Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 271 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

— o ome — —_—-- -—. -+ ——- = a — oe - Stonefist, of Big Nugget Bend.’ plained something about this singular man,” said the teacher, speaking politely, but never getting beyond her old habit of coldness. Then. sbe turned to her pupils, placed their books right end up, and got them down to busi- ness as soon as possible, This done, she came back to Sterling, who had waited obediently. That was nothing, bowever; he would have weited all day if she had but said so. For he was in love with this queenly young woman, and was not ashamed that she should know it. That she knew it already he strongly suspected, though, as long as she maintained her past bear- ing toward him, he would as soon have con- fessed the fact to a statue of Medea. Not that Miss Lawrence seemed meditating murder, but, toward him, she was as cold as marble, He now awaited her pleasure with the hum- bleness of an unencouraged lover. ‘*T have seen a good many strange characters since I came to Colorado,” Miss Lawrence finally observed, ‘* but never one just like the man you found here. Allow me to ask who and what he s? “‘T hardly feel capable of telling you, since he is nota product of the West. He comes from the East—that is, if bis account of himself is correct. There is room to doubt it, for be is de- ranged mentally; to use the current term of the day, he isa ‘crank.’ He is named Bartholomew Blake, and calls himself a ‘reformer.’ His talk here was a fair sample of all, soI need explain nofurther. Since he came here people have i ven him the expressive name of Deacon Stone- te Allen added an explanation of the way in which the name was started, finding Althea an interesied listener. ‘* Ra’ ber a dangerous man to have at large, I should say,” she then observed. ** Possibly he is, but he comes of that class of buman beings we know not how to manage, They are equ+lly perplexed in the East, Now, Deacon S:onefist does not seem crazy enough to shut up, and that, at the best, would be an ex- nse, so we let bim go,” ** Probably to end by doing some deed of vio- lence,” “There is a danger of that,” Sterling ac- know ledged. **L think be shovld be confined somewhere.” **T don’t know where Big Nugget Bend would puttim. We Jack an asyjum.” ' “Probably you are right,” she answered, after a pause. ‘* But, if be is always in such a mood 1 hope his task of ‘reforming’ the place will soon be accomplished, so be can move on, I don’t care to have such a visitor.” ‘* Rest assured he will not be allowed to an- noy you,” s:id Sterling, quickly. ‘“ Even now, if you wish, I will report the case to the she. iff.” “I do not wish it,” was the quickreply. ‘If such a (hing Secomes necessary [ will report the matter myself; Ido not care to have a ¢sntle- man assume that mission for me,” Her m «nner, as well as her words, conveyed a a reg though why it should be so was not clear. Sterling, however, felt it with all a lover's sensiti eness, and leaped to the conclusion he had committed sume grave error, ‘* Believe me,” he said, ‘‘ I intended no barm. FT intended to attend to the matter in a—a pure- ly matter-of-fact way.” He now became obscure, in turn, and was conscious of not conveying the idea he intended. “‘In what other way should you act/” asked Miss Lawrence, raising ber eyebrows. “I do not believe in the gallantry of young men, and you are aware that our acquaintance is but a passing one,” “Tam sorry to say I realize it,’ he said, with the courage of desperation. Miss Lawrence frowned. ‘“You persist in erring. The other men of the Bend are not like you. You should remem- ber lam a friendless woman in a strange and none too refined place. Due obedience, indulgence and respect Allen Sterling was more than ready to render a wo- man, but though he cared ten times more than he did for Althea, he would not listen cowering- ly to such an undeserved reproof, ** You are inconsistent, Miss Lawrence. ‘Tho other men of the Bend,’ as you call them, are not sticks nor stones; they are noisy and turbu- lent, as is natural to their big hearts. When you appear on the street, they cheer you; when you meet, they compliment you. You hear them ‘without reproof. ow, I, whom fate has seen fit to rear among associations something like your own former ones, must pot so much as offer you aid in danger, I am insolent! Very well, so be it. dict, and—” A desperate assertion trembled on his lips; an assertion to treat her from that bour as a perfect stranger; but even in the moment of its ng for breath it was luckily stopped. Tbrough the door came still another man, both Althea and Sterling recognized Dadd Clover, as ragged and dirt-covered as usual; asdruiok as usual He was seldom sober, but ever since D-acon Stonefist turned the faucet at Joust bau’s saloon, and Daddy got his mouth accept the ver- resu m ptuoas—. SE Ss esses Se 8 ——_ ee -:-O0—0€0@€—_—0 OO under it, he had been the drunkest and the bap- piest man in Big Nugget Bend. Standing by the door and holding to it, he reeled in a pendulum-like way and blinked solemnly at Althea. ** How—how?” he questioned, genially, ‘‘ How does ther Jamp o’ genius quiverin the halls o’ | p 4 Jearnin’ this a, m.?” ** All is well,” Miss L..wrence arswered, with a gentleness in marked contrast with her maoner toward Sterling. “Carry ther news to Hannah,” said Daddy, tipping backward, but catching himself on the oor. ‘* Quite right,” said Althea, The old man looked from ber to Sterling, who still lingered, and then back again. “ve come ter be a pupil,” he then announced. * A pupil?’ “Yess’a’m. Ther lamp o’ genius is flickerin’ feebly with me, Although a gradderate o’ col- lege, I find my Varvin’ is slippin’ away in ther busy haunts o’ life. 1l’m losin’ my grip, as twere. Now, EH pluribus dixit ipse. The exact meanin’ o’ that is gettin’ away from me. Ther crush o’ active business drives my ’com- plishments away. See?” **That is verv clear.” **'Yess’a’m, Well, ther lamp o’ genius must be fed, yer know, so I’ve come hyar ter get full —I mean, ter take lessons.” Daddy held tightly to the door with one hand and waved the fingers of the other as though they were bird’s claws. ‘*] don’t think you need teaching,” said Althea, calmly, ‘‘ Your education is certainly such a thing wou.d probably reach the ears of Allen Sterling. Once more she addressed Clover and used al) her eloquence, in vain. There be sat, as foolish- ly and smilingly stubborn as the eternal bills. ‘* Betty,” sbe finally said, in despair, ‘‘ I think you will have to go for your father.” Daddy lsughed unmusically. “Do it!’ be said. “I left Ben Pollack, am hour ago, ez drunk eza lord, Le was.” “Tm fraid that’s so,” said Betty, gravely. ‘‘ Well, there must be some one sober in Big Nugget Bend,” said Aithea, almost ready to weep from vexation. Even as she spoke there was a sound of foot- steps at the door. Sbeturned. Allen Sterling bad re-entered, He did not look at her, but with his eyes fixed on Daddy Clover, strode across the floor, Althea stood in silence. She dimly compre- hended that Sterling, suspecting there wou!d be trouble, had lingered outside the door; but she bardly knew whether to be thankful for such aid or not, It wasa virtual defeat for her, for Sterling must bave beard all, But, if so, he gave ne sign, Without a word to Daddy Clover, and heed- less alike of his threatening and coaxing, he raised him and started for the door. ith his hand on Daddy’s collar, never looking at Althea and never speaking; he marched the drunkard out, and Miss Lawrence was free to go on with her school, CHAPTER VII. A CHANCE TO GET RICH. Tuer household of Nathan Lockyard, the sufficient for your business, You get along | money-lender, was small but beppy. Except very well, Mr, Clover; of the two, I think you | for the clerk, it was limited to the old gentle- are more fit to be a teacher than a et al ** Egad !—never thought o’ that,” said Daddy, with his mind in deep thought; then, brighten- ing up, he added; “ By St. Jago, your idee is good. Natur’ did fit me fur a teacher, I b’lieve, an’ ther gift mustn’t be neglected. See byar, Miss Liwrence, you an’ me will go inter bank- ruptcy—I mean partnership—together. You shall be ther lady superior an’ I'll be ther superior lady—man, I mean. Ther young idee shall be taught, ther lamp o’ genius trimmed. Hvar, Hop o’-my-tbumb, give me yer book!” He bad lurched across the floor and caugbt Betty Pollack’s book from ber band, but when | he tried to hold it up with a dignified air, it was | noticeable that each letter stood on its head. *Hyar we hev—what do we bev?” be mut- tered. ‘‘ These hyar printed critters seem ter be on at’ar, But they’re nimble dancers, ain’t they? See them do ther double somersault act!” “You go ’way, Daddy Clover!” ordered Betty. ‘ fevdur head was steady as them letters it would be all right. Teacher, why don’t you send him ’way?” } Allen Sterling was grimly enjoying the scene. Althea had spoken graciously to old Clover, but he could see the half-bidden disgust on her face and he knew she wished the drunkard a tbhou- sand miles away. It was, however, not in her line of business to eject him; she was too proud to call on Sterling; so she bad to bear the in- fliction and make the best of it. But Betty’s plea aroused her. ‘It is time for me to attend to school, now,” she said, ‘‘and I must ask the visitors to go. Mr, Clover, you can call again.” ‘* Most convenient way | know of is ter stay, now I’m hyar,” Daddy replied. ‘‘ Will be jani- tor, an’ stay hyar over nights. Have things swept up slick as a silk gown ev’ry mornin’.” Sterling bad lifted his hat and walked out, and Miss Lawrence no longer tried to keep her patience. ‘*Mr. Clover,” she said, in a business-like way, ‘*T cannot allow you to remain ro, You are delaying the school unwarrantably. Some other time we will talk, but now you must go.” ** Have I come to this?’ he asked, putting out one wrinkled band, ‘‘Must I, in whom ther lamp o’ genius burns so bright, be bounced like acommon man? Is my name Dennis?” “ Can’t you understand that we must be alone when attending to our duties?’ Althea asked, hovering mid-way between indignation and several other emotions called up by the fact that she was unable to get rid of the manif he rsisted in staying; and he was such a ragged, irt-covered, liquor-soaked old fellow that she felt unable to endure him longer. “You dov’t ketch on,” said he, waving his hand. ‘I shall be a or not a bindrance, ter ee Jamp o’ genius, I'll sot down hyar an'— o!’ Mr. Clover started and nearly fell as Althea deliberately removed the chair be would have taken. Then she pointed to the door. “Go!” she said, sternly, ‘* But Dennis won’t go,” said he, with a good- natured stubbornness. “I'm a-goin’ ter stay, _ ef you woun’t give me a chair, Ill set on ther vor! * . And he ri 2m with drunken mirth and did as he threate Althea was in des Plainly, she could the middle of not have the drunka sitting in the floor, and she disliked to send for bh elp, as ' man and Zora. True, Lockyard bad a nephew in the person of Horace Kellogg, but he was not at all proud of the fact, and never invited him to his house. Zora was the sunshine of ber father’s life, and he valued her sbove all his otber worldly pos- ses‘ions. If Nathan became gloomy, as mew will at times, she chased the clouds away. Her buoyancy of spirit was unceasing and conta- gious. Where she was, people laughed but sel- dom wept. People there were who did not like the girl, and called ber rudeand saucy. They would have been better fitted to criticise had they as eldom maliciously wounded those they met as did Zora. Her spirit of fun was scmetimes rather too free, but never intentionally barsh. And her beart was kind and loving. Toward evening of the same day last referred to, Zora was alone in the office when an unex. pected caller walked in. He was no stranger. A month before he had come to the Bend, and, biring a place nearly opposite the money-lend- er’s house, had put out a sign which bore the name of Abram Wisecraft, and was followed by the single word, * Lawyer.” He had not made a — impression at the Bend. He was a man of about sixty years and looked as tbou.b, by some patent process, he had been sbriveled up so that his weight fell off from a hundred and sixty to forty pounds Jess, Dried up he certainly was, with a wrinkled face of an odd, leathery color, but the face was a shrewd, sbarp one, and very bright eyes gleam- ed under bis shaggy brows. Big Nugget Bend was hot pleased to see him. They bad been in the habit uf settling all dis- putes amicably over a bottle of whisky, or more noisily over their six-shooters, but bere was @ man who wanted charge of their disputes, and would settle them by taking all the portable property at stake, Such was their opinion of lawyers, in which they did not stend alone; and they gave Mr. Wisecraft a wide berth and an extra name.. ‘Old Ketchum,” they called him, but they were firm in their assertions that he couldn’t catch them. This was the man who walked into the office and nodded to Zora. ** Not busy, I see,” he then added. » ‘‘ No,” she admitted. ““] hardly see how Mr. Lockyard gets a living at this business,” ‘* There are those that pay Jess well.” Old Ketchum smiled. ile he indulged iw this way his lower jaw dropped and a series of wrinkles ran up each side of his face, coming together at the nose, that were like the stripes on the American flag. ‘I take the bint, Miss Lockyard,” he said, Sane neg ‘Cand the point is well made. ot a client has been in my office since I came to the Bend. Don’t your father intend to :ue any one?” - : “Not that I know of, but if he does ]’l] let you know so youcan defend the other party.” “Score another point, Miss Lockyard. But. don’t you know I would prefer to be on your father’s side?” ‘I suppose any man had rather strike a rich mine than a one,” Zora replied, wondering what Old Ketchum was driving at, ‘“In other words, you suppose I would rather be with your father because he is rich and 3 should stand a better chance of filling my owp pocket. Trust a woman to get down to the clea? EGomilchbooks (E co a