Beadle's New York Dime Library, Vol. XVIII, No. 232 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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~ | treacherous woman seemed to grasp the situa- It ought to be easy to deceive Cora into the tion. | belief that no thought of departure was enter- “T beg your forgiveness,” said she, picking | tained. Then, when Eva should reach Farm- up the dagger from where ber cousin had laid | ingdale, her cousin would not dare interfere. it on the stand at her elbow, ‘‘for I remember | She would be powerless to do anything, no it all now. Ob, Eva! I threatened you with matter how infuriated she might become. that dreadful thing, did I not?” | All that Eva had to do, therefore, as she —_— = — << oe - — And covering her hands, she broke into tears, | viewed the matter, was to deceive Cora until her whole frame quivering with emotion. she could gain an opportunity to leave the “So you did, but never mind, never mind,”’ | house of Mart Calkins. replied Eva, placing ber arm affectionately , A brief start secured, and the woman would around ber. | not undertake a pursuit and rescue, which must This peculiar billing and cooing went on for end in a ridiculous fiasco. some minutes, when Cora appeared to become The day was a sultry one in August, and as more reconciled to the situation. | the two sat by the window, in the stuffy room “T cannot under tand what shonld have | on the second floor, a feeling of drowsiness seized me to make such a dreadful threat,” | came over the young ladies. said she, with every appearance of borror over Eva’s beod drooped several times and Cora the remembrance of what she had done; ‘‘ but I | was scarcely less affected. can partly understa’ d it.” | “T cannot keep awake any longer,” finally “What was the cause, dear Cora?” ‘exclaimed the latter laying her head on the ‘““Whea I went out, feeling hurt by what | bed beside her, and almost immediately closing you bad said, | saw a man who had a letter, as | her eyes. it seemed to be, in bis hand. When we met, “‘T don’t wish to sleep,”’ said Eva, ‘‘ and will he said he was searching for me, and handed | go down-stairs and help Mrs. Calkins.” me what proved to be a telegram, I was Cora made no objection and Eva went out dreadfully excited, for I was looking for noth- | of the room, catching up her bat as she did so. ing of the kind.” When she reached the lower floor, she saw ‘‘Whom was the dispateh from?” asked Eva, | from the manner of Mrs. Calkins that she bad showing by her apparent excitement that she | been listening, but Eva made no reference to could also counterfeit successfully. it. “From dear father, and what do you sup- pose it was?” ‘*T am sure I have noidea.” ‘Those offivers have followed him to Phila- delphia; be is in great danger of capture; he has been obliged to flee, and does not know how long he can escape.” “Why doesn’t he come here?” ‘‘Perbaps he may; he spoke of doing so in his telegram, and wished us to wait two or three days, until he could decide what is best todo, I was dreadfully shocked by the news, and then, when you told me you were going away,I felt awful. It seemed for the moment as though you had joined his enemies, and meant to betray him. Everything swam be- fore my eyes, and I have only c dim recollec- tion of what I said and did. You will forgive me, dear Eva, wifl you not?” The pathetic yearning of this inquiry would have melted the heart of the most unfeeling. Eva Hildreth could not have resisted it for a moment had she not known the truth, “There, there, think no more about it,” re- plied our heroine, avoiding a direct answer to | the prayer of the other; ‘such news as you speak of is enough to overcome any one.” | “Thank you for your consideration; I am very ful, indeed.” | Had Eva chosen to do so, she might have asked some very troublesome questions of Cora. ! “You will be careful,” said Eva, in a guard- ed voice, ‘‘not to give my cousin the least knowledge of what we were talking about while she was out,” ‘* Never fear for me; I can lie like the mis- chief, when my duty demands it.” ‘‘T do not think our duty ever calls on us to do anything of the kind, but you can readily avoid telling her anything as she is not likely to suspect it. I must get away as soon as pos. sible.” “T’m sorry to lose you, but I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay here. She looked like a crazy person to me; shbe’ll kill you one of these days, if you do not Jeave.” ‘‘T wish to go as soon as possible; it’s now near noon; there is no risk in my walking to Farmingdale or Freehold, is there?” “Tt’s awful bot and the sandy roads will try you dreadfully.” ‘*[ don’t mind that.” ‘But how will you get yourtrunk? You know Mart is gone away.” ; ‘*T will leave the trunk; I will take nothing but what I have on; the weather is so warm that I am not likely to suffer from exposure.” “Then what is to prevent your starting at once?’ } ‘Nothing, so far as I can see, but I’m afraid she may awake, before I get away from the house.” “Tl see about that.” The woman burried up-stairs and into the room where Cora sat with her head lying on the bed. She made as much bustle as she could, over- turning a couple of chairs in ber enthusiasm; but they produced no perceptible effect on the sleeper. ‘*Humph!” muttered Mrs, Calkins as she re- turned, ‘‘ you needn’t have any fears about her ; she’.! sleep if the thunder comes as loud as it did last night.” ee ee For instance, she might have wanted to know how it was the messenger with the telegram knew where to deliver it. She might have asked to look at it, besides several other things, all of which would have puzzled the evil woman to answer satisfac- torily. But Eva knew too well the conscienceless character of the woman with whom she had to deal, and she did not hesitate to employ all the finesse at her command. _“*T was too hasty,” she said, after her cousin had become quiet and they had discussed the matter; ‘‘ I promise you to say no more about it, nor to ask any further questions,” “Thank you, thank you, dear cousin; I can- not tell you bow grateful I am.” All the same, Eva meant to keep her werd. She intended to make no forther reference to the subject which had caused so much trou- ble between them. She had a very good reason for this course, inasmuch as nothing could be gained by it. And all the same again, she bad determined to leave that place that very day, never to re- turn to it again. Inasmuch as she was absolute mistress of her ewn actions, it would seem that she had notb- ing to do except to go. No one had the right to say her nay. But an angry and desperate woman is not amenable to reason. That single moment in which Cora stood ever her with uplifted weapon gave a vivid preety of the terrible possibilities which lay be- y . Eva reasoned that there was no necessity for her immediate departure, though it was hard to restrain the yearnings to hasten to the arms of her beloved Donald. CHAPTER XXVII. TOM TUMBRELL OF BARNEGAT. WuHeEn Orson Oxx and Jake Calkins met in the town of Freehold, the former looked ex- actly like an innocent old farmer. Viewed from the rear, his flapping straw hat seemed to have been plastered flat aga’nst his shoulders, where it stuck without resting on his head. His linen coat reached almest to his heels and the gentle breeze kept it fluttering like the ensign of his country. He turned his toes in when he walked and al- lowed his under jaw to hang down like a fel- low who had not seen so many houses in a long time. ‘* Hallo, Jake!” said farmer Tumbrell, as he called himself, ‘‘ I’m mighty glad to see you, darned if I ain’t!” The farmer extended his hand very cordially and the wondering Jake took it rather gin- gerly, scanning the bonest countenance in a puzzled way. ‘You seem to have the advantage over me; I can’t say that I remember you.” “ Ain’t your pame Jake Calkins?’ asked f : Orson Oxx, the Man of Iron. ee ee ee er gr ee farmer Tumbrell, stepping back and scrutiniz- ing him. | By this time, several of Jake’s friends had stopped and stood smiling at the old fellow, who seemed to be double what his age really was, and who looked as innocent as Joshu Whitcomb, | * Yes, sir; that’s my name,” replied Calkins, with a rather pompous air; “but you area stranger to me.” ‘‘!'m Tom Tumbrell, from Barnegat.” ‘* Never heard of you,” replied Jake, button- ing his coat; ‘‘ can’t say from the cut of your jib that I care to know you; if you want to borrer any money, I ain’t your man; pass on.” By this time a dozen were standing near, much amused with the verdancy of Tom Tum- brell. “lve heerd of you down to Barnegat; everybody down there knows you; I’m on my way to Farmingdale on purpose to see you.” ‘What do you want to see me for?’ ‘Ole Josiah Miggles at Barnegat is said to be the ugliest looking and the onerest cuss ever knowed there, we’re proud cf Josiah but we've heerd a good many times that Jake Cal- kins was a thunderin’ sight meaner and uglier in the face and the biggest liar that was ever raised among the Pines. We’ve heerd so much about him that a town meetin’ was called and I was ’pinted to go and find out. Some wicked incendiary picked my pocket on the cars and I sorter got off the right road. I’ve been ridin’ all ’round the kentry afore I fetched up at Freehold and I find now tbat I’m a good ways from Farmingdale; but maybe I won’t have to go there now that I’ve seen you.” At this there was a general smile among the crowd and Jake turned very red in the face, Manifestly the joke was a little too pointed to please him. . “How did you know it was me wher you met me?” ‘‘Nateral enough; I was watching for the ugliest and meanest-looking chap in creation and the minute I sot eyes on you I knowed you was the man!” A general roar followed this reply. Jake Calkins turned more crimsor than be- fore, while the old gentleman beamed upon him like a May morning. “Is it so, Jake, that you’re the biggest liar along the shore, and that you never paid a debt, and are so mean that you would cheat your own mother if you got the chance? If you are, give me your hand, for you kin lay over Josiah Miggles, who draws the line right there.” “Yes, that’s the sort of fellow Jake is,” called ore of the bystanders, ‘‘ You’ve hit it exactly.” “ See here,” said Calkins, bristling up to the old map, ‘‘the best thing you can do is to get back to Barnegat as quick as you know how. This place aiv’t good enough for you.” “T ain’t in any hurry. I want to go home with you, so as to get better ‘quainted. I ain’t ready yet to make the report to the folks at Barnegat.” | The bystanders were laughing merrily over this amusing interview. Some of them tried to guy the old fellow, but he paid no attention to them, and kept his spectacles turned toward Jake Caikins, who was boiling over witb an- ger. The sidewalk was pretty well filled, so that when a pedestrian came along the crowd had to make way for him. But such a person, after walking a sbort dis- tance, generally turned back and joined the group (unless it was a woman), so the two prin- cipal parties were pretty well surrounded. ‘Take you home with me!” repeated the amazed Jake. ‘“‘If you don’t clear out |’Il box your ears and kick you across the street.” Several of the bystanders murmured at this threat, and showed a disposition to defend old Mr. Tumbrell. ‘‘ Jake, I'll give you every dollar I’ve got if you'll do that.” This was said smilingly, while the old gen- | tleman beamed more radiantly than ever on the exasperated Calkins. ° “You will, eh?’ shouted Jake, losing his. self control, ‘‘ Very well, then; we'll give you a chance.” He made a rush at the innocent Mr. Tum- brell, who stepped nimbly back a pace or two. Then, like a flash, his left hand shot over the shoulders of his assailant, and his iron grip closed on the upper part of bis coat, In a twinkling Jake Calkins was inverted, JOOKS (E eGoim (E()