Beadle's Dime Library No. 263 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

Iron-Armed Abe, the Flunchback Destroyer. arms he lulled her to sleep with the old cradie-song, his melodious voice sounding more tender than usual, His work was done. Another day dawned and those who would looked onthe scone before them. Lovely Golden Valley was nomore. From one side to the other of the Horseshoe it was one bed of lava, Trees, grass, creek, cify—all had disappeared from view. Smoky Mount: in was still active, but less so than on the previous night, and it was plain that the worst was over. Diamond's former people, or such as had sur- vived, were seen on the hills acting not unlike hive- less bees, Then our friends met in the cave again to hear the ger of King Diamond. ** ile was born heir to strange freaks and fancies,” said Jron-Armed Abe. ‘ His mother was a strange, restless, superstitious woman, who finally died be- cause her system was devoured by her unnatural mind, consumed, as it were, by internal fire, She lived long enough to teach her son what she had not conveyed to him of her nature as a birthright, He grew up a wild, reckless, cruel, and intenscly super- stitious boy; from the hour of his birth the internal fire was working, though at twenty-one he was a strangely handsome and fascinating young man, be- trayiug his eccentricities only on close acquaint- ance, ‘** At that time he came to us at White Pine Ridge. Having once related that epoch in his life and that of Little Nora, let me not again refer to it. I gained his confidence in our rambles over the hills. He wore a brilliant diamond at his breast,the same you have allseen. It was the gift of his mother, who told him he would succeed in ail his plans while he kept it. “Fie gaincd another fancy while at. White Pine Ridze. Wo one day met a strolling woman who wi.hed to tell our fortunes: I did not believe in> such nonsense and declined, but Diamond did be- lieve and she mumbled a prediction, as such im- postors on common-sense will. “She told Diamond his career would be a brilliant one if he avoided doing certain by, Pointing to me, she said she foresaw trouble between us. * But,’ she went on to say, ‘if you ever try to wet your hand in his blood, ruin, dark and terrible, will be yours, You may hire him killed, if you will, but <are not harm him yourself.’ “This, of course, Was'a mere freak on her part, but when I laughed at her she wont further, She tcll Dismond that if he ever kilied a woman, or influenced others to do so, ].'s f..te would _be ter- vible; I wish I could remember the dark horrors she prophesied if he did this. " ell the fortune-teller was a humbug, of course, but Diamond’s early education and his strange mind made him believe in the prediction to the letter. This, in brief, explains why, since he jearned that Little Nora lived, he would not her, or allow any of his tools to do so; and it explains why, even when ardently desiring my death, t have laced a revolver in his hand and vainly bade him ine Not until to-night, when en lng death im- minent, did he ever attempt my life, ‘And what of the Templeton affair? Here his same superstition, or, perhaps I should say, the same prophecy, worked. Diamond's mother hated Ralph Templeton, the father of Leora, because he cace paid her attention and then, when he learned her nature, broke with her, In her wild, unnatural way she left a heritage of hatred to her son, and when he saw the girl become the lawful heir of Jacob Templeton, the miser, he resolved to prevent ft. But how could it be done, since he dared not shed the blood of a woman? “Then it was that his strange brain conceived the strange plot he so nearly carried out. Tle resolved to prove the heiress an impost wr, an‘l at once re- venge his mother a:dsecure a million dollars. The last object was not astrong one, since he had such wealth in Golden Vailey, but since die dared not shed Leora’s blood it was worth inchiding in his lo . ay little over a year ago Doctor Rube was kid- napped at Snicker’s Gulch and brought here. You know what followed. The woman you saw that night was not Leora Templeton, but one ten ears older, and really little resembung age but all hat paint, powder and other artifices of the toilet could do was done to deceive you, and in the dim, evening light the resemblance was strong. a But it was all a planned affair with the woman for an accomplice. She was not chloroformed at all, and the escape from the room was prearranged. My share in the affair was, however, purely accidental, and you will remember, she didn't want to trust me. Well, when she made the sound which drew Dia- mond and the Black Riders upon us, she did so pur- posely. After that a she washed off the paint powder, and so on, W ich would not have deceive you by day as fresh rp and became a fairly good-looking woman of thirty or more years, She now disappears from the scene. , “I dare say, you begin to catch Diamond’s plot. It had been rumored that Leora Templeton was killed in a railroad accid: nt, and that an old man who knew her saw her lying dead wiih one hand severéd from her arm, She afterward wrote to a San Francisco paper that this was not a fact; but *having no friends, did not appear to prove that she lived. You were early selected as the chief witness to baffle her when she applied for Jacob Temple- ton’s money, and the man who urged you to remove from Snicker’s Gulch to San Francisco was sent by Diamond, though you hesitated so long that Beesinger had secured the million dollars for her, * When you arrived in San Brenciac, you met ond and Miss Templeton, as he planned, Seeing Miss Templeton, you thought her the heroine of your adventure when you were orde to sever the hand of that other woman, You claimed her tance; she denied all knowledge of you; you heard of the railroad accident, and argued: not Leora Templeton, but an imposfor. ordered to amputate her hand at the Cit Desert, to make her look like the victim 0 road accident, but for some reason tne plan ebandoned.’ * This course of reasoning was just what Diamond expected and desired, and he wanted it advanced at the trial of Alton 2s. Templeton. Perhaps you wi was of the a rail- ask why he did not hire some of his numerous tools was to give such false testimony as he desired. It might have been done, but he was afraid they would break down on cross-examination. He resolved to have a thoroughly honorable man, who would testify con- scientiously, and I now believe if the case had gone on without any foreign events Leora Templeton would have been deprived of her fortune.” Doctor Rube looked repentantly at the fair girl whose character he had heard cleared, but Iron- Armed Abe continued: “The girl you knew as Esther Alton was not next of kin in the Templeton succession, but the daughter of Camp. She and the old woman who professed to be her mother were sent from here to play the N ps but ate dal a and enlist your sympa- thies in their be . I may also say that Ben Bolter’s double attempt on your life was done con- trary to Diamond's orders. He would not have had you killed for a good deal of money, because, as I 1ave said, he relied on you to wrest Leora Temple- ton's fortune away. As for your quarrels with her you were. deceived and she was often hasty an etulant.’ * The story was told, and, with all made clear, Doc- tor Rube asked Leora to step aside. They held a long conversation, while the hunchback again sung the cradle-song, and Griff, Norola and Boxfleld talked fitfully. When they returned there was a look on their faces as though they had come to an understanding. That afternoon what remained of Diamond's peo- ple left the Horseshoe; that cvening our friends went also, Until Yuma was reached they journeyed together, but there Iron-Armed Abe paused. ““We part company here,” he said, more gently than usual, ‘Little Nora and I have a road of our own to tread.” Remonstrances proved useless, and as no one could doubt te huachback’s ability to care for The Wild, farewel!s were duly said. Those who remained watched the strange pair for a long time as they rode away, and when distance hid them from view they never saw them again. We need scarcely say that the suit of Alton vs, Templeton abruptly ended, and the plotting claim- ant and her so-culled mother fled.” A. Beesinger was so rej iced at baffling J. Q. A. Smith that he re- instated Ned Boxfield in his service, and, drinking harder than ever, soon went out of the world, and left the entire business to his former “ Junior."* We may say, parenthetically, that about the same time Norola became Mrs. Boxfield. One word, too, may be given to say that Doctor Rube, as @ hysician, is now a shining light of San Francisco; but we are sure the reader will that he took Leora Templeton and her million into his keeping, fearing other plots against her. But none came, and their married life is vey happy. Griff still lives, and he still has his “doubts,” but they do not suffice to make him unhappy. Our friends often picture Iron-Armed Abe and Little Nora living in some wild retreat, peaceful and contented in their way, but it is all uncertainty. Once, since that night of terror Doctor Rube has looked on the Horseshoe, He found Golden Valley one plain of lava, No remnant of the City of the Desert was visible. Nota green thing arose above the dead level, Under that crust lies what is mortal of King Diamond. The serpent’s eye did not suffice to keep him from harm. moky Mountain is no longer an active volcano, but, grim, dark and frowning, it looks down on the plain of lava, Men gO t and think it a most gloomy place, little knowing what is there buried. And only the far-traveling vulture, pausing in his flight to rest on the edge of the silent crater, gives life to the desolate spot. THE END, Beatles Weekly The Best Weekly of Popular, Entertain- ing and Useful Literature Pub- lished in America! 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