Beadle's Dime Library No. 387 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

Te YS in + ein ake Swe ee r : SS ST RT OSS SOE a a OS EE eee _ — ——— <i a rams arescwen: cag reteset : A SS ee ee ee we ee 2 eee oe ~~ wee ee ling of the truth was shown by his eager look 18 Dark Durg, the Ishmael of the Fiills. | | himself far from angelic. But what matter? | Leave ’em alone fora bit. Less excitement for He loved Precious, not Maurice. He wanted | patient. See?’ the daughter, not the father, for a wife. Precious hesitated, glancing from the physician ‘Tf we can only find the gold in time, Rex!” | to her lover. Rex slightly inclined his head, anted Precious, her face brightly flushed, her | and she only paused to press a kiss to the high, reath coming quick and fast with excitement. | bald forehead of her father, murmuring: “J can and will, lit le girl,” was the confident ‘* Be kind to him, father, for my sake!” reply. ‘‘T'll lose mighty little time in getting Doctor Shipley drew her little hand through down to work, and then, when those cormorants | his arm, and strode out of the sick-chamber are gorged—when your father has his head | with the pompous air of a conqueror. fairly above water again, little pet—there’s go-| ‘Well? What have you got to say that re- ing to be a holy picnic in the black division of | quires so much mystery?’ demanded Maurice your family, Precious!” | Wingfold, a trace of suspicion in his voice, “No, Rex,” and she clung a little closer to her | much more than a trace glittering in his dark lover. ‘‘We can afford to scorn them, then, | eyes. Defeat will be punishment enough.” | "Good news, I sincerely trust, Mr. Wingfold,” “For them, but not for me. I couldn’t face | quietly replied the young man, drawing a chair my image in a glass, Precious, were I to—eh, | close to the bedside and sitting down. ‘* Will doctor?” you oblige me by giving your opinion as to ‘“‘TDidn’t want. Had to, though!” nodded the | this?” doctor, his face buried in the big handkerchief He placed the worn and soiled bit of paper in- by the aid of which he had blown the tremen- | to the trembling hands of the old man, quietly dous alarm that caused the lovers to turn toward | watching the haggard face. the door. ‘‘Maurice wants to see Precious. It was a curious study. At first wonder, Told him she was engaged. Had company. | mixed with suspicion, but then the changes Wouldn’t listen. Said call her. So—you see?’ | came swift and startling as those brilliant black and the honest physician concluded it would be | eyes roved over the crooked lines and scattered safe to open his eyes and dispense with his hand- | dots, A growing interest. Bewilderment. kerchief by this time. Doubt. And then—a glad cry as of recognition What an arrant rogue he must have been in or remembrance! his younger days! Good old soul! after all, the ‘*Where did you get this? Who drew it? world would be all the better if it contained a | What does it mean?’ Maurice Wingfold gasped, more liberal supply of just such characters, glaring, at the young man as he pressed the ‘** To-morrow, Rex?” whispered Precious, anx- paper to his panting bosom. iously. ‘In a moment, dear sir,” was the calm re- “Ym going with you, little one,” was the | sponse. ‘‘ Do you see anything familiar in that whispered but resolute reply. ‘After what has | paper? Does it recall any memory of the long happened, I have the right.” ago? Does it give the outlines of any spot which Precious turned toward the physician, who you may have visited when you were younger nodded vigorously. than now—say in the days when Denver was ‘Why not? Maurice cracked, not sick. Boy | but a rude mining-camp—when you were a pros- got better medicine than I have. Cure him, | pecter?” right off! Yes. Know it, I tell you!” As he spoke, Rex Stuart could see the old Re T will tell him all, if you will be sokind asto | man turning pale as a corpse—could see his step in ahead and prepare him for my coming. limbs trembling under the cover as though a I am a little out of favor, just now, you see,” violent chill was creeping over them; but he with a faint smile, ‘‘and the unexpected sight knew that he was playing for high and precious of my face might seriously disturb your pa- stakes, and could not afford to throw away a tient.” chance. “Certainly. Quite right. Tell Maurice you're | ‘‘I know! I could go to the very spot!” gasped coming. Half an hour be long enough?” splut- the old man. ‘‘ Whatdoesit mean? Where did tered Doctor Shipley, beaming brightly on the | you get this paper?” lovers, his fat hands twitching as though they | ‘It was given to me bya stranger whom I wanted to drop on their heads and invoke a pa- | was fortunate enough to save from robbery, if ternal blessing. no worse. He told me it would guide me toa “ Five minutes, rather,” lauehed Rex, turning , vast amouwat of gold, which—” the physician about and pushing him along the ‘‘ fs mine—all mine!” hoarsely ejaculated the passage. other, clasping the chart to his bosom end draw- Away waddled the doctor, and Stuart turned | ing further back in bed, glaring at Rex Stuart to Precious, taking both her handsin his, his _ as though he anticipated force. face grave, his voice sober. ‘*On certain conditions it may be, or a goodly ‘‘ Precious, we must understand each other share of it,” was the quiet response, no effort fully, and there is no time hko the present. If I being made to regain possession of the impor- can discover this Golden Phantom and return in tant paper, though Stuart began to fancy he time to save your father, will you give me my | had acted rather rashly in permitting it to reward?” | leave his hands before a proper understanding “Whatever you ask, Rex,” was the low but. was arrived at. ‘‘I came here to make you a firm reply. | fair offer, Mr. Wingfold. I came to say that, ‘‘ Even if your father should still object?” | if you will agree to forget the past few weeks, There was a brief pause, during which therosy _ and to receive me on the same footing as you face turned pale, the dark eyes drooped to the , did at that time—” floor. In silence Stuart waited, though he felt; With a hollow groan, Maurice Wingfold that his future happiness or misery must hang on | dropped the chart and covered his face with his the next words her lips uttered. | hands, Rex Stuart made a quick motion as He was not kept long in suspense. Precious , though to recover the paper, but as quickly re- Wingfold raised her eyes and met his eager gaze | strained the impulse, Perhaps it was as well, fairly. And her voice was steady as she spoke | for Maurice Wingfold snatched it up and thrust the words he most longed to hear: it into his bosom. The effort would have been ‘‘Eiven then, Rex. We both will have done | frustrated by his celerity, and suspicion freshly enough for duty.” awakened. | ‘‘ And love is lord of all!” fervently breathed ‘* Impossible! You know not what you say!” the young man, as he drew her yielding figure to | muttered the old man. i his m, pressing a burning kiss upon her red ‘*T know that unless you can raise $30,000 be- lips. And as she returned it, Precious Wingfold | fore the end of this month, you are ruined. felt that no mere form of words could more | But I also know that, with the aid of the paper surely bind their future together. you hold and the information Wren me by the ‘And now—for your father, little one,” said | man whose name you will find written on the Rex, with a low, happy laugh. “He will not | back of that same paper, I can furnish the object, I feel confident, when he hears all that I | amount you need, twice over!” can tell him. See! the good doctor!” Rex Stuart paused abruptly, not because he On tiptoe the physician came out of the sick- | had said all he intended, but Maurice Wing- chamber, and as they advanced toward him he | fold glanced at the back of the chart, to fall smiled and nodded vigorously. Evidently the | back in bed, gasping, moaning, seemingly in a prospects were favorable for the lovers. convulsion! They entered the room, finding Maurice Wing- | Swiftly Rex caught up the paper that drop- fold sitting upin bed, his back supported by from the unnerved fingers, thrusting it into illows, his face looking more natural than it | his bosom, then lifted the old man’s head on one d for weeks. And that he had gained an ink- | arm, holding a glass to his lins. With an effort Maurice Wingfold swallowed the cordial, and Stuart whispered hastily: ‘* Shall TI call the doctor?” f Wingfold shook his head, then made a motion with one trembling hand which Stuart inter- reted into a wish to be laid down and left to imself, He obeyed, resuming his chair, closely watching the invalid. toward Rex Stuart, even while his thin hand was caressing the dark curls of his daughter, who rushed forward and hid her face on his bosom, west Ney Rex Stuart was doing some hard thinking during those few moments, and now that Pre- cious could not note his actions, he bent his hoy = head and hastily whispered in the ear of the| A faint smile curled his lips as he saw the bony doctor: hand gently, silently moving over the bed, as “She must not hear all I will have to say. | though searching for something. He had no Manage to leave me alone with her father. | further fears as to the recovery of the patient Can you do it?” after that. ' “Doanythine. Of course. Why not?” “IT have the paper, Mr. Wingfold,” he at With his brisk step he reached the bedside and ngth uttered, coollv. ‘* As it was given to me gently tapped the Mangniter on her arm, saying ; by a dying man, [ think—” lightly as she turned her face toward him: | ‘What dying man? Whom do you mean? “Want you, pet, Business mighty dry. Not—” a ————— see CLL i -— ‘* By the man whose name is signed to the pa- er,” ‘*He is dead! Dead long years ago!” ejacu- lated Wingfold, starting up in bed with a celer- ity that spoke well for his chances of ultimate recovery from his strange fit of illness. ‘* From one whom I believe must be Sterling Coin, as he declared; but let that pass, if you wish,” quietly uttered Stuart. ‘* The main point just now is whether we can place eny deperd- ence on the rest of his information. I have faith that I can go direct to the spot which this payer describes. If a treasure is really buried there, I have faith that I can unearth it.” “Tt is mine!” muttered Wingfold, his dark eyes shining redly. ‘It is the phantom treasure I have chased for so many long years! If you rob me of it now, Pll murder you by inches!” ‘*So far from wishing to rob you of evena single grain of this treasure, real or fabulous, Mr. Wingfold, I came here to offer you the en- tire amount—on conditions,” slowly added Stu- art, ‘*Tt is mine by rights, already, but I'll hear what you have to say,” muttered the old man, an uneasy gleam in his dark eyes. **T will make a copy of this chart, giving you the original. I will fit-out and goto the place described, and learn what truth there is in the matter. If I discover anes gold, be the amount large or smal], I will pledge my honor to turn every grain over to you, if, on your part, you pledge me your sacred word of honor, before your daughter and Doctor Shipley, as witnesses, that you will give me Precious as my wife. Those are my conditions, and nothing less will satisfy me.” Steadily, firmly, the young man spoke, and Maurice Wingfold saw that his decision was irrevocable. He gh be his eyes and seemed to be busily thinking. Then he spoke, buskily: * You know—Precious has told you?” That Damon Wingfold has somehow got you under his thumb, but that if you can raise $380,- 000 before the end of the month, he cannot touch you after that, This she has told me, but noth- ing more definite.” “It is the truth—curse him!” snarled Wing- fold, savagely. ‘** Amen! with all my heart!” was the prompt response, ‘* Make me the promise I ask, and trust to me for foiling the scoundrel. I firmly believe that Sterling Coin—or his representa- tive,” correcting bimself quickly as Wingfold shrunk back again, ‘‘ has spoken no more then the truth in swearing that this chart’is the clew to a great treasure. I can find it. I will find it!” “Tl go with you! It is mine by rights, and—” ‘* You will stay here,” sternly interposed Stu- art, ‘‘ Any such move would put Damon Wing- fold on his guard, and he would take measures to foil our hopes, if he did not do worse. You will see him as usual, and beg him to spare you. Hang out for the longest reprieve possible. Fool him to the top of his bent, and his confusion will be all the more complete when I come back to set you free. You will do this?’ o need to ask that question! Maurice Wing- fold was laughing, harshly and viciously. at the mere thought. And Rex Stuart laughed, too, par confident that his point was gained at ast. To clinch it, he rose from his chair and going to the door, summoned Precious and the doctor, who were standing in the hall, aw aiting the re- sult of the interview with widely varying «mo- tions. ‘Told you so! Knew it. Right. Never wrong. Don’t know how!” chuckled the worthy physician as he led his fair companion into the room and stood with his broad back braced against the door, on guard. ; Rex Jed Precious to the bedside, where Mau- rice Wingfold took their hands and joiued them together, speaking hurriedly: ‘‘ Keep your promise, Rex Stuart, and 1 agree that my daughter shall marry you, if she so wishes. Docter, I call you to witness this pledge.” BA ‘*Good! Plered idiot longenough. Get well, now. Dance at wedding. So will I. Get glori- ously drunk, too! So help me Abraham!” ‘And that promise is that I will return be- fore the last of the month, to place $20,000 in the hands of Maurice Wingfold,” clearly uttered Stuart, stooping and touching his lips to the brow of the mnaiden. ‘You will lose no time? You will start at once?” eagerly muttered the old man, his eyes glittering, his thin cheeks flushing. | ‘* Be sure I am to the full as anxious as you, my dear sir,” laughed the lover, pressing Pre- cious’ hand under cover. ‘Tt is what I have dreamed of for so many long years! It is what I had begun to call my Gola Phantom !” laughed Wingfold, nervously rubbing his hands, ‘‘No pbantom now, but a glorious reality !” ‘‘Let us hope so!” murmured Precious, ber voice far from steady. “I at least will pray that it may core true—in time!” ‘“ And Til say scat!” bluntly interposed the physician, coming forward, feeling a little un- easy at the feverish brightness in his patient's eyes, and hectic color in his thin cheeks, ‘‘ Tl comicbooks:com: