Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 302 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

—— a : 2 * os. * - ~S- TS. 5 -_ . — — a < ‘ - —— =. "2 6 es” a =" "y : Pare ee or — setinayepstinagepiell — —T CS Oe ——— ~ . 7_ c £ so i ae a - * An it = * - — EE A A . @omes to bridle them! _ “when you like. 28 “ Just so will I trample on your face and -your heart, if the foul fiend decrees that you are to win me!” ‘‘Good enough, my beauty!” with a bow and a careless smi'ie that showed bow lightly ber threat weighed on bis mind. “I always did admire pluck and a spice of Satan in a woman. It makes it so much more interesting when one I am sorry for only one thing.” ™ ¥ 5a are more fortunate now than you will be when you win Queen Titania, then!” flashed the little spitfire. ‘‘In that case, your whole life will be one enormous regret!” ‘*Now 1 am sorry that [ placed your value at so low a figure!” with a mocking bow. ‘In the days to come | will try to make amends for my ungallantry just now.” ‘Enough of this idle prate,” growled Faro Saul, flashing 1 wicked glance into the face of the glib-tongued sport. “If you are ready for business, say the word.” ‘‘Ready?’ with an uplifting of his brows, ““My dear fellow I always am ready, let what may be to the fore!” “Possibly I may recall that remark to your notice, before many days,” pointedly. * When you wil receive the same answer, never fear, ‘* Deal, Saul Oberlin!” cried Queen Titania, stamping her tiny foot with renewed em- hasis. ‘Choke off his bragging by crowding loss after loss upon his head! Deal—to win!” “Tf he can—fairly,” sbarply supplemented Johnny Wild, drawing the cocked revolver a little nearer his right hand. “If he sbould try to turn a trick, there will be a funeral in Good Enough to-morrow, and [ll be one of the | mourners!” If he spoke thus in the expectation of shaking the now restored nerves of the Hercules, he counted without his bost. Steadily as though Merely a trifle depended on the run of the cards, Faro Saul shi off the bits of pasteboard one after the other, making a purely mechanical use after each turn, Greedily, breathlessly e crowd watched the progress of the deal on which both weal's:1 and beauty depended, Never before bad anv of them witnessed a like stake. After one of these brief pauses, the Hercules disclosed a knave for himself, the same action, by slightly poppy iy the card, told all that anotber court card lay directly beneath, and of course was the one favoring the player. Johnny Wild softly grasped his revolver. Faro Saul swiftly removed the knave—and the next card was the queen! "y : 1 Agi by the ’tarnal jumpin’ jingoes!” cried on " Faro Sau! flashed one swift glance toward bis successful rival, but as he saw that the Thorough- ‘bred held his pistol so that the muzzle covered -him, he tossed the cards over bis shoulder with a short, bard laugh, rising from his chair as he gaid: gai ““You have won, Mr. Wild. I wish you joy ‘of your new acquisition! May she serve you as ‘faithfully as she has me!” “Thanks! Sorry that I could only gain at “your expense; but such is life in the Far Wes'! Another time, "sat the tide of fortune may :set as strongly in your favor,” ‘IT live in hopes. You can take possession Queen Titania has all the keys, and can give you any information you may Jack. I will see you later. Perhaps from the other side of the table, or, who knows? I may oven have the temerity to propose a little trial of skill and test of nerve with you, one of these ‘pleasant days! For now, adieu!” *‘One moment, please!” cried the Thorough- bred, as the defeated gambler was turning on his heel. ‘“‘Don Bobtail Fandango—oblige me by paying the stakes you hold to this gentle- man. In silence Saul Oberlin received the money held by the little stage driver, pr bere it into his pocket. Once more he was checked by the voice of the Fr’isco Thoroughbred: “Tt is a nice little nest-egg, and in your bands, may easily lead to a fortune.” “True; I may recoup myself through its aid. Who knows?’ with that hard, metallic laugh that told so plainly of hot and dangerous pas- sions surging below the surface, ‘‘ It may even be the means of placing you where I now stand; a beaten, disgraced gambler! Stranger things than that have hap ” * And a stranger one is just about to happen!” cried the successful gambler, bis voice ringing out clear as a silver bell, all trace of carelessness ‘vanishing from his person as though by magic. “*Faro Saul!” The giant gambler turned on his heel and con- fronted the speaker, his eyes ge wickedly. ‘ a do you wantof me? Spit it out, curse ou * ““7 armest you on the charge of murder !” xd the sport, with a swift leap aside, adding: ae elhim, men |” Amid tbe yells and shouts of the startled spectators, a number of strong men leaped upon | ‘the Faro Prince from behind, grasping bis arms and twisting them back, snapping handcuffs on his wrists before he could make a move in self- defense! ; oo —_ = —— Faro Saul, the Han EE — — — —_ _—— CHAPTER XXIII. HOW THE GAME ENDED, RIGHT OR WRONG. IT was all so totally unexpected—-the charge of murder, the attack of the strong men from the rear, and the clicking of handcuffs around his wrist—that giant in size and strength though be was, Saul Oberlin made not the slightest re- sistance to capture, until after the deed was _ accomplished, Sharp and clear rung out the voice of the | | Frisco Thoroughbred as he threatened the surg- | ing crowd with a revolver in each band, ‘Make way, gents, and bands cff, if you please! This man is arrested according to law, and the one who dares lift a hand tw aid bim | and foil justice, dies like a dog! 1 mean busi- | ness!” | With a snarling curse, Faro Saul shook his | huge frame, casting his strong assailants flying _as though a cyclone had swept through them, | then plunged with lowered head full at his suc- cessful rival, baring his white teeth as though | he meant tu grasp the other’s throat with them and worry bim asa dog does a rat, | Lightly Johnny Wild leaped aside, and with _a combined trip of the foot and stroke with re- versed pistol, the Hercules went headlong to the floor with a crash that shook the house from ridge-pole to stringers. All this occurred with the rapidity almost, of | thougbt, and before more tban one-half of those | in the White Elepbant fairly realized tbe carse | of the wild confusion, Faro Saul was lying iv- sensible in the power of his assailants. Light and active asa cat, Johnny Wild leaped upon the faro table so recently vacated by Queen Titania, and spoke: | “Gentlemen, a few words to you: Faro Saul has been arrested according to law, for murder. He killed Toby Tinker, when that rascal was acting on the instructions given him by Faro Saul bimself. The bummer was to insult and frighten Miss Tudor, and then Saul Oberlin was to earn her gratitude by apparently rescuip ber from the enemy. He was to shoot, an Toby was to drop as though dead, He did drop, and, he was dead ! “Tt was men acting under the orders of Faro Saul who attacked the stage. By his orders Milo Vincent was assailed and left for dead; but it is for still older crimes of the same sort that he is arrested to-night,” ¢ By what right?” ventured a voice from the crow “That I will answer when asked by those who have the right. Until then, as this place and all its contents belong to me, you will oblige me by quietly retiring at once. When matters are fairly straightened out, you sball all be wel- come and treated like princes; but now, you must, pull out.” And without a word they obeyed. Secure in the knowledge that trusty men guarded each door, the man who hud so thor- oughly humbled Faro Saul stood before the Her- cules, who lay, ey and ironed, on a pile of blankets in the dimly lighted gaming-ha . Be- side him stood Queen a, the mask discard- ed, her jeweled hands clasped affectionately around the strong arm of the one who had so ne rng n personated the reckless sport. ‘It’s a lie! Say it’s a lie, Queenie! Brand him as a liar, why don’t you?” hoarsely mutter- ed the Samson, bis tremendous muscles writhing and swelling as be strove to free himself from bis bonds. “Tv’s the truth, old fellow,” retorted the faithless woman, with a light, careless laugh. “*T saw that your sun was setting, and of course TI changed ends, all the more promptly that by so doing I could help an old and very dear friend out of a nasty hole, and make myself solid with the powers that were to be, as well as make sure you didn’t give me any trouble for giving you the dirty shake.” With a spice of impudence which had ever marked her, Queen Titania raised herself on tip- toe and deliberately kissed the man on whose arm she was leaning! It was the last feather and Faro Saul flung every power of soul and bedy into one tremendous effort to burst bis bonds and avenge himself upon the traitress through whose cunning arts his complete down- fall bad been wrought. He even succeeded in gaining bis feet, but then the red blood ney in a torrent from bis lips, and he fell like a log. Despite all the efforts of his captors to check that hemorrhage, it never ce to flow until the life of Faro Saul, the Handsome Hercules of Good Enough, went out with it. Queen Titania told no lie when she said she bad good cause to remember Frank Deck wright, the St. Louis detective, but that was about the only truthful s she uttered during that memorable interview in the black chamber. It was not her first interview with the prisoner, thanks to the money which ht the man placed to watch over and guard the detective. And, while Faro Saul sup the detective was kept constantly under the influence of chlo- roform, he and Queen Titania were consulting on the best manner to foil the Hercules. dsome Hercules. | her part, aided by a “‘ stage dagger ” filled with | blood, and the complicity of the man who was detailed to bury the ‘‘ murdered ” detective. Then, feeling confident that Frank Deck- wright was dead and buried, what chance was ‘there for Faro Sau! to detect in the Fr’iseo | Thoroughbred bis ancient foeman, much less the uncouth Epapbroditus Weatherwax? One of the first persons whom the released de- tective visited, was Marcus Tudor and to him he made a startling revelation. With documents proving his position in life, he convinced the _mine-owner that be had the power to perform all he promised, and it was from that very coffer on which Faro Saul had had his covetous eyes for so long, that the money came to make such a dashing display against the faroqueen. And, | by her dexterous “stocking”, after a precon- _certed understanding, the first big haul was | made by the dashing sport. Afterward, when Faro Saul took the chair, it was good luck and | sound judgment that carried the detective through to complete success. | On the forenoon succeeding the death of Faro Saul, Frank Deckwright, now in his own proper }erson, paid a visit to the house of Marcus Tu- dor, accompanied by a small, closely vailed fig- ure which needed not a second glance to be iden- tified as that of Queen Titania. And in the library where tbe mine-owner had been called upon to endure so much mental torture by the man who held bim mercilessly in his grip of steel, words were uttered which almost com- pletely lifted the heavy weight from bis con- science, and made him nearer bappy than he had been at any time since his hand was stained ra with the blood of the woman whom he called wife. Queen Titania did the most of the talking, and the rapidity with which she rattled off her ex- planation, told bow carefully she had studied the situation and familiarized herself with all the various details. The woman whom Waldo St. John married as Althea Pennoyer, was really an adventuress, who had an eye single to his money, both then and prospectivel She wes fer older than she either looked or claimed to be; she had a busband living, in prison, and a son who was almost grown. That son was the person who has red in this record as Saul Oberlin, the Faro Prince. It was ber convict busband whom Waldo St. Jobn surprised with the false wife, and had his return been delayed another bour, be would not have found either of them. Having robbed the house of all valuables, they were preparing to flee to America, when his coming sent them to death instead. For, though Althea Pennoyer lived long enough to denounce Waldo St. Jobn as the mur- derer, and to tell her story to ber son, swearing him to never give over until be had bitterly avenged her death, sbe never recovered from her wounds, dying in $8. ew And, of course, it was all false about her having left a daughter to Waldo St. John. It was Queen Titania who personated Stella Timberleke on that stage journey. She was an ally of Faro Saul’s, and it was a part of her mission to make sure that Milo Vincent had the cash with him at the time. A signal informed the road-agents of this fact, and so they “ held up ” the stage. And she it was who, aided by a strong resem- blance in both face and figure, as proven by ths careful description given ber by Faro Saul, aided bv a photograph of his mother, played the part of the revengeful wife, so adroitly that Waldo St. John never once suspected the deception. Taking a solemn oath that neither would ever betray by word or hint their knowledge of that tragic page in bis past bistory, Frank Deck- wright ad Queen Titania, richer by that pack- age of knife-pierced bills, took their departure, Milo Vincent recovered in due course of time, and, of course, was rewarded with the hand in marriage of Zurilla Tudor—mever St. Jobn. Though Milo was told all, prior to his wedding, Zurilla never was the wiser. And it was as well. If be bad sinned, so had he suffered and repented. Good Enough still exists, after asteady, sober fashion, though it no longer numbers Marcus Tudor nor Milo Vincent among the citizens. But Don Bobtail Fandango is still there, and though never since that memorable day has road-agent dared show a masked face any where near the little camp, it is sufficient for the fat little driver that they were once seen, felt beld up to public view as positive proof that at last Good Enough was entitled be called a city! If he is rigidly sober, be may possibly admit, when cornered, that Good Enough may not be quite as big as New York nor precisely as enter- prising as Chi , but that is bis limit. Fire could not make him yield another inch, and | should it be a little later in the day, ten to one tt tTTtttEEEECCHI CE_,_ _i-' Ei EEE: tsetse - = Don Bob would fight a regiment of giants be- fore he’d admit even that much' THE END, JOO Gomme “Ss An actress before she took up with the hand-— some gambler, Queen Titania readily performed ° co