Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

= * bake ate. Wee re ale Ae FU 2 The Sea Desperado. “Your parents will never allow you to | ed, to visit at the elegant home of the Hay- sacrifice yourself to become the wife of an unknown pauper.” ‘‘Mr. Vale is insulting in speaking of the man that I love as an unknown pauper.” ‘‘ What else is he, then?” ‘‘A poor man, true, but an honorable, one, and who, though unknown to you, is not so to me.” wards, and became a dangerous rival of the rich Louis Vale for the hand of Helen. The parents of the maiden looked coldly upon the poor student, and encouraged the visits of Louis Vale, the rich young aristo- crat; but Helen seemed ever to enjoy the society of Frank Shields the most, and at last, when compelled to give a decided answer ‘‘ Well, I can only repeat my warning and 'to her other lover, she boldly told him that take my leave, telling you plainly that I | she was pledged to the man who had saved will not see the woman I love so sacrifice | her life. herself. ‘*Good afternoon, Miss Hayward.”’ She bowed coldly, and the man left the room and the house. Helen Hayward was the belle of the New England country town in which she lived, and an heiress as well as a beauty, it was no wonder that she was the center of attrac- tion around which revolved a number of the students of a large University situated in the place. An only child, every advantage had been given her, so that she was most thoroughly ac- complished, and had the gift of making her- self fascinating to the professors of the Uni- versity as well as to their most stupid pupils, for she slighted no one. Many sought her hand, and her constant refusals of eligible offers led her intimates to believe that there was something in the rumor that when she was fifteen she had loved a handsome, dashing young scamp who had gone down-hill to destruction as rapidly as a small fortune he had inherited could take him, and had then to fly to parts unknown for a murder committed in the heat of a carousal. For a while after his departure Helen had seemed like a changed being, no longer ap- pearing the light-hearted girl she had been before; but her parents sent her off to school, and she came back at eighteen the gayest of the gay, and took the town by storm with her wit and beauty. Two of her lovers were more persistent than others, and upon these two the eyes of all turned with strange interest, to see who would carry off the prize. With Louis Vale were the odds, for he was a handsome young student, just about to graduate at least next to the head of his class, and possessing a fortune and coming of good family, he certainly was a danger- ous rival. On the other hand, Frank Shields was an unknown student, coming from no one seem- ed to know where, and with nothing but an honest, fearless face, a fine form and a bril- liant mind to recommend him, for he was so poor that he taught a night-school in the town to earn money to pay for the necessaries of life. But he was one whom all liked for his whole-hearted nature, and was the one who was to snatch from Louis Vale the coveted position of the first man in his class, He had never visited in the town, for he had brought no letters of introduction to any one, and outside of his fellow-students and the faculty had no acquaintances, until, one day, when at the beach, he had seen a brave swimmer sinking far out beyond the surf and had promptly gone to the rescue. Panting, staggering, he brought back in his arms to the beach the oxe he had saved and sunk down from prostration as the form was taken from him by anxious friends. It was a gay watering-place, and in the anxiety for the beauty and heiress he had saved no one thought of the poor student who had run down to the ocean for a rest of two days from his studies, Taking himself to his bath-house as soon as he could, he put on his clothes and was making his way back to his humble lodgings, _ when hé heard an exclamation near him, and a rich voice cry: ‘Father, that is my brave preserver!” The speaker was Helen Hayward, and her father now recognized the student as one he had often seen, and whose worth he had heard of. Knowing him to be poor he had attempted to pay with gold for the life of his daughter, but was repulsed with a cold dignity that embarrassed him, and compelled to acknowl- edge the student as his equal and not one whom he could reward as for a service ren- dered. ae Ience it was that Frank Shields was invit- | SE LLL ——— Like wild-fire the rumor spread through the town that Frank Shields had won in the race for Helen Hayward’s hand, for love- secrets, like murder, will out, and hot upon the heels of this report came another that turned it into an awful tragedy, and cast a gloom over all. CHAPTER II. ® THE RIVAL LOVERS. A HALF-CENTURY ago, at the time of which I write, the seas were not, as to-day, free from the dangers of piracy, and a vessel that set sail for other lands was forced to keep a bright lookout from the mast-head for any craft of a suspicious look met with upon the ocean. Deeds of outlawry upon the high seas were then of often occurrence, and many a time a vessel would be chased into port by some daring free rover of the deep. Upon the day following the acknowledged engagement of Helen Hayward to Frank Shields, a merchant brig of trim build came flying up to an anchorage in front of the town and reported that a West Indian pirate had chased her for the past twelve hours, and was steadily overhauling her when she managed to seek refuge in the port that was her destin- ation. The brig belonged to the firm of Hayward & Co., and Mr. Hayward went home to din- ner angry at the circumstance, but happ that his vessel had escaped, for she was load- ed with a rich cargo, besides bearing a treas- ure-box of gold from a firm in Havana to a branch of the house in the United States. Mr. Hayward was in no enviable mood, however, before his captain had reported be- ing chased in and nearly captured by a pirate, for Louis Vale had come to him with the story that Helen had refused him and pledg- ed herself to Frank Shields, and upon his ar- rival at home the storm broke. First his indignation was vented upon pirates, and then upon the Government for not driving such pests from the seas, and, having worked himself up to the desired pitch of passion, he turned upon Helen, with: “Mr. Frank Shields called upon me this morning at my office, Helen.”’ ‘‘Yes, sir, I had a pleasant call from him myself, yesterday, and he told me he would speak with you.” ‘‘ He did, but our conversation lasted but a very short while.” ‘‘T suppose you were very busy, father, for I know you are at this time?” innocently said Helen. | ‘“‘T was not too busy, Helen, to tell that pauper student that if he wished gold for saving your life, he could have it in any reasonable sum he named; but, as for expect- ing to claim my daughter and her fortune, it was preposterous.” Helen turned deadly pale at this, and her eyes flashed, while for a moment she could not command herself to reply; but at last she said, calmly: ‘‘ Your answer to Mr. Shields was far dif- ferent from mine, father, for I told him that I loved him, would marry him, and if you disinherited me that we could work together for our daily bread.” Mr. Horace Hayward, merchant and mil- lionaire, was upon his feet in a rage, and paced to and fro, fuming with passion, which caused Helen to say: ‘‘Sit down, father, and calm yourself, for the pirate has upset you.” ‘Curse the pirate, Helen Hayward! it is you that has upset me by such utter disobe- dience.” ‘‘ How have I disobeyed you, sir?” ‘*In pledging yourself to that pauper.” ‘* You never told me not to do so, father.” ‘* Because I never thought you such a sill girl as to think of him other than with er d ness. ‘* But I dismissed him in a hurry, you can know, and he'll be a bold man if he ever crosses the threshold of my door again.” ‘Mr. Louis Vale also called upon you, sir, | I believe?” ‘* He did.” ‘Upon what errand, may I ask, father?” queried Helen, in the same innocent tone. ‘“ Upon the same errand that Shields sought me. “‘ Ah! and your answer, sir?” ‘That he was a gentleman, came of good oe rae and had my consent to make you his wife.” ‘How unfortunate for the peace of our family, father, that I cannot see Mr. Vale as you do; but, the truth is, I do not like him, and have only tolerated him to please you and mother.” ‘* You will learn to love him.”’ ‘‘Pardon me, sir, but I already love another, and am pledged to become his bride.” ‘* Which you shall never be.” ‘“‘So Mr. Louis Vale was unmanly enough to threaten me.” ‘*T am glad that he feels as I do, and will have the nerve to win, for you shall never marry that pauper student, Helen.” ‘* With your consent, father?” *‘ Ay, or without it,” was the vehement re- sponse. Helen sighed and made no reply, while her father continued: ‘* No, I will call him out and shoot him in a duel, first, unless that plucky fellow, Vale, will take the work off my hands.” ‘If he did challenge Mr. Shields, it would certainly take Mr. Vale off of my hands,” was the calm response, ‘* What do you mean, child?” ‘*T mean. father, that Mr. Shields is the superior of Mr. Vale, as both a swordsman and a shot, as he is in his studies, as you may know.” ‘‘T had forgotten that; it will not do for Vale to call him out, for the charity student would kill him sure,” said Mr. Hayward, re- flectively. ‘‘Nor for you either, father, as I believe you are neither a marksman or a swords- man.” ‘*Egad! you are right, child, I am glad you spoke of this, for | have escaped making a fool of either Vale or myself.” ‘Or a corpse,” was the significant reply of the maiden, in a tone that made her father shudder. “Well, Helen, you know that I will not sanction this foolish affair with young Shields, nor will your mother, and I shall forbid him the house.” ‘For the crime of being poor,” said Helen, with something of a sneer; but her father said no more, but left the house to return to the office and see if some vessel could nct be fitted out and sent in chase of the West In- dian pirate which a pos ndeiins by had come up and reported to him was still hovering in the offing. CHAPTER III. THE PIRATE. Tue brig that had been run into port by the pirate was certainly a fast sailer; but had she had many leagues further to go she would have been overhauled by the rather ungainly - looking craft that had sighted her at sunset the night before and chased her through the long hours of darkness into haven. The pirate, as seen from the deck of the brig, was a craft of West Indian build, long, low amidships, and with a high bow and stern, and rigged with three short masts and huge lateen sails. ‘She carried five guns on a broadside, a pivot bow-chaser, and her decks seemed filled with men whose red woolen skull- caps could just be seen above the high bul- warks, A closer inspection of the craft showed that she had points that would please a sailor’s eye, while her crew looked .o be as villainous a set as could be congregated to- gether in so small a space. Upon her quarter-deck, as she put up into the wind and lay to, upon seeing the coveted prize escape her by running into shelter of the harbor, stood four officers, as their dress indicated. They were all young men, two of thew Ss) EOmichboo Sam * ret