Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 322 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

~~, - ee ++ oe tm + which opened on the street, and a side room communicating with the same, the safe and the desks of the clerks being in the latter. Takiog a skeleton key from his pocket, and keeping close watch to avoid the observation of evening strollers, Reed unlocked the door and entered, and then closed and relocked it. He then crawled beneath a lounge near the desks and safe, Again Rodney Reed was acting the part of a spy, every sense strained, he believing that the one grand time of bis life was approaching—the moment which would place riches within his grasp, and what was even more, revenge! Some time elapsed, and curses low but deep come from the villain beneath the lounge, bis cramped position being far from comfortable. Eventually, the well-known step of the man he so detested was heard upon the stone walk outside, and much to the joy of the lurker be heard no other footsteps and no voices in con- versation. Clarence Coleman wus alone, and all was well. The key grated in the lock, and the door swung open. Clarence passed within a couple of feet of the placa of ney’s concealment, causing the coward to cringe with fear. But Coleman went to the safe, muttering the combination in a low tone, as he turned the key in the complicated lock. Reed craned his neck from beneath the lounge, and listened intently. He had a dupli- cate key, which he bad manufactured himself, but which was useless witvout be obtained the combination. After depositing the papers and money in the safe, Clarence seated bims+lf at his desk, and began copying with rapidity. s the back of bis rival was toward bim, Reed could gaze at Clarence without danger of detection. To his satisfaction and joy, be saw, when his victim removed bis hat, that bis head was bandaged. He was both surprised and in- dignant, however, when he saw that Coleman had evidently commenced a long task of copy- ine: e recognized the papers. All was plain. Mr. Norrington had ordered Clarence to copy them that night. This would not have been done, had not the banker expected Montgomery to call at his house, early the following morning. The probability then was, that Clarence would take the copies to Mr. N orrIDRtOOs when he had finished, as be would not feel like rising at a sufficiently early hourin the morning to deliver them. Taking into consideration the importance of the documents, and the aa of the ranchero to obtain copies; also the habits of the latter, Reed felt certain that his deductions were cor- rect. Having thus decided, the murderous ex- ultation of the villain became stamped upon his face, He was, he believed, favored by the Fates. He had not dreamed of events proving thus favorable to bis plot. Clarence Coleman was at his mercy. A terrible revenge was, at last, in his power, and that very night! He could, at one fell blow, destroy those whom he bated, enrich himself, and place Nora Norrington at his mercy. A more hellish revenge than that which the vile dastard intended could not well be im- eqmes: ed Reed was on thorns, when he became convinced that Clarence intended to remain some time; although, upon reflecting that prob- ably his hated rival would proceed again to the Norrington Mansion during the night, which would give bim the opportunity he wanted— the scoundrel became reconciled to some extent, He resolved, however, that he would escape to the street and down the river, as his presenee at his employer’s house was imperative, and he must reach it previous to the arrival of Cole- man. With the stealthy movements of a panther, the miscreant crawled from beneath the lounge and to the door. He turned the key so slowly and carefully that no sound was produced, and with the same encouraging success, he manipulated the knob and opened the door slightly. Tbus far all was well, and bis future move- ments would not be difficult of accomplishment without producing alarm, Then it was that Reed, in his exultation, thought that he would leave a slight reminder of his presence which would cause his intended victim in the terrible time to come to curse bim- self for having been so careless as not to have made sure, after his experience on the bank of the river, that the same enemy was not lurkiog in the rooms of the old banker. This could be easily done. He gently drew the key from the lock, and by a string that was upon a table in the middle of the apartment, he suspended it to the chan- delier, allowing considerable slack-string. This done, he gave the key a slight swing, setting it in motion like a pendulum, He then quickly stepped out the side- walk, first making sure that no pedestrians were ’ ee C—O The Crimson Coyotes. oe near, and closing the door after him witk care, inserting the skeleton key and turning it. At that momenta horned toad jumped against his leg, and he at once thought of the use he could make of it. Catching the bactrian, he again unlocked the door and placed it inside; when, after making all fast, he started for the Main Plaza. Passing that well-known hostelry, the Bull’s Head, he drew down bis bat over his face, as- | suming an intoxicated sappexrance; and suc- | ceeding, as be believed, in escaping recognition | as he went along. Soon he reached the river-bottom, south of the city: and, striding to the bank, he stooped, | and cast water into his mouth, which now | seemed parched and burning. As he hastened down-stream beneath the shades, now and then an arrow of moonlight | shot downward upon his swarthy face, which bore the stamp of villainy. His eyes had a strange and unuatural expression, In fact there was a look upon his countenance that would | have caused a detective to follow him, satisfied | that bere was a man bent upon some terrible | crime, Upon reaching the spot where the interview between the lovers had taken place, and where, from his concealment in the thicket, he had witnessed that interview, Reed sprung upon a | rock tbat projected above the waters of the river; and, thrusting bis band and arm beneath | the surface, he brought up a stone of a size that could be partly encircled with the fingers when held in the band. Muttering his satisfaction, the miscreant then sprung back upon the bank; and, going to the place where Clarence Coleman had been felled to the earth, be searched until be found the lace where the head of bis rival bad lain. meh he found, as be had expected, a pool of blood, Smearing the stone with the same, and a ney Reed cast bis arms upward in a wi d wanner, the blood-stained missile clutched; and, with hissed words of vengeful meaning, be | rushed through the shades toward the home of | the banker. Drawing from bis belt a glittering silver- ry wie-knife, be circled it about bis ead, As he rusbed onward, he held the knife in front of him, with the silver-bandle plain in view. And, upon the handle of that bowie, was en- graved a name, which, as he traced the letters witb keen glance caused the miscreant to give utterance to an exclamation of murderous triumph. The name, deep cut in the silver, was ‘‘ Clar- ence Coleman.” ‘CHAPTER V. MURDER MOST FOUL. SKULKING from bush to bush, and in the dark shade <f arbors and tall shrubs, Rodney Reed passed through the garden, and crouched amid the climbing vines at the veranda in the rear of the Norrington Mansion. Here he halted, gree | intently, but all was as silent as death itself in and around the princely home of the old Virginian. The excessive nervousness und excitement of the dastard would not allow him to remain long inactive. He stole along the base of the ve- randa, screened by the vines and climbing roses, until he reached the front of the house; when, peering through the foliage, be could bardly suppress a cry of startled amazement, for, with- in three feet of him, sat Norman Norrington in his easy-chair, and evidently asleep. Reed was furious at this discovery. Should the old banker remain thus, be would be forced to postpone bis plans, and he felt that postponement meant failure. Everything, tbus far, had not only worked to favor bim, but many occurrences had happened upon which he had not counted, which had made bis schemes seem all the more easy of ac- complishment, Y t even this discovery, upon a moment’s re- flection, caused Rodney Reed some gratifica- tion; for he did not believe the old banker would have remained so late from bis couch, had be not been awaiting the return of Clarence Coleman. However, he resolved not to be balked in one single branch of bis pre-arranged plans, The banker must be awakened, without his suspecting any one to be near, or to have bad an agency in disturbing bim. Time was precious. Reed wished Norriogton to be in bis library, which was in a retired corner of the building, altbougk on the ground floor. He determined that the old man should go there. Doubtless, if aroused from his sleep, Norring- ton would at once proceed to that very room, more especially if be was now only awaiting the us from the office. therwise Reed cared little to what room his intended victim went, provided he left the veranda, which was too public a place for his murderous purpose. Stealing to a clump of tall, ornamental over the face of the sleeper. LL LT TL 5 | pampas-grass, Reed broke off a long stem, and | returning to bis former position, thrust the bead of the grass through the vines, brushing it This bad the desired effect. The old man sprung from bis chair and brushed his hand across his face hurriedly. There were many bats darting through the night air, and doubtless Mr. Norrington be- lieved one of these bad brushed its wings over his face, for his surprised manner soon van- ished. Then he clasped bis hands behind bis back, cleared his throat, and strode toward the main entrance of the dwelling. Before going in, the banker gazed for a moment ip tbe direction of the city. This delighted the spy, for it was evident that the old gentleman thought it about time for Clarence Coleman to return. Reed was now greatly impatient and excited. Should Clarence arrive before hecould accom- plisa bis murderous object, or while in the accom- ee of it, he would be lost, and his own ife placed in jecpardy. Thus far all had gone well. Everything bad worked to bis advantage. Normen Norrington entered the mansion, and Red Reed, bracing bis coward nerves by swal- lowing a copious draught of brandy from a flask which be carried, stole upon the veranda, and crawling across, parted the curtains of the parlor window. The light was dim, but Red Reed at once caught sigbt of a female — lying upon a lounge within a few feet of bim. He knew that the maiden he so loved, and at the same time bated, was before him—none otber than Nora Norrington. Hissing a curse of disappointment and anger, . he crouched behind the curtains, : A moment or two of intent listening convinced him that Nora was in a deep slumber. The intruder resolved that it should be still deeper. He bad come prepared for such contin- gencies. Procuring a small vial from an inner pocket, he drew the cork, holding the bottle at arm’s length above his head, and then saturated a bandkerchief with the contents. {t was chloroform. This he held to tke nostrils of the poor girl, just as she moaned in her sleep, and cried out, in a voice of terror: “Oh, Clarence! That demon, Rodney Reed, has murdered you!” infuriated Reed. These words fairl He pressed the bandkercbief hard over the maiden's mouth and nose, and soon she lay still and silent as a corpse. He then stole from the apartment, the mur- derous glare deepened in his serpent-like eyes, one band clutching the bowie and the otber the bleod-smeared stone. Knowing well every apartment of the house, the wretch made his way in the dim light through the music-room to the library door, from which, even as be stood peering into the gloom, he could hear the sound of the scratch- ing of a match, and then an impatient ejacula- tion as the same failed to ignite. A sufficient glow from the moonlight pefte- trated the library windows to cause otjects to be diseernible, and the dastardly villain thus caught sight of the banker’s form, which was outlined against a window. With the caution of a samen Red Red stole rapidly forward, depositing the stone upon the desk as he passed it. Then, pulling bis sleeves upward toward his elbows, and with the bowie tightly clincbed in bis right band, he sprung forward just as the banker was about to strike a second match. The muscles of the essassin were strained to the utmost. All that be cared to live for depended upon the moment, and with a strength born of batred and revenge, he thrust his left hund over the rigbt shoulder of bis victim, clutched bis throat, and with the desperation born of his position, whirled him about. At the same moment he lunged the bowie to the hilt in the old man’s eft breast, leaving the blede in the death- wound, and then clutching the arm of bis bor- ror-stricken and mortally-wounded victim! The scene that followed was fearful, A strong mav, with the clutch of his mur- derer upon bis tbroat, and the dastard’s knife | in bis vitals, writhing in an endeavor to release bimself and shriek an elarm, We Arms and legs intertwined, rolling over and over in the darkness, overturning the chairs— thus it was fora full minute. Then all strength left Norman Norrington forever! There he lay beside bis desk. his proud, pallid face upturned, and the silver-handled bowie- knife projecting from his breast, with the name of Clarence Coleman engraved thereon Thus dead, without even a parting word to bis loved and only child, who Jay but a few weg from him, stupefied by the drug that bad administered by the murderer! And there, above the corpse, with blood- stained bands clinched and outstretched, with snake like eyes glaring, set, and glassy, fixed upon the dead face of his victim—bis own face GOMER OOKS ~ = — 0S -'e (E()