Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 385 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

27 i f she loved Dick Turpin more, and she would have | Wild Dick Turpin, the Lion o f Leadville. ' | Throwing the rein loosely over Brutus’s neck | had won not only confidence but love; and *his he leaped from the saddle and strode inside the | was the end. house, The sitting-room door was closed, and it And Lois? then occurred to him that everything was singu- | Her letter had not been so sincere as Ben’s. larly silent about the place; and he was some- | She had asked for forgiveness, and defended her- self in the same breath. It was the pitiable de- died for him then; but to have Aim die—to have» him go to Leadville as a prisoner—oh! the black- est night of earth and time was as nothing to the» awful gloom which such a thing would throw | ae what surprised that neither Lois nor Bowie around her heart. | Ben met him; but he opened the door and en- | fense of a weak, shallow nature. ven in the But all her pleading, and all ber tender ca ess- tered the sitting-room. act of treachery, she had advised Dick to “‘ be a | es and imploring words, could not move Dick There he paused. better man;” she had written: ‘‘Of course you | Turpin. e was stunned, dazed, uncertain, The room was vacant, so far as human beings | cannot expect me to marry a road-agent and | hopeless; his mind was in a fog to v iuch pene-- were concerned, and the confusion which exist- | outlaw,” and in the same breath stated that she | trated no ray of hope or light. ed everywhere gave it a gloomy look. Ashe | was about to marry Bowie Ben; and had tried There was a clattering of hoofs which told of” stood there not a sound met his ears, and an air | to shift the blame of her faithlessness upon her | the coming of the men of Leadville, and Red of desolation seemed to hover about the place. | parents. Kit abandoned all attempts. There was yet time Where was Lois? Where was Bowie Ben? That they had influenced her was not to be | for her to escape, but she did not go. Dropping Where were Legrand and his wife? doubted, but, taking her letter and her conduct | into a chair, she burst into bitter tears, and sobs. At this moment Dick’s roving glance caught as a criterion, it proved that she was weak, | shook"her whole form convulsively. sight of an envelope on the table, and he strode | fickle and without honor herself. The horsemen dashed up to the door. forward and picked it up. Itbore an address in If she had discarded Dick Turpin because he They came tramping into the room, | two words: was a road-agent, it would not have been ** Here he is!” cried one, who had been a lead- ‘** Richard Barnes!” | strange; but, only the day before, with her arms | ing assistant of Bradstreet. ‘‘ By George! here’s. It was the name under which he had wooed | about his neck she had sworn that she loved him | our man, Cover him with your revolvers, men, Lois, and the writing was hers. Dick hurried- | as well as ever, and would go with him to the | and shoot him down if he tries to escape!” Bro. ly tore the envelope open. ‘There he found a | endsof the earth, and now she had fled with Dick Turpin arose, folded his arms and looked vere for me. letter for him still in Lois’s writing, though it was far from being as regular as usual. He began to read rapidly, but only a few lines had he seen when his face became as pale as marble, the letter fell from his grasp and he dropped into a chair with a groan. One would ha ve said, to see him then, that life itself was ebbing away, but the knife which penetrates the heart is more merciful than the stab he had received, For some minutes he sat staring blankly at the fatal letter, and then he lifted it again. This is what was written there: ““Ricwarp:—I beg that you will not think too harshly of me, for my own heart bleeds as I write. Tam about to flee, as planned, but notin your com- pany. Father and mother are both against you, and they have convinced me—against my will, believe me!—that it is best that you and I should forever part. Lam sorry that this isso, but I feel that ’tis my duty to obey them. Besides, Bowie Ben has asked me to become his wife, and since he has been coming here I have seen that he is a perfect gentle- man, I am sure that Ishall be happy with him, and we shall be married as soon as possible; and then, with father and mother, FO to some distant place. *T am afraid you will blame me, Richerd, but what can I do? Father and mother will not consent toever uk with you again, and—I donot feel that Tam to blame for loving Bowie Ben, Of course I must consider my own Depp ners first of all. and I know that, as his wife, T shall be happy. Richard, Bowie Ben, whose record matched Dick’s point for point, and she declared that she loved him— loved only Bowie Ben! Oh! heart of Dick ‘Lurpin! was ever treachery blacker? They were gone—all gone! Dick Turpin might have sat there for hours, but there was the clatter of a horse’s feet; a lull: the sound of human feet on the floor, and Red Kit burst into the room, her eyes large and startled, her brick-red hair disheveled, and her cheeks aglow. **Dick! Dick!” she cried, ‘they are coming to arrest you!” The stricken man looked at her dully. ‘** They are gone—all gone!” he muttered. ** Don’t you hear me? The officers are coming. Flee for your life!” But still he muttered, like one in a dream: ** They are gone—all gone !” CHAPTER XXXIV. THE CHAINED LION, Rep Kir sprung forward, caught Dick by the shoulder and shook him energetically. ** Arouse!” she exclaimed. ‘‘I know they are one, for I saw them pass across the mountain, out is that any reason why you should stay here and be caught?) They know at Leadville just who you are; Sheriff Bradstreet has recovered his mind, and your trick is known. inamild, grave voice. All you have to do is to take me,” rope?” steadily at the last speaker. ‘** You need not draw your revolvers,” he said, ‘**] shall not try to escape. “Oh! you’ve got some trick to play, have» you?” cried the officer, suspiciously. ‘* No; I have none to play.” ‘Perhaps you deny that you are Dick Turpin,. of Leadville.” **No; I am he.” ‘The blazes you are! Seems to me you are wonderful meek, all at once,” ‘* My race is run, that’sall. You’llfind a rope in the outhouse, I think.” ** A rope? What the dickens do I want of a. To hang me!” Dick Turpin spoke with the utmost calmnes:, as though he had no personal interest in the matter whatever, but the chief officer promptly retorted; ‘*No, you don’t! ‘You'd like to escape yecr deserts at the hands of law, and take a qu’e!: run on a rope, but it don’t work here. going back to Leadville. You're Bind him, men!” * All right!” In the same mechanically unmoved, stcry way, Dick put out his hands. Themen procecc- ed to bind him, and did it in a way which seemed suitable to such a desperate rufflan asthe good-by! We shall never meet again, for I am Worse than | Lion of Leadviile. No danger was there of Lis. going far, far away, but I shall think kindly of you, | that, oflicers are on their way to arrest you. | breaking the bonds put upon him, and hope for your happiness. I hope, too, that you | Wakeup! Will you tamely be captured?” When this was done the leader of the captur-- will be a better man, If you had been what you seemed, all would have been well; but I have been reared to regard honesty, truth and honor as de- sirable above allthings. You cid very wrong to de- ceive me, and, of course, you cannot expect me to marry a road-agent and outlaw. ** Lois LEGRAND.” “Pp. §.—If my conduct hurts your feelings,[ am sor: A Please forgive me, for I shall always be your riend. Below this was written in a bold, masculine hand: “*Caprain:—lI feel myself the most unconscione ble villain who ever drew the breath of life. My treach- ery is base and cowardly, and you will not be to blame if you shoot me on sight. Why, oh! why did you send me to visit Lois Legrand? 1 loved herfrom The stricken Lion shook bis head. **T don’t know,” he muttered. He was looking at vacancy, and the light of intelligence had gone from his face and eyes, Had he been an idiot, he would not have been more expressionless, except that the shadow ofa great sorrow was there. The blow had pene- trated deeply. Red Kit was in despair. ** Oh! Diek, Dick!” she cried, ‘‘ can’t you under- stand? Your life depends on your getting away from here at once. They will hang you if you are taken. Don’t think any more abouther! I am sorry for you, but it won’t do any good. Come away, Dick; come!” There was a faint gleam of interest on his ing arty looked around. Where's that red-hvaded girl” he asked, Sure enough, in the confusion Red Kit bed glided away, and when they searched for Ler, the only result was to find that she had talicn her own horse, and Brutus, and made gocd her escape. ‘* Tt’s a wonder she didn’t take more animals,” the leader observed; ‘* horse-thieves ain’t usually so easy to satisfy, and the red-head has got true» desperado blood in her veins. Well, never mind, she was the one who first gave Dick Turpin awey,. and I s’pose she’d have got off scot free if we kad. nabbed Turpin and all!” er. Now, ho! for Leadville, boys, Dick. They went at once. the first, a 3 pr iba tin mine or Ea sel On | part. During the ride the prisoner did not Ga —on—on m empta- “ ” : soli " ag tion, and 1am about tosteal her from you. It 1s a Where shall I go? once. e sat on his horse like a statue, looking villainous act, and no punishment could be too se- LOWIE Brn,”’ 2 gh the letter fell from Dick Turpin’s hands, He knew now what meant the silence about the house. : Those whom he had expected to meet him were one—all gone! Inthe very moment when his | hang me. Where isa rope? Bring one, call the | work of his captor, who swore that he would dc- | eart was bounding with joy, and with hope of | lynchers, and let them do their work. I want to | liver the prisoner safely to Bradstreet if he ‘ had ed a happy future after all his stormy experience im the past, he had received a blow which cut to his heart and left him in desolation and gloom. They were gone—all gone! Gone was and, whom he had rescued from prison, for whom he had lived in the midst of imminent danger for many a weary day. Gone was Bowie Ben, the man he had made his bosom friend, and whom he had trusted im- plicitly. . ‘ Gone was Lois, the girl he had idolized: in whom he had placed unwavering faith, and whom he had relied upon to turn the black, bit- **To the mountains; anywhere to escape those terrible men.” ‘**Let them come! Let them hang me! It don’t matter now, for who would care?” Red Kit’s lips opened for a reply, and then closed again, She a, ay deeply. ‘*Did you care for her so much?” ‘Let them come!” he repeated. ‘ Let them be hung!” . Dick, Dick! this is madness! Oh! will you not come away? Every minute brings those men nearer, and then you will be lost.” “T am lost now!” he exclaimed, fiercely. ““There’s nothing left now but dust and ashes, ruin and desolation. This is the end of all— double-dealing, crime, treachery, hope, ambition, happiness! This is, indeed, the end. Let them come! Who cares?” ‘I do, Dick; I care with all my heart. Oh! let me be your sister; your tender, loving sister. You are in trouble; let me console you. Come at vacancy, answering 1 conscious of all around him, His captors thought no one, and, really, un- he was feigning sudden insanity, or imbecility, but they did not know that his mind was actually a desert. When Leadville was reached, he was thrust into a cell, heavily ironed, chained to the wall and seven guards set over him. This was the to put him in a patent safe, such as the mayor *® used for his state papers.” Afterward, Bradstreet could do as he saw fit. By noon every one in Leadville,had heard the | news; the city rung with it. Bradstreet, who- had been thought well, and at the head of police affairs, was flat on his back with fever; and Dick Turpin, who had been thought the fever- stricken man, had been flourishing around as. sheriff, and had done some remarkable things. Ay, the city rung with the news, and no- body had more to say than the rich and fashionable circle who set themselves up as. ter past into sunshine and PEACE, with me!” Sha about fifty per cent, better than the average They were nner gone! The girl’s eyes were swimming with tears and | mortal. Well might the rich old men, and the. How long he sat there he never knew. The | her voice was full of trembling and pleading, | beautiful oung ladies, remember Dick Turpin, had so fully trusted overwhelmed him. Bowie | ‘Oh! Dick, Dick!” she sharply, wildly cried, | them to eclipse all others. They remembered : Ben’s peculiar manner at their last interview, in | ‘they are in sight; they are almost here. ‘Will | the mayor's ball, and the part Dick had played . a the latter’s room, was fully explained. He had | you let them take you? Come away until you | there. He had been petted, admired, and lifted, > not meditated treachery then, but it was his | can think of this onichly: Do, for Heaven’s sake! | for the night, to that august perch of the fash- a 0 love for Lois—which then seemed hopeless— | do come, Dick!” ionable world where said world poises itself” 4 which had made him gloomy She dropped on her knees, and almost hysteri- | daintily on a pedestal whereof the cornice is. 4 loom of utter despair had fallen around and ebout him, and he took heed neither to the pres- ent nor future. The treachery of the two he The man was not wholly bardened, and his better nature had cried out against him and his treachery. ‘‘ Why, oh! why did you send me to visit Lois Legrand?” he bad asked, in his note, Why, indeed? That had been Dick’s fatal mis- take. Ben had acted the consoler too well; he . . -_———— + but Dick shook his head. She went to the win- dow and looked out. Then a cry escaped her lips and she hastened back to his side. cally fondled and kissed his hands. Her heart was in the attempt, and she tried with everv act to arouse him from his fatal stupor, She realized what the coming of the now-visible riders meant, and her heart was wrung with woman’s sharpest, misery; of love touched to the heart. Never had ee UE EE —————————————————————— of Leadville. . He had done many strange, daring, auda- cious things, but one in particular seemed to. r of brass—and, oh! of gold and the base pro ifted had been Dick horror, the man thus Turpin, of Leedvyille. On the whole, the young ladies had the worst. ~ of all. These fascinating butterflies, who had always: — (E(0) ,OO AMIE S ome ee ee ~ ay) 4 res RS ti a7)