Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 292 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Ce Moke Horner, the Boss Roustabout, “Leaving out the punching part of the pro- gramme, I don’t know but what it would suit me quite as well as anything else I could think of,” drawled Shaky Joe, critically selecting a cigar from the box before him. ‘‘I don’t care a continental curse for either you or your daugbter, only as a means of getnng square with that high-flying son of mine. I can steal or beg enough to keep from starving, and what more does a man need when he gets as low down as I am now? Nothing! So open the ball as quick as you please, old fellow—but if ou’ll put up the scads for me, I’m open to give ong odds that you can’t beat one side of me!” For a brief space the merchant seemed about to fling himself upon the insolent scvundrel, but then, as theswelling strains of music came to his ears, he choked back his just ind:gnation as best he could, It would never do to engage in' a disgraceful scuffle while so many of bis friends were beneath bis roof-tree. ‘You know I cannot disgrace myself and my friends by thrashing you as your insolence de- serves,” he said, controlling his passion with a desperate effort, though his voice was husky and barely articulate. ‘‘Go on. Explain your words in as few words as possible, Your very presence is worse than poison to me.” ‘‘Nay, man!” grinned Shaky Joe, showing WR teeth. ‘Never stop to pick and choose your words. Spit out all the bitterness you can twist your tongue around—the more the better for Ill weigh each curse and epithet when make out my bill and charge accordingly. | wouldn’t even kick against a blow or two, if you—” ‘* By the Lord that made me, you shall have them, then!” grated Ward, leaping upon the tantalizing scoundrel, striking out heavily with both clinched hands. Only to have his arms brushed aside without seeming effort on the part of the blackmailer, his feet knocked from under bim, while a dex- terous twist sent him into the chair which Shaky Joe bad just vacated. Then, with a shivering finger moving rapidly before his face, the grimy athlete said: ** Now it’s my turn to caution you, old fellow, and what I say I’m ready to back up, as you'll find if you try any more such tricks as that, Sit where youare. Keep a decent tongue be- twixt your teeth, and only break silence when you havea enon to ask, or by the devil that made me, I'll show you more boxing in one sec- ond thanever you saw in your whole life be- fore! You comprehend?’ Confused and not a little stunned by the ease with which he bad been handled, Horace Ward found it impossible to make any immediate re- ply, and Shaky Joe sunk into the chair which the merchant bad so abruptly deserted, filling a glass of liquor, and tossing it off at a single swallow. ‘‘Like you, Horace Ward, I am Northern born and bred, though a considerable portion of my life has been spent in the Sunny South; but there the semblance ends. You flourished like a bay tree, while I—well, you shall have the whole story in regular order for your more perfect understanding. ‘tT was rich, well born, talented, my friends said—for I had plenty of so-called friends in those days!—and married to a reigning belle. We had one child, a son, who gave promise of being an ornament to society as well as a bless- ing to us. Possibly this promise might bave been carried out, bad all continued to smile on my pathway, but I doubt it now. The black cross was in his blood—that much his mother gave him, if nothing else! “My business called me frequently from home, and more than once when I returned [ would bear wha wtp of the too gay bebavior of my precious wife. At first 1 only smiled in silent scorn at what 1 fancied no more than the spiteful babblings of those who were envious of her beauty and popularity. but at length the rumors flew about so thick that I felt obiiged to notice them, at least in part, if only in justice to my wife. “IT spoke to her, but she only laughed and kissed the words from my lips. Toere was naught bnt jealous envy in the talk; she was gay and full of life; she was the leader in society and could not immure herself like a nun during mv absence, though she might wish it never so much; and her love for me was so entire, so passionate, that it would he impossible for her to go astray, were the temptations a thousand- fold stronger than any sbe had yet found. So she swore, and sealed the sweet oath with her sweeter lips on mine. How could I doubt? I did not. and told ber so, ' “And yet, as I was soon to learn, those rumors were based on cpt truth, and her vows were false as hell itself! ; “It was my custom to leave with her a faw ehecks signed in blank, for her to fill ont as occasion might require. while I was away from home. Nosooner had I departed, after that talk concerning the wild rumors which impeached her virtue, than she drew out every dollar from bank, sold my property on a forged authority, then ran away with her lover. _ “ Word came to me but slowly, ‘in a remote region, and when as I was then tpl essences trail, it had growncold. But Lhad no otber aim | she was quickly plun in life than to find and punish those who had sa bitterly wronged me, and though [ was aruined man as far as worldly wealth was concerned, and consequently almost entirely without what the world calis friends, 1 managed to scrape to- gether enough money to enable me to prosecute my search for nearly a year, Then I found the man whom common rumor assigned the credit of betraying me. I gave him no time to ex- ylain or defend himself. I filled bim full of lead. and was still engaged in carving him to bits, there in the crowded thoroughfare, when the policeman pounced upou me and clubbed me to insensibility, ‘‘When I recovered consciousness, I was ironed and in a prison cell, My victim was dead, and I felt satisfied. I had washed the blot from my name with blood, As for her, sooner or later an avenging Nemesis would over- take her. ‘Tl was brought to trial, and asa just de- fense, I pleaded the shameful wrong the dead man had put upon me, Then, to my horror, it was plainly proven that rumor had lied so far as that poor devil was concerned. Instead of being the paramour of my faithless wife, he had been in anotber State all the time, as proy- en to even my conviction. The cunning devils had so adroitly managed it as to cast suspicion on an entirely innocent man! ‘*T was convicted of murder and sentenced to be hung. My few friends and my counsel worked indefa igably, and by showing how thoroughly I bad been Jed to believe the mur- dered man the one who had disgraced me, they succeeded in having my sentence changed to life imprisonment. ‘‘T served in that hell on earth for ten Jong years, then received afull pardon. 1 went out into the world, a broken-down and degraded wretch. Once set free, those who had once been my friends, deserted me, and wherever I went, I received naught but the cold shoulder, I took to drink to drown the memory of the past. I could only associate with thieves and similar outcasts, for none other would tolerate my society. I had to live,and so I became even as were my companions. I stole and robbed with them, 1 shed blood when the only other alternative was detection and imprison- ment, for death was far better than a return to those devilish taskmasters.” He ceased speaking, to pour out another glass of liquor, and Horace Ward, who had until now listened in sullen impatience, broke the brief si.ence: ‘* What is all this to me? Why do you force me i listen. to this rambling story of a wasted e *“ Tam coming to the point which does inter- est. you,” retorted Shaky Joe, setting down the emptied glass, his voice growing more natural, bis small eyes iLbpsinbi is § vicious- ly. ‘‘ You listen because you can’t help your- self. You suspect what I have yet to utter, and though you would give a pretty penny to slit my throat or otherwise forever seal ra lips, you dare not repeat the attempt. But let that flea stick by the wall. - Retnile my cunning and the freedom with which I used knife or pe when I found my- self in a tight place, I did not always escape scot free, and I have served time in more differ- ent States than you would believe, even if I cared to call the roll. From some of the prisons I managed to escape; from others I was set free by the arts of those with whom I was leagued in crime; in only a few I served out the period for which I was sent up. ‘“‘One day, as I was taking my leave in the ordinary fashion from one of these public hotels, I met a woman being carried in on a stretcher, { would never have recognized her for the young and beautiful woman who deserted me ears before, for she was a frightful wreck; but os senses were keener, and, with a sbriek, she called me by name, . ‘‘T had a long interview with her before I left the jail. During our conversation she con- fessed all. She told me the real name of the man who had aided her to betray me, and gave me the history in brief of the years that fol- lowed. ; ‘‘Though thev escaped my vengeance, their sin was not suffered to pass unpunished. One short year, then the fellow deserted her even *s she had deserted me, leaving her without a dvl- lar to keep her from starving. Before that, even within a month from their elopement, he had begun to abuse ber, to curse, kick and best her—and I Jaughed in her face as she told me this with tears streaming from her bleared eyes! It was good as a feast toa starving man, this gliopse of what she had suffered while I, too, was suffering. ‘‘ She told me how she was forced to abandon our hoy, for her lover feared it would lead to their discovery by me if they kept him with them. He was left with a poor family cf Irish ople, and for a time they were paid hberally erie charge. Then when she was deserted, bundreds of miles hiheh from the spot wh rethe lad was left, she could no longer keep up the payments; and as she was forced to live, after sought for the some fashion, the utter degradation in which Nalin Sere iaptens hep ak 1a. 7 soon deadened ber maternal feelings, and long years passed before she made any attempt to trace her son. Then, when she found herself in this city, she learned the truth. The lad had been deserted by the Irish family, to fall into the bands of a rich philanthropist, who publicly adopted him as bis son.” ‘*It is all a lie!” exclaimed Horace Ward, desperately, ‘‘ You have no proof—you have hatched up this ridiculous tale in hopes of gain- ing hush-money !” Shaky Joe laughed shortly, with a contempt- uous fling of a quivering hand outward, ‘You shall have proofs enough, never fear, my dear sir! I bave learned by stern experi- ence to never strike a blow until my sim , ai and I know just how heavy it should all, ‘IT stayed by my wife until she could give me no more informatiou that would serve my pur- pose, then I left. When Idid go, she was dead, They said she expired in a fit of apoplexy. Jt may be that they were influenced somewhat by my evidence. They were satisfied—and so was I |” ‘You murdered her!” gasped the merchant, hoarsely. ‘** You said it, not) me,” laughed Shaky Joe. “If I did, who shall say I had not sufficient cause? But it is on the records that she died in a fit of apoplexy, brought on by excitement and dissipation—and that settles it! “Well, as you grow impatient, I’ll hasten to an end, ““I came here and sought out my son. His benefactor was as proud as he was generous, and though the young fellow couid not deny m proofs, he begged of me to spare him. He would see that I wanted for nothing that he could give me, and as time bad weakened my Deron affections somewhat, I consented to eep our relationship a secret from all the world and the worthy judge in particular, on receipt of a certain sum of money, to be paid me on the first of every month. “The lad kept his part of the bargain for awhile. Then the judge died, and to our con- sternation, we discovered what all the world now knows, that Judge Dingeon died almost a beggar, having given away his money in charity as fast as he made it! “*Thad counted on a generous lump-sum when the old fool croaked, and this disappointment did not sweeten ay temper in the Jeast, as you may imagine. I hunted out the lad, and we had arather warm discussion before we came to an amicable agreement. He told me that he bad strong hopes of soon winning the band of a very rich heiress, but that if I came forward, all his ope would be knocked west-end-and-crook- ed! He swore that he would press his suit as rapidly as he dared, and on the day the wed- ding took place, he would give me enough money to keep me for the rest of my life. ‘‘Of course I agreed to this, I knew he had no money of his own, I did not care to steal, after serving the State so often for nothing, I believed he would keep bis word. If he bad, I woule not be here now, telling you this dismal ale. ; ‘Instead of keeping faith, the treacherons dog put up a See pag ob on me, and the first I knew, the bobbies had me nail d fast. The proof was convincing, and I was railroaded in prison, almost before I could comprehend that was indanger! It was not a very heavy sen- tence—only for two years—but the young fel-. low doubtless thought he would have his game won long before the expiration of that time. _“In prison I met an old mate who bad con- siderable political influence, and as he was discharged soon after, I ot him to work the wires in my favor, He was good as his word, and before my term was one fourt served, I received a pardon. tea “It did net take me long to ferret out the secrets of my dutiful son, and I learned that his covetec heiresss was none otber than your daughter, I watched my chance, and learning, it matters not just by what means, that be ha or would shortly pop the question, [ came here to get even with him, no matter what it cost me! Rpidly, fiercely, he uttered these words, and they carried conviction to the sou! of the listener, He felt that the fellow was speakin tbe truth, ané it sent a bitter pang to bis hear as he thougbt of his bright and loving child. _ ““Tt will kill her!” he muttered, boarsely, giv- ing unconscious utterance to the thought that racked bis soul. “ Better that than the life she must lead as the wife of one in whose veins flows such treacb- erous hlood!” grated the convict, his eyes aglow, “Think of his mother—of me—of his own das- tardly treachery in swearing me into jail—his own father? Bad as I am, he is worse, for he has hada fair chance to prove bimself an hon- est man, while I—” “Are lying—pouring ont lies as false as though coined by the arch-fiend bimeelf!” cri Ward, striking the bell violen'lvy. ‘“ You shal be brought face to face with the man so sbame- fully malign—” . He abruptly checked himself as the servant EOMEIE gs) ,OO