Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

| 4 4 : _—“— 7 8 — — te The detective looked up in astonishment. ““Ay:” said the other, solemnly. ‘** Here is the tiny proof of the sub- cutaneous injection of morphine—doubtless with some other soporific ingredient, since the effect is so death-like and prolonged—by which the unknown villain was enabled to forestall her struggles and outcries directly after her first swoon upon witnessing her mother’s assassination by the same ruthless hand!” “This is amazing!” exclaimed Hawk, ‘Can restoration be effected?” ‘**T hope so, or I would not have taken you into my confidence before making the attempt.” ‘*T always want to understand a man thor- oughly. Why did you decide to take me into your confidence?” ** I know you by reputation, and was told that you are the detective who will have sole charge of this case. Therefore, in the event of my resuscitating this young girl, you are one to help preserve the secret.” And why should such a secret be preserved?” ** Can you ask, and you a detective?” ** No matter; answer. “Tf restored to life, I would have that restor- ation unknown to all save you and me and her, even to the extent of substituting a dummy in this coffin, and assisting at her mock burial, along with that of her poor mother's remains. »! ** Wherefore?” ‘To further the ends of justice—to confound the murderer and abductor,when you shall have at lastrun him to earth, ond confronting him with the dead-alive witness of his graver crime.” Hawk grasped the young man’s hand and fair- ly wrung it. “Excellent! The echo of my own thought!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ You should have yourself been a detective. Now to end our suspense,” ‘* Ah! Heaven grant the attempt may be suc- cessful!” said Seagrave, again drawing the sleeve over the lovely arm, and replacing it in the cof- fin. ‘* Make sure that we are secured against in- trusion,” ‘*But how do you know that death has not really intervened?” said Hawk, as he inspected the fastenings of the doors, He received no answer, and when he returned, Seagrave was bending over the placid face, ob- serving through a magnifying plasa asingle hair which he had plucked from his head, and was holding under the delicately chiseled nostrils, ‘* Tt moves—there is evidence of the life breath remaining!” he at length joyfully exclaimed, though in a low tone, as he looked up. og Quick! examine for yourself, lest I be mistaken.” Hawk likewise made the test. ‘Tt is true!” said he, after an anxious pause. ‘“‘There is breath enough to just stir the hair, though almost imperceptibly.’ « Another test, then,” said Seagrave, taking from his pocket a small mirror, which, after wiping carefully, he held under Olea’ s nostr ils. ‘‘ Wvidence by this test will be yet more conclu- sive, because less delicate.” He held his watch in hisother hand, observing its dial intently until two minutes had elapsed, when he held up the mirror to the light, and studied its surface intently. ‘*Oh!” he murmured, with a groan. ‘‘ There is nothing!” “Wait!” said Hawk, who was looking over his shoulder. ‘‘My eyes are better than yours. There is surely a mist of breath upon the glass, though faint.” The medical student quickly brought the mag- nifier to bear. ‘You are right!” ha said, in a more hopeful tone. * Now for the stethoscope.” He produced such an instrument as he poe and, applying it to the heart of the coffined fig- ure, bent his ear to the instrument, and listened with his own heart in his face, it might be said, so anxious and absorbed was his attention. At last he looked up with a triumphant smile. “Tt beats!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ The movement is faint, butregular—unmistakable! She lives!” ‘* And can be restored?” ‘Without a doubt.” ‘Good! capital! What next?” ‘“‘ She had better be left to herself for several hours, until nature shall have got her in readi- ness to support and respond to certain powerful restoratives. These are what I must go for in the mean time.” ‘Good again!” “But the patient must not be left unguarded foran instant, "said Seagrave. ‘ Think of every- thing we have at stake—our secret, as well as Olga’s life!” **T have thought of it,” said Hawk, “and shall, therefore, remain. in the mean time, do you also get your supper, and fetch me some- thing to eatin a napkin. I have gone through much, and am faint.” ‘‘T shall do so without loss of time,” said Sea- oy peek putting on his overcoat and taking up “Wait! You will see an odd little boy with the paca left on guard at the lower door.” “He name} is Nixey,” continued Hawk, ‘* and ho is in my employ. Give him this,” yassing a »'a°o of silver “to send some one with for his =. supper, bnt bid him on no account to quit his present post without orders from me,’ ** All right!” ** One thing more, young man!” continued Hawk, with some hesitation, as his companion was about quitting the room, ** What is it, Mr. Heron?” “What shall [do—I mean what would you advise—in the event of—of—” Hawk again hesitated, and cast a significant look at the mar- ble face in the coffin. ‘* Impossible!” said Seagrave reassuringly. “A return to consciousness without the aid of re- storatives would be something unheard of, Think of something else till my return.” He passed out into the passage, and Hawk locked the door behind him. ‘*Think of something else, indeed!” he solilo- quized. ‘* Kasier said ‘than done. However, a general exploration of the premises 1s in or der.” He took up the lamp and acted upon this sug- gestion, There were four rooms, communicating with each other in a direct line. These were the front or best room, in which the coffins lay; a bed- room, whic h had been Olga’s; another, in which her mother had slept; ‘and a small kitchen, which had also been used as a living and eating room. The front room and kitchen alone communi- cated directly with the outside passage, at the rear of which was the staircase. Hach room, excepting the front one had a side-window over- looking a large empty lot. All were plainly but comfor rtably fur nafatodl and scrupulously neat, Hawk passed ar ound the foot of the snowy couch in Olga’s room, and-péered inquisitively through the panes of the window. But the night had fallen intensely dark, as well as cold, there was not a light discernible among the dimly-outlined windows on the op- posite wall, and the deep, wide space between aes nothing but a dense black hollow voi So he re-entered the front room, and re- placed the lamp on the mantile-piece. Then, having nothing better to do, he seated himself in a large easy-chair, with his back to the Asean door, and fell into a profound re- verie, with bis arms folded, his fea on his br east, and his half-closed eyes directed be- om een the two coffins, and resting upon the amp. From a sad consideration of his present mel- ancholy surroundings, h‘s thoughts drifted, step by step, far back amid other and equally event- ful scenes in his distant past. It was a past in which one of the motionless and coffined forms before him—the elder and murdered one, that would never more assume the lifeful espect of which it had been des ag had 4 ed gently and tenderly. A smile flitted over his lips at the fair past vision renewed. Then this was replaced by a troubled and angry expression, as another form—even that of the recent destr oyer, the gigantic, man we apee fugitive of his present pursuit—flitted darkly across the peopled mirror of that strange eventful past, while greeting him with a haf menacing, half-affectionate look. Presently the phantom giant seemed to make a gesture that mysteriously stripped the bosom of the dreamer bare. ‘Then, as he pointed at the allegorical representation tattooed thereon, he seemed to hiss through his clinched teeth, with a demoniac smile. ‘*’I'was I who lovingly i im- pressed it there in the old, bright days, but, ingrate, beware lest the legend be reversed— lest the hunted vulture turn in mid-flight, to rend and slay his falcon foe!” after which there succeeded a drowsy cloud that slowly enshroud- ed all. In other words, the reverie of the detective lapsed into a “profound and dreamless sleep, for he was wearied out, and exhausted nature at last asserted her just dues. When he finally started up awake, with a mysterious sensation that some one had been trying the fastenings of the door behind him, it was likewise with a consciousness that he had slept far into the night, He rubbed his eyes, slowly collecting his scattered thoughts, and then emitted a half- articulate cry. Olga was sitting up in her coffin, gazin him with wide-open eyes, that were tule of mingled horror and bewilderment! Taking in the requirements of the situation on the instant, Hawk glided between the cofiins, covering that of the widow out of sight with a piece of draperv as he did so, and put his arm around her reassuringly. ‘Do not make any outcry, I beseech you!” said he, in a low, soothing voice. “*‘ You have had a great shock, have been unconscious, but are now restored.” She looked at him again, still bewilderedly, and then around her. ‘‘Where am I?” she asked, faintly. ‘‘Ah! I half-remember—my mother —that human fiend! Have mercy, Heaven!” And she id her face, shuddering convulsively. At that moment, to add to Hawk’s embarrass- mech there came a thundering knock at the oor, She now clunz to bin in extscinie terror. He —— i Hawk oO Fleron, th the Falcon Detective. — He knew the still had his arm supporting her. Whose could summous could not be Seagrave’s, it be, and what should he do? Just then the loud knock was repeated, CHAPTER VIII. THE DEAD-ALIVE. AT this critical juncture, our hero was almost at his wits’ end. The bewildered girl—the dead-alive, as she might be called—still continued to ¢ ling to him; the imperative knock on the door had just been repeated. Io open to the summons, even to ask abruptly who it was demanding admittance, or to permit Olga tomake the least outcry, might alike be fatal to the momentous secret of her restoration to life and intelligence, The knock was again repeated! Boldness was now the only course, and Hawk adopted it. ‘Listen with all your soul, and try to grasp my meaning!” he hissed into Olga’s ear, in a deep, intense whisper. ‘** 1 have restored you to life, but it is necessary, it is vital, that this should be kept secret! Do you under stand?” His only answer was a convulsive clutching of his arm, which he, perforce, accepted as an affirmative. ‘* Some one, perhaps an enemy, is at the door,” he continued, with equal impressiveness, “You must again lie back, as you were, and simulate the aspect and attitude of death.” : ee ae shudders thrilled her from head to 00 ‘* But it must be!” he continued, peremptorily. ** Otherwise, all may be lost! Do as I tel you— there is danger, penny imminent, deadly dan- ger, threatening Another shuc 9 and then the light figure lay motionless in his arms. She had fainted, This was opportune, at all events. He re- turned the unconscious form to its former rigid and composed attitude in the coffin, ‘ J ug as he had done so, there came another nock ‘What? eh?” he stammered out, with a yawn and a shuffling noise, as though just waking up. “Who's there?” ‘It is I—Clarisse!” replied a voice, through the door—a voice singularly soft, in’ contrast with the rigor of the knocks ther eon, though at the same time hurried and agitated. ‘‘ Be quick! I am the bearer of an important message |!’ Greatly astonished, he removed the easy-chair, and, opening the door, confronted the visitor, without permitting her to enter the room, Notwithstanding this, Clarisse, who was com- fortably and even fashionably clad, threw a swift, comprehensive glance ar ound the in- terior. Her leoks, however, were unaffectedly agita- ted, and she looked at tim inter estedly. What! you alone here in this terrible cham- ber cf death and horror?” she ejaculated, in a low voice of dread. ‘Yes, alone, but on guerd,” he replied, re- garding her narrowly. ‘‘ Tt is terrible!” she continued. ‘‘ But I half- imagined I heard you conversing with some one. ‘‘Nothing of the sort, though I might have muttered in the uneasy ’ slumber from which I was aroused,” ‘That is strange!” “Not near so str ange as your visit at this un- timely hour!” exclaimed Hawk, impatiently consulting his watch. ‘ Why, it is long past midnight!” “What of that?” Her manner increased his embarrassment, She seemed to be maneuvering for delay, and Olga might recover her senses at any moment, and betr ay everything. ‘Why are you here?” he exclaimed, a little savagely, ‘ Come, be lively! Your interrup- tion is neither agrecable nor exactly decent,” ‘Rather ask me where and whom I am from, young man?” ‘Good! Where and whom are you from, then?” ; “From Bellevue Hospital, but a few blocks away, and a young man who but a short time ago managed to give me the message I bring to you. He calls himself Seagrave, and he lies there at the point of death.” ‘You astonish me! Tell me all you know at once.” “That is easily done, Two hours BRO I heard eries for help in front of my basement room in Meiton place. I had not yet, retired, and am used to taking my own part, and occasionally that of a person in sore need. I seized a pistol, and rushed out of the house. As I did so, two ruflians—a short stout man and another whom I recognized as the repulsive wretch you saw for a moment with your friend, Mr, Blithers, on the front stoop there—took to their heels, while a young man whom they had been assaulting was sinking to the pavement.” iT Oho! 7 ‘“‘T ran to hisassistance. Before he became in- sensible, he mentioned your name in a way that caused me to recall you as the person named, and besought me to acquaint you with what had be- fallen him. Then he fainted.” (E(0) oKofe) m ie S\ ~