Beadle's Dime Library No. 366 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

- mingled 14 The Telegraph Detective. gular dullness of vision and sense, and then she sunk apparently into a deep slumber. A subtle anzesthetic had been the secret of her insensibility, and the wily Frenchwoman having succeeded thus far, awaited the coming of Barnes and his companion, as agreed upon. ‘safe in her disguise to pass from the house, she had stolen from the room, unlocked the hall- door, and was peering forth for their expected arrival, when the two men entered the place. As she, however, caught sight of the figure of Marvin, who had been pointed out to her, she quietly informed the men of the location of Con- stance’s room, and with rare tact and ingenuity successfully decoyed the detective into the car- riage across the road waiting to convey Con- stance to the Irvivue Place residence. The driver, also in the seheme, understood her quick command; and thus it was that Willis Marvin was entrapped, the shrewd French- woman feigning alarm and a fainting-spell to delude him into the belief that she was Con- stance Thorndyke. As to the latter, she knew nothing more un- til late in the afternoon of the following day. Barnes and his confederate had managed to take her from the room, and securing another car- riage conveyed her to the Irving Place resi- dence, where Revere had seen that she was se- curely confined in an apartment in the rear and upper portion of the house. When Constance returned to consciousness, she could not comprehend where she was. The appointments of the room were Juxurious, but its new furniture was unfamiliar to her, and her head, dizzy and confused, allowed of no ready glimmering of the truth. As her mind went groping back for some solution of the mystery, however, it seemed as if a series of quick flashes of mental light sent her blood- current thrilling to the heart with a vague dread. She recalled a slight glimmer of sensi- bility in this same apartment—the sight of a hated face—the evil features of Adrian Revere; and she shuddered as if others were around her, and as if, under the influence of some powerful narcotic, she ecculd not speak or act in obedience to the promptings of alarm, but only mutely obey the terrible influence of his more potent Then darkness again; a new sense of life and light; a woman's form flitting about her—the form which haunted the early stages of her ex- perience—the pretended friend of Willis Mar- vin. Finally a recall to wakefulness and sensi- bility. “Where am I?’ came from her quivering lips as she essayed to arise from the couch She held toa chair for support until her con- fused head grew more steady; then she advanced to the door. It was locked and resisted her efforts to open it. Crossing to one of the windows she drew aside the curtain. The dead surface of closed and locked iron shutters met her view! From the other window, however, a gleam of light seemed to penetrate the apartment, and she drew aside the curtain eagerly. Only a glimpse through the half-closed shut- ter—only a single look at a little stretch of latticed foliage and a 3 separ but it revealed a world of intelligence to her vision, She started back with a long, wistful, anx- ious cry as she recognized the surroundings. “My old home!” she cried, in accents of ief and wonder. Her old home! The flood of tender memories the words suggested recalled a bright, happy past, but was rudely checked by a darkened ~ of thought as she suddenly remembered er enemies. For, if this was indeed the house _ in which her peaceful childhood had been passed it was also the roof which sheltered herideadliest enemy, Adrian Revere. ‘‘T am in his power,” she wailed, as she sunk, utterly overcome by the thought, to the couch. ‘“‘T have been the victim of a new plot of this merciless man.” Reviewing her perilous position if her sur- mise was correct, she saw but one gleam of hope amid her despair: Marvin, the detective— the pale-faced, thoughtful friend whose anxiety for her troubles seemed more intense than his solicitude for his own peril. Had he, too, fallen a victim to this man’s dread power? Anxiety grew to tender suspense as she thought of him; her heart became engrossed in reflec- tion concerning his fate as she arose and again advanced to the window through which she had Smuceeel, The thought expressed th ape e thought expr € purpose, and it did not seem so difficult as she measured the distance to the ground and saw the lattice work running up to the very sill of the window. She raised the heavy window, but in the act turned quickly, fora key grated in the lock of the door, and the next moment a woman en- pears the apartment, bearing a server contain- ing ‘ She was a grim-visaged, coarse-featured wo- man, and “eparted the moment she had placed the server on the stand. ‘*One moment, one question. I beseech you!” spoke Constance, hurrying forward to detain her, but the woman paid no attention as she disappeared, locking the door after her. . A troubled gloom settled down on the fair face as she realized only too fully that she was indeed in the power of her enemy, but she again advanced to the window. A little ery of dismay escaped her lips as she glanced forth. Evidently the servant had dis- cerned the open window and notified her con- federates below for this time a man sat indo- lently smoking a pipe on a garden seat in the grass plat near the window. With a sigh of disappointment and despair Constance returned to the couch, and flinging herself upon it gave herself over to the tearful abandonment of grief. Amid her sorrow the hours passed unheeded. She noticed not that darkness had crept unawares into the room. She only started to her feet when it seemed as if some one was endeavoring to open the shutter of the window, and, divided between fear and hope, discerned the probability of the approach of a friend from that quarter. Her hand pressed to her fluttering bosom, she approachcd the window anxiously. ** Constance Thorndyke!” It was a low, cautious, hoarse-throated tone which fell upon her ears. The voice was unfa- miliar, and in the darkness within and without she could only discern the form of a bearded, roughly-dressed man clinging to the lattice and peering into the apartment. Who was it? riend or foe? Why should the latter approach her in this manner? “and again, how could a friend elude the scrutiny of the watcher in the garden unless that watcher had abated his vigilance temporarily? She ventured a reply. : “‘Thatismy name. Iamhere. Whoare you? What do you want?’ she answered and de- manded in a trembling whisper. “To aid you. This letter—read it; I am your—” | Crash! Friend or foe the fates were against her strange visitor. She saw his form go down like a flash; heard the lattice-work splinter and break, and she gazed from the window down at the garden below. There was a moan of anguish and pain, and then all was still. She thought she t's discern a dark body lying where jt had fallen, on the aiegateae At Jeast no one from the house, nor er strange visitor moved among the foliage. She stooped and picked up the piece of folded white paper thrust into the room by her visitor. She stood calculating the chance of an escape for a moment or two, and then turned quickly, as the door was quietly unlocked and opened, and she saw the re of a man coming from the hall without. Closing the door after him he advanced into the room, placing a lighted ap on the stand beside the untasted food. er form quivering with excitement, her head erect, her attitude defiant, her eyes scin- tillating indignan #4 and angrily, she faced him with clinched hands and a white face as she uttered his name— ‘* Adrian Revere!” ; There was no shrinking in the evil features which faced her—only the quiet smile of ftri- umph, the unconcern and fancied security of a powerful foe over a weak and defenseless victim, and that victim a woman completely in his power. ‘‘You are excited,” said Revere, for it was om in smooth tones. ‘Compose yourself and She did not deign to notice or obey his words. The pore storm of repressed indignation welled like a mighty torrent in her breast and drove her to impassioned utterance. ** Villain!” she cried, in ringing tones. “TI trace your work in this last nefarious act. Beneath my father’s roof—my home, not yours! I demand that you restore me to liberty friends.” Not a quiver of the smiling, sinister face, only deeper malignity in its expression as the man seemed to enjoy her discomfiture. ‘‘ Friends!” he replied, sneeringly, “ you are beyond the help and call of such, my fair cousin. You are protracting a painful inter- view and exciting yourself.” His manner tortured her. ‘* Adrian Revere,” she cried, ‘‘ whatever vour evil scheme, it will fail, this time. There is one who knows of this last move, and he assures my release from imprisonment and the speedy pun- ishment of your many crimes.” Her bosom rose and fell tumultuously, her eyes gleamed wildly, her face was transfigured with the impassioned eloquence of an earnest conviction, but the next words of her captor drove a keen blade to the heart of her hopes:— ‘*T know to whom you refer,” he said, slowly, confidently. ‘‘ Willis Marvin, the detective, but detective no longer, for he is dead.” ** Dead?” It was a wail, the cry of a stricken heart recognizing a stab to love, security and hope | which broke from Constance Thorndyke’s lips, | as, with colorless face and horrified eyes she | tottered under the blow so mercilessly dealt her by her arch enemy. ‘*Oh, it cannot be!” she cried. ‘‘ Tell me that you are deceiving me—that, in aiding me, Wil- lis Marvin has not met his fate!” The dark face of the villain was clouded mo- and mentarily with an expression of jealous hate; the smile left his lips, and he clinched his hands in rage as he realized how devotedly this wo- man loved his rival. ‘‘Tt is true,” he reassured harshly, ‘‘and I shall proveit to you. Thatandscmething more: what is he to you—you who have no right to love any man but myself?’ The startling words aroused her to meet his glance in alarmed surprise. ‘* Right? You?’ she repeated, vaguely. ‘‘ To what new mystery does your evil mind hint ‘‘The mystery of success for my plans—of failure and death to those who would balk me. Listen to me, girl! You defied and scorned me when I first sought your hand; ycu drove me to cruel measures, and judging all fair in love for love’s sake, I have won you; you ave my wife !” Constance Thorndyke started as tLough stung by a serpent. ‘“Your wife? Are you mad?” she cried, “ to believe you can deceive me with such detestable representations?” he other laughed scornfully. ‘** Oh, you had no light foe to deal with in me,” he responded. ‘‘ Driven to the wall, I resolved upon a desperate game, and it has succeeded— no matter how, e drugs, and influence, and fraud; but before the world, before any court of law in New York city, [ to-day can prove that yc u, Constance Thorndyke, became my wife egally and of your own free will, a few hours since!” A blur seemed drawn over the eyes of the maiden as a dim recollection of the indistinct scenes of the day came to her mind. She did not believe him; she ,felt positive that he lied boldly, and for a purpose, but she dreaded the power even a deliberate fraud could give this terrible enemy over her. She sunk to a chair overcome, her trembling hands trifling nervously with the paper in her fingers. Unrolling it mechanically, a wild thrill pervaded her being as she caught sight of a name written hastily in pencil at the bottom of the crumpled page! That name was Robert Marvin, the father of the man she loved—the faithful friend whose death Revere had just announced! The latter, gloating over what he supposed to be her utter submission to the success of his evil plans, paced the floor of the apartment ex- citedly. e did not know that the downcast eyes were eagerly perusing the open missive in her lap. He never suspected that new elements of complications and peri] to his cherished plans were in active operation around him, ‘‘Courage,”’ the letter said; ‘‘courage for the present and the future! I, your father’s friend, am on the trail of your persecutors Another day and they shall mect the punishment they deserve! The casket is safe, but I cannot act until I have seen my friends. A deep plot menaces you, but you are not Adrian Revere’s wife. He was married two years since to—” She read the name which followed hastily, and arose to her feet to hice the precious episte from the man, who came again to her side, “You are my wife,” he said, in low, quiet. tones, ‘* The reputable clergy an who wedded us will swear to your identity, the marriage: certificate evidences it; the witnesses to the ceremony will support my claim. hye or friendship—speak, Constance Revere, which shall it be?” She shuddered at the name he bestowed upon her kd darted such a look at him as made him quail. ‘“Coward! perjurer!” she cried in thetis tones; ‘‘your base, bold lie will not avail. know your duplicity; I know your secret; I am not your i He started back at her eloquent and forcible manner, reading some mysterious knowledge of the truth in her flashing eyes. ‘‘Not my wife?’ he demanded, ‘‘ when the proofs—” “They are worthless,” broke in Constance, “Tf by fraud and deceit you have imposed a mock ceremony upon myself and your witnesses, it still will not avail you, for you are married already—married, and the name of your wife is, your confederate and ally, Arminie Boyan! ith a cry like a baffled tiger the villain fell back under the force of the terrible surprise she had given him, ‘‘ Demons!” he raved, wildly. ‘* Arminie has undeceived her! Curse her treachery, and she knows all!” CHAPTER XIII, A TERRIBLE RIDE. A LiGut train drawn slowly through the dark- ness and storm of the night bad left Jersey Ci about eleven o’clock, and Willis Marvin and his friend Dorsett were passengers upon it, ‘If Morris or Leland was really to be the scene of the operations of Torrance and his accomplices that night, they had preceded them on an earlier train. They had ascertained that Morris was thirty- five miles from the city, and Leland a little sta- tion ten miles east of it. Whatever the outcome CORMICOOOKS (eo)