Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

~~ ite . _ — Cn a aed ee 8 — — Se me lg, tty Pe lk Te, el ‘* My brother-in-law relieves me at times, lady, when I am sick.” ‘Then I will give you the money to pay him for the time he takes your place.” ‘*But what am I to do, miss?” “You were once the jailer of a seaport town upon this coast?” The man’s face flushed, but he answered: ‘*| was, miss.’ ‘You were discharged on account of being suspected of accepting a bribe to let Rupert Mortimer escape ‘* Yes, miss.’ 9 You were “reel I believe?” **So the it, miss.’ * You ‘at the jail and its grounds well?” ‘As I do my own face, lady.” ‘There is a prisoner in that jail now that I wish you to release.”’ “Ah! I see the work you expect of me now.’ ‘Yes, I came here especially to find you and ask you to do the work. ‘“T have tried hard to accomplish “ay thing by getting aid without coming to but | could not, and I now offer you al vie penses and a year’s salary, if you release the prisoner.”’ ‘“ Who is he, lady?” ‘‘ A student, Frank Shields by name, and who I am confident is guiltless of the crime charged against him, notwithstanding the circumstantial evidence brought forward to convict him.”’ ‘‘I1 know him, lady, for he came to the University before I left the town, and I al- ways liked him. “I also recognize you now, Miss Hay- ward, and remember how you came to the jail one night, disguised as an old woman, and pleaded so to see Rupert Mortimer, that I allowed you to do so. ‘‘And you will undertake the work, Mr. Walter?” asked Helen, who seemed not to like the recollection of the past. “Yes; I will see what I can do, miss, though it is a difficult task to accomplish. -. ‘* You know the jail so well, sir. ‘*Yes; and I have changed considerable since I left the town, for I have let my beard grow full, while I have become bald, so it will be hard for the people there to recall me when I make a few other changes in my ap- pearance.’ ‘Then I may depend upon you?” os ts “And you will start at once?” ‘*When is the day appointed for the exe- cution?” ‘On Friday two weeks.” ‘*Then I must begin work at once; but do you know what cell - your friend occupies?” us Yes; it is number thirteen, in the left win Ah! yes; they call it the Death Cell, for there doomed prisoners are put, and they have the facilities there of chaining desperate prisoners to the floor. ‘It is an unlucky number, Miss Hayward, but we will not be discouraged by that.” ‘Then, Mr. Walter, I leave all in your hands, and here is half the sum I promised a and spare no qari or money for ribes, if needed, for I will gladly p tt. - “T will do my best, Miss Hayyoed and I thank you. ‘‘T accepted a bribe once before because I sadly needed money, and I did say that I would live square the rest of my life; but you tempt me and I fall; and besides, I would like to serve you, and that poor young student, too.” “Thank you and may Heaven grant you success. ‘Tf you wish to communicate with me call at my home, for we start back to-morrow night, and ask for Lucy, my maid, saying that you are a friend of hers, and I will have all arranged with her. gas ow, good- bys and I shall look for your success,’ “and Helen departed from the home of the ex-jailer. On her way back to the hotel she drew her vail closely about her face and turned into a side street that led: into a part of the city by no means fashionable. Glancing about as she walked along, she ec CC CC LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL eee - The sea ;Desperds “ LEVI COHEN, ‘* Tends Money on All Personal Property,” was the sign that swung above the gilt balls, and entering the dingy place Helen asked to see Mr. Cohen. ‘*T ish t'e gentlemens, mish,” said a hard- faced Jew behind the counter, feeling that his visitor was above the average of his cus- tomers. ‘“‘I wish you would lend me some money upon these jewels,” said Helen, coming to business at once, and displaying a velvet case containing some rare old jewelry. The Jew was delighted, and said eagerly: ‘‘Dey ish very bootiful, mish; but how mooch does yer vants for dem?” **T wish three thousand dollars, sir.’ " Oh, no, mish; I vill gives you two t’ous- ants.’ ‘‘| know the value of the jewels, sir, and that they are worth more than double the sum I ask,” said Helen, coldly. “T vill give you twenty-five hundreds, mish.” ‘*T will go elsewhere then, sir, for I am no poor person, pawning jewels to buy bread and clothing. ‘‘I need the money for a special purpose, and may not use one-third of it; but I wish to have more on hand if needed,” and Helen was about to take the case, when the Jew said: ‘Vell, mish, I vill treat you just so ash you vas my sishter, unt gives you t’e t’ree Vousants, if I never gets back one toller of monish.’ Helen smiled in spite of herself, and hand- ed the Jew a paper containing an inventory of the jewels, which she asked him to sign. He saw that he was dealing with no ordi- nary person, read over the list and compared it with the jewelry, and put his signature to it. Then he counted out the money, and with a glad look upon her face, calle there mo- mentarily by feeling that she had the money to accomplish her purpose, she hastened back to the hotel, and surprised all by her lively humor; but, burning in her heart and brain was the pledge she had made to Captain Morte, the pirate, and the mission she had set herself to accomplish in rescuing Frank Shields from the gallows. CHAPTER XIX. THE OFFICER AND HIS PRISONER. Tue little pleasure schooner returned to her port, with a very different feeling among her passengers than they had started with, for the pledge given by Helen to the pirate captain cast a gloom over all, and the party separated to go to their homes with suid ned hearts at the sacrifice the beautiful girl had made for them. Mr. Hayward, as soon as he arrived in Boston, had sought the naval head-quarters and made known that Captain Morte, the West Indian pirate, was off the coast, cruis- ing in a brig which he had boldly cut out at her anchorage, and had forced from his daughter a p edge to become his wife within a given time. nstantly all the vessels-of-war along the upper coast were communicated with and ordered to hunt down the pirate, and mer- chants equipped and sent out on several ves- sels, hastily armed, volunteer crews for the work of running the daring rover to death. With the hope that he would be taken be- fore the month rolled by both Miss Hayward and her parents had consolation; but should such not be the case, the result must be fear- ful to poor Helen, who, against all urging, said that she would keep her word to Cap- tain Morte. With the different happenings of late in and about it, the little town was kept ina fever of excitement, and many persons really feared that the daring pirate would bold) run in past the almost useless little fort and fire on the place, and by night there were many who kept bright watch not knowing what might turn up before the light of day should dawn again. In the face of her pledge, and the fact that her acknowledged lover was lying in his cell under sentence of death, folks wondered caught sight of a sign upon the other side : that Helen could keep up her spirits and ap- which was suggestive o office, for three door. & money-lender’s pear at all times as cheerful as before such gilt balls hung above the | gloomy happenings. Some wondered if she ever thought of the oo Li poor student in irons and in hopelessness, counting the days he had to live, and many gave her credit for being utterly heartless, while a few even said that she really did not seem disinclined to becoming a pirate’s bride. Thus wagged the world in the little town, several days after the return of the pleasure- party to Boston, when a small fishing-smack arrived in port one evening about dark, con- taining two persons besides the crew. One of these two was a large man, dressed as a naval officer, and the other was an evil- faced, heavily- bearded fellow who was ironed hand and foot, besides being gagged. Calling for a carriage the officer dismissed the crew of the smack, who had brought him, he said, from a port above on the coast, and entering the vehicle with his prisoner he said shortly: ‘To the jail, driver.’ A few moments Si the carriage rolled into the jail-yard, and the jailer appeared to greet his visitors, whoever they might be. ‘‘T am Lieutenant Williams, sir, of the navy, and | have here a most desperate pris- oner Whom I wish to claim a cell for until the morrow, when I take the packet for Bos- ton,’ said the officer. ‘Certainly, sir, 1 can give you a cell for your man; but what is his crime?” ‘Murder most desperate, of an officer and seaman, and he is so violent I shall have to ask you to give me 4 cell with another occu- pant, who can watch him, for fear he may harm himself, and also where he can be chained to the floor.” ‘‘He does look desperate indeed, sir, and I will put him in Number Thirteen, which is the Death Cell, and where we have a poor young fellow who never seems to sleep at night, and he can keep an eye upon him.” ‘Thank you, sir,” and the officer followed the jailer with his paneaes to cell Number Thirteen. The huge iron dcor was flung open and the prisoner was taken in and chained to the floor, when the gag was removed from his mouth. Seated in one corner of the cell, in which burned a dim taper, was Frank Shields. He was chained by one foot to the floor, and sat in gloomy silence, hardly noticing the interruption. His face was pale and haggard; but his eyes were bright and fearless, and he showed no nervousness at his coming fate. ‘Mr. Shields, I have had to put a prisoner in here with you, sir; but it is only for to- night, for he feaves to-morrow upon the Bos- ton packet,’’ said the jailer, who had learned to respect the doomed student during the time he had had him under his charge. 4 As you please, sir; I have nothing to oY; ‘answered Frank Shields, quietly. aving chained his prisoner to a ring in the stone floor, the officer departed with the ja ailer, who upon his invitation accompanied im to an inn near by for supper, it being a change from prison fare that he coveted. After washing down a hearty meal with several bottles of wine, the two went to the office of the Boston packets and engaged a state-room on board the vessel that sailed at noon on the following day. “If you can oblige me with a room, I will sleep in the jail to-night, for I wish to be on hand if that desperate fellow cuts up any of his antics, as he has a habit of doing,” said the officer, as the two walked back toward the rison. e are not prepared for guests, sir; but I have a room that my assistant jail , who is absent for a few days, occupies, an you are welcome to stay there,” answered the jailer. This offer was accepted by the naval offi- cer, and the two returned to the jail, and, after a glance in at his prisoner, the lieuten- ant expressed a desire to retire. They kept early hours in the jail, and with its strong walls and locks, no guard was on duty at night, so that before midnight all was as silent as the grave in the dismal abode, the silence only now and then broken by some conscience- -haunted prisoner crying out in his sleep, or the sonorous snore of some individua wholly indifferent to his sur- roundings and the causes that had placed him there. Shortly after midnight a form glided noise- reo] down one of the dimly-lighted ¢orri- ors Reaching the central allway, off which “S JOO Gomie (E(0)