Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 302 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

ee eee eee eee Se é he “+ j 4 x. Pal : ‘ ig * = § ' = 24 Faro Saul, the Handsome Hercules.’ ‘“‘And yet, what is she? An illegitimate child, at the very best, for 1 am still living— and I am your wife in the eyes of the law!” Marcus or shivered, and his eyes sunk be- fore that keen and glowing gaze. His new- found courage began to fail him, just when he required its assistance the most. “‘Think what it will be to her—to the dainty, delicate darling whom you have reared like a hot-house plant in the full warmth of your love! Think what it will be to ber when she learns the truth! When she knows that her loved parent is a fugitive from justice—that he is an assassin on whose head rests a heavy price! When she learns that she is a nothing— a worse than nameless girl—a bastard !” With a hoarse oath, Marcus Tudor clinched his hand and would have felled her to the floor, but fur the steel grip of the giont gambler, who arrested the blow, saying sternly: “Go lightly, sir, or you'll suffer all the worse!” ‘*Even death coming to me, would not save ou!” laughed the woman in black, malignant- ty. ‘*Tf [ am murdered, the truth will instantly be made known. No, Waldo St. John; struggle as you may, you have got to come to my terms, or else I go to the fair Zurilla and tell her all!” ‘She would not believe you—I would swear it all a foul lie, and she would believe me,” mut- tered the mine owner. ‘Not in the face of the proofs I have to offer,” was the swift retort. ‘The child is still living, and within easy reach. Unless you meet my terms, without haggling, 1 will take her by the hand and come to interview you in your own home. Then it will be too late to think of com- promising the affair. The whole truth shall be ade plain to all who care to listen. Marcus dor will leave the stage, and Waldo St. John come upon it, to remain until he makes his final exit at the end of the bangman’s rope! How like you the picture, my geutle lord?” Gentle though her voice, subdued as were her tones, and sweet the smile that curled her red lips, this raillery was far worse than her fiercest denunciations, and the mine-owner shivered be- fore it like a wind-shaken leaf, ‘You merciless devil—” ‘“‘Tf I am a devil, who made me one?” she cried, almost savagely. ‘‘ Who but you, you cowardly cur! Bah!” with a short, hard laugh; ‘I am a fool for letting you ruffle my temper. Back to business, if you please, Waldo St. Jobn!” ‘What amount do you demand?” he muttered sullenly. ‘*A mere trifie,” in a light and airy tone. ‘The $5,000 for mv own pocket, and the addi- tional sum of $20,000 in cash for my—I should say, our—daugbter!” he mine-owner uttered a cry of choking rage at the extent of this demand, and stubborn- ly eried: vas I'll never pay it! I'll die first!” You will pay it, and before you leave this room, darling!” CHAPTER XIX. THE HERCULES TIGHTENS HIS GRIP. Marcus Tupor cast a swift glance around him, sligutly changing his position so as to bring the giant gambler more in front, for he believed that that placidly uttered threat was but the prelude to a scene of undisguised violence. Faro Saul smiled listlessly, and the woman laughed in her sweetest, yet most cutting tones as they divined his impulse. ‘“* We are not common thugs, Waldo St. John to employ force where simple persuasion will bring the same reward without any of tbe risks,” laughed the woman. ‘““And you forget your safeguard, my dear fellow,” drawled the gigantic sport, twirling his mustache. ‘*Our mutual friend Billy Whistler must not be kept waiting when he is on time at that appointment to morrow; as for the ducats ee to finger, that isa horse of a different color.” Marcus Tudor flushed a little at these taunts, and it may be that the knowledge of having shown a trace of apprehension where there was no cause for fear, made his speech a little bolder than it otherwise would have been, “ You have had your say, now listen to mine. Were I to yield to this shameful demand, it _ would be only a drop io the bucket. You would - come again and again until you had stri me of my last dollar, and theu spread your foul lies broadcast through pure devilishness. Since it must come to a fight, sooner or later, let it come now! I defy you both! Not one dollar do you wring from me, though you do your worst!” The woman was about to speak; but Faro Saul, throwing off all pretense of indifference, stepped between them, facing the mine-owner, his voice rapidly enunciating: “TI fear you are a little hasty in arriving at that conclusion, Waldo St. John, though you cannot say that you have not had the rna- tive fairly placed before you.” “ Hasty or not, it is final,” was the dogged re tort. ** Perhaps not; at least, let me give you a little good advice. Now you area hi of business, * If you had a snug sumin any stock which you were tively sure was doomed to become worthless forever, and you had the chance to do so, would not you prefer sacrificing a small por- tion for the sake of saving the bulk of your investment?” * Any fool would,” muttered Marcus Tudor, as the Hercules paused for the purpose of receiv- ing his reply. ‘*Then a wise man should be even more prompt to act. And this is exactly your case, my dear sir. Pay your wife the sum she demands, and you will never see or hear aught of either her or her daughter as beggars again.” ‘* What assurance have | that—” ‘*My word of honor,” was the swift inter- ruption. A hard, bitter laugh broke from the lips of the other. ‘Your word! The honor of a gambler, a common cheat, the ally of robbers who strip their prey with even less ceremony! Truly, you offer me valuable security!’ sneered Mar- cus Tudor. ‘* [ do: the very best that man can give,” was the calm, unmoved reply. ‘“‘It will to my interest to see that you are not fleeced—by any other save myself. As your son-in-law, the husband of your only—acknowledged—daugh- ter, I expect to have the felicity of handling the ducats you have accumulated, after you are done with them and this world. What bet- ter security do you want than this?’ ‘You have the impudence of the very devil!” ‘‘Thanks, father!’ drawled the giant sport, bowing low. “Never that! I'd sooner father a rattle- snake!” All traces of levity disappeared from the face and voice of the Handsome Hercules as he step- ped forward and tapped the mine-owner light- ly one on shoulder, saying: ‘Pnough of this, Waldo St. John. Let’s get down to business. Put aside my own interest for the moment, and look the question fairly and squarely in the face. ** You cannot deny that you married this wo- man. You can show no evidence that you were ever divorced from her, or that she was ever ilty of conduct such as would even morally ree you from the obligation to support her and her child as such relatives. Granting this, as you must grant it, and remembering all that occurred in those long-ago years, you can’t honestly say that the demand she now makes of you is extortionate. Pay the sum asked— you ean do it without missing it—and you will never be troubled by either of them again. Re- fuse, and they will plunge you over head and ears into hot water, even if no worse comes of ‘“‘ T'll spend all I have fighting them!” “You will never be given the chance,” was the grave retort, and then Saul spoke more sharply, with more venom in both tone and words than anything he had yet shown: “Since ou are determined to act the part of a bull- eaded idiot, listen to me for a moment while I give you some straight talk. ‘* Unless you turn reasonabie and come down to solid business, binding yourself to meet our views fully and without reserve, you will be killed; your eldest child will be proven your legal heiress, and publicly take the place now filled by Zurilla; 1 will marry Aer, and take Zurilla for a housemaid—” A ery of fury burst gratingly from the livid lips of the mine-owner, and snatching a knife from his bosom, he struck vengefully at the broad bosom of his taunting foe! Only to bave his descending wrist caught in one of those sinewy bands and the picauiing steel arrested as suddenly as though it had come in contact with a wall of steel! Instantly the weapon was twisted from his benumbed grasp, and as the gambler caught him by the throat with one hand, the other drew back the bright blade, then struck swiftly for a point between the eyes! Helpless as an infant in that tremendous , Marcus Tudor gave himself up for lost as saw the savage light fill those black eyes, the fierce curl of the mustached lip that left the white teeth ex to view, and the flashing of the steel in the lamplight. Swift and sure the weapon descended, to be checked by the Hercules when tts point was barely an inch away from its mark, Fora single breath the blade was held thus, then Faro Saul uttered a soft, mellow laugh, Hey the mine-owner and ana flinging the knife across the room, where its point was buried deep in the wall. ‘Will you never learn wisdom, Waldo St. John?” he said, as he quietly faced the mine- owner, and there was voip contempt ming- ling with his earnestness of speech. ‘‘ Have you not kicked against the pricks often enough to learn that you are but a child against a man, when it comes to a tussle with me? How many more times must I repeat the lesson? Not once!” with a sudden fierceness that carried con- viction with if. chance, it will be your death!” “Tt will end in death—for you or for me!” “If you throw away another | — the mine-owner, his voice barely articu- ate. ‘*Perhaps not,” in more quiet tones. ‘ For your sake, I hope not; for when one of us has to go to the wall, it does not require a very skillful prophet to predict which one will get the bot end of the poker!” ‘*Bah!” cried the woman, in tones of con- tempt. ‘‘ You chided me for cutting time to waste and expending breath needlessly; come down to solid business, or else give me the reins and let me do the driving!” ‘Have patience,” coldly replied Oberlin, “It is not on every bush that you can pick up $25,000, and though revenge is precious, gold will pay for more whisky in these degenerate days. a To you, Waldo St. John, I need say but little more. In a nutshell, your ease stands just like this: There isa rend of murder hanging over your head; on your head is bye a snug little sum of blood-money. Aside from this, you bave committed bigamy, no doubt inno- cently, believing your first wife dead and food for worms. Unluckily for you, and still more so for the eharming Zurilla, Althea preferred to live a little longer, and the shifting of fortune’s wheel has onee more brought busband and wife together. And with that wife an elder daughter, who is lainly your rightful heiress, Only for this last act, the problem migbt not be so difficult for you to solve satisfactorily; and you had ought. to go on your knees in thankfulness for the _ chance which your wife now offers you, instead of getting on yourear! HM I had nota direct interest in your coffers, rest assured I would ad- vise her to at least double her demand in du- cats! ‘“*It may help you decide in her favor, when I confidentially inform you that not only is your eldest daughter living, but that she is here in Good Enough—that she is known to the citizens, or to those of them who class themselves among the sports, as Queen Titania!” Until now Marcus Tudor had maintained a defiant if sullen demeanor, but at that sentence, he staggered back as though struck a heavy hee fullin the face, a gasping groan parting s lips. Queen Titania! The dealer of faro for drunken, foul-mouthed roughs! A public character, who served as one of the “‘ attractions ” to draw cus- tom to the gambling hell called the ‘‘ White Ele- bant!” And she was his daughter—his Jawful eiress! Sinful, stained as may have been his past life, Marcus Tudor was still proud, still tencer of bis honor. Above all else he loved his Zurilla, and to spare her an unhappiness, he would have thrust his right hand into the fire and held it there until it dropped from bis body. Yet this gambling woman, this public character wbhum he bad, ever since ber first arriva) at Good Enough, deemed the vilest of the vile, was the sister of his idolized child! Saul smiled cepa as he read all this in that livid face, and be nodded covertly to the woman who smiled again. Truly, their bold game was prospering! ‘‘It is bard for you to believe this, no doubt, my dear sir,” suavely added the giant, ‘‘ but with the perfect proofs which this lady has in her possession, and which I bave been permitted to examine minutely, it is all susceptible of plainest proof. But it rests with you whether their story is ever published broadcast over the world, and you denounced as a fugitive assassin, or whether it is hidden from all the world from this date on. They ask but little, considering the importance of their merchandise to you. Pay it on the nail, and I tenn that you are never more troubled with them. Refuse, and to-morrow witnesses your complete exposure. Decide!” : ‘“Thave not the money with me,” faltered Marcus Tudor, one tremb! ng band brushing the cold sweat from his brow. ‘‘Give me time to think—to decide.” ‘‘ Rive minutes; not a second longer!” cried the woman, in a bard, metallic voice, taking cut a watch and noting the position of the hands, ‘*Muech as I need the money, revenge is very dear to me, now that I have recalled all I suffered by and through you! Delay a mo- ment beyond that time, and I choose revenge before all your wealth—especially as it will de- scend to my daughter, anyway, at your death!” she added, with a merciless laugh. ‘*Do your worst, then!” desperately cried the hunted mine-owner. “I have not the money with me, and—” ‘You have a portion, and she will take your word for the remainder,” interposed Saul. ‘‘ Let Billy Whistler whistle for bis ducats, un- til you can turn yourself around.” ‘Still, the money is not bere, and she—” “ Feel in your breast pocket, please,” laughed Faro Saul. ‘I fancied the lady wou'd be im- patient to finger the cash, and while I was re- storing you from that little fit of indisposition, I took the liberty of placing the package in your pocket. It lay, very recklessly, on your desk. and so caught my eye.” It was even so. reus Tudor toek from an inner pocket, the knife-pierced and blood-stained (EC) AME Si ICO co