Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 209 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Hark, auntie! Some one is coming up toward our room, Perhaps it is he?’ ‘ It was a waiter, who knocked at the door, and was admitted by Mrs, Outram. ** A gentleman to see Miss Rosina.” ‘* Who is it?’ she eagerly asked, ef Mrs. Outram read from the card that was handed to her, ‘* Benito Rosalba.” { ‘“‘My brother! My dear little brother!” ex- Claimed Rose. ‘Send him up at once.” Benito had come up at the heels of the waiter, | and the next moment Rose had him folded in | a close and long embrace. | ‘Why, you big fellow!” she said, holding ) him off to take a good look at him. ‘* How tall you have got to be! And you have almost out- grown your hump. But you could never grow out of my heart, dear Benito. How did you know that I was here?” “Mr. Ryder told me—the man who looked so much like a clergyman. I had employed him to search for you, and you know how he found “They tell me, Benito, that you left the ' ranch, and followed me off.” ‘‘ Yes, sister; I have been seeking you a long time; but it was only lately that 1 was able to begin a proper search. I drifted back here, and was kindly taken into the office of Farley & Warne. I told them my story, and they offered to help me find you. They supplied me with nai ee money, and have been wonderfully cind.’ ‘“‘f am sure of that, and I know that I owe them much. It is no wonder that you could not find me, Benito, as I was far from here, and I I kept myself disguised as well aslecould. I[ | was afraid of your father and his nephew, and dared not even let you know where I was, for fear that they would find me. Manuel Vin- cente did find me in San Francisco, and here be found me again.” ‘‘ He is dead now, sister.” “T know it. Thanks to the Green Gaard, I hay2 no longer any fear of him. Tell me, Be1- ito, is not your friend, Mr. Farley, the lador of the Green Guard?” ‘‘ That is a secret, sister; but I believe I may tell you that he is.” ‘“T knew it. I am anxious to see him.” “You will see him shortly. He told me he would follow me here.” ‘‘[ know it, Benito, I must show you my dear auntie, who bas been waiting so patiently to speak to you.” While Benito was making the acquaintance of Mrs, Outram, and he and Rose were recount- ing their various experiences, a waiter brought the information that Mr. Buchanan Farley was below, wishing to see ‘‘ Miss Rosina.” ’ “Show him up,” said Rose, striving to com- . pose herself for the interview which she almost : dreaded while she intensely longed for it. | The Bonanza Prince was not so hasty as Benito had been; but he shortly entered the room, and glanced quickly at Rose, whose face was averted from him at the moment. ‘‘T have called to see Miss Rose Warren,” he said. His words added a flush to her face and a light to her eyes as she turned toward him. But who was that tall and fine-looking man with the heavy beard? She must not act upon impulse alone. Had the ‘great light” of which she had spoken really dawned? : “ Rose!” he exelaimed, and there was no mis- taking the voice, the air, the gesture. ‘‘ Edward!” she answered, and they met at nn nae a & last. ‘‘Tt is indeed you,” she said, ‘‘It is impossi- ble, but itis true. Were you actually thrown into Death Gulch?” “¢7] was, and was miraculously preserved. Bub. that is a long story, to which you may listen when we have more leisure.” ‘‘God bas given you back tome. At least He has given you back, and I hope it is to me that He has given you. I could not live if I should lose you now.’ “Iam entirely yours, Rose, as I have always been. But there is another here, waiting im- Patiently to see you, who has a better right to your love and duty than I have.” A better right, Edward? What can you mean?” ; ‘‘An older right, at least. You once had a 3 father.” ‘Yes, and be was very dear to me; but I lost him when I was a child. He disappeared , Many years ago, and they told me that he was dead. Is he not dead?” ““No. He, too, was thrown into Death Gulch by Pedro Rosalba, and he, too, was miraculously preserved. He is now the elder partner in the firm of Farley & Warne, and he is waiting for y me to call him up here.” " ‘Qh, callhim up! Call him up at once!” p* It was not necessary to call John Warne. He | had quietly followed his partner up-stairs, and had been listening at the door, and there he stood, trembling with eagerness. _The next moment his daughter was folded in his arms, and his tears of joy were falling on her head. ** Would you have known me? she asked, as she lifted up her happy eyes to his face. — ad rr cee tl lls TT LS ve —_——$———---— — - * Known you, my child? Of course I would not. I left you a little Gipsy of a girl, and I find you a tall and splendid woman. I need not ask you if you would bave known me.” **But I would have known you,” Rose de- clared. ‘‘That is, I know you very well now, and am sure that you are my own dear father. I have never forgotten you, and you have not changed so very much,’ ** And now, my dear child,” said the old man, ‘Task nothing more of this world, There is nothing more that it can give me. I am re- stored to you, and I need live but a little longer to see you united to a man who would be fully worthy of you if you were the best of created beings. I bave seen him tried in many ways, and I know him to be as good as gold and as true as steel. If it had not been for him, I would never have met you again in this world.” ‘**T formed a pretty good opinion of him some time ago,” remarked e, with a blusb. ‘Speaking of good people, you would have to go tar to find a better than my dear auntie here, Mrs. Outram, who will be glad to know you both. If it had not been for her, 1 would 1ave perished on the plain sbortly after I ran away from Pedro Rosalba, and she has been more than a mother to me ever since.” Mrs. Outram’s kindly face spoke for her as well as Rose’s words, and the two men over- whelmed her with assurances of their gratitude, which she declared she did not deserve, as Rose had been far more to her than she could have been to Rose. ee “The name of Outram is a familiar one to me,” said Buck Farley. ‘“‘A sister of my mother’s married a man named Outram. Her name was Margaret Helmsley.” ‘‘That’s me!” exclaimed Mrs. Outram, ‘My sister Louise married Andrew Dorlon; but they both died far away from me, and I understood that they left no children.” “There was one boy, aunt Margaret, who has lived and knocked about the world, and is very glad to find you at last.” ‘This is too bad,” said Rose. ‘* You must not take my auntie away from me.” ‘*T will not. She shall be your auntie as well as mine, as soon as you are willing to make her ‘“AsT could never bear to lose her, it must be as you say. Now you see, auntie, that my prophecy hascome true. [said thatmy troubles were at an end, and that I would soon see a great light.” ‘‘Had you believed, then, asked the Bonanza Prince. ‘‘Not until very lately; had been wondering and ecto, When Pedro Rosalba was ruined in the New Ophir speculation, and I was saved, [ felt that some agency was at work ‘sgaives him. When I vas rescued from the road-agents, I felt that some power was protecting me. When those pictures were sbown at Mr. Pratt’s exhibition, 1 won- dered who it could be that knew so much. When those scoundrels who threw you into Death Gulch met their fate, one after one, I wondered yet more. When I saw you out here in the street, your form and air sent a strange hope to my heart. WhenI beard your voice at the Little Ruby mine, it thrilled me through and through. All this time my wonder and hope had been growing, and last night your voice made me almost certain; but it was not until the death of Number Three that I really knew who you were. Can it be, now, that you have been doing so much for me, and have not —— that it was 1 whom you were help- ing “IT must confess that I never guessed it. When I first heard of you, in that New Ophir affair, | felt that I owed you something, and you were a woman, and your name reminded me of Rose. But I have been pursuing my own ends, which happened to work in your favor. I felt sure that I would find you when the proper time came.” The Bonanza Prince told the story of his es- cape from death, and of the deliverance of himself and Rose’s father from Death Gulch. He showed. how the discoveries made there had brought fortune to both of them, and declared that he had been merely an instrument in the hand of Providence for the punishment of men who were guilty of the basest of crimes. _ : ‘‘A willing instrument, my son,” said his partner. ‘However, I went as far as you went, and am equally responsible with you. But we may stop now. There is one left, and that one the worst of all; but we have had enough. Let there be no Number Four!” “‘T am satisfied,” replied Farley. ‘‘ I shall not ursue Pedro Rosalba any further. But I be- ieve that he will get his deserts.” CHAPTER XXXII. ‘‘ WHO WILL BE NUMBER FOUR?” WHEN Pedro Rosalba reached his ranch, after his unsuccessful attempt to find Padre Sarza, he told his wife of the great success he and Manuel had made in the capture of Rose. “Itis a bit of bad luck that Sarza is awa just now,” he said, the next day; ‘“‘ but I soon settle that matter. There is an Irish that I was living?” but for some time I Buck Farley, the Bonanza Prince. DN e060..." 23 priest near Warveton who is strongly bound to me, and I will get him. Have dinner put on the table while 1 send a messenger to Masitel, and when I have eaten 1 will go to this padre Gallagher. ln the mean time, the girl is safe.” They had hardly finished their dinner, which was not an abundant one, when a visitor ar- rived, and was ushered into the room where they were seated. He was a tall man, of respectable appearance, and was a stranger to Rosalba, who invited bim to be seated, and inquired his name and business, ‘“My name is Morris,” said the stranger. *‘and I have heard that you want to sell this property. Iam ready to buy it if we can agree upon terms.” _ This was an offer at which the Mexican umped eagerly, as affording him an exit from is embarrassments. But it would not do to be too hasty. Saying that be had no time to spare, he named his price. ‘We will not quarrel] about the figure, if you can give me a title,” said Morris, ‘* But I have heard that Buck Farley has a claim on the ranch.” **Tt’s a lie!” said Rosalba. ‘When I heard that he claimed to have a deed, I pronounced it a forgery. Now I know that the claim was false, and that he has no such deed.” ** Are you sure of that, Mr. Rosalba.” ** Yes, I dm sure of it.” *‘ Well, sir, as I have seen such a deed in Mr. Farley’s possession, and as you are sure that he has not got it now, I suppose you can tell me where it is?” ** What do you mean by tbat, sir?” Pedro Rosalba looked into the muzzle of a pistol, and saw that the meaning of his visitor was plain. ‘‘] mean that you are my prisoner,” replied Morris, ‘‘I have a warrant to search this house, issued by the Vigilance Committee of Death Gulch, and I mean to keep you quiet until the search is made.” “Help!” shouted Rosalba. Jim! Come here quick!” In response to bis appeal two strangers, with drawn revolvers, entered the room. ‘**'Your bravos and servants are all under guard,” said Morris. ‘You see that we mean business. As you seem disposed to make a dis- turbance, you must be tied.” As this order was being executed, Senora Rosalba ran to the assistance of her busband, declaring that he should not be tied. ‘You bad better be quiet, madam,” said Morris, ‘‘ or we will be obliged to tie you also, and that would be an unpleasant duty.” _ Pedro Rosalba was bound to his chair, and the search was begun. It was a long and tedious proceeding, though the searchers were numerous enough. The building was gone through systematically, and every room, closet, corner, and article of fur- niture was searched, while Pedro Rosalba re- garded the proceedings with gloomy and threat- ph Sage and his wife protested sharply and angrily. Finally Morris came in with a bundle of pa- rs, containmg Henry Warren’s deed to Buck arley, and some other documents that had been taken from the office of the Death Gulch Mining Company. *‘IT have found what I was looking for,” he said, showing the bundle to Rosalba. ‘‘ Here is the deed I was speaking of. It and the other pers were stolen REOperty, and have been found in this house, You may explain how you got possession of them, if you care to.” The Mexican replied that he knew nothing ‘Jose! Santo! ** Well, sir, I haye no authority to go any further in this matter—” Rosalba’s face brightened. ‘** But I have just been informed of some more of your deviltry that is on foot, and have been notified to keep you here safely until morning.” Rosalba’s hope faded avint This new turn in the game would prevent the fulfillment of his romise to Manuel, which had already been too a delayed, and it threatened to ruin his plans. But there was no remedy, as he was bound anda prisoner. He ate his supper with such appetite as he could muster, and went to bed, with a guard at the door of his bedroom, _In the morning be and his wife arose, and found nothing to hinder them from going about the house as they pleased. The emissaries from the Vigilance Committee of Death Gulch had silently departed, without any ceremony of eave-taking. Pedro Rosalba mingled an abundance of curses with his morning drams, which were considerably heavier than usual, and announced his intention of going in search of Manuel. “There is a chance that all may be right yet,” said he, “unless this job of Manuel's is what that fellow spoke of when he said that he was going to keep me a prisoner through the niet, If they have dropped on that, the game The household was demorali d his breakfast was very late, incona bis anger and impatience. . - JOO KS ini “EO about them, and had no explanation to make. ‘ (<6)