Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 302 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

a - = = >_> et SN a a ea pigs Faro Saul, the Handsome Hercules. 19 ‘* And canght my game, too!” hissed the old man savagely. ‘* You made an excuse for a brief absence into the country, and when you parted from your wife, for only a week, as you took good care to make her believe, you kissed her—the kiss of a modern Judas,” “If so, the result more than justified the de- ception. If you know so much you must know that as well,” slowly muttered the bunted man, too deeply agitated by the revival of the black past to see what fatal admissions he might be making. ‘*] do know; more, perhaps than you will be anxious to believe,” was the swift retort. ‘* You went away, and after disguising yourself, came back to watch the bouse. You saw nothing to reward you the first night, but on the second you saw a Cloaked figure steal into the building, and waiting a time to make all sure, you en- tered by means of your latch-key, and stealin on tip-toe to the room from whence you sould detect the soft sound of voices, you burst open the door, You found your wife in company with a man, a stranger to you, and without giv- _ ing either of them time or opportunity for ex- planation—” ‘‘ What I saw was explanation enough, God knows!” ‘*What did you see? What did you hear? Let me tell you,” and the gambler, rising from his seat, stood before the mine-owner like a vision of revenge and retribution. ‘You saw your wife in the arms of a stranger. You saw him kiss her, and saw that instead of recoiling from his caresses, she returned them with equal ardor. You heard him call her pet names. You heard her say that she loved him better than aught else on the face of the earth, All this you saw and heard as you looked and listened at the key-hole,” ‘‘And wasit not enough? Do you wonder that my brain gave way—that for the time be- ing I was a raving madman?” ** Wait! You burst open the door, and leaned upon them like a maniac, knife in hand. You it cut and stabbed—you refused to listen or shew mercy—you never gave over until they both lay at your feet, covered with blood, dying!” “T was justified—more than justified in pun- ishing them, even with death! Think waat I saw—what I heard—and she my wife—I her busband |” ‘“* And he her brother!” sternly added Saul Oberlin. With a choking cry Marcus Tudor leaped from bis chair, staring wildly into the dark, handsome face of the gambler; but then he sunk back again, with a feeble attempt at a laugh. ‘* Bah! she had no brother living, or I would have heard of itinsome way. You only say that to torture me the deeper!” ‘¢He was her brotber, and my father,” slowly uttered Faro Saul. ‘* Weak, luckiess, easily ina- fluenced by evil associates, but still my father, A criminal, perhaps, but even now I will no. deny him, In that one point, of ite hisex- istence a secret from a jealous husband, your wife was to blame. But even that was hardly sin sufficient to be repaid with death at your hands, Waldo St. John!” With a desperate effort the mine-owner rallied from the crushing blow thus delivered, and his lips parted to speak, when Saul turned to the window, opened it and waved his white silk handkerchief in the mawner of a signal. With a new fear grasping his heart, Marcus Tudor gasped: ‘What do you mean by that, you villain?” “You bave repeatedly said that I could not prove your identity as Waldo St. John and our connection with the Tio of which I have giv-n youa brief outlive. said I had a witness who could identify you and prove al] my charges. You scoffed attbeidea. Come—” and be grasped him by the arm and led him to the window. ‘See for yourself, Waldo St. Jobn!” , The figure of a woman, clad in black from head to foot, was slowly passing before toe house, and as Saul Oberlin uttered a low whistle, she turned until she fronted the window, throw- ing beck her heavy vail, exposing her face to the full glow of the setting sun. From the moment he caught sight of that figure, Marcus Tudor turned stiff and rigid, bis breath coming in short, busky gasps, his face livid and ghastly. But, when thet vail was lifted and he-saw the face it bad until then bid- den, he was seized by a convulsive shivering, and would have fallen but for the strong grasp of the gambler, whose gloved hand as swiftly closed over bis lips to stifle that gurgling cry. — And as the woman passed on, be carried his victim back. CHAPTER XV. THE HANDSOME HERCULES AS A RESURREC- TIONIST. Wirdi one hand peoanty guarding those pal- lid lips, Saul Oberlin bore the mine owner back to his seat, the glow of a devilish exultation filling bis eyes and showing through the hot flusblog of his cheeks as, through his slightl ted fingers, he distinguished the faint, vering grasp: she Merciful Father! can the grave give up its ? Reclining the stricken man in his easy-chair, the big sport hastened to the sideboard and snatched up a decanter of brandy, with a glass, returning to the side of his victim. Though ho felt no more pity, no more com- passion for the stricken wretch than he would for the helpless worm that shivered and died be- neath the grinding of his heel, Saul was not ready to loose his grip of steel. His game was not yet securely won, though so far everything had run in hisfavor. Until the winning card was played and the last trick turned, the life and sanity of Marcus Tudor was very valuable to him! Wits skillfully apspios force he obliged the mine-owner to swallow a heavy draught of the strong liquor; then, filling the hollow of his hand from which he removed the neat glove, Saul bathed the face and temples of his victim. Thus he kept up his efforts until the tortured man began to breathe with freedom and regu- larity again; then bis air of anxiety vanished, and be became once more the merciless mas- ter. ‘“*Ay! Waldo St. Jobn,” be said, with a harsh, pitiless deliberation that made each word seem like the stab of a poisoned knife to the sorely afflicted mine-owner—‘‘ when a man of my caliber sets his mind and heart on gaining any particular end, the grave itself must yield up its contents to bear witness in his favor, if naught else will serve his turn, You doubted my power; what think you now?” ‘You are the devil! A merciless, p tiless, torturing fiend, fresh from Hades!” muttered Marcus Tudor, feebly striving to drive away the waking incubus that paralyzed bis mind and body alike. ‘‘lf I sinned, have 1 not suf- fered? Ay! suffered ten thousand deaths in life! Not a day since that fatal night has passed but I bave lived over that age of torture! Nota night: I have seen her—pale, ghastly, ed b xy from her throat, ber bosom! bas visited my bedside and ny misery! Think of this, say I have not atoned, if ye dare!” “An eye for an eye—blood for blood!” sternly uttered the gambler, watching bis vic- tim as c y asa cat watches a captive mouse, be same feelings, or his black aming teeth belied bim greatly. k 1@ woman wkom you so basely ered! Tnink of the man who had never nged you in deed or thought, cut off in the prime of life by your savage steel! Think of me, deprived of my only relatives—of my father end bis s ster! For their sakes, above their graves I have sworn to avenge their wrongs on your head; for the sake of your fair daughter I am wiliing to perjure myself in their For a father and an aunt, give me a l will be well. Refuse—well, I be- ninted at the hangman and his tie, d with more energy than he ‘since that spasmodic attempt to free om the toils by slaying his arch ene- DE ried ; “Itis alla cunning trick! Or, if that woman was her, then ycur power is gone! I did not kill ber! Hal ha! you villain, you have over- reached yourself this time!”’ ** Have 1?” coolly laughed Faro Saul, without betraying the slightest trace of annoyance. ‘* And the man? my father? what of him? You forget that there were two innocent victims to your insane passion and keen steel, that night. Even granting that the woman escaped your fury, which I have not yet done, you would still be a murderer and ripe for the cots, pl Marcus Tudor once more sunk back in his ebair, his short-lived exultation changing into a sullen apathy, Outwardly, at Jeast, he seemed to be in much better condition for resisting the deadly grip of his merciless foe, but then the Hercules was not a man to despair while a sin- gle card remained in his hand, and he steadily pressed the point he wished to gaiu, ‘“‘T have been wonderfully patient with you, Waldo St. John, because I wished to make the riffle without letting the world into our secret. Not that I care for myself, or even for you; but it will be hard enough for Zurilla to know that she is the daughter of a murderer, without the additional pain of feeling that every one, man, woman and child, with whom she may come in contact, shares that shameful know)- edge. Actsensibly, and she need never know the whole story. Remain stubborn, end I swear that I will call together the entire town before your door, and make the startling revelation in tones so loud and clear, that even though she refuse to desert the bedside of Milo Vincent, she cannot delp but bear all! ‘On the other hand, submit qty, sensibly, to the inevitable; go with me, if you still doubt, to the spot where that woman is waiting for our coming, to forever solve your doubts; meet her face to face, and then see if there is any earthly method of escaping the gallows, if we choose to press our advantage. Do this, and then I will repeat my offer. Will you?” ' “ No,” sullenly replied the mine-owner, “It CC rr is another of your diabolical traps! Til never” enter it!” ‘‘Nay, my dear sir,” with a tiger-like pur- ring, “‘ do not be quite so basty, or you may see cause to bitterly regret it. If you refuse to pay this lady the visit she is expecting, within a certain length of time, she has instructions to return here, with substantial witnesses. There will be a lawyer to take down ber accusation, and witnesses to prove it when the time comes that sees you in the criminal dock. And one of those who will be summmoned to repeat the tale that woman will tell to us here, will be Zurilla, your daughter—so called!” “What do you mean by that? She is my daughter!” **Nodoubt. It wasa slip of the tongue. I meant to say—never mind, just at present. Time enough to spring that mine, when you posi ively refuse to bear me company.” ‘*l have refused—do your worst!” ‘“*] fear you soe | realize just how bad that worst is, my dear fellow! It will prove you an assassin. Jt will prove you Waldo St. John, on whose bead a heavy reward has rested for twenty years and more. It will prove that you had a living wife when you married the mother of the fair Zurilla.” ‘* A lie—a lie!” gasped the mine-owner, with a ‘convulsive start that told bow deeply this shaft sunk, bow bitterly it rankled. ** And even more: it will prove that, instead of being your legal heiress, Zurilla will be worse than nameless; for, Waldo St. John, Althea Pennoyer not only survived your savage as- sault, but soon afterward gave birth toa child, which is sti!l in the land of the living!” Keenly the gambler watched the effect of this thunderbolt, expecting to sce bis victim sbrink and cower beneath it, the last remnant of resistance crushed out of him forever; but he was doomed to disappointment, The mine-owner stared at him with an in- credulous Jook, and then shook his head with a dog determination. ** You go too far, now, Saul Oberlin. There is a limit even to my credulity, and I can’t swallow that!” ‘* Come with me, and you snall have proofs of its truth.” ‘* Bah!” with a faint laugh. ‘“‘ You despair of driving me to meet your terms, and so you think to decoy me into a still closer trap? You mean murder, Saul Oberlin!” The angry look vanished from the eyes of the ; Giant Gambler, and he smiled pleasantly as he + made reply: mo ‘*T would lose by that, my dear fellow, and | 4 when, I play a game for big stakes, itis to win. : Dead you would be worth nothing to me, were my proofs of your past crimes tenfold as strong as they now are, Zurilla would never sacrifice Whe herself to keep a mere name clean, even though that name was once worn by ber father. She would bid me defiance, weep a few tears, per- = Ry i haps, over her shattered jidol,ending by con- _— vincing herself that it was a case of mistaken ; identity, and throwing her sweet self away on 23 that empty-pated Milo Vincent. ae ** Living, you are my touchstone which shall turn all to gold! Man alive, I would fight for + yaw « you even as a father would do battie for his | first-born! But if you still doubt me, I'll give at you yet another chance. You baven’t paid Billy +The Whistler for his claims yetf” (ae Marcus Tudor slowly shook hishead. Though —s the money which came so near costing Milo py eM Vincent Lis life was intended for that pu e, phe the bargain bad not yet been comtpleted. First ay came that crushing shock to the mine-owner; es ie then the attempted assassination of the young foreman. Thesehad driven allbusinessthoughts out of bis head, whee ““] thought not,” noddedthe gambler. “Well, ss your bumble scrvanr, Not to put too fine a = —_ on it, he bats me asthedevilissaidto oathe holy water, and would take many a long 5 Sees step to catch me foul. Aad) es “Come with me. On our way we will take the trouble to bunt up Mr. Whistler; that wilh not be difficult, for the honest digger has his > regular beat for each hour of the night. Bid a him have bis papers ready for thetransfer at. any hour you may choose to name forthe mor- ~~ row. Warn bim tobe punctual to time. And | then, in a casual way, let bim know that you are going to pay a call in my company. I will. drop in a word or two which will make Billy mighty eager to look me up, if by any chance: — you should fail to keep the appoinf ment.” ‘* If I refuse to take all this trouble?” ioe ‘*You will not, since it is the only show for you to keep your secret fromthe earsof your daughter. Decline, and true aslampnowtalk- ing to you, all of Good Enough shall know ~ you as you really are, before another hour a passed over your head!” sternly criedthe ant, : sn Marcus Tudor could see that this was no idle threat, and once more that ugly shiveringcame back. With an effort be rose from hischair and crossed the room to the sideboard, pouring out a glass to the brim with stron brandy. oie swallowing itatasingle gulp. Then e turned. er again, saying: ee com you know that Billy is no very great lover o>] Be) é- y a] @ i? Pie ont ay e4 ‘ = 7 a art. A Stee » La ,OOKS (E « ? Se -