Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 245 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

—— - cue from 22 — ee hate him. When I saw him at Comet Camp I was sc excited that I sprung upon him, seized his throat and bore bim to the floor like a wolf would a wounded deer. I had the strength of a iant then, and I’m really afraid I should have one some barm if they bad not pulled meaway. I feel very sorry it happened.” ** And in spite of this you can’t recall the part he played in your old Jife?’ ‘Not a thing.” Keeate rapped her own knuckles with her staff. She could have torn Daddy Gray in ieces for his stupidity, had there been any good be gained by it. In her campaign against the Honorable Mr. Brown there were some flaws, despite Luke Gridley’s boasts, andshe had hoped to strengthen the weak places by this visit to the old man, At this moment, however, another wailin ery arose from the inner room, and with a grow Hecate arose, strode to the door, and was about to open it, when a strong band fell on her shou! der, she was whirled around and back, and with flashing eyes and an excited air, Daddy Gray stood between ber and the door. CHAPTER XXIX. DOCTOR MUNDEE’S PATIENTS INCREASE, THe Witch of the Weeping Willows had never been more thoroughly astonished than by the usage received from Daddy Gray. She had been angered by his lack of memory, and the moaning from the inner room bad so annoyed her, that she resolved to liberate the imprisoned dog and give him a kick he would not soon for- t et. Daddy Gray, however, towered in the way | like a giant in his wrath. ** You can’t go in thar!” he exclaimed, break- ing into the dialect of the mines. ““Why can’t 1?’ snapped Hecate, quarrel- somely. ‘*Because I say you can’t. 1’m master o’ my own house, [I reckon, an’I don’t allow any bu- man ter run ag’in’ my will. You keep back!” *You’re worse than your dog,” sneered the woman. ‘“*T thrashed that dorg an’ shut him ep ter Yarn manners, an’ nobody can’t let him loose tii ey SO. The old man was grand in his excitement— despite the rude language into which he had | —E SUE iReeieemeeeneen ush of fever and he knew he looked on a very ill woman. Her eyes were closed, but she moved her head as he gazed and moaned in the fashion which had made Hecate think a baby was wailing. Could she have looked into the room then, she would have comprehended over what the old man stood guard so loyally, though his object might not have been so clear. ‘*What have you done?’ Doctor Mundee asked. Daddy Gray told in his simple way, showing no pride at the medical knowledge he really possessed, and the doctor breathed a sigh of re- lief, ‘You have left few things undone which I should have done,” he said, ‘‘ but, as you say, the case bas now reached a point where the best of care and skill is needed. The crisis is near, and within twenty-four hours the patient will be on the road to recovery or out of earth- ly pain. Who is she?” “That I don’t know. She has been out of Barranca Bill, the Revolver Champion. — oe > 5s fully pretty face, but over it was spread the red | loon,” replied Gray, losing his lucidity as soon as his own case was grappled with by his clowd- | ed mind, ; ‘Why so?” ‘Well, there is a good deal of air in my brain- ' pan, and I can aecount for it in no other way.” | her head ever since I brought her here, and the | only clew I have received is by her mention of | his identity. the word Agatha.” ** Agatba! Agatha!” Doctor Mundee repeated the name mechani- cally as he gazed down at the flushed face. He was still a young man, capable of feeling the charm of beauty, and over him crept a strange ity and tenderness for this young woman who ay battling with death in the lonely mountain hut, ber identity and her place of residence un- known, Even as he looked her eyelids lifted and she looked at him with eyes unnaturally bright. ‘‘Show me the way to Comet Camp,” she said, in a steady voice, | | ‘*Do you remember an illness?” c No. 7 . ° Well, you have run afoul of trouble some- 1ioOW, ‘Yes, and I think I shall go to Brown and ask him if be ever sailed a balloon. Jlremember him, and I almost grasp the subject, but it slips away justasltry to close my hand on it, I remember a balloon, however.” Mundee was a young man and he looked at Daddy in some amazement. While assisting Agatha he bad been perfectly cool and syste- matic, but now be began to talk almostas wildly as the fever-stricken patient. ‘* You both mention the name of Brown, Are they one and the same person? Who is your Brown?” ** He lives at Comet Pete I recognized the face as soon as l saw him, but I couldn’t grasp I leaped on him like a panther, though, and I would have torn him in pieces only they pulled me off.” . An unusual wildness beamed in the old man’s eyes, and, fearful that he would haye two mad patients on his hands at once, Mundee hastened to stop him. ** Let us speak of Agatha,” he said. CHAPTER XXX, AGATHA, ‘“ Vivian, Agatha will arrive to-day.” This important announcement was made by the Honorable Mr, Brown at the breakfast table, the morning after the rescue of Miss Brown by ‘You shall go directly,” answered Mundee, | Barranca Bill. rallying from the start he received. ‘‘Is your home at Comet. Camp?” **T don’t know, I’m sure, I don’t think I bave any. Are the horses ready?” ** They shall be ordered at once. Who shall Tsay wants them? What is your name?” The girl put ber hand to her forehead and seemed to make an effort to think, while Mundee looked at her as though fascinated. She looked up abruptly. ‘‘T can’t remember my name,” she _ said. failen—sure sign of great mental disturbance on | ‘‘ Strange, isn’t it? Iregistered at the botel, but his part—but Hecate was no longer blind to the | —wait, it seems to me—yes, I have it. My name signs of the times. * Hark ye, old man,” she said, shaking finger in his face, ‘‘you can’t fool me any ionger. There’s a baby in there !” Daddy’s face was very white, but as he moved torward and caught the arm of the Witch, there | was eed of strength in his grasp. ** Woman, you lie!” he fairly bissed, It was many years since Hecate, the Witch, had been cowed, but shestarted back from that encounter with unresisting hands and mute lips, and she was not at all sorry when another atep sounded bebind her and a stranger entered. “Tl go now, lll go,” sbe said hurriedly; and without another word, she pushed through the door and went hobbling down the path, leaning on her staff. Doctor Mundee, for it was he who had just arrived, watched her for a moment and then turned to Daddy Gray. “Your wife is quite sprightly for an old lady ” he observed gravely. “My wife? “Yes She just went out.” ‘She my wife! Oh! great Cicero, no—no! She wasn’t my wife; I haven’t any, and I don’t know her. hy I would rather have a tiger- * That’s solid, my friend. Well, Iam Doctor Mundee, Honest George said you wanted to me, “Yes, Idid. I told ’emto tell you. I—want —to—see—you!” Daddy Gray spoke very slowly, and his eyes searched the young surgeon’s face as though he would read his nature, his very thoughts. The analysis seemed satisfactory, for he sud- denly relapsed into his old manner, “‘Pve got a patient in there for you, doctor,” he said, indicating the inner room. ** Who is it?” ‘“*A young woman that I found one day at the foot of a cliff. She got a fall over the rocks, someliow, and nearly killed herself, and now she is struggling through a fever. I know some- thing about medicine myself, and I’ve kept the Same tn hand pretty well until last night, but I tell you that fever is just about a hundred hoss- power and I can't hang on to it much longer.” -* Let me see her at once.” Mundee’s face had grown ve: he saw in his mind a case so long neglected that all the graae in the world could not overcome the ever. Daddy Gray first fastened the outer door and then eonducted the doctor into the inner room. ~ A bed stood in one corner, and upon it lay the young woman we have seen the old miner res- the fall over the cliff. r Mundee saw a face of a loveliness he jhad believed unknown to Nevada: a wonder: | | is her | Agatha.” ** But you have another one—” “Who told you of that?’ she interrupted, sharply. ‘No one, Iassure you. I think you misun- derstand. Now, my name is Lewis Mundee. Yours is Agatha Smith, or Brown—” ‘‘Brown? Yes, I think thatisit. If it isn’t, then I’ve heard the name Brown lately. It is ainted in black letters on my forehead—here! here are other names there, but they are up- side down, and I can’t read them. Perhaps you can?” 4 She had placed one hand on her forehead, and was speaking quite helplessly. Mundee saw that the conversation was likely to injure her with- out doing any good, and he resolved to end it at once. Making some trivial reply, he motioned to Daddy Gray to take his place at the bedside, and stepped aside to mix a sleeping potion. “Did the stage lose a wheel?” she asked, ad- dressing the old man. “*T believe it did.” r ‘*T must have struck on my head, for it feels funny. What are these boys doing there?” She pointed toward the door, and Daddy Gray looked around, rather startled, but no boys were visible. ‘‘Ohl! nothing in particular,” he answered, ‘Rach one bas a little sign that says ‘ Comet Camp.’ They dance well, don’t they? Well, you had Satter order the horses now and tell them my name is Agatha.” e old man was atly relieved when the doctor approached with his drug. The patient drank without hesitation, and then they kept her mind away from the journey she believed she ought to take until the lids dropped over her glowing eyes and she was asleep. Doctor Mundee sighed. ‘** Poor girl! alone and friendless, except for Old man, have you a blanket on which 1 can sleep?” turns. From this sleep she will awake to live or to die; the crisis is at hand. We will watch over her, observing each breath, and together we will learn the result.” Gray put out his hand quickly. ‘You are a noble man; you have a noble heart!” he said, with unexpected energy. Mundee suddenly remembered his conversa- tion with his village patient. ‘* Honest George told me something about you, Mr. Gray,” he said. “Then you know I've lost my head?” ques- tioned the old man, simply. 5 ** He told me all he knew regarding your mis- fortune. Hew do you account for it?” ‘*] am inclined to think I fell out of a bal- se ee tC LLL LLL LLL LL LL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL rT Vivian looked at her father with something akin toalarm. She had been expecting the an- nouncement, so it was in nosense asurprise, but it came home to her with startling force, in spite of that. Another woman was coming toswell their family circle—a woman her father said was her elder sister, but one she strongly suspected was to be made his wife if she was not so already— and, mixed with a good many vague suspicions, she saw very plainly the one fact that she would no longer be the head of the domestic depart- ment, She was so long in answering that Cephas added, in a significant tone: ‘“*T trust you will receive ber properly ‘‘Have I ever failed to comply with your wishes?” she demanded, spiritedly. ‘* Fortunately, no!” All her resolutions to outwardly make the best of a bad matter fled before bis uncalled-for manner, and through the remainder of the meal not a word was spoken. Vivian was indignant, while her father, though plainly seeing her mood, felt so secure in his own lofty position that he did not strive to conciliate ber. She was thus given fresh zeal to continue her efforts to learn all about the mysterious Agatha. Immediately after breakfast she went to her room where she was soon joined by Katie, the servant, who gave unlimited sympathy, but her words failed to bring relief, A little before noon a carriage drawn by two fine horses arrived at Comet Camp and created a tumult among the inhabitants. Such an outfit had never before graced the streets of the young town, and those who bad money at stake in a business way tbrew up their hats at what they thought the forerunner of a flood-tide of pros- per'ty. The landlord of the Cosey Corral chanced to observe the team as it approached and his smile ew dazzlingly bright, but deep gloom fol- oead as it rolled on, The spectators saw a musoular colored man at the ribbons and a vailed lady on the rear seat, and sume, noticing that her dress was of silk, began to speak of a celebration in her bonor. The carriage halted at the door of Cephas Brown’s house, the carriage and horses were ut away in his stable, and if was then general- y remarked that the politician managed to get all the good things of life, Vivian bad seen the arrival from her window, noticing the silk dress but baffled by the vail in an attempt to see the face bebind it; but she re- mained where she was until Katie appeared be- fore her. ‘‘Mr. Brown wants you to come an’ see dhe other wan,” explained the domestic. ‘*He says, ‘tall her that ber sister has arrived.’ Faith, an I'd let her come to me, if I were yez.” Vivian felt ber heart echo the advice, but as it was scarcely judicious, she went down to meet the new-comer. Entering the sitting-room, she saw that lady without being able to distinguish a feature, and then her father’s voice arose: ** Vivian, this is Agatha,” he simply said. Then the girl felt soft hands touch her own, soft lips pressed to hers and a soft voice mur- mur in her ear: aan *“We shall be friends, as well as sisters, I know.” JOO “om Cc <S 7. vy an y > a Ly ie —