Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 292 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 Moke Horner, the Boss Roustabout. ‘Do so if you will, but I beg of you to first consider the cost. No man can lay the weight of bis hand on me and live to make a boast of it. to some definite understanding. If your father or any other man tries to come between us before that point is gained, tae risk be bis or theirs!” ‘*You would not murder him?’ gasped the startled girl. ‘Not unless you compel me,” was the cold retort. “It is not so much that I ask: merely a few minutes of your time and company. The day was when you were not so chary!” ‘* When I believed you something of a gentle- man—before you proved yourself to be both cowardly and cruel!” ‘*Say rather, before you grew so infatuated with that insolent puppy, Marcus Dingeon!” was the fierce, grating retort. ‘‘Do you think i have been blind? uat | could not see how the game was going—why you so suddenly grew eold toward me?” “That is false,” was the quiet reply. “I treated you with politeness, if not with cordiali- ty, until you showed how base and hollow were your pretensions to the name of gentleman. Even then, I would have kept up the farce, bad you not striven to gain your ends by vilely cal- umniating one who is as far above you as Heaven is above Hades!” “It isa pity the gentleman is not present to -hear your extravagant encomiums!” with a short, unpleasant laugh. ‘Were be present, you most certainly would not dare use such a tone! You would fall on your knees at bis feet and humbly beg his par- don for slandering him and annoying me, for fear of worse befalling you!” A sudden change came over the man. His flippant tone changed to one deep and earnest, though growing bard and cold as he proceeded: “Woough of this idle recrimination, Miss - Ward. think we can spend the time far more pam in plainly discussing the situation. ill you listen to me?” “‘Until my father returns. Then I will ap- peal to him to rid me of your intensely dis- agreeable presence.” ** And thereby lose either a true 1 ver or a fond parent! But letit goat that. There is a more interesting subject to discuss just now, “A moment since you charged me with being a vile calumniator. I will not aff-ct to doubt - vour real meaning. You alladed to Marcus ingeon, of course?” ‘*] do not-deny it,” was the low but steady response, ‘** You told my father that you saw him stealing away from Orleans in disguise, like a ere from justice!” ‘*T did, and | repeat that assertion. I saw bim on board a coaster, He wore a disguise— the rough garb of a common sailor. I did not suspect the whole truth then, else 1 would have collared bim and estupes him back like the ncaa, unprincipaled cur he has proven him- se Sternly, fiercely he spoke, but keenly as his words must have cut the loving heart that lis- say Drusilla laughed in tones of utter con- mpt. It seemed to allay the rising tempest in the breast of Gideon Gillespie, for bis tones imme- diately grew calm and even. ‘You affect to doubt my assertion, but that itis only a hollow pretense, your hasty flight from Orleans makes perfectly clear. Had you believed bim honest—had your miud really re- tained a doubt of his perfidy—you would have remained to face the talk of the town, instead of fleeing. You would have waited and watched for his coming, ae that in the end truth must triumph. The idle gossip of the town would not have affected you ia the least. Why, then, did you flee?” ‘*To regain my strength—to prepare a just but terrible vengeance on the cowardly fiends who sbed his blood!” A low, mocking laugh greeted this fervid speech, and there was atrace of pitying con- wer in the tones that made reply: “Poor girl! You try to carry it off bravely, but you must not forget that you are playing to one who is behind the scenes himself, and knows how weak and hollow is the pretense.” Drusilla made no reply, and after a brief si- lence he coutinued in the same strain: ‘The cause of your sudden illness soon be- came an open secret throughoutthecity. Your father was not quite as judicious in his investi- gations as he might have been, and when it became known that he bad called in the services of the police to discover the whereabouts of Marcus Dingeon, the ten thousand tongues of rumor greedily took up the rich morsel. “Carefully secluded as you kept yourself, you must have caugbt many of the swiftly-flying reports, else you would not have been so eager to leave town, The plain truth was the small- est portion of the scandal, as retailed at every club and place of public resort. It was said that Marcus Dingeon bad trifled with your affections, and then, to avoid the consequences, had fled secretly from the town.” ‘be maiden shivered at this brutal speech, but made no reply, otber than casting a hurried I mean to keep you here until we can come, glance toward the ladder up which she expect- ed her father to make bis reappearance. ‘*A few, among whom I may mention my- self, learned the exact facts of the case. Mar- cus Dingeon was already married, with a wife living less than one mile from your house. He believed the poor girl would never discover his bold and unscrupulous scheme in time to foil it; possibly he intended to put her out of the way as soon as his success with you was assured, One who would betray a lady of your standing, would scareely hesitate at murder, if by that means he could guard against the risk of being convicted of bigamy. “ Fortunately for you, his bold plot was ex- posed in time, and dreading punishment, he fled in disguise.” ‘*Every word you utter is false—false as though coined by the father of lies himself!” cried Drusilla, almost fiercely. ‘‘ Marcus Din- geon wasa gentleman and the soul of honor! He could no more have sinned as you would have me believe, than you could do justice to the memory of a true man! If he failed to con- front his accusers, it was not through fear— not because of conscious guilt—but because he was foully murdered to make the heartless plot a seeming success!” ‘You will have some difficulty in making the public believe all that, Miss Ward,” with a soft laugh. ‘‘The chief of police acted from the first op that belief, and only changed bis mind when he diseovered that it would not hold water, He found that my words were true— that Marcus Dingeon really fled from the city in the disguise of a common sailor. He discov- ered that he had been seen and recognized by two persons in addition to myself. He has sent men on to New York, and bas prowised your father to inform bim when the fugitive is found. But even that will not save your name or fame, All Orleans rings with the toothsome scandal. It will follow you to your new home, and poison the minds of those who might other- wise become your friends, You will meet the humiliating report wherever you turn—unless you are wise in time, and accept the only cbance which remains to save your credit.” ‘* And that, I suppose, is to still further shame my name by exchanging it fer yours?” sharply uttered Drusilla, looking him full in the face as the words dropped fro her lips. ‘It is—if you so regard an honest union with an honest man, whose only crime lies in loving you better than aught else in earth or in beav- en!” was the impetuous reply, ‘‘Give me the right to guard your honor and see justice done to your fame. I will protect you from all evil reports, and wade to my knees in the blood of the seandal-mongers, if no less thorough lesson will cure them!” “The remedy is far more odious than the disease, Calumny I can bear, if I cannot live it down. You, I never could!” was the cold and cutting retort. For once the forced composure of the man gave way, and he could not avoid showing how sharply her taunt stung him. His grip on ber wrist grew so tight that she flinched with pain. He bent until bis face was close to hers. His dark eyes glowed redly as they fixed her gaze ase as a serpent charms the feebly fluttering ir ‘Beware, Miss Ward!” came __hissingly through bis clinched teeth. ‘‘ You are playing with fire when you fling such bitter taunts in my face! I hold your fame at my mercy. If I choose, I can utterly ruin your future. And if you elect to treat me as an enemy instead of a friend, I swear by all that men hoid holy! to show you no merey!” If his temper was aroused, so was her proud and naturally imperious snirit. Fearlessly fac- ing him, she epone rapidly: ‘** At last, Gideon Gillespie, you bave reveal- ed your true nature in all its bideous loath- someness! You sbow your chivalry by tbhreat- ening a woman whom you believe lies helpless at the mercy of your vile tongue! You hope to win my love by vilely slandering the dead! You take advantage of your physical power to force me to listen to your words, though you know how thoroughly disgusting both they and yourself are to me. ; “Now listen to me. Rather than wed you, I would embrace the corpse of a negro who bad died of the semaine association would be far more agreeable, and the contagion less to be feared. From the very first I have doubt- ed and feared you. J saw that your face was a living lie, and the nature of a cowardly traitor to all,that is pure and holy, showed through your eves. Intuitively I knew that you were like a serpent in ambush—and now I have proven the correctness of that first summing up. pe $2 “You say that Marcus Dingeon fled in dis- ise through fear of bis sins finding him out, say that youlie! In my heart I feel that my love—ay! to your teeth I say it! I love him—I love him as entirely as I loathe and despise you! I jfeel that he is dead—murdered—and before high Heaven I accuse you of assassinating bim! I can see his dear blood upon your forehead, and sure as there is a God above to hear and record my vow, I will bring that crime home to your door and exact blood for blood,and life for life!” i CL ss sts eesti ssc Swiftly, impetuously, though in tones so low that they would not have reached the ear of one further removed than he was at that moment, Drusilla Ward poured out these words with the air of one inspired. Stout as were his nerves, Gideon Gillespie was startled and re laxed his hold. Then, with a quick spring aside, Drusilla eluded his trembling grasp and glided swiftly toward the side stairs ieading to the cabin-deck. In another instant she bad disappeared from his view. Gideon Gillespie started toward the spot, as though he would not even abandon the worse than vain effort to win her love as he had en- forced ber attention: but then he turned with a grating oath and standing near the stern, stared moodily down at the bubbling, boil- ing waters as they sped rapidly by, churned & a muddy froth by the rapidly-revolving pad- les. What were his thoughts then, no man may ever know, yikes ge they were not pleasant nor holy ones, from the bitter scowl which cor- reat bis moody brows. And could Drusilla Ward have seen his face then, even ber courage- ous heart might well have grown sick and faint within ber bosom, To the rear of the boat, the river was cast into a darkness that was only partially dissi- pated by the rays of the stars and the nearly full moon. Ahead of the vessel, a broad red light was streaming, revealing objects with the distinctness almost of midday, while there came the busy hum of voices from the bows, as the rival roustabouts faced each other, But Gideon Gillespie heard nothing of the sounds, saw naught of the light, until the slight crackling of the tar-and-gravel covered deck caused him to wheel abruptly. A short ex- clamation broke from his lips as he saw the figure of a woman before him, and for a moment. believing it to be Drusilla, return- ing, be leaped to her side and caught her in his arms, There was no resistance, Instead, the lithe form sunk LOPE, to his bosom, and a faint voice murmured: ‘‘Marcus—my love—my husband! At last, thank God!” CHAPTER XIV. ROTTEN TO THE VERY CORE. NEVER was mortal being more thoroughly surprised than was Gideon Gillespie when that broken speech came to bis ear. For one instant he stood like one transfixed, then started back with a fierce curse hissing betwixt his grating teeth. His arms opened and the trembling woman would have fallen to the deck had not the further retreat of the astouned villain been checked by the huge yawl which Jay bottom up close by. ** You, Rose! Inthe name of all that’s evil—” Gillespie checked bimself abruptly, but the harm was already done, and the second thought which flashed through bis plotting brain was instantly dismissed as impracticable. He could not boldly defy ber after that recognition, with- out too plainly betraying his unscrupulous ame. : Trembling like a leaf, her entire frame shaken by the hysterical sobs which she vainly strove to overpower and choke back, the woman tk, to his neck. Slowly he turned his head an cast aswift, comprebensive glance around them, Ciearly outlined against the broad fan of light which streamed out far in advance of the boat’s bow, he could distinguish the fancifully orna- mented pilot-house, inside of which were the coatless dsurek of two Bae one on either side of the many-spoked wheel. He frowned dark- ly as he saw how very distinct their nee were, and the cruel temptation of which that hasty look was born, nearly died ie tb Yet his false arms closed around that cling- ing, trembling form, and he slowly moved to- ward the stern of the boat where the waters boiled and bubbled so madly as they whirled by to roll on without cessation until their long journey was ended and they found oblivion in the bosom of the mighty ocean, “Rose, how came you here? Surely, angel — though I have so often vowed you were, you did not drop down from heaven? You followed me from Orleans?” | His voice was entirely changed, and a stranger hearing it for the first time, would have sworn it was that of a dotingly fond lover addressing bis idolized mistress. With a little inarticulate ery, she lifted her head from bis bosom, and pressed her hot lips to bis, murmuring: ‘‘You are not angry with me, Marcus? Say you are not angry because 1 am here!” Gillespie made no immediate reply, but moved slowly on until they stood close to the stern railing, almost directly above the boiling, tum- bling waters. He glanced keenly around them, making sure that they were alone on the upper deck. ‘“Am I angry, little one? That depends. I must hear your full and free confession before I grant vou absolution or pronounce your pen- ance. How came you here, and seg af Of course you came aboard at New Orleans, but how is it ' that we have not met until now? If you had Eomicbook: : r oo