Beadle's Dime Library No. 211 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

22 Ee ee —— me ee ee ee ee | ee ree ‘‘ Well,” she said, with affected hesitation, | Mary, on the other hand, looked daggers — ee = ne 5 (ae ee ee Colonel Plunger. — “T don't know as 7 ought to say anything at Katie, and thoughi: about her at all. and ’m hadn’t treated us both so mean. I knew she didn't love you all the time; but you seemed | so happy, | didu’t like to dash you. But I knew very well that if you’d knowed all that | was goin’ on, you wouldn’t have been so set on her, the nasty, deceitful creature.” Billy p ured ou" another glass, and drained it, but said nothing, and Katie went on: *T supprse you know how old she was?” ‘Yes. She was twenty-one,” Katie tittere 1. *‘ Twenty-one, indeed! Lord bless your poor innocence, you dont know much about ladies’ | ages. Ive seen the family Bible.” Billy started and looked at her. ‘You have? How old is she, then?” ‘‘Sbe’s twenty eight last March; and that ain’t the worst of it.” “What is the worst of it?’ “Sue gain’t got a single front tooth of her own, I've sevn her take ’em out and put ’em in water ever s> many times,” Billy looked incredulous, and asked: “‘ Are you sure of that?’ Karie smiled triumphantly, and put her hand in her pocket. “T thought you woul: in’t believe me,” she said; * but I found her old set up-stairs. Sha was so crazy to go: ff with that gamblin’ feller she forgot ’em., Here they are, and one of her false frizzes too. You can see bow much you lost with her, and whether there ain’t as good | fish in the sea as ever were caught.” And the remorseless Katie banded him a sure I wouldn’t if she | “She’s been talking abou | what she’s told him?” Then Crooke said, in his heartiest way: me, | “Upon my soul, "Wandle, I’m glad to see Ah! yously dog, it don’t take long to you! console you. Pray introduce me,” And Billy shame-facedly obeyed, when Mary observed, with a spiteful giggle: | “Oh! T know Katie O'Rafferty very well, | I hope you’re both enjoying yourselves this | evening, Mr. Wandle and Miss oO Rafferty?’ | aa Pretty well, thank you, ma’am,” retorted | Katie. ‘Of course, we couldn’t be expected | to get along so well at first, but we're trying to do our best. Mr. Wandle is splendid com- pany. Don’t you think so, ma’am?” “Hum! yes. My husband thought we'd | come in here, just for a change; but you were the last peop's we expected to see,” ‘‘Shouldo’t wonder, ma’am, I was just | tellin’ Mr. Wandle how much of a hurr y you | was in to-day in packin’, and left some things behind you. I’m very glad I’ve seen you, be- cause I’m able to give ’em to you ain’t no use to me,” - -+-— +--+ —— | terme ne os ee —_——— —a? disagreement,. while Katie O'Raffs aaa was chattering all sorts of nonselse atid “giving I wonder | herself away” at every wort, When he saw that Biily, from fhe mixture of champagne and Ruine wine, was q:ite drunk and inclined to sleep, while Katie was fit for any sort of prank, the gaml.er whispered to her; ‘*T gay, wouldn’t it be fon for you and me to steal off and leave those two together? How surprised they’d be when they found us gone.” Katie’s eyes sparkl.d “It would serve them just right. I say, you’re quite a nice fellow if you are married.” Crooke laughed, gave his wife a signal, and saw her turn her back to them, as be took | Katie away, the girl clinging to his arm and saying: And wicked Katie barded over the false front and the teeth in un ostentatious manner, looking straight in the eye of ber former ew- ployer, who returned the glance with a posi- given to her. fly at Katie’s eyes; but the next she was tble | to control herself and collect all her quick The sight of the | wits to conquer the other. articles convinced her that Kate had been tell- at which Billy stared as if hardly able to be- | ing tales, and a look at Billy’s face showed ker lieve his eyes. The artful Katie said nothing to make her triumph odious till be observed: “Well, I'm glad I seen ’em. much, have I, Katie?” Katie gave a scornful sniff. TI ain’t lost ‘“‘That’s accordin’ to how you likes ladies,” she said, drily. ‘‘Some likes ’em made up, others likes em the way the Lord made ’em. I ain’t made up myself, and I ain't puttin’ on airs neither, but I’m faithful and true to them as is true to me” And Mis: O’Rufferty favored the jockey with a glance that sp ke volumes, though iv produced little effect on Billy, who was for the time in a state of general dissatisfaction and disgust at the female sex in general, which did not all ow him to see charms inany, He drank another | glass of wine, and looked down into the ha'l | with a gaze that made everything dance to and fro, for Biily was wot used to drinking, and the wine bad gone to bis head, Nevertheless he was able to distinguish faces, and he soon perceived vo le-s a person than Crooke, advancing to the platform on which they were sitting, with the fair and faithle.s Mary on bis arm. ‘* Why, look!” he said, thickly; ‘‘ there’s the man himself a-comin’ with her. By gosh, Katie! she don't look as if she was made up at all.’ Indeed she did not, for Mary Madden was one of those little blonde women that will stand any amount of making up and show little of it. Katie turned pale, but her gray eyes flashed as she observed: “But she is, though. I only wish I had a square chance to expose her, I'd do it.” Billy shook bis bead and muttered : “No, don't. I don't want to hurt her,” Buthis hand went into his side pocket as the gambler approached, and he began to play with his pistol in a manuer that would have been dangerous for a sober man; for Billy had ae given up the boyish idea tbat it was the er thing for him to do to take vengeance 2 ntl 1e man who had cut him out. It was while in this frame of mind that Crooke and Mary came up to him. CHAPTER XXTTI. THE KNOCKER OUT COMES UP TO TIME, THERE was a marked difference in the. be- nee + this interesting couple as they | time, ome bi y aud his charge, ke, easy and patronizing, took in the girl's figure at a glance, and he said to himself: “ Boy’s consoling himself. Tidy girl too. Not as sharp as Mary, but, by Jove! she has a good figure.” | ‘1% oh, no, Katie, you’re mistaken. that the boy wavered as to what to believe. Then she said with a sweet smile: “Tm sure ’in much obliged, Katie, for your kindnrss; but I dou't need these things, The false front. [ only used oner, about five years ago, when I had the typhoid fever and had my hair cut off, but it’s all grown since, and I don’t wear a mite of false hair now, Do I, Philip? ‘You know, don’t you? She turned on Crooke, who could hardly restrain his laughter, but answered: ** Certainly [ know, Not a bit of if.” “T’m sure [’m very sorry,” said Katie, with intensely sarcasiic humilty. ‘*: thought it belonged to you, and the teeth too,” “The teeth?’ asked Mary, ‘* What teeth are you talking of?” ‘‘ Why, those, of course, that you left in the ' bureau drawer,” was the spiteful reply. innocently. Tve not come down to false teeth yet, Those be- longed to my grandmother, who died at the age of seventy.” And Mary saw, from the face of Billy, that he believed every word sbe suid, and the vain heart of the silly creature rejoiced, for she hated to give up a victim to her charins, how- ever bamble. As for Crooke, he listened to it all with per- fect good nature. He bad an cbject now in keeping on good terms with the jockey, and trusted to seduce bim from his duty by the charms of his wife, who had promised him to wind the boy round her finger again if she got any sort of a chance at him. It was not true that they had entered the Atlantic Garden by chance. They had had a distinct object in doing so, though the meeting with Billy was unlooked for, Now Crooke rapped on the table, saying: “Come, come, no matter about all that frippery, hey, Wandle? We know what wo- men are, don’t we, my boy? Let’s have a bot- tle of champagne, to give us a taste for the music, Mary, my dear, you know you like champagne, and Miss Katie here, I'm sure could take a glass, and make her show her teeth in the smile of beauty that delights us all. Here, waiter, a bottle of Roederer, quick, and four glasses. me, Mr. Crooke, You may as well Bay two bottles, One is noth- ing among so many.’ He gave his quick-witted wife a signal that | to do is to keep your mouth shut. she understood at once, to devote herself to | | Billy, while he set bimself to. work to fascinate Katie O’Rafferty, no very difficult task at any | ¢ mpagne and music. tive glare of fury, as she saw what was being | "Twill brighten ber eyes | ‘‘Oh, my! how funny I feel! The lights are going round and round.” Crooke took her off down the roum, and on the way encountered a tall, broad- srouldered yvung man, who gave him a familiar nod and | said: “Hello! guv'nor, bere T am accorcin’ to *yreement. What's up?’ *G> to the jlutform,” suid, Crooke, tur- riedly. ‘*You]l find my friend there, Lili Le ' buck in five minutes,” | | For one moment Mary Madden was ready to | you'll get into trouble, ing you, | | | | | | Before they had sat there ten minutes more, | | the astute gambler saw that Billy Boots, what with champagne and flattery, was completely oblivious of Katic, and was whispering away to Mary as if they had never had a moment’s The young man nodded and went on, while Crovke took the girl] 'o the door, cslled a hack, put ber in, and said in a low tone: ‘\ Now then, you go home and go to bed, or The police are wateh- It’s lucky I came when I did. That young fellows druggei you, and be means mischief,” Then, not giv'ng the astonished and more than half intcxicated girl a chance to answer, be slammed the door, gave the driver a two- dollar note, and told him todrive to Rivington street, giving him the number, ‘* And take that girl in and leave her there, or you'll get into trouble.” The driver nodded and went off, while Crooke returned to the hall, ard found Billy Boots asleep, Mary regarding ‘him with a look of mingled scorn and disgust that she did not attempt to conceal. The broad-shouldered young man was seated at ateble near by, and Crooke beckoned him up and whispered: ‘“Now, Riley, let’s gt to business, Are you ready for the job | want youtodo?” — The prize fighter—for it was the great but not quite invircible ‘ Kuocker Out” who had come to meet him by appointment—nodded in his usual sullen way. “ Ay, ay. what is it?’ Mary looked at bim with great curiosity and some admiration, for be was sbout as fine a specimen of physical humanity as could be found anywhere, and only the sullen look of his face prevented it being exceedingly band- some, ‘“‘ Are you the terrible man that has handled so many like children?” she asked, in her low, rich tones. ‘Why, I thought to see a very different man, You don’t look a bit like a bruiser, Mr. Riley.” A smile of vanity broke out over his face; for, like all his class, he was not averse to flat- tery, and heanswered with a modesty that be- came him: | ‘TL bope not, ma’am. People think we’re a great deal worse than we are, I always try to behave like a gentleman,” “Well, well,” interrupted Crooke, impa- tiently, «that’s neither here nor there. Mary, you don’t want to go making love to Riley. He’s got three or four girls on a string now. I want to know if you're willing to come to the Tennis Club and play off green, to let yourself be knocked about by some gentle- men, and not hit out till I give you the word?” The prize fighter nodded. “Tf you can fix me up so they won’t know The yourg fellows mostly knows my face pretty well,” “Tl see you’re disguised, and all you bave Pll tell them you’re a Russian, and don’t understand English.” but doubly easy under the influence of know a word of any lingo of that scrt,” “Bat I ain’t,” objected Riley. ‘‘ Don’t * But you talk Irish.” Riley grinned. ‘Ay, ay, a little, Not much,” “‘That’s all I want. Talk what you know, There won’t be any one to detect you, and ve got it all fixed for you,” com Cc cS (S (0) 00)