone wrong wid the mist’,”’ The old man returned with the assurance | that all was well; he having seen Mrs. Bowen walking with the children on the veranda, Half an hour after the departure of the colonel, noon siesta, and repaired to her own apart- | ment. Adjoining this room was that of the Mrs. Bowen ordered the children totheir after- | little ones, and a wide door communicated be-— tween them. The windows were low, and one 'could easily step from the piazza into the | room. No sooner had Agnes Bowen thrown herself upon the bed, ina weary, listless manner, _thana pretty quadroon girl entered the cham- ber with a goblet of iced claret which she placed upon a stand, within easy reach of her mistress, who lay with closed eyes, in ap- parent dreamy forgetfulness. The servant | passed out through the children’s room, and in 89 doing disturbed Eddie, who was but half awake; and, as he rolled over in bis crib, he peeped between its bars, and through the open | door into his mother’s room. _Captain Jack Ames steal through a window, and approach the table by his mother’s bed- side, where, with a scared look, be poured the contents of asmall vial into the iced claret. Pondering over this, which he could not under- stand, little Eddie Duval soon fell asleep. When Colonel Bowen returned from bis ride, he felt calmed, and better in every way. He began t9 realize how guilty he had been in per- mitting himself to become the dupe of such a villain as Ames. He went directly to his wife’s apartment, passing, as he did so, through that of the children. As he gazed, first at their innocent sleeping faces, and then upon that of his wife, for the first time since he had known her, the scene impressed him deeply. The face of Agnes Bowen seemed angelic. He raised his hand _reverently, and mentally vowed that he would a ican high from earth, when the word was given. All was silent as death. “‘Have you anything to say, Miguel, before you go to answer for your many crimes, es- pecially in regard to Chiquita Zardila, whom you induced to leave her home in this city, and then having deceived her, foully mur- dered her near Mission San Jose?” . At the mention of this crime, the wretch’s face became almost convulsed with a horror that was terrible to look upon. in a gasping whisper, he muttered: “Santissima Maria!” At this moment a rifle shot broke the still- ness, and Miguel Rios, with a bullet through his brain, sunk to the earth. As the report sounded on the air, a horse, at headlong speed, gal- loped from behind the crowd toward the San Pedro, Seated upon the steed was a young and dashing looking, Mexican; but a fusilade of revolver shots, hastily sent after him, failed to bring down either man or mustang. ‘*Dog-gone ther cantankerous cuss!” said Big Foot in deep disgust. ‘‘ He allers war lucky, an’ he’s beat me on ther last deal. But string him up, boyees; we'll hang ther galoot any way, fore he gits cold.” This order was immediately obeyed. “‘T s’posed ther Rio Grander hed pards hyar,” said Post Oak Bill; “an’ ye kin jist gamble thet ther pepper eater what pulled trigger war afeerd Miguel ’ud wag a loose tongue. Let’s ’zamine his pockets, an’ see how he pans out in the way of infermashe,” ‘*Dang’d ef yer ain’t gittin’ kinder cute, old pard,” said Big Foot, admiringly. ‘I bates ter touch ther dirty kicte, but !’ll rum- age his togs fer the good o’ the public.” Forth came first, the inevitable pouch of corn-husk cigarritos, then a few pesos and a Spanish dirk; and lastly, a crumpled letter. All of these were passed by Big Foot to Mar- tin Campbell, he being the only man connectcd with the hanging, except Post Oak Bill, who remained on the spot. The crowd had left in disgust. The daring Greaser, who had risked his life and evaded all pursuit, was still in the city, it, _ was evident; and, for all that any one knew, As the child did so, he saw the form of | love and protect his wife forever, ay, even | with bis heart's blood. | Advancing to the bed, he called, softly and | lovingly: | ‘Agnes! Agnes, are you asleep, darlihg” _ No answer came, though it was now far past _the bour for her usual afternoon repose. He placed. his hand upon hers, and bis face _suddenly became livid, He removed his hand, and pressed it over her heart, but its pulsa- tions were silent—stilled forever. Her breast was cold and motionless as marble, , might even now be promenading the Main Piaza. Many had started on the instant in pursuit of him, but there were hundreds of Mexicans of the same size and appearance, and it was impossible to find the right man. As has been mentioned, the dwellings on the south side of the Military Plaza of San An tonio, were the old Mexican adobes, These houses were but one story in hight, with walls three feet thick, which were built the same dis- tance above the flat roof, as is commen iw all Spanish American countries. Every casa, or house, is in reality a fortress: the windows be- ing without glass, but having heavy iron bars set into the walls, and also protected with thick oaken shutters. The mesquite tree upon which the Greaser had been bung stood near to the line of dwel- lings, there being at that day no stores on the Military Plaza; in fact they were but a few feet from the walls, and when the shot was fired that killed Miguel Rios, a Mestizo, or In- dian balf-breed, crawled along the roof, end peered down upon the party through the thick foliage. His repulsive features lit up with a smile as he saw that the bullet had done its work; but when Post Oak’ Bill proposed searching the pockets of the corpse, this expression changed to a scowl of the most fiendish rage.’ When the crumpled letter was produced by Wallace The strong man sprung erect, his eyes glar- | end handed to Martin Campbell, the Mestizo ing wildly with an unspeakable horror, as his | ground his teeth in a fury, and drawing back, bands opened and closed spasmodically, clutch- ing at the empty air; then, with a half-stifled, agonizing cry, drawn in deathly anguish from bis inmost soul, the erring man fell prostrate upon the floor beside the bed on which lay his murdered wife, CHAPTER III. A FRESH ARRIVAL. As Big Foot Wallace spoke, Sol Childers walked close up to the trembling wretch, looked in h's face an instant, and exclaimed; ‘‘-You’ve done well, Wallace. That’s Miguel Rios. We've been wanting him, Send him up, boys!” Not another word was spoken. The hands of Miguel Rios were tied, the deathly noose was secured about his neck, and the lasso was held by hands that were ready to pull the Mex- began rolling over on the roof in his insane rage, drawing his cuchillo, or long knife, and cutting the air, But a short time, however, was spept hy him in this way, for, springing half erect, he crawled along to a trap-door and disappeared through it, When Big Foot ascertained that be bad se- cured ail that was in Miguel’s pockets, he re- turned to the Main Plaza, accompanied by Post Oak Bill and Martin Campbell; and all ad- journed to the bar-room of George Horner, on Commerce street, where they seated themselves at one of the card-tabies in a retired corner of the room, Had any one of the trio opened the back door quickly, he would have caught the Mes- tizo, for the latter was peeping through the dusty window upon them, having gained his position of espionage by passing between the / IOO Eom iS (E con