Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 322 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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Te —sA_ confident of his innocence being able to prove it to the world. As she slowiy came back to her natural state of mind, Nora bent her eyes upon the yo 8 thetic faces of Dr. Dare, and spoke with a calm- ness which surprised both herself and the phy- sician ‘* Doctor,” she said, ‘I thank you for your kind attention, I feel better, but still very strangely. I seem to have little control over my mind, and I find it impossible to express the feelings which seem to lie dormant. But for ‘this, however, I believe I should go insane,” ‘It is very providential, Miss Norrington,” replied Dr. Dare, ‘‘that your brain, through the action of the chloroform, has been left in euch a state. But, you must have an opiate now. lc is necessary that you should sleep. ‘‘ When you awake, I promise to answer all your questions to the best of ray ability, and to give you all the information I can gain in the mean time,” ‘Thanks, doctor! You are very kind.” Nora then swallowed the medicine offered her, and almost immediately fell into a deep slumber. She bad only awakened from this, when a note from Lyons, the detective, was brought to her. Dr. Dare was still in attendance: and, as he had been unable to learn much of tbe particulars from the negroes, he felt relieyed at this visit from Lyons The detective was at once, at the earnest solicitation of Nora, shown into her apartment, Few unnecessary words passed between them. Tne young girl prevented this, by asking at once. and with intense eagerness: ‘*Mr,. Lyons, will you please inform me as to the whereabouts of Mr, Clarence Coleman? I wish very much to see bim,” ‘*Miss Norrington, [ havea no knowledge ‘whatever, in regard to Mr. Coleman, He has mot been seen since the tragedy.” ‘* Then he escaped #” ‘* Escaped what?” asked Lyons, surprised that Nora should know of the suspicions against the young man, ‘*Mr. Lyons, I know nothing of the borrors of the past night, except what I saw myself, in one brief moment of consciousness, But from what [ then saw, I know that Clarence Cole- man has been the victim of a vile plot, which was inteuded to end his life in an ignominious - Manner, **] know that my father sent him to the office, to do some copying, bidding him bring the pa- rs to bim after they had been prepared; fora r. Montgomery was to call in the morning, before office hours, for them. ‘“* He copied the documents, but when he came here to deliver them, be found that my father had been murdered, but a few minutes pre- vious; that he had been stabbed with his knife —a bowie, which had his name engraved upon it! ‘* His presence in the library, that knife, and the fact that bis head was bruised—which I can account for—were sufficient proofs, the real as- sassin believed, to convict Mr. Coleman of the murder. That, I believe, is the true state of affeirs.” ‘‘Were you present, Miss Norrington, when your father requested young Coleman to copy those papers?” | ‘*[ was in the parlors, and they on the veran- da. I heard every word that passed between them on the occasion.” “f am glad to be able to establish that much,” said the detective. ‘‘ Now, about the wound on Clarence Coleman's head?’ **] will confide in you and Dr, Dare,” said Nora; *' for all that I bave to say must be made public soon, Clarence Coleman and Iare en- gaged! ; ‘* Rodney Reed bas been jealous of Mr. Cole- man for some time, altbough he knows tbat [ hate and abhor bim. He has insulted me fre- uently, by look and manner; but I did not in- orm any one of it. ‘My father was not aware of the relations between Mr. Coleman and myself. We met by appointment, near the gardens, last evening; and it was while conversing, that some lurking spy—who could have been no otber than Rod- ney Reed—‘hrew a stone, which struck Clar- ence on the head, and knocked him senseless, ‘*] fainted, also; and the spy, undoubtedly, threw water upon our heads, and then fled, I believe, as I have just said, that it was Rodney Reed; and that he, at that time, knocked Mr. Coleman senseless, in order that be might steal his knife. ‘* He had, I have no doubt, at that time per- fected his plan to murder my father, and leave such proofs as would be the means of convict- ing ence of the crime!” CHAPTER XVI. SUSPICION HAUNTS THE GUILTY MIND, “T wiILL state here, confidentially,” said Lyons to Nora and the doctor, ‘‘ that the sheriff received, through those who pursued Clarence Coleman, a note from him, inclosing the key of the safe. In this note, Mr. Coleman accuses yet hopeless of ever ) ——— The Crimson ‘Coyotes. —-— Rodney Reed of having felled him to the earth with a stone, and having stolen bis knife. ‘‘He also charges Reed with the murder. But we have no evidence, on which we can con- vict him. I shall go at once to the scene of the assault. There seems to have been a double motive for it. ‘* You must pardon me, Miss Norrington, for having thus forced upon your mind these dread- ful details; but, as I bave no doubt, an innocent man has been forced to fly, as an outlaw, through the jealous hatred of a cowardly as- | sassin, we must repress our feelings, and think of what we have to do.” ‘You are right,” said Dr. Dare, ‘“‘ but my patient must be permitted to rest now. You may feel assured, Miss Nora, all will be done that can be done.” ‘* 4 moment longer, Mr. Lyons,” said the young lady. ‘‘ You have mentioned tbat Clar- ence sent the key to the safe. In what manner was it delivered, and at what point?” ‘*Tt was placed by bim in the middle of the 13 The intention of Reed bad been to make him- self corsnicuous about town, poisoning the minds .. il, and hinting that Coleman had all the acys belonging to the offices, and had robably robbed his employer before murdering im. Such a course he now saw, since hearing the conference between Miss Norrington, Dr. Dare and the detective, would be simply suicide. He was satisfied that he would be arrested f be appeared on the streets or plazas of the city. -—_--_-__-- ll oe eee | He must, of necessity, keep in hiding. | money, for his only | | | | He must, also, secure quite a large sum of hope was in getting to- gether a band of lawless men and escaping to the border, near the Rio Grande. This would be impossible without a lavish ex- penditure of gold, But not for an instant did Rodney Reed lose sight of the one grand object of all obj«cts— nawelv, getting Nora Norrington in his power and at bis mercy. down-river road, where the pursuing-party | found it. He was, beyond a doubt, watching them from a covert; but they could not find him, although they claim to have searched,” ‘‘But the key is useless, without the com- bination,” ‘“‘The note states, Miss Norrington, that the combination will be sent later: but, I may as well tell you now, as later, that we do not need it.” ‘But, I insist, Mr. Lyons, upon baving the safe opened. Ihave my suspicions that there was a double motive in the murder. In short, I firmly believe that Rodney Reed would rob the safe; indeed, he would commit any crime to further his revenge. ‘‘Miss Norrington,” returned the detective, | ‘* we found a key, that had been roughly manu. een in the lock, and all the valuables mis- sing. ‘*Great Heavens!” exclaimed the doctor. The face of Nora Norrington was a study, but more exyressive of bewilderment than aught else. ‘That makes all plain,” she said, at lengtb. | ‘* Rodney Reed planned to commit the ceed, at | the time when Clarence had the keys, in order that the robbery might be laid to Clarence, and thus furnish his motive for the murder. must be arrested, at once, for the robbery of the safe. That will insure his safe custody, pending the collection of evidence that wiil convict him of the assassination of my poor father.” Not antil she had said this, did r Nora break down. She hid her face in the pillow, and sobbed as though her heart would break. Lyons quey withdrew from the apartment, at a significant glance from Dr, Dare. He left the bouse, passing through the gar- dens, toward the river, and the timber; little thinking that the serpent-like eyes of Red Reed were watching his every movement, with an SApEpeniae of the greatest apprebension, he miscreant was insanely eager to know what was going onin the Norrington Mansion, and also drawn by an irresistible impulse to the scene of his heinous crime. He had left Pedro studying the trail of the supposed youth who had made off with their booty, and hastened by stealth to the house of bis victim; climbing up to the top of the veranda, amid the vines, until near the window of Nora’s apartment. While there, Reed had heard all that was said in regard to himself, the robbery, and the | murder, He lay, crouched low, and with set teeth and clinched hands, listening to the words that almost drove him into spasms, He realized, when too late, that all his care- fully arranged plot had been for nothing; that he had bataed his bands in blood, robbed his employer’s safe, and yet was no nearer to gaining his great object—the fair Nora herself —than at the first. Indeed, he had placed an awful barrier between her and him—oue that conld be bridged only by more crime! He | i pla Through his fierce passion for her, love alter- nating with hate, he had outlawed himself, his life in jeopardy, by crime committed that he might gain her. He had impoverished the poor girl, and slain her father, and now his miscreant em- ployees were on the trail of her only pro- _ tector—ber lover, Clarence Coleuzan—whom he intended to torture as no man ever before was | tortured, Clarence Coleman, a captive to himself, -should, when bound like a dog, behold Nora i | | there was gold to be secured, i Norrington in the passionate embrace of her father’s murderer, Ye gods! that would indeed be revenge. He would accomplish it yet. He would not be foiled. The reverses be had met with so far might discourag? some men, but he was cast in a aif- ferent mold. Rodney Reed was made of sterner stuff. Thus the wretch argued, He would abduct Nora the following night, or die in the attempt. It would be death for him, in any event, if he remained. Go, he must; and he resolved that he would not go alone or empty-handed. Should he succeed in getting Clarence and Nora into his gg then indeed would he be victorious, and he would laugh at all San An- tonio. But to do this, there wes much to think over, much to do as well as plan; and besides, All these thougbts were in the mind of the miscreant, as be lay on the veranda roof, The revelations of Lyons bad dumfounded him, and caused him to devide that the fates were against him; but be mentally swore that he would win or die, and dying, would send others to their doom! He perceived that be must return to the San Pedro, and secrete himself until the follow- ing night, which he vowed should be as eventful as the one just past. _. Few more thorougbly desperate men could bave been found than Rodney Reed, as he | crawled back over the roof of the veranda, and a down one of its vine-covered supports, Then _be disappeared in the sbrubbery, being led by curiosity to proceed up the river. and past _the point where, he felt confident, Lyons was _examining the ground, to discover traces of | his presence in the thicket, at the time that | the stone bad been burled at Clarence Cole- man. | There was not much to be discovered, of that | he felt assured; but the detective was a danger-. ous man to be allowed at large, and Red Reed was resolved that, for the present he would run as few risks as possible. He stole cautiously forward, and made his way across the river upon prcjecting rocks; securing a large stone from the bottom of the stream as he crossed, the same size as the similar mi sile he had flung at Clarence, and the one he had left in the dead hand of bis vic- tim, i fle had allowed bis fury and hatred, to carry | Filled with an almost overpowering hatred bim too far, He bad, in the first place, made a fool of him- self, by entering tbe office, and secreting bim- self under the lounge; and leaving procfs of bis reserce behind bim. bis crimes, and wishing to Jet Lyons know he defied bim, now that he was in truth an outlaw, Reed determined to give the detective proof of | toward all who were endeavoring to trace up | Again, be had shown | that defiance; and, not that alone, but also of lis idiocy, by not having destroyed the note of | his presence near the place where the crimes warning that Ciarence bad left upon his desk. | had been committed. But, worse than all, he had lef: the key in the | safe, and the door ajar, when he bad depended Stealing to a thicket which bordered the | river-ban , Red Reed gazed acrcss the stream, upon the robbery’s remaining a secret, until he | and discovered the man he sought, bad perfected bis plans of escape, should matters work against him, Another most gt ong mistake he now saw that he bad made. at was in having had Pedro take charge of the treasure. In- stead, he should have carried it at once from the city, and secreted it somewhere on the Rio Medina. Reed had little hope of Pedro’s being able to trace out the robber, and less of regaining the gold, yet he knew he must have money or be gs not carry out the last and great part of ot. Clarence Coleman he d would be captured by the three Mexicans he had sent out, Lyons was upon bis hands and knees, evi- dently examining a footprint; for, by this time it vas getting quite clear in the heavens. Tre detective, now and then, however, ignited a match, to aid bim in his examination. , Doubly infuriated st what he saw, Reed sprung from the thicket, and hurled the stone. With a s‘ckening sound, the missile struck Lyons upon the head; and he fell, as if a bullet had pierced bis brain! With an exultant yell, the fiend bounded up istance, crossed the same, the river for some and hastened stealthily, amid the mesquites, toward the San Pedro. cComicbooks co