Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

The Sea Desperado. _- oo --— It was the same arbor where Frank Shields had had the scene with Mr. Hayward, and parted with Helen, and the spot held bitter memories for her. But, nerving herself to meet whom she might, and hear the worst, for she felt con- fident that the Jew peddiler was cither her ‘*Finding that we did not obey his sum- mons, he commenced a hot chase, and then an unlucky shot cut down our mast. “We took our little yawl, but it was a long pull to the nearest shore, an island, and the sea was rough, while, to add to our mis- fortune, a broadside was sent after us, one ee 15 would hasten him on his course to perdition and death.”’ “The inhuman monster.”’ ‘* Such he is, miss; but he did not get Mr. Shields to show one atom of weakness. ‘* He ascended the plank fearless and firm, and called me to him. ‘‘*Here, Mr. Walter,’ he said, ‘take this shot splintering an oar. ‘‘Well, Miss Hayward, we were captured, and then we found that our captor was Ru- | ward from me. pert Mortimer.” | *** Tell her that my soul goes out with this ‘Oh, God!” groaned poor Helen, burying | last gift to her.’ her face in her hands. “Then he bade me good-by, holding the ‘‘He at once recognized Mr. Shields as the | iron ball in one hand as he did so, and with student who had rescued you from him the | a strength that-surprised me. night he attempted to kidnap you, and| ‘Turning to Captain Morte he called to Frank Shields. whom he also seemed to know as the man ac- | out: But, with a sigh of disappointment, she | cused of killing Mr. Vale. | *** Well, Sir Pirate, I await orders, andam was compelled to mentally confess that she! ‘“ He also recognized me, for you will re- | ready to meet my fate as a brave man \ could not. | member that I had served him well once.” | should.’ ”’ | | lover or a messenger from him, she walked boldly forward. Seeing her approach the Jew arose and bowed politely, while he observed in his quaint way: ‘‘T vas glad to see you, mish.” ‘‘You asked to see me here, sir,” and ITelen tried to see if she could discover any trace of a resemblance in the man before her ring from my finger and give it to Miss Hay- be ‘* Are we alone mit ourselves, mish? ‘* Yes, 1 remember, you saved his life.” ‘* And the pirate?” eagerly asked Helen. ‘Yes, though my maid is not far away,” ‘1 did, Miss Hayward, and in return for ‘‘ He ordered the student to walk, while he id ‘ and thinking suddenly that the man might | that service he told me that I should go, | added: | be Rupert Mortimer in disguise, she added | with my two comrades, but that Mr. Shields ‘“«Thus ends your career on earth, Frank \ quickly : should remain. Shields.’ ‘‘ And the men-servants are within call.” ‘‘T begged for Mr. Shields until I angered | ‘‘ With firm step, and a nod to me, the | “Ah! L vas don’t vant to see dem, mish.” | the pirate, who refused to listen to me. | bold man walked out on the plank, and never Then, dropping his accent and rising to his ‘‘He paid me for the smack, which her | faltered when it tipped with him. | full hight from the stooping posture he had | skipper valued at a high figure when he put | ‘*Pown he went into the wild waters, | assumed, he said: it at five hundred dollars: but I felt that I | which swept over him, while the brig passed ‘Tam William Walter, Miss Nayward.” could get more, so charged him two thousand , on. Helen started in spite of herself, so com- | dollars, which he and his lieutenant gave to| ‘‘ But if I live a hundred years, Miss Hay- me, and therefore you can get back fifteen ; ward, I will never forget that night.” plete was his disguise, so unexpected this an- . hundred dollars of the sum you have paid | ‘*Nor will I,” answered Helen, in a low uouncement as to who he really was. ‘* Indeed, sir, I would never have known | out.” | tone. you ” ‘‘No, no; net one dollar of the money! Then rising she took the ring that Walter ‘“‘Tt is best that I do not show my face | would I touch. held out to her and said: \j ‘‘Your hand touched his last; place it upon this finger.” It was the wedding finger, and the man \ | obeyed. ‘*Now farewell, and believe that I thank you for all that you have done. : P Some day I may need you again, and if a o—” ; She hesitated, while he added: | “Command me, Miss Hayward, in every- thing, and I will serve you without price.” "- ‘‘Thank you. Come, Lucy,” and she i, walked back toward the mansion with a firm step, while William Walter shouldered ‘ his pack and departed. CHAPTER XXVII. LORD STANWIX SEDGEMOOR. Tue day following the sad story of the ex- jailer, a vessel-of-war put into port flying the nglish flag. It was a brig, and enough like the Winged Witch to have been a sister ship. In fact, so closely did she resemble that craft that the fort allowed her to pass, and then, when well under its guns, demanded 4 it to come to, and then sent a boarding-party to see if the vessel had been taken by her own men. Instead, the officer returned with the infor- mation that the vessel was his British wr oo ty’s brig-of-war Playful, and that she had ~ come into port for provisions. = She was commanded by a young noble- . man, Lord Stanwix Sedgemoor, or rather who was called my lord from courtesy,as ~— he was a younger son, and it had never a here at this time, Miss Hayward.” ‘You are right, and 1 must thank you from my heart fur the noble manner in which you kept your promise to me and did the work,” and Helen spoke earnestly. | ‘‘Ah, Miss Hayward, it is to tell you a | cruel story that I have come here.” She turned a shade paler and gasped out: ‘‘Oh, do not tell me that he has been re- taken.” ‘“Miss Hayward, nerve yourself to hear a bitter story, for poor Mr. Shields was re- taken, captured bY Captain Morte, the pirate, and he was cruelly put to death,” and as he uttered the last word William Walter sprung forward and caught Helen in his arms to pre- vent her falling, for every particle of life seemed to leave her at the cruel tidings brought to her, ‘‘ Keep it; and more, every dollar that you have expended for me I shall return.” ‘** Not if | keep the money over after pay- ing for the smack, for | gave the skipper his five hundred.” ‘Yes, every dollar do you let me know of | ae spending, for I have ample to repay a om ‘‘ Well, miss, besides the money you gave 'me, when I last saw you here, there will be one hundred due.” ‘‘Lucy, go to the house, please, and get my purse.” ‘| beg that you do not pay me that,”’ ‘* Yes, for | wish to owe nothing to what you received from that man.” Lucy soon returned, and Helen's pecuniary obligation being settled, this, together with the five hundred dollars she had given poor | Frank Shields, left her but very little of the | CHAPTER XXYVI. three thousand which she had gotten upon \ THE EX-JAILER'S STORY. her diamonds, | ‘‘No, no, I am not going to faint; I am ‘‘Now let me hear your story in full,” strong now to bear all.” said Helen, nerving herself to listen to the Helen uttered the words as she rallied | worst. from a deep swoon, believing that she had ‘To end my part in the affair, Miss Hay- not lost consciousness. ward, I will say that Captain Morte, as he is When she sunk heavily into his arms, | known, hailed a coaster and placed me and William Walter, remembering what she had | my two comrades on board of her, when we said about her maid being near, hastened to | were landed at Newport, and I came direct- look for her. ‘ly on here to see you, as soon as I could rig He found Lucy, and told her what had myself out in this disguise, while my ship- happened, and she hastened off to the man- | mates returned to Boston. . sion for restoratives. ‘* But it was before we left the pirate deck After some trouble she was restored to that he perpetrated the cruel deed which I consciousness, and at once began her entrea- | hope some day to be able to get a chance to ties to Walter to tell her all. avenge, for he took the life of that noble GS il Alaa NN a ~ | ‘‘Tt is a sad story, Miss Hayward, and a | young student.” been proven that a long-absent elder brother oe long one, if I tell you all.” ‘Tell me all.” was dead, though he had been missing for Be ‘Tell me all— No, Lucy, you need not “It had better be left unsaid.” years from the family roof-tree inold Eng- go, for | want you near me; I need you,” “No, [ must know all.” land. Steg she said to her maid, who had turned to walk ‘ Suffice it, Miss Hayward, that Isawhim | Captain Sedgemoor was received with dis- - die.” : tinguished kindness by the citizens, and, | ‘*T must know how he died,” was Helen’s while his vessel was undergoing repairs and ! getting stores he was invited to become the =| guest of Mr. Hayward, to whom he brought > a letter of introduction from a friend in Eng- land. away, and then she added: “Speak out, sir, for my faithful Lucy | | knows all.” stern response. q) “You know, Miss Hayward, of our suc-| ‘‘Then I will tell you, as you demand it, | . cessful escape, and the manner in which it though it pains me to do so. | | was accomplished?” ‘*Captain Morte seemed most bitter against . eee eS _ EEE _- Ee a —~ 7 - : ss —s “Thank you. At first Mr. Shields did ‘‘ He told him that he should die, and had not wish to go: but your letter decided him, | him put in irons. and we safely left the jail and reached the ‘* After nightfall he ordered him brought little smack, which I had ordered to this | upon deck, his irons still being upon his £ port to be ready for us. . | wrists. is ‘We ran out to sea, and all was going’ ‘It was blowing fresh and the waves ran 7 ; well, as we were on our way to Boston, when high, but a plank was run out over the lee y suddenly I was awakened by the deep boom quarter, and—” But the young Englishman had heard her story, from her father’s lips, and meeting _her, became most deeply interested in the An beautiful girl. | ~ His handsome face, noble mien, and sym-~ pathetic manner, quite won her to him, and then she told him of her pledge to Captain Morte. 5Oh t ‘Yes, it was in everybody’s mouth, and | the poor student, and—” He accepted the invitation, and Helen was” | you deserve great credit for your splendid | ‘‘I think I can understand his bitterness,” | called upon,in all her wretchedness, to enter- ( 1 plot.” said Helen. tain a guest. Bae iF of a gun, for I had turnedin for a rest and, ‘ My God! he made him walk the plank?” “T heard something of this, Miss Hay- Mr. Shields had the helm. ‘groaned Helen. ward, from your father, and a gentleman ° _ “T found a brig-of-war in chase of us, | | ‘‘Yes; he ordered a heavy shot to be | whom I met also told me of other causes for | ang i upon going on deck, and that Mr. Shields riveted to the chain of the manacles, and your unhappiness, and you have my fullest, ve ai? , was determined not to heed her shot to come this poor Mr. Shields was forced to carry in deepest sympathy; but surely you do notin- f to. his hands, Captain Morte telling him that it tend to keep the pledge?” said Lord Stanmwix, = JOO com G cS f ~~ com