Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 289 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

—- oe + 22 Flush Fred's Full Hand. CHAPTER XXXII. | old woman. “I knows you to bea good an’ kin’ PLEADING FOR A LIFE. man, w'ot ain’t hard on pore an’ ’pressed people, Tue Gravelly Bayou plantation had become a eben w'en dey’s done gone wrong. Dat’s why | hospital. | come to you, to ax you "bout my boy, Jim.” r. Addis spent as much of his time thereashe | “Your boy, Jim?” could spare from his other patients, and, in fact, | ‘‘ Yes,sah. Him dat was cotched w’en dem cusses made it his temporary residence. _ frum de swamp raised de debbil bout yar. I heerd Kate Helmsley was assiduous and unwearying in | dat he was bad hurt.”’ | her attentions to Leon Delarosse, and Mrs. Bray- “Yes, Dinah, he was badly hurt, and that is how ham busied herself in assisting and directing the | he peprcnes to get caught.’ | servants to prepare nourishing food for theinvalids, | ‘*W'ot’s been done to him, sah?” . Paul Delarosse, encouraged by his uncle’s compli- | ‘‘ Nothing but good, so far. He has been in the ment, occasionally boasted of the part he had taken | doctor's care, the same as the rest of us, and will soon be cured. We have taken pains to get him well, so that he may be ready for. the hangman’s | rope, or whatever fate awaits him.” **Does you allow to hang him, then, Mars’r Bray- aT OS TT A a _ ———————————EE———EEEee truth of your story. You have earned what you ask, and shall have it. Your boy Jim will nok be hurt. Come up to the house, and call for me there, and I will see that you are well cared for, and you shall yourself carry the news to Jim.” “Aji right, sah. I don’t nebber want to go back to dat swamp no mo’,” General Brayham hastily left the summer-house; but another had started before him. Paul Delarosse, assoon as he had taken in the full meaning and effect of old Dinah’s revelation, arose from the ground behind the summer-house, and ran home atthe top of his speed, reaching his destina- in the fight; but Fred Henning caught him at it, | tion when General Brayham had hardly started. and gave him such a look as caused him thereafter | to keep silence on that subject. I The veteran limped away as fast as his Jame leg t Then he went about the house as he had done be- | would let him travel, and was quite wearied and out | of breath when he reached the house. | ry 2 eee ws = . r . » eA we" ¢ A” * SE ee ~~ weys ~— 1A. . “ee 2 —— oe ee ee S Tie es etante 3 cee ee s * , - * webs 8 » - - . brought up a at bay shad fore the attack, sulky and silent, but watching | ham?” ra RS for bits of news from his uncle’s bedside. or Dennis Malone, he needed nothing more in the way of care and attention than he got at the overseer’s house, He had Kitty, and Kitty had him. Kitty was most devoted in her attention to him, anticipating his wants, and doing everything that could comfort or please him, Her father, as a matter of course, knew of this, and knew that a great part of Kitty's time was spent with the invalid Irishman; but he made no objec- tion by word or act to that state of affairs, How could he? Malone was his guest, and had been wounded in defense of his daughter, and at last had a strong claim upon his forbearance. Dennis was justified in regarding himself asin pos- session of a thrifty and delightful clover patch. As the days went on Paul Delarosse grew more | sulky and morose, and with good reason, as the reports that came from his uncle’s sick chamber were not calculated to cheer him, Leon Delarosse did not sink as rapidly as he was Wye oF oe to. ndeed, he did not Ngee age grow worse. jt could not be said that he was improving; but it was something to know that he was not visibly fail- ing, Dr. Addis gave no hope of his recovery. That, he said, must be considered out of the tion; but he admitted that he was surprised at the ace with which the patient was holding on to e The old gentleman was probably quite as well acquainted with his own condition as Dr, Addis was, He did not expect to live, and appreciated the Cc e that must soon come to him, as well as certain responsibilities that were then pressing ugos him. e took great delight in the pe of Kate one and the presenee of Fred Henning always seemed to cheer and strengthen him. There was one thing he insisted on, and that was that a lawyer should be sent for; and a messenger was dispatched to Vidalia for that purpose. He bad already told Fred of the interview at which he had forced a partial confession from Paul, and the young man was able to enter into his feel- oe me preva. f “Tam going to make a new will,” he said, ‘“‘I do not yet know what I shall do for Paul, Bad as he is and little as he cares for me, he is my nephew and I must do something for him. Perhaps it ma be something in the way of a trustee, J must as the lawyer about that.” Pty er did ree: oot, when the old centiaman and the anxiety and worry of waitin vated his symptoms considerably. . : General Brayham had been compelled to'go to bed after the fight to nurse the flesh-wound in his leg, but they had not been able to keep him there more than a couple of days. While Leon Delarosse was failing under nervous excitement, the old hero was up an ng about the house and grounds, making himself generally useful and agreeable, One of those mornings, as he was etait | about the place for air and exercise, he - walk t the en and the shrubbery until he the summer-house across the little broo * This building—if it could be called a building— was so far from the house and so inconvenient of access that it had been little used of late years, no care or attention had been given it. Thus it had become overgrown by unpruned vines ye until it presented the appearance of a mass of course the interior, though dilapidated, was and pleasant; and General Brayham, wearied walk, was glad to step in and rest. Of by bh fie he did so, an aged negro woman, who had been “Be watching him from among the shrubbery, walked up to the summer-house. At the same time a young man, who had been watching the black woman, stealthily approached the same spot. The young man was Paul Delarosse, The woman was skinny and wrinkled, and was at- tired in a jumble of rags that only a stretch of cour- ey could call a gown. Her appearance at the entrance of the summer- house startled General Brayham, who rose to face the intruder. But there was clearly no harm to be apprehended from that old woman, and he resumed his seat. ‘Who are you, and what do you want?” he de- anded. ‘I'se come frum de§swamp whar Miss Kate was, an’ my name’s Dinah,’ ‘“*ITknow you. Thatis, Ihave heard of you. You mae be tired after your tramp. Comein here and own,” General Brayham, like ‘all truly brave men, was courteous to the oldest and the poorest, especially if they were women. _ On this occasion he had a further reason for cour- tesy, as there was a chance to get some valuable in- formation from his visitor. ‘**T am afraid that you are a sort of suspicious character, Dinah,”’ he pleasantly remarked. ‘But you are too old to be bothe Oh anybody, and I ee propose to trouble you. iat can l do for ou , -~ “JT knows you, Gineral Brayham,” answered the — ues- ‘* There can be no doubt that he deserves hang- 9 * Dat’s a fac’, sah. I hain’t got a good word to say fur none ob dem cusses, But I don’t want my Jim to be hung.” sé No?" ‘*He’s my baby, Mars’r Brayham.” ‘A big baby, and a dangerous one, too.” ‘But Jim’s my baby. I’se had lots o’ chillun, an’ dey’s all dead or sold an’ scattered off. All but Jim. He's de las’, an' de baby. I cain’t b’ar to lose Jim.”’ “Do you think of what he has done, Dinah—he and the rest of them? Mr. Delarosse, one of the best men in this world, is dying. Another ee man was nearly sent over the river, and I have been laid up with a hole inmy leg. Do the wretches who worked so much harm to people who never harmed them deserve any mercy?”’ ‘* Hangin’ ’u'd be too good fur ’em, sah,” sobbed old Dinah. “Put, ef you'll let my Jim off, he'll go back to de Brenner place, w’ot he ‘longs to, an’ work faithful ez long ez he lives. He'll nebber be cotched in anodder scrape.” “ Why did you not keep him out of this one?” “Dat debbil ob a w'ite man filled bim up wid liquor, an’ ‘ticed him off.” ‘Gpoeral Braybam shook his head as if to indicate that there was no hope for the captive. “Twas me dat got Miss Kate off de islan'in de swamp,” persisted Dinah. “Twas my Jim dat kerried her over to de sho’. “Twas Jim dat fought fur her w’en a crazy nigga was pitchin’ at her. Reckon she mus‘ ha’ tole yer "bout dat. Ef l could see Miss Kate, I know she would speak a good word for Jim.” ‘‘She has told us all about that, and she has spoken many good words for him.” ** An’ it’s all no good?” “There is the law, you know, He must answer to the law.” The old woman meditated for a moment, and then returned to the charge. “You w’ite folks make de law an’ manage de law, Gineral Brayham. You's de law, yo’selves. S’pos- in’, now, dat ole Dinah could tell you somefin’ ob de biggest kin’ o’ portance.” “Importance to whom?’’ inquired the general, pricking up his ears. His judgment had not been at fault. There was information to be got out of the old woman. “Ob de biggest kin’ o’ ‘portance to Mars’r Dela- rosse an’ his folks,” ** What is it, Dinah?” “‘Somefin’ "bout dat young chap as calls hisself de ole gen’leman’s nephew—Paul Delarosse.”’ ‘““Now your talk amounts to something, Dinah. But you must stick to it. If you can tell me any- thing about that yo man that is of such im- rtance as you say it is, 1 promise you that your im shall not be hurt, provided that he will go back where he belongs.”’ ‘Den my baby’s safe!’ joyfully exclaimed the old woman, ** But ro must prove what you say, Dinah.”’ ‘Ob, Pll ’tend to all dat.”’ CHAPTER XXXITIt. DINAH’S REVELATION, GENERAL BRAYHAM listened eagerly to old Dinah’s confident declarations. He no longer had any doubt that he was on the track of something of real interest and importance. yor as eagerly, but by no means as hopefully did Paul Delarosse listen, crouched on the round at the back of the summeér-house, concealed from view by the masses of foliage. ES “Tam ready to hear what you have to tell me said the general, after he waited a little while for the old woman to begin her revelation. Then she dashed into it off-band. ; : Dat black-faced young chap, gineral, w'ot Mars’r Leon Delarosse fotched home frum furren parts, an’ w’ot passes hisself off as de ole gen’leman’s nephew, ain’t no ways related to him, an’ nebber was,’’ Whatever General Brayham had expected to hear it was not this, and the statement startled him; but he retained his composure. ‘ That is very important,” said he, “if it is true.” “*Tt’s de gocpal troof, sah, an’ I’se ready to sw’ar it on a stack o’ Bibles.” “That would hardly be enough.” “But de ole gen’leman's brudder, David Dela- rosse, is libbin’ yet, an’ so’s his son,” ‘* How do you know that, Dinah?” ‘**T’se see’d ’em bofe, sah.” . ‘Not long ago.” e Where?”’ ‘“* Not fur frum yar.” ‘Tell me where they are to be found.” : “TI cain’t do dat, pineral, *ca'se dey wouldn’t let me. ‘Sides dat, it’s likely dey’s bofe fur away frum yar now. Mars'r Dave tole me he was gwine ter light out. But befo’ he went he gi’n me dis yar paper, an’ said I mought use it if folks wouldn’ take my ae wee yer know Mars’r Dave’s handwrite, eral?”’ The old woman fumbled er0ng her rags and papa Naas pes Clare paper, which General Brayham eagerly seized. 1 he ran his eve over it a look of exultation light- ed up his rugged features. Phis will do, Dinah,” said he. “This proves the But he was full of the importance of what he had heard, and anxious to communicate it immediately to the person who was most deeply interested in it. He hastened into the recom where Leon Delaresse lay, but sunk upon a chair when he got there, una- ble to speak at the moment. Kate Helmsley was at the bedside with Dr. Addis, and Fred Henning stood near. ‘What is the matter, general?” inquired Fred. “Has anything unusual hap yened ?”" ‘* News—very important—” gasped the veteran. ‘*T hope we are not going to have another fight on our hands.”’ ‘ Better than that. It is about that young scala- wag who calls himself Paul Delarosse.’ The general's tone and style of speaking instantly awakened the attention of the invalid. “ What's that?’ he ro asked. ‘“ What have you got hold of, Brayham? Come here and tell me about it. Kate, get him a glass of wine. You may bring me a little, too.”’ The wine revived the veteran’s energies and loosened his tongue. He gave a brief account of bis interview with old Dinah, and repeated her declaration concerning Paul just as she had made it to him. ‘And here is a letterfrom your brother David, confirming her statements,” he continued, “It is dated only yesterday.” ‘‘Mr. Delarosse must not read that long letter,” put in Doctor Addis, ‘It would be too much of an effort for him. You had better read it to him, general,”’ . ng’ well,” said the sick man. “But you may let me look at the signature.”’ It was shown to him, and he was satisfied. “That is David's hand,”’ said he. ‘** Now you may go on, Brayham.”’ General Brayham read the letter, which was in these words: * Brovner Lron:— te. have no wish te inflict myself upon you in any shape. ie have Bot on better apart than when we were together, and it is well that we should stay apart. ‘* But, for the sake of the family name, in which I atill take just a little pride, I cannot bear to see you imposed upon, as ho now are, by a scamp who 5 succeeded in passing himself off upon you as your nephew, Paul Delarosse. “You have only one nephew, and that is my son, Paul Delarosse, who is living, is with me at this writ- ing, and expects to remain with me. ‘The other fellow, therefore, is a fraud, ‘‘Let me say right here, but without the least ill feeling, that ] and my son want nothing from your estate, and will take nothing. We have enough of our own. ‘* Whatever disposition you may see fit to make of your erypetsy must be made without reference to either of us. “T¢ you should leave any part of it to us, or it should fall to us in any way, we would never touch it ‘‘ We are both ef one mind in regard to this matter and Paul indorses every word I say here. ‘* You will naturally want to know who the fellow is whom you have been persuaced to adopt as your nephew, and I am prepared to tell you. “When I heard that you were being victimized, I set out to learn who it was that had imposed upon you, and how the trick had been played, ““My suceess was easier and speedier than I had expected it to be. “The young man whom you have known as Paul Delarosse is the son of Dick Ennis, whom you ought to remember, as he was our overseer when we were together, and was discharged by you for reasons of your own. “ Afterward he fell in with me abroad, and asso- ciated with me in certain affairs which I need not specify here. “He had reason to believe, I suppose, that Paul and I were both dead, and conceived the plan of passing off his boy for Paul. ‘In that he was probably aided by some papers that I left in his care, and you know how well he succeeded, ‘Perhaps I ought also to inform you that he fol- lowed you from Europe, and has for some time been figuring in your neighborhood under the name of Jonas Hexamer, ‘‘Thave written this to please myself, to say noth- ing of serving the cause Of justice, and have given it to an old black woman for whom I have a kindly feeling. **T hope that it may help her to gain her wish, as well as that it may enlighten you, ** Whatever you may think of me, you know that I would not lie to you. , “‘Tintend to leave the place where this is written immediately, and when you receive these lines I shall be far from here, ‘*T hope that you will live, and that you will for- get me and mine. *Davip DELAROSSE.” CHAPTER XXXIV. “nyaAT SETTLES IT.” ‘‘Trat settles it’ said ‘Leon Delarosse, when General Brayham had finished reading the paper. ‘You must not talk any more,” terposed Dr. Addis. “ Youare now too much excited.’ ‘‘Just a word. You don’t know how this has helped me, doctor. I feelso greatly relieved. Such a weight has been lifted from my mind. That young Ay — > ' os ~— s “> = 2 * oy j . *, : ; , - ‘ . . « 4 . x's %6 - _* ' es 4 ‘ ‘ } : pase * . “he Pay ¢ , oe [A i ES a eee eee ws = ‘ a rs ; , ag