Beadle's Dime Library No. 27 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

—— —* 24 “Will you let. me se a few words to the girl alone?” he asked, sullen wno, Campbell replied, promptly. Blaine looked at him for a moment scornfully. “T did not speak to you, you cursed spy, but to this gentleman,” and he turned to the officer. **Can’t do it, my pippin,’ returned the policeman, decidedly: “tain’t according to Hoyle. Prisoners can’t be allowed private coramunicetions.”’ “You shan’t beat me, curse angrily, then he turned to the girl. know where the Hoffman House is on Broadway?” ‘* Yes,” the girl replied. “Go there at once; ask for Miss Rosaline Ameston, and tell her that Ihave been arrested and wish to see her, Don’t forget the name—Miss Rosaline Am- eston.”’ 1 will not forget,” replied the seamstress. “Come along,” ordered the policeman; “we've got to be moving.” “Will you allow me to put on my overcoat?” Blaine asked, The policeman glanced at Campbell; he evidently looked upon the Virginian as commander-in-chief of the expedition. Campbell nodded, so the policeman brought Blaine’s overcoat, The Virginian unlocked the handcuffs, but stood ready to spring upon his pris- oner if he should make the slightest movement tending to an escape. Blaine noticed the precaution and a scornful smile came over his face. The ag apap ps helped Blaine on with his overcoat, then the handeuffs were replaced, and the officer moved to the door, ““Good-by, Mary,” Blaine said, carelessly, as he passed out. Campbell walked behind the prisoner, while the officer led the way. The Virginian cast an anxious and earnest glance into the face of the girl. Mary was strangely puzzled at the look. Down the narrow stairs the little procession filed, until at last they passed through the lower entiy- way into the strect, As the officer went through the front door he swung it back, and the Virginian caught it and held ~ ones. until the prisoner in the center could pass through, The policeman had descended some four steps down, and the Virginian had just closed the door, when suddenly Blaine dpa | orward, and dealt the officer a terrible blow on the back of the neck, which sent that worthy gentleman down the steps, across the sidewalk, reeling into the gutter in a twinkling. More stars flashed across that officer’s vision in that single second than he had ever seen before in all his life, Blaine had managed to slip his slender hands through the handeuffs, After giving the officer the terrific blow, he made but one jump from the steps to the pavement, and turned to flee, but like a panther darting from the pendent bough, the Virginian leaped from the top of the steps down upon him. The foree of the shock hurled both of the two cevoss the sidewalk into the gutter right on top of ‘hs policeman, whose first dim thought was that the .ide of the house had fallen in upon him. Over and over, in a deadly Grapple the two rolled. Blaine sueceede.l in getting ampbell by the throat, and dashed his head with terrible force against the side of the gutter, with intent to make him loose his hold, but though the blood crimsoned the bronzed face of Campbell, still with a gripe like to the death- hold of the bull-do;:, he clung to his foe. The two in their desperate struggle had rolled off the prostrate body of the policeman, and that gen- tleman rising, came to the assistance of Campbell, and ended tho strusrle between the two by giving Blaine a most unmerciful whack over the head with his club, which straightened the escaped convict out as senseless as a los. : The officer raised his hand to repeat the blow—his head still ached fron the terrible thump he had re- ceived from DLiaine, and he longed to get “square” with the man who had so unexpectedly “lifted” him from the steps to the gutter—but he happened to lance into the face of Blaine, and saw that he was stunned, Canrpbell str ‘eEled u curbstone, and began face, . uite a crowd had collected around by this time, and the officer fearing that Blaine might recover, and attempt again to escape, called loudly for a hack, A carriawe happened to be passing at that very moment, and the driver had pulled up, attracted b y the crowd, with intent to discover what was the mat- ter, > Hearing the policeman’s call for a hack, the criver pushed his way through the crowd, and announced that his coach was at thre officer's service, “Jest give mea hand here, Johnny, will ye,” the policera wm ‘aslced, as he stooped to pick up Plaine. Che driver willingly nassisted, and the two placcd Blaine in the conch. Tle was stillinsensible from the tap on the head t).at he had received. Mion the officer looked around and found that Campbell was missing. eps his Way back through the crowd, he discovered the Virginian still sitting up th» edge of the curbstone, apparently pretty bidly hurt; he was breathing’ very hard, and secret Rk insensible as to what was golng on around hin, With the assistance of one of the bystanders the officer pu! Campbell in the coach, then got in him- self, and Cirected the coachman to drive at once to the Tombs. “Pretty well played out all three on us,” the offi- cer Yersartked, reflectively, 25 the coach Crove on. CHAPTER XULIL THE V2UCINTAN’S LAST BLOW. “Te'posn I had better report the affair at head- quarters,”’ the oMleer said atond, as the coach pro- ceeded on its way; and aeting on the thought, he hailed the driver and directed him to go first to the Ventral Statien. The officer ha1 ploced the senseless form of Blaine on the back seet, ond Canypbell on the front seat , and sat on the edge of the oO wipe the blood from his with him. it was evident to the ofiicer that Campbell was pretty badly burt, as he was almost insensible, ant —————————— a —. EA TT rou!” cried Blaine, | _~ Mary, do you | | his skull,” the officer was musing, aloud. | have had every now and then the jolting of the carriage would force a deep groan of pain from him. Then the oflicer turned his attention to Blaine. **T hope I haven't killed the cuss!’’ muttered the policeman, as he bent over to examine his prisoner, and he thrust his hand into Blaine’s brea it to detect whether the action of the heart had stopped or not. But the policeman was speedily convinced that Blaine was still alive. *T knew that I hit him a smartish clip on the head, but I thought that it wasn’t hard enough to crack ‘He must a tough wrestle with this other chap; his shirt is wet through with perspiration,” he murmur- le ee eee eee... | rage, ris a ed, as he withdrew his hand from John Blaine’s | breast. Then he happened to glance at his palm, and to his | astonishment he saw that his hand was stained with blood, The carriage was proceeding down Broad- way, and he could distinguish the blood plainly by the light of gas-lamps. r under! *sain’t sweat!” cried the policeman, in amazement. ‘“‘It’s blood! He's cut for sure!” Then he rapidly unfastened Blaine’s coat and vest. | As he had suspected, the shirt was stained with blood, and a little slit in the garment betrayed the | place where the knife-thrust had pierced the flesh. All was hE to the policeman now. *“When he had this fellow by the throat and was he a Na head ag’in’ the curbstone, he jest put a knife into him. It was lucky for Blaine that I did hit him a fap on the head and roll him over or this fellow would have killed him, sure. I reckon that neither of them will ever be worth much in this world any more.” The policeman endeavored to stay the flow of blood which was streaming from the wound, and in a few minutes the coach drew up at the Central Police Station. One of the police surgeons examined Blaine’s wound. In his opinion it was not dangerous, and he ot in the coach, and a balf an hour afterward, both laine and Campbell occupied apartments in the well know prison, commonly styled the Tombs. There, Campbell's case received attention. At first the surgeon was disposed to think that he had re- ceived but a trifling injury, and would soon get over it, but after a half-hour or so the Virginian grew rapidly worse and worse, became delirious, raved wildly and required half a dozen to hold him in bed; | and just as the doctor had made up his mind to have him removed to the hospital as soon as possible, he suddenly grew calm, and then, turning gently on his side, drew a long breath and died. The death came so sudden and unexpected, that all the watchers by the bedside were astounded. And when the meén by the side of the dead bod fully realized the truth, ominously they shook their | heads, and muttered: ** It’s bad for John Blaine." The Virginian dead was likely to cause him as | much if not more trouble than the Virginian living. And John Blaine, in the narrow confines of his cell, shuddered when he heard of the death of his foe. No longer gloomy prison life in Sing-Sing stared him in the face, but a trial for murder with the gal- lows in prospective. Little wonder that John Blaine was sick at heart, and that the icy chill of death’s touch seemed already | upon his temple. ork now for his cunning brain. The Virginian | dying had woven around him & more powerful snare than had ever been woven by him in life. A terrible night John Blaine paszed. As early as possible in the morning he had dis- | pane a note to Ernestine Van Tromp, requesting | er to call upon him at once, “These women must save me!’’ he muttered, over and over again, as he lay upon his narrow cot and chafed like a caged lion as he saw how closely the net was drawing around him. Wearily he waited for his guardian angels to come, *Rosaline and Ernestine must pull me through this time,"* he muttered. ‘“ Mary, poor child, can do nothing here.” Then at last one of the keepers announced a visi- or. Eagerly, Blaine half-rose in his bed as the cell door opened to admit the visitor, but neither the gray-blue eyes of Rosaline nor the golden hagr of Ernestine Van romp met his eyes. With a hollow groan he sunk | back on his bed. The visitor was old Mr, Edwards, | the lawyer! A peculiar expression passed over the face of the | old lawyer as he noticed the disappointment so plain- ly written on John Blaine’s face. **You’re in close quarters, John Blaine,” the law- | yer said, glancing around him. ‘*Do you come here to tell me that?” muttered the convict, sullenly. “Oh, no,”’ replied the old gentleman, placidly; ‘‘I | come to give you a little information which may be | of service.” “From what I know of you in the past, I am not likely to believe that eon will do me any service if you can help yourself,”’ Blaine observed, bitterly. “You are | es right * returned Edwards, coolly. “T am notin the habit of serving rascals if I can he p it, even if am a lawyer.”’ ‘*Do you come here to taunt me because I am a helpless prisoner?” asked Blaine, fiercely. “T wouldn’t come within ten miles of you if I could avoid it,” replied the lawyer, “‘ but now we'll drop this discussion and come to business. You sent | a note to Miss Ernestine Van Tromp this morning?” ‘**T would not have believed that she would show it to you!” cried Blaine, in anger. “ Neither did she,’ said the lawyer, calmly. ‘‘ By the merest accident in the world, I happened to be in the house waiting to see the young lady when your messenger arrived, and the note was given to me to give toher. I knew your a sg ER a wonderful memory you see—so I took the liberty to open your letter and read it.” = Cn. gon infernal scoundrel!’’ cried Blaine, in ng up in his bed. “Come, come!’ exclaimed the lawyer, impatient- ly; “you are altogether too old aman to give way to these childish fits of passion. You ought to know that I don’t care two straws for your names. In con- | «Jeration of a certain sum of money, you made a barerin, some three years ago, that you would never attemynt to see Miss Van Tromp again.” } * You extorted the consent from me)!” Blaine said, . 4 Beadle’s Dime Library. : | ing that B . little, narrow hand sullenly, and with a look of defiance at the law- yer. ‘*The method had nothing to do with it,’’ Edwards replied, carelessly. ‘* You haven’t kept your agree- ment and you don’t intend to keep it.”’ ‘*No, Ido not!” cried Blaine, fiercely. * Well, | intend that you shall keep it!” Blaine glared at the old lawyer in scornful con- tempt. * You forget a certain legal do¢ument I hold.” ‘No, I don’t; that is man’s law; I possess a right given me by a higher power. Her woman's nature will believe sooner in the law of heaven than the law of earth.” *'You mean that you intend to use her woman’s | weakness to shield you from the consequences of your own act?’ “Exactly; your shrewdness does you credit,” Blaine responded, sarcastically. “Wait a bit! don’t compliment me_ until T get _ through, then perhaps you won't feel like it,” the lawyer observed, calinly. ‘‘1 was quite prepared for this move on your part; now see how Peectrete it. ] have ae orders to keep all the newspapers away from Ernestine, so that she cannot learn of your present pects by twelve o'clock I shall have her in a railway train, and carry her off in the country where . the chances area hundred to one against her ene: ( a city journal with any reference to your trial, an there, in the country, I am going to have her mar- ried, and the moment that little cereniny is con- cluded, what becomes of your authority, eh?’ In agony of spirit, Blain» faced to the wall and an- swered not. The ore waited for a moment, then understand- aine’s silence confessed his defeat, got up and left the cell. Only one hope of rescue now for John Blaine. Would Rosaline, the diamond beauty, keep faith, or leave him to the mercy of his foes? CHAPTER XLII. THE THIRD ANGEL. Tue clang of the cell door closing: bchind the old lawyer, roused Blaine from his glooimy despair, He looked around and saw that he was alone, ‘Twostrands have snapped,” he muttered, slowly; “will the third holdY My only trust now is in Roga. line. Mary is powerless to help me. Her nature is soft and womanly; tears she can give, but not the desperate measures Which alone can save me. Ern- estine, with her money, might have found some way to free me from the web in which I am entangled like a huye, helpless fly. But this wily lawyer has bafiied me there. Of the three guardian angels one is powerless, another removed from my reach, and the third—I wish I was as sure of an escape from this plight as I am that she will do all in her power to save me.” And then Blaine set his teeth firmly together. ‘‘She must! She shall save me!” he cried, appeal- ing as it were to the cold stone walls. ‘She has both money, wit and courage, and knows how to make the most of allthree. It's strerge,”’ he mused, sinking his voice almost to a whi: ;«r: ‘‘she was the first of the three, and I have always loved her best; strange, then, that in the hour of my deadly peril, | can only call on her to come to my aid.” Blaine’s meditations were interrupted by one of | the keepers, who announced another visitor. And then in the heart of the prisoned man came a glad feeling of joy as he heard the rustle of a woman's dress in the corridor. His heart had guessed rightly; his visitor was Ro- saline Ameston. Quickly she knelt by his side, and tenderly she pane her soft arms around his neck and rested er beautiful face against his cheek. “My own dear girl!” the convict said, slowly, as he kissed the full rich lips. ‘You find me in difficulty again,”’ ‘** Yes,"’ she murmured. ‘You must help me out.” ‘“*T will,” she replied, instantly, as if the task was one of pleasure and not of toil. “Tt won't be an easy matter,” he said. “Your money and wit got me out of Sing-Sing, but I do not think that it will be as easy to buy a keeper here. It didn't take much to shut the eyes of the fellow up there while we cut the iron bars of the window, but I am afraid that we can’t work the affair in that way here. You sce, there we only had to buy one man, but here I think that a dozen at least will have to be ‘seen.’”’ ‘“*T will bribe the dozen if it takes all the money I | have in the world,” the girl said, firmly, “Tt isn't the question of peony here, my dear girl,’ Blaine said, thoughtfully, *‘but of men. It is always easy enough, as a general rule, to find one man out of twenty who will be willing to shut his eyes for a valuable consider. tion, but almost hope- less to expect to find five or ten. I do not think that the plan we tried before will do now. I suppose that ro now that lamin a pretty tight place at pres- en 79 * The girl looked astonished. It was plainly evident from her face that she knew nothing of the events which had transpired on the preceding night. “Isn’t it in the papers this morning?’ Blaine asked. “T have not seen any of them.” “Ah, well, I'll explain,” he said; “the police, led on by a personal foe, discovered my, hiding-place last night and arrested me. Just as they got me in _ the street, I managed to slip my hands through the had put on—you know whata have—and made a bold dash for liberty. This Virginian, who for years has hunt- ed me down with such persistency, clinched with me and we rolled into the gutter together. I got him by the throat and dashed his head against the curb- stone to make him let go his gripe, and, of course, you can easily guess that I used all the force Icould. hile I was hammering his head against the stones, he put a knife in me, and then the police rapped me over the head with a elub, snd that finished me. The Virginian was brought here at the same time I was last night, and died in an hour or so afterward; concussion of the brain, I believe the doctor said. Of course they lay his death at my door; so that I aang a pretty good chance of being tried for mur- er. Riess you say he wounded you,” the girl said, anxi: ously, handcuifs which the (E() mM