Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

Sa 28 —— and that some one had told him that Mr. Crown- ingshield wanted a man. This was only an excuso to draw the girl into conversation. She was rather stupid and the wily-tongued desperado soon contrived to get into her good graces and from the unsuspecting servant he managed to learn all he wished to know. Crowningshield was a member of a club and on three or four evenings in the week it was his custom to visit the club room and remain there until a little past ten, arriving at home some- where about alpen o'clock, This was all that the master scoundrel desired to know and as Crowningshield had gone to the club that evening he set out to watch for him. A week was allowed to go by before Curly Kid thought that the time had come for the blow to be delivered. During this time he had familiarized himself with Crowningshield’s habits and knew how he usually came home. The night upon which the scheme was to be tried came at last. It was quite dark, the moon being new. The coupe was driven to a by street near the club-house where Crowningshield went, Curly Kid on the box, got up in his Irish disguise and the gambler within rigged out as a Frenchman, Curly prowled around the club-house until Crowningshield came out and started for home, and then he hastened to the coupe and mounting to the box hurried off to intercept him. The master scoundrel managed matters so that as Crowningshield came down the street, the coupe came up, the carriage proceeding along uite near to the curbstone, Curly Kid acting the drunken Irishman to the life, peering at all the doors ashe came along as though looking for a number. When Crowningshield was about a hundred yards away, Curly Kid took a quick look around, saw that the coast was clear and then dismount- ed from the box, grumbling away to himself and approachin the door of the carriage opened it. ‘Shure, I can’t find it, yer honor; mebbe the house has moved away,” he said, using the rich- est of brogues. ** Aha, youare one jack donkey!” sputtered the supposed Frenchman. ** Can you not read ze card? here is ze address written upon it.” ‘Shure, I can’t read French, yer honor.” Tt is not French—it is ze English, you imbe- cilo!” Just at this moment Crowningshield came up. ‘*’Yer honor, will ye be after havin’ the kind- ness for to find out from this Frinch gintleman where he wants to go?” said Curly Kid address- ing the young man. ** Ho’s got a card but sorra a word on it can I make out.” As had been expected Crowningshield fell intc the trap. He approached tke coupe and bent forward in the doorway to take the card. Curly Kid improved the opportunity to deal him a terrific blow with a qehd baw: CHAPTER XXX1X. THE FINAL STROKE, THE unfortunate young man fell forward into the coupe as if he had been stricken dead. And the moment that Crowningshield fell, the ambler seized him by the arms and dragged im into the carriage. Curly Kid shut the door immediately, then jumped upon the box and drove off. All this took place in far less time than we have taken to detail it. Away went the carriage at a brisk trot, but the wily scoundrel who had so successfully planned and executed this outrage, did not drive at so brisk a pace as to excite the attention of anybody, as would surely have been the case if he had forced his horses. - §$ raight for the old house on the outskirts of the town of Medford went the carriage. Medford is one of the rural towns situated about five miles from Boston, to the northeast, and is more famous for the quality of the New England rum distilled there than for anything else. The old house, which Curly Kid so graphically called one of his holes, was situated on a by- street, and the neglected garden extended to the bank of the river. The town of Medford is watered by the Mystic river, and near to the bank of this river the house was situated. There was deep design in a house so located being chosen, for as Curly Kid expiained to the gambler when he first conducted him to it: “Tf the cop; come at you in front, there’s the river in the rear, and I always keep a boat there, and it would be an easy matter to slip down into the harbor while the bloodhounds are employed in breaking into the house.” he place was lonely enough; there wasn’t unother house within a thousand yards, a deso- date, forsaken-looking locality. The abductors with their prey reached the house without any trouble, and there they found | Roxanna awaiting them. She had been notified and came promptly in obedience to the call. There was a cellar under the house divided in the center by a partition and the rear part of it had been fitted up asa sort of a summer kitchen, A passage and a flight of steps led to the rear yard, and a couple of small windows were de- signed to afford light, but all were now shut up | and guarded by heavy shutters, so that the place seemed like a dungeon. To this gloomy apartment the senseless form of Crowningshield was carried. He had recovered from tho effects of the blow ministered the chloroform, and so kept the vic- tim stupefied. The apartment was furnished in a rough but complete manner There was a table in the center of the room, with a common red table-cloth, three or four old- an old-fashioned, horse-hair covered sofa. Upon the table were a couple of small tum- blers and a pint wine-bottle, which bore upon its swelling side, the inscription, ‘‘ Burgundy.” The two men carried Crowningshield to the sofa and deposited him upon it. ‘* Now leave me alone with him, and when I want you I will knock on the door which you must fasten after you so that he cannot es- cape. Have you taken care to remove his wea- pons?” Roxanna asked, ‘* Yes, all he had was a revolver,” Randolph answered. ‘‘But, I say, Roxanna, ain’t you afraid to be left here all alone with him? When he finds out that he is entrapped he may be inclined to be ugly.” $s On, no,” and the lips of the woman curled in contempt as she spoke, ** See!” And from the bosom she drew a keen-edged, sharp-pointed knife, with a glittering blade ful- ly six inches long. ‘‘Tf he should dare to attempt violence I would kill him with as little mercy as though he was a mad dog. **But quick away, for I see he is recovering his senses.” The men hurried from the room, Roxanna replaced the dagger in her bosom, and crossing to the sofa, gazed earnestly upon the face of Crowningshield, who was fast recovering from the effects of the drug which had been admin- istered to him. “Why uot dispatch him now?’ the woman murmured, as she gazed upon the helpless man, and then clutched the handle of the dagger. ‘*But no, he would die without being con- scious that it was my hand that stole his life Sleuth. ‘‘ Perhaps so, perhaps so,” the man observed, b b] | vacantly. ‘** Now drink.” He obeyed the command, and both drained their glasses, ‘* Does that revive you?” she asked. ‘*Tt does; I feel a glow in every vein.” ‘*'You feel the effects of the poison which you have drank!” she cried, in triumph. ‘Ah! miserable reptile, I am revenged upon you at last! You would hunt me down, but—I —I—” and she paused, for the rcom began to swim around her and her strength to fail. ‘* Miserable woman!” cried Crowningshield, the Sleuth, ‘‘ you have destroyed yourself. I de- ' tected your purpose and changed the glasses!” which he had received, but Randolph had ad- | She would have shrieked, but lacked the pow- er. She gasped for breath, beat the air feebly with her hands for a moment, and then sunk down writhing in the agonies of death. A few moments and all was over; the guilty soul of Roxanna Merivale had fled to its last | home! fashioned, high-backed, cane-bottom chairs, and | Hardly had the woman expired when to the ears of Crowningshield came the sound of a conflict going on up-stairs. ‘*Great heaven! can it be possible that rescue is at hand?” he cried. He hastened to the door, beat upon it with his hands, and strove to attract the attention of the men on the upper floor. The attempt was successful. The door was opened, and Old Lead Pencil appeared with a squad of policemen at his back. *T did it, guv’nor!” hecried. ‘‘ I was a-snooz- in’ on the Common opposite to your house, an’ I see’d him go for yer, then I follered arter the carriage, tracked it out here, and then fetched the police.” Just at this moment his eyes fell upon the body of Roxanna. : With a wild ery, he rushed down the stairs. ‘‘ What do I see? Roxy, mygal, dead!” ~ ‘* Your girl?” said Crowningshield. ‘“Yes, my darter. I’m Sol Merivale, but I ain’t anxious to have it known, though it don’t matter much now, I reckon.” And this was the secret of the power which he had possessed over the dead woman. After the first shock was over, the old man tcok the matter coolly enough. ‘* She wasn’t no good to me nohow,” he said. With the death of the reckless, willful woman, our story ends. Old Lead Pencil received a rich reward for the service he had rendered, and took himself cff, Curly Kid and Randolph were sent to State prison for a lengthy term. And in a week after Roxanna’s death, Judge Jones took a sudden flight to parts unknown, ' leaving behind a legion of creditors. A year after Roxanna’s deatb, Howard Crown- away, and so my vengeance would be robbed of | ingshield married again, and this time he se- half its sweetness. ** But before he wakes I must prepare the glass for him.” cured a bride worthy of him, Letitia Hancock, the gentle girl who had been like a mother te Little Goldenlocks, and in her love soon learned She crossed to the table, drew a long vial | to forget the woman who bore within the breast from her pocket, and poured a few drops into | of an angel, the heart of a tiger. one of the glasses. ‘*No one would ever be apt to notice those few tiny drops of colorless, water-like liquid in the bottom of the glass, yet there is poison enough there to kill the stoutest man that ever trod the earth, and within ten minutes, too, after the dose is swallowed, and I will watch him die and gloat over his agony. ‘‘T must be careful, though, not to get the poisoned glass myself.” And as she spoke she pushed the glasses apart, so that she could not mistake one for the other. Hardly had this been done when Crowning- shield rose to a sitting posture, and gazed around him in a dazed sort of way. “You have met with an accident, and,l had you brought here, so that youshould not die like a dog in the street,” she said. ‘““There has been ill-blood between us, but I don’t bear any malice.. Take a glass of wine, it will refresh you. Can you come to the table?” ‘*T think so, but I am very weak.” He rose slowly and tottered to the table, and sunk into one of the chairs by its side. ‘We'll drink to peace hereafter, instead of war,” she said, as she poured the wine into the glasses. ‘ With all my heart,” he answered, in an ab- sent sort of way, as though his mind was wan- dering. She pushed the drugged glass over to him, and as she did so his eyes began to roll wildly, and he stared at the door. ‘“ What face is that?” he cried. She was sure his mind was wandering, yet she could not resist the temptation to glance at the door, which was directly bebind her, This was the opportunity which Crowning- shield songht, for he had recovered more fully from the effect of the drug than he allowed to be seen, having realized at once that he was ina ow ith wonderful quickness he changed the glasses was still staring at the door. ‘*There is nothing there; it is only your ima- gination.” THE END, DIME DIALOGUES AND SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOL EXHIBITIONS AND HOME ENTERTAINMENTS. Dialogues, Nos. 1 to 32 inclusive, 15 to % popu- lar dialogues and dramas in each book. Each vol- ume 100 pages 12mo. Speakers, Nos. 1 to 4 inclusive. Each speaker 100 pages 12mo, containing from 50 to 75 pieces, YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERIBS. Dime Book of Winter Sports. Dime Book of Summer Athletic Sports, Dime Gents’ Letter Writer. Dime Book of Etiquette. Dime Book of Verses, Dime Book of Dreams. Dime Fortune Teller, Dime Ladies’ Letter Writer. Dime Lovers’ Casket. Dime Ball-Room Companion. Dime Book of 100 Games. Dime Chess Instructor. Dime Book of Beauty. je" The above books are sold by newsdealers and when she turned her head again, he | eyerywhere, or will be sent, post-paid, to any ad- dress, on receipt of price, ten cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William st., N. Y. JOOKS COT