Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 302 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

-—— ss —— -— + worn a score of different names in m oe and right royally I ruled, too!” crm ee a ee Faro Saul, | the Handsome Hercules. 22 the lips of the prisoner, bis brows uplifting with such an expression of mingled horror and devout thankfulness that despite themselves both Saul and Queen Titania broke into a laugh. ‘* Durned ef I see anythin’ to giggle at!” mut- tered Old Pap Weatberwax, biinking at them owlishly. ‘“‘ The good Lawd knows I’m got low- down enough, without tryin’ to couple me to the likes o’ her, an’—” Queen Titania leaped across the space which divided them like an angry cat, striking him across the lips with her little hand, cutting short his uncomplimentary speech. “Silence, you bloodhound!” she hissed, her face flaming, her black eyes all aglow with rage and insulted pride. ‘‘ Dare to breathe one word ainst— Bah!’ with a little laugh and shrug of the shoulders as she fell back once more; “‘[’m an idiot to mind your empty ravings. What matter? Pour forth your foul slurs and hints. It is buta few short minutes you have to live, and if you prefer to spend them after that fashion to praying for the peaceful repose of your soul, what care I?” * You tell! Durned ef I kin see what fer you two take sech a p’izen nasty int’rust into the ole man, anywhy !” **Don’t you think that trick is worn thread- bare by this time, Frank Deckwright?” coldly asked the Hercules, removing the mask from his handsome face. ‘‘ You are wholly in our wer, and without our consent, all the detec- ives and. peace officers in the whole world couldn’g save you, even if they knew right where you were. You are doomed to death as surely as sparks are born to fly upward. You will never leave this apartment alive. Your grave is dug—see!” Striding across the room, the giant gambler lifted the black cloth from the oblong heap, re- vealing a rude pine coffin resting beside an open Twisting his bead partially around, Old Pap Weatherwax stared owlishly at the grim sight, then nodded shortly. **Yas, 1 see, Tuck a heap o’ trouble, hain’t ye? Tromped — weasel-skin out flat, didn’t ye, payin’ fer that splendacious rosemahogebo- cottohempine-wood casket? Live on bread an’ water fer a month, won’t ye, to make up fer the cost o’ them trimmin’s? Good Lawd! what inerous critters you big-an’-little of it air, any- ow! ‘“‘You will rest as easily in that pine box as ou would in the richest casket, my dear fel- ow,” lightly retorted Saul. ‘' lt is not the dress that makes the man, remember. Butas I was on the poin’ of observing: ‘‘There is no possible hope of escape for you. Your doom is as certain as though the worms had already feasted on your carcass, If not, think you I would have revealed myself to you after this fashion? Think you I would have ad- mitted that it was by my instructions you were esptured and brought here—since Milo Vincent was killed at the same time?” As he uttered this last sentence, Oberlin ‘watched bis prisoner keenly, but a shade of dis- appointment passed over his face as he failed to detect the slightest trace of either surprise or anger. It was as though Old Pap Weatherwax had never heard that name before, ** And not only that; if I had not known your escape was absolutely impossible, would I have admitted to you, as I virtually have done, that I was the prime mover in that attack of road- agents on the stage? Or bave shown that I had cause to fear the coming of a detective from St. Louis?” “Tt does make a kind o’ loud smell, don’t it?” innocently commented the prisoner. ‘‘ And if you need still further proof—listen: I admit that my name is not Saul Oberlin, but only donned for a time and purpose, as [ a me, Among them that of Walter Du Barry, the one in which you, as Frank Deckwright, should feel the deepest interest.” ‘“‘T want to know!” muttered the prisoner, as . pe mene ceased speaking to gaze keenly into ace, evidently with the purpose of noting the effect of this confession. “Bah! you do know! But you shall not have even that excuse to hide behind. You shall bave ee save your own craven fear to ‘orp 4 you in denying your real name. ‘** As Walter Du Dares I shot like a meteor across the best circles of St. Louis society. I ‘was handsome, rich, polished, when I chose to ‘be, and above all I had aspice of the devil in ‘my composition that captured the hearts—or fancies—of the society belles, just as surely and easily as my lavish expenditure of money took ‘the young male bloods captive. I was a king, ‘*’Pears like I’va hearn tell somethin’ o’ that,” slowly uttered the prisoner, with a cat-like glance from bis crooked eyes, ‘‘They was a fight, or a muss 0’ some sort, wasn’t they?” ‘* Just as though you hadn’t the whole histo - at your fingers’ ends, you whining hypocrite!” cried Saul, contempt ringing in his mellow tones. ‘‘ But run to the end of your rope—why -not? ‘* Yes, there was a muss, over the card-tables at the Club. Some one accused the king of foul play, which, if true, might have accounted for the enormous stakes he had won for the past few nights, as well as on that evening. It was an idiot who uttered that charge, but it was hardly across his lips when he had even less brains, And with the brains passed away bis life accompanied by a goodly portion of his egg- shell skull! ‘* Jes’ so; you blowed his cabeza wide open,” nodded Pap. ‘*Of course, since he publicly charged me with aoa a not but what the charge was true enough, but it was too openly made. And be- fore that little seance was over, the brainless rascal had three companions in misery. Not to put too fine a point upon it, I cleaned out the whole company, emptied their pockets into mine, and then levanted. Of course I knew St, Louis would be rather too warm for comfort, after that, and before daylight 1 was out of the city. ‘* You went alone, o’ course?” half-questioned Pap. vor course you know I didn’t do any such thing,” was the cool retort. ‘‘I never do my work by halves. I had two strings to my bow, and was working them both for all there was out, I had planned an elopement with a roman- tic—and very rich—damsel for that very night. It was my haste to clean out the bloods before the appointed hour that made me show my clo- ven foot too plainly. And when I left that lit- tle seance, it was to rush to the fond arms of my adorable! ‘[ knew that suspicion would fall upon me, though we had taken every precaution to kee our seances private, to avoid unpleasant colli- sions with the law and its guardians, whose keen noses, thanks to the Johnston law, were poked every where they scented gambling. Of course there would be the devil’s delight kicked up when that little slaughter-house was opened, and it was quite as much to give the papers and so- ciety something else to curse me about, as through love for her or Jonging for her money- bags that I carried off the blushing damsel that nigbt. ‘It was a mighty ’cute trick,” slowly uttered the prisoner. “ It throwed dust into ’most every- body’s eyes, ef I remember right. Anyway, the newspapers never mixed your name up with that little game o’ cards an’ cold steel.” “* You were one of those few exceptions, I be- lieve, Frank Deckwright,” pointedly exclaimed the giant gambler. ‘‘If not, then | was wrong- ly informed by my friends at head-quarters. They said that you declared that in finding me, ae mystery would be solved. Aw I not right ‘*How shed I know?” innocently ejaculated Old Pap. ‘“* True, [forgot,” witha mock bow of apology. “You are Epaphroditus Weatherwax, general rack-about and dead-beat bummer—exactly! I most humbly beg pardon—of Frank Deckwright! At least, he was a gentleman; would I could swear he was not the most bare-faced liar I ever encountered, but that would be soaring into the realms of the impossible!” ‘* And the girl?” softly uttered Queen Titania, who had been listening very intently to the careless confession of her gigantic companion. ““ What became of her, Saul? You never whis- pered aught of all this to me!” ‘‘Why should I?” was the blunt, rude retort. ‘You have your little secrets, into which I have never attempted to pry; why should not I the same?” ‘‘Durn the man that snaps the nose off the face of a woman, even ef she ain’t a angel with full-growed wings!” sharply exclaimed Old Pap Weatherwax, his eyes flashing indignantly. ** Perhaps you will satisfy her curiosity, my dear fellow?’ smiled Faro Saul, his black eyes glowing vividly. Was it only mockery. or was ita trap which he was cunningly setting to catch the game which bad thus far laughed his utmost efforts to scorn? ° *‘ Deed I jes’ will, then!’ promptly ejaculated Pap, nodding his head vigorously, seemingly unsuspicious of any snare. ‘‘ What of the young leddy, you ax, mum? It kin be putt mighty short—not sweet, though, pore cbild! “Never mind her name, nur yit her fambly; ef you’re so cur’ous as all that comes to, the pa- pers o’ that date’ll tell you all them p’ints. They hed a powerful sight to say over it all, fer news is news, an’ le will hev it all, no matter how deep each line cuts into the heart 0’ some pore critters who hev heavy enough load to b’ar ’thout that, a body’d think! “She was young an’ han’some an’ high-bred; but it didn’t sarve to save ber from the spoiler —wuss luck! She was tuck in by his high an’ mighty ways, jes’ as her folks an’ lots o’ other folks was, an’ she thought the sun rose an’ sot into his pocket, I reckon. Anyway, when he axed her, she said she’d ‘lope ‘long o’ bim, an’ when the time come, she did it, money an’ jew- els an’ all the waluables she could easy tote, paw enough to set up a dozen solid games 0’ ‘Waal, nigh a year went by without any word comin’ from the runaway gal; then a let- ter 'riv’ that had mere sorrer to the same ’meunt ' SS , ©’ writin’, I reckon, then ary other letter her folks ever ’ceived afore. She hed a baby, but she hedn’t no husban’. She never hed none, The i cuss she give up all fer, played her dirt from the very jump-oif! She was desarted, without money, sick, in a strange town, a thou- san’ miles an’ more from home, She said she only axed fer money to bring ber home, to die. Ef it would be sent by telegraph, she would try to hold out until it come. ‘*The han’ o’ fate was in it, I reckon, fer somehow that pitiful letter was delayed long the road, an’ it was two or three weeks old afore they got it. An’ the name that was signed to the letter, to which the money was to be sent, was the same name her folks hed read about into the papers that very morpin’, It told how she killed herself an’ her baby, rather than see it starve to death! ‘* An’ that’s what come o’ the gal, mum!” ‘*True as holy writ, as far as it goes.” declared Saul, with a hard, pitiless laugh, his eyes paving like those of an evil spirit. *‘ You forget one of the most interesting points,thoughb, my dear fellow! You omitted to say that the young lady was once very sweet on Frank Deckwright; indeed, some say they were en- gaged to be married, before she ran away with a handsomer man!” ‘In that you lie, Faro Saul!” cried the pris- oner, his voice, tones, and even expression un- dergoing a complete and startling change. ‘* She was a very dear friend, but nothing more. I loved her asa sister, and I swore to be avenged on the merciless demon who drew her to ruin and death!” A mocking laugh followed this fierce outburst, ‘* At last, Frank Deckwright! Where is your cunning mask now? I thought that little con- fession would bring out your real character, and IL was not mistaken!” ‘Don’t flatter yourself, Faro Saul,” was the cool, even response, ‘‘I intended dying under my own name and face, from the very first. I only wished to prove to you that you could neither scare nor trick me into an ad- mission before I was ready to let drop the mask,” ‘‘ Have it so, if it pleases you best,” was the careless retort. ‘‘ You admit, then, that you are Frank Deckwright?”’ “Yes, There is no reason why I should longer deny it,” ‘* And the oath you, took—the vow to never know rest until you bad brought me to account for her death?’ ‘* Will be kept, just as surely with me in my grave as with me alive and at perfect liberty,” was the grave response. ‘*Bah! you think to stuff that down me?” ‘‘ Doubt while you can, if that pleases you. The day will come, and that right soon, when you can doubt no longer. I havo laid the toils carefully, and you cannot take a step to flee without tripping yourself up. If I am not there to pull the trigger, my partner will act for me.” ‘* You lie!” with an involuntary glance around the room, as though he suspected the presence of enyoadroppers. ‘** You only say that to cover your own failure. No court in the land can touch me for her death, and us three alone know what part I playedin that little jamboree over the cards,” ‘* Hug that flattery to your bosom while you can. The hour of your wakening will not be long delayed.” ‘At least you will never see it!” cried the giant gambler, his pent-up passions finding full vent at last. ‘‘ You have dogged me long enough, and this hour ends your death-hunt forever! I _ waited to make you confess your name and identity. This you have done, and I have no further use for you.” ‘‘ But I bave!” suddenly cried Queen Titania. ‘You promised me I might dispose of him as I chose, and I claim the fulfillment of that prom- ise now!” ‘‘ He is yours, provided that you give him no show for his life. Kill him, and I will stand by without lifting a finger; but it must be done now and before my eyes.” Queen Titania placed a tiny silver whistle to her red lips and blew a thrilling call, which was almost immediately answered by the ap- arance of a tall figure in a black mask, who owed, tben silently awaited her orders. ‘« Release that fellow from his chair, and con- duct him to the edge of that grave, yonder,” she said, coldly. Without a word the masked man obeyed, un- tying the strong cords which held the detec- tive to the chair. The instant the thongs drop- ped from his person, Frank Deckwright made one vigorous effort to escape, but ceased as abruptly on finding that his limbs were still firmly bound. “Carry or drag him to the grave,” added Queeh Titania, as her satellite glanced toward her for further instructions, Stooping, the masked man raised the detec- tive in his arms and bore him over to the oblong pit. Placing him on his feet, at a sign from Queen Titavia he forced him to bis knees, hold- ing him thus while the faro queen advanced, confronting him like a death angel, her voice EOmic ‘S ICO )