Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

20 | The Sea Desperado. ———— a ae ——— ‘‘Oh, no, for that man does. not know | pirate?” asked Lord Stanwix, in a low tone, fear.” : ‘Your words tell me that he lives, when I hoped that I had killed him,” “And you nearly did so, for he lies on board his vessel dangerously wounded.” | ‘* Please tell me of him.” ‘| Helen told of the visit she had received, and that she felt happy at the respite. ‘*You shall never marry him, Miss Hay- and Helen saw that he was deeply moved. “Yes, you can see where the gold has worn very thin and it was broken by some slic¢ht movement of the wearer.” ‘It is my brother’s seal, Miss Hayward,”’ ‘IT do not doubt that, sir.”’ ‘‘ And this wearer?” ‘‘Must be your brother, Lord Stanwix.” ‘No, no, it cannot be that poor Duval has | hf ward, for I will be able in a few weeks to | become such as that.” o on board my vessel, and inthe mean time, | ‘‘In my mind, sir, there is no doubt but treme, and was to the effect that the invalid was his son, and if he lived through the at- tack, when he, my father died, would be ord of Craghead Castle; but that he had disgraced himself and his family, and would neither be aided nor owned by them. “This letter the landlord showed my brother upon his recovery, and he left the | place where he had suffered so much. ‘‘It was months before we heard of him again, and then it came to us how an Italian noble, who had run off with the wife of an , will add to my crew, and place a heavier | that the man who called upon me, giving his | Englishman, had been tracked by the hus- battery upon the brig, so that when next I | name as Lieutenant Dunmore, and your bro- | band and forced to fight a duel, in which he meet the pirate he shall not escape me.” “Sh! you must not fret yourself,my lord, or talk of fighting, or the doctor will forbid my seeing you, as I am the cnly one to dis- che! turb you with my chattering.” ‘" ‘«T would rebel at once and refuse to fol- j low the doctor’s advice under such circum- stances, Miss Hayward.”’ ieee Helen smiled and asked quickly, as though to change the subject: ‘‘lg Dunmore a prominent name in En- i gland, Lord Stanwix?” | He cast a quick look into her face and iY said: mies ** We so consider it, Miss Hayward.” 7 Cee ‘Do you know of Castle Craghead in En- gland, may I ask?” | Again he looked at her in that strange % way, and answered: ‘Oh yes, I know of Castle Craghead.” ** Again let me ask you if you ever heard the name of Duval Dunmore?” oo a ‘*What! Duval Dunmore?” he cried, ex- Prt citedly. ¢ ** Yes, sir.” By ‘‘Tt was the name of my poor brother, Miss Hayward.” gre ** Your brother?” i‘ ‘* Yes, and I would beg of you now to tell ‘a me where you heard of his name, or if you y know aught about him?” ane Helen looked disturbed, and for a moment Br was silent. *) Then she said in a low tone: [: ‘‘What was your brother’s full name, iy | Lord Stanwix?” | “Duval Dunmore, Lord of Castle Crag- . head, were his name and title, and the latter is my title if my brother is dead.” x ‘And you believe him dead, Lord Stan- wix?” ‘*Miss Hayward, I have ever had a pre- sentiment that my brother yet lived, though all others believe him to be dead. “Tn fact, what seemed to be proof positive of his death was brought to England, and I | ‘was urged to take possession of the estates i}, and assume my title. | ‘ «This I refused to do, though all of my friends and acquaintances at once began to eall me Lord Stanwix, and I was forced to accept if through courtesy. “ But, not to take possession of Castle Craghead, until assured of Duval’s death, J sought the roving commission on a cruiser —r- = + com, # ~~ ~ » which I now have. ss Will you now tell me how you ever Mt heard of the name of Duval Dunmore, ens and if he yet lives to your knowledge, or ra, whether P by know aught regarding him?” ae and Lord Stanwix looked eagerly into the - | -—s- face of Helen, who said, after an instant of }) . silence: ‘aaa ~ Stanwix, and I know that it will give you but that your brother lives, ‘ez ‘‘Here, sir, have you ever seen this be- mht ~fore?” | ee As she spoke she handed him the trinket she had found. 3 One glance at it and he exclaimed: ‘* Have I ever seen it before? “Why, Miss Hayward, I gave this seal to my brother, as a souvenir, ten years ago. ih _ ** Pray tell me how you came in posses- Z sion of it?” e “It was dropped on the floor in the library an hour ago, by the messenger sent } a from Captain Morte, the pirate,” was the el low reply of Helen Hayward. at CHAPTER XXXVI. | LORD STANWIX TELLS A STORY OF THE . th PAST. 6 ee ‘Tas was dropped in the library, by the - man who brought you word from Morte, the bee 1 | | ’ ] ther are the same, sir.”’ “Will you describe the man, if you please?” | ‘*A man of fine form, dignified mien, and a face strangely like your own, while he is also an Englishman.” ‘*Good God! can it be that it is Duval, and that my presentiment is_to be fully re- alized?” said Lord Stanwix. ‘“T fear, sir, that you will find in the pi- rate lieutenant none other than your bro- ther; but, from what I saw of him, he cer- tainly has not the look of one who had yielded his life to crime.”’ ‘*T cannot understand it, Miss Hayward; but tell me, where is this man?” ‘Tle has left.” ‘But you can find him for me?” ‘No, sir, only by communication with the pirate vessel.” ‘* And that is impossible?” ‘*It is impossible until 1 again hear from the pirate chief.” “Too bad, too bad; but I will yet know all.” Then, after a moment of silence, he con- tinued: ‘‘Miss Hayward, let me tell you of this wandering brother of mine, if he is the one who has but now called upon you. ‘‘He is three years my senior, and was from earliest boyhood a noble-hearted, gener- ous fellow whom every one loved. ‘He’ thought no more of his title than he did of plain mister, and was a rare sports- man, yachtsman, and had many friends among that class of people. ‘‘My parents scolded him for being too democratic, but he only laughed at the idea of putting on the airs of an aristocrat. “One day he came home and told father that he was in love. ‘*Our parents had selected a dozen fair maidens for him, any one of whom would have been a most eligible match, but he had refused to consider the selection of a wife un- til he met a girl who won his heart. ‘*That girl was a daughter of a poor coun- try farmer, who had not movey enough to give his child an education. ‘*But Duval had met her when she was a mere child, had gained the consent of her father to send her to boarding-school, and had educated her as a fine lady. ‘‘ She returned to her humble home a beau- tiful and accomplished maiden, and then it was that my brother told my parents that he was in love and who was the object of his adoration. ‘The storm this raised was terrific, and my father forbade Duval ever speaking to the gir] again. ‘*Poor fellow, he went off at once and mar- **| will tell you all that I know, Lord | ried her, and they went to London to live. ‘‘He found that my father was endeavor- pain, for in my mind now there is no doubt ing to separate him from his wife, and he set sail for Paris. ‘‘ Disdaining to ask assistance from father, and unable to gain employment, Duval drift- ed along in the struggle of life until one day he came to his humble home and found his wife gone. ‘* A note to him explained all. ‘‘She had been an ambitious, designing girl, and when she discovered that my father did not forgive his son, and that wealth and itle did not come to her, but only hard work and poverty, she looked about for a new con- quest; her beautiful face and rorm soon at- tracted attention, and she ran off with a young Italian noble. “The shock to poor Duval was terrible, for he loved the false girl with all his heart, ‘‘He broke down under the news, was thrown into brain fever, and his landlord, discovering who he really was, father. ‘‘My father’s answer was curt in the ex- wrote to my | | had fallen. | ‘«'The servants of the Italian had then at- tacked the Englishman, the report said, who, in defending himself, had fired a shot which had killed his own wife, who was dashing up to the scene on horseback. ‘‘Seeing that he would be murdered, my brother mounted the horse that his wife had just fallen from and fled. ‘But he was hotly pursued and forced into a swollen stream, where both horse and rider were drowned. ‘So said the report; but never from my mind could I efface the belief that poor Duval would one day reappear, and did he do so now, other than what he is, gladly ' would I welcome him and turn over to him the estates and title which are his just due, for I look upon bis punishment of the Italian as just, and his defending his life against the servants as natural, while all united in tell- ing me, for | went to the scene, that the shot that killed his false wife was an acci- dental one. ‘‘Now, Miss Hayward, you know all, and should you again see my brother, or can get word to him in any way, I beg you to have him meet me, for tell him that I hold only love in my heart for him. ‘Tell him that our mother, our father, are both dead, and dying forgave him for marry- ing against their will, and felt that he had suffered enough.” Helen felt deeply the story she had heard, | i | | and said in a low tone: ‘‘Oh, that I could bring him face to face with you, and let him cast forever the dead past behind him.” CHAPTER XXXYVII. ACCUSED OF TREACHERY. By making his way to the fishing hamlet, where the smugglers had their rendezvous, Duval, the pirate lieutenant, was enabled to ' get a boat and run down to the secret inlet where he had left the brig. after an absence of aptain Morte rapidly He arrived in safet several days, to find improving. He was greeted in a cordial manner, and the pirate chief showed an anxiety to kno the result of his officer's visit. * Did you go there?” he eagerly ; od after the Spanish surgeon had left the. gether in the cabin. ‘*T did, sir.” ‘And saw her?’ Xa. ‘‘She has not broken her pledge then?” “In what way?” ‘By running off from me} or marrying © another?” ° ‘My cpinion formed of Miss Hayward, Captain Morte, the short time that I had the pleasure of meeting her, was that she was a woman who would allow but one thing to prevent her keeping her pledge to you.” ‘‘And what is that one thing, sir?” Death.” “Ah! she might die, true, and that would break her pledge to me.” ‘And you might die, Captain Morte.” ‘True, I had not thought of that; but your opinion of her is as | think, for she isa noble girl, if she did cast me off when I was proven a murderer. ‘‘ As long as she heard my story only, she believed me; but when eye witnesses swore differently, then she cast me off and left me to my fate, for she knew that there was no doubt as to my guilt. ‘Well, I yet hope to make her a good husband, so that she may forget my past.” Duval smiled grimly at this, and said: “7 told her of your wound, and that it would be months, perhaps, before you could %? t to- | be up. | ‘And her answer?” com JOO (S “Ss +... 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