Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 380 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

- — ‘‘Oh! you don’t know how wicked I have “been!” she said, laughing hysterically through her fast-falling tears, ‘*There never was such treason!” ‘** What treason?’ *‘T’m afraid, and ashamed too, to tell you! Only I want you to drive it out of my heart, so far that it can never, never return!” ‘+ Tell me freely.” She put her hand before his eyes so that he should not look at her, and with her lips close to his ear she whispered, so low and hesitatingly that the words would have been intelligible to none but a lover’s sense: *Say—that you leave—your—heart—behind you, and I'll not ask what takes you away!” ‘* Beatrice!” he cried, ina passionate protest, trying to get a glimpse of her face. ‘* No! no! you shall not look!” she cried, hold- ing his eyes more closely, and burying her face deeper in his neck. ‘* But, say it! say it!” The man remained silent for a moment, in which he seemed to gather all the forces of his srreat love; while the woman waited with bated breath, Then in a deep, calm voice, he said, deliber- ately: ‘‘ Beatrice, whatever shall happen in our two jives, never for a moment doubt that *you, and you alone, have stirred the profoundest depths of my nature: believe, now and ever, that from the time I[ first saw you, the possession of your love, Of you, has been, and ever will be, to the last moment of my conscious existence, the one craving of my heart!” The girl threw back her head, her face irra- diated with unclouded ecstasy. ‘“T believe you!” she cried. ‘‘ Nothing can ever shake my faith again. But—but, while I am about it, may I make a full confession?” She suddenly became shamefaced again, though she laughed as she looked shyly into his face. ** Tell me all,” he said. _ ** Well, then ”—her voice sinking lower and lower—‘‘ sometimes I have wondered— Oh, I can't tell you!” ‘* Now, then!” And he threw one corner of her shawl over ber head, so as to hide her crimson cheek, though the other burned against his neck like fire, ‘*T have wondered!” she breathed, ‘* that you should be willing to wait—here it is almost six months! Because, if it was only that I should regain my strength, you have never expressed any impatience, you know, that I recovered so slowly!” The man smiled in spite of bimself at this al- most child-like naive confession. The woman unvailed her heart to him, showing him the in- tensity of its craving for the full measure of love. ‘Tf your health had been the only considera- tion,” he said, ‘‘ you should have found me as impatient a suitor as the most exacting iove could desire.” ‘** And you have wanted me all along?” ‘*T have set down each day that has kept us apart, as a day of happiness lost forever!” ‘*T am satisfied, shall not importune you for your reasons. 1 am content to wait my lord’s good pleasure!” ** You shall know all in due time.” So they sailed on over the peaceful sea, the woman the happier for this explanation, but the man’s heart secretly crushed beneath the weight of an augmented burden. And was he so necessary to her? God shield her, if the worst came? Why 1 he ever crossed her path, to darken it with the shadow of his accursed life? In a little cove the yacht cast anchor, as the sun touched the western horizon. Then like a new Paul and Virginia they strolled under the canopy of tropical frondage, until they came to a low whitewashed structure which harmonized well with its silvan surroundings. On a bench before the cot an old gentleman was dozing. He had just narrowly escaped dis- locating his neck by a more pronounced lurch than usual, when the sound of their approaching footsteps aroused him to full consciousness, CHAPTER V. A PLEDGE REDEEMED. ‘‘ Wuy, bless my soul and body!” exclaimed the old gentleman, readjusting his wig, and rub- bing his eyes vigorously. “It is fairly sun- down! And are you truants just returning? What do you fancy an old fellow like me finds to amuse himself with, alone the live-long day?” ‘*Oh, you dear old guardie!” cried Beatrice, not without genuine compunctions. ‘‘ We do neglect you shamefully! But really we have not been gone three hours. And you shall have no reason to complain in the future—not in the immediate future, at any rate!” Not yet over the excitement of her recent in- terview, she ran up to the old gentleman, and throwing her arms about his neck, kissed him -effusively on either cheek. ‘‘ Bh? eh?’ he laughed. ‘I’m fond of affec- tion, Iam; but really, my dear, you must leave me my wig! Langley, you see what you have bofore yeu. Take warning!” | The Golden Serpent. But a tear fell upon his cheek; and before he could put his ward at arm’s-length and demand its meaning, she slipped from his grasp and fled into the house. ‘** Tears?” he exclaimed, looking at the younger man inquiringly. q Will you stroll with me a few minutes?” asked the latter. “Stroll with you? Certainly! certainly!” They walked away from the cot in silence, the elder man casting furtive glances of increasing anxiety at the younger. - At a sufficient distance to be out of sight and hearing, the latter stopped, and leaning his back against a tree, stood with folded arms looking gloomily into vacancy. ‘‘ Mr, Brinton,” he said, ‘‘ you know me as the noted outlaw, Tiger Dick, alias Black-Hoss Ben, a man whose past life is stained with crime the full extent of which you may never know. You have under your tutelage a woman of spotless life and character. Yet you have sanctioned the union of those two beings, so diametrically opposed to each other!” ‘* In the first place,” said old Joel Brinton, ‘‘I have lived long enough in this strange world of ours to learn that the life is not always the measure of the man. In the second place it was enough for me that you seemed necessary to the happiness—to the very life of my old friend’s child, who is as dear to me as if she were my | own, and that you have treated her in a manner which will, I believe, if continued, secure her happiness in spite of all the past.” ** Thank you, sir!” said Tiger Dick, with emotion, ‘‘I believe that: I merit something of your implied encomium, tion to retrieve the past by an unblemished fu- ture is worthy of the encouragement of good men, then I have some claim upon the sympathy of my kind. If the entire dedication of one life to another is any guaranty, then you are safe in intrusting the happiness of your ward to me, ‘** But, sir, we cannot put the past behind us at will. There are ofttimes phantom hands reaching out of it that clasp us like bands of steel! That is the retribution now to be exacted of me! ‘*T go to-morrow to give myself into the hands of the law, to be tried for murder!” ** What?’ cried old Joel Brinton, in dismay. ‘*I go to-morrow to give myself into the hands If a profound aspira- | | of the law, to be tried for murder!” repeated | Tiger Dick, distinctly, deliberately. ** But I do not understand you!” cried the old gentleman. ‘‘ Youare free. You— Oh! I see!” he continued, suddenly interrupting himself. ‘‘ Being under this cloud, you prefer to clear yourself before linking your fate to that of our dear Beatrice. Mr. Langley, you confirm my growing good opinion of you. I have taken your hand in the past, mainly, I confess, for my ward’s sake. I now ask it for your own,” ‘Wait, sir! You are laboring under a mis- apprehension. Of the crime laid to my charge Lam fully guilty. I have every reason to be- lieve that I shall be convicted and hanged by the neck until I am dead!” The old man stood aghast. ‘** But, sir,” he said, presently, ‘‘I cannot un- derstand your motives. As I began to say, a moment since, you are a freeman. You have no accuser here. Do you mean to say that you voluntarily go to certain death? I have heard of repentance taking a fanatical turn, but I con- fess that such an extreme of conscientiousness is new to my experience.” ** When, six months ago, I parted with Jim Farnsworth, the ’Frisco sheriff, who for two years has hunted me between the two oceans, I did so under the contract that if he would leave me undisturbed for six months I would, at the expiration of that period if not sooner, give my- self up for trial. He has kept his pledge; I now go to redeem mine.” ** And so, sir,” said old Joel Brinton, not with- out a certain wondering respect for this Spar- tan-like integrity, yet with a growing indigna- tion, *‘ to secure six months’ association with my ward free from anxiety, you gave your chance of final escape? Jim Farnsworth was wounded and helpless. He was in your power instead of you being in his. If you had eluded him for two years, your chance of continuing to do so was as good as before—though, of course, you could not have asked a woman to share your fugitive state. But, sir, is that a specimen of your exalted devotion, to secure this respite of selfish enjoyment to yourself, regardless of the after-consequences to her?” ‘**’‘You are doing me an injustice. You know that she, too, was at the point of death, appar- ently, having saved my life at the hazard of her own. You know, too, the strength of her love forme. Thank God, nothing can ever deprive me of that knowledge! What would have been the result if I had torn myself away from her? You have seen the precarious tenure of her life during these anxious months, even with o greatest solicitude. Do you believe that she would have recovered if she had come here with a broken heart?” ** No age f I do not!” “Well, then, for this one chance of life for her, | agreed to nut mvself in the prisoner’s dock in ’Frisco, where Jim Farnswerth would j ! 5 never have got me. And that is a specimen of my disinterested devotion!” ‘My dear sir!” cried old Joel Brinton, impul- sively extending his hand, which this time was not refused, ‘‘ Il have wronged you! But have you told her this?” Did she look “Can you ask such a question? as if Ihad? 1 told her that I was forced to leave her on business, It was not an easy matter to do that without assigning any reason.” ** But what will become of her if you are— are— I beg your pardon!” ‘*Hanged? I do not know, She will be stronger physically. I look to you to soften the blow, if it fall. emember, there is always the chance that I may escape; and then I can re- turn to her a free man. y God! it makes m head whirl to think of that chance! But Isha never return unless I am free to walk openly before allmen. Better that she die and be at rest, than drag out a hunted existence, trem- bling at the face of every stranger. If the worst come, you will keep it from her until all is over. The irrevocability of death lifts the crushing burden after the blow has fallen, and she may recover. At the worst, the thought that I died for love of her will be easier to bear than the knowledge that I had deserted her to save my worthless life!” a! We pass over the painful parting of the mor- row. Tiger Dick made it a point of loyalty that Beatrice should not indulge a grief that would impair the bealth in which he had so vital an in- terest; and with her lips to his she pledged her- self to strive to think only of the golden day of their reunion, never, never to part more this side the grave! Six months to a day from the date of his ledge, Tiger Dick stood in the presence of Jim ‘arnsworth and said: ‘*Tam here! Do with me as you will!” ‘“By Jove, Dick!” cried the sheriff, as he grasped his hand. ‘I never before hated any- thing so in all my life! I know that this isn’t exactly what I promised the boys. I haven't bagged you fairly; and, 1 swear! I wouldn't have made such an agreement but for that wo- man! Ive been thinking the matter over; and I made up my mind that if you failed to come to time, ’'d drop it. But now that you're here, I suppose I'll have to run you in,” si me you fear that I would fail?” asked Dick, oroudly. “No, Dick! Honor bright, I didn’t think it was in you!” said the sheriff. er night Tiger Dick sat reflecting in a pris- on cell, Outside those stone walls the newsboys shout- ed the strange intelligence of a man who had re- deemed his word at the cost of his liberty, with the prospect of a hangman’s noose in the notdis- tant future! ‘ The Western metropolis was electrified. Had | we gone back to feudal] times, when bold rob- bers held their honor before their lives? Then the ubiquitous and irrepressible reporter unearthed the romantic features of the matter, There was a woman in the case! Every fair San Franciscan under thirty—and some over the divide!—pored over the details of the graphic narrative, and fell in love with this darling outlaw! | They put their pretty heads together and laid out regular campaigns, for the ensuing twelve months or so, which would intervene before he . paid the penalty of his eat a crimes, The romantic would inundate him with flow- ers and slippers, while the pious devoted them- selves to his conversion. Ob,yes! such a dear fellow must be saved! . Meanwhile the news spread. It was talked of in out-of-the way mining-camps. It woke the admiration of rough fellows whose sentiment of hero-worship caught at just such melodramatic virtues, to the neglect, unhappily, of every- day truthfulness and honesty and sobriety. it came to the ears of the Golden Serpent, and thrilled down through the depths of her vol- canic nature like a bolt of lightning! , ‘Tiger Dick—Senor Hameeltonn!—with his neck in the hangman’s noose! Madre de Dios! it cannot—it shall not be!” CHAPTER VI. A SUSCEPTIBLE WARDEN, THe Prison Warden at San Francisco sat with his heels on his desk, his hat on the back of his head, and his body hidden by the broad sheet of the Chronicle, absorbed in a leader on the politi- | cal situation. A knock found him considering the bearings of the Chinese question on the coming election. ‘** Come in,” he called out, going on with his reading. — The door opened, and heavily-booted feet crossed the threshold. ‘* Well?” demanded the warden from be his rampart. * A lady to see No. 29.” Down came the newspaper, and Dan Ford’s keen glance was leveled at the applicant. The attendant had stepped aside to admit a lady of small stature, dressed in mourning, and with her face hidden by a crape vail. One glance at the elegant attire, which hid full Gomilcbooks (¢ Gor