Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 390 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

» moment his eyes rested upon the Mexican, 10 The Giant Cupid. whether there is a party here by name of | and the threat he had made, Mrs. St. Clare Don Juan Bartolo?” called for assistance; and when help came, ‘“Thar’s a yaller cur o’ that name heur, | Nettie Hucklebee was laid upon a sofa. if that’s what ye mean,” exclaimed Bill The shock had been too much for her. It T wicker, ‘‘an’ thar he is.””. And he pointed | had come upon her entirely unexpectedly, to where Bartolo stood. and she was not prepared for it. “Why, my dear Don,” the man cried, the She had always looked upon the Mexican as a gentleman, thinking him a little too im- pulsive, perhaps, in pressing his claim so un- reasonably as he had done, but nothing worse, Now, however, the mask was off, and she had seen him in his true colors, Little wonder that her nerves gave way. Restoratives were applied, and in a short time she sat up and looked around. ** Where am 1?” were her first words. ‘‘ what has happened to you?” Bartolo was indeed a sight to behold, Both sides of his face and neck were covered with blood, and he was nursing his right hand in a most tender manner. He acknowledged the truth at once, for it would have been useless for him to have at- tempted to do otherwise. “‘T have just been fighting a duel,” he ex- | plained, ‘‘and got the worst of it.” ‘You are here with me, my dear,’ Miss ‘‘Well, I should think so. Sorry for you, | St. Clare answered in a gentle tone. ‘' You I assure you; but duels are bad affairs. | are perfectly safe now.” Ahem! Yes, very.” “Oh! Such a horrible dream I have had!” ‘It'll Varn him better’n to try ter handle | the girl cried. ‘“‘I— Oh! No, it was nota prickly p’ars so reckless-like in future,” | dream! Where is he? Has he gone away?” averred Jem Patterson, “Yes, yes. Heis gone. What was it he ‘‘Ahem! yes—yes; very likely, Sure I! said that so alarmed you? You know I do don’t know much about it. But, Don Juan,” | not understand much of Spanish.” turning to the Mexican, ‘introduce me.” ‘* He insulted and threatened me.” ‘‘Senor Joy, one of my lawyers,” said the ‘Yes, you told me that,” Mexican simply, as he gave his sound hand a “Tle began by making love to me, and wave from the stranger to the crowd, would not stop until I actually com- The introduction was short and sweet. manded him to do so. He said if I would “Ahem! yes, Joy—Jingle & Joy, Santa | marry him, he would give up all claim against Fe. Proud to know you, gentlemen,” said | Ante-Bar—actually asked me to sell myself the lawyer, in his quick way. ‘Iam here , to him for a price.” on particular business, Can you conduct me ‘““The raseal! Inever did like his looks.” to some public room where I can read a paper ‘‘l always thought he was a gentleman, aloud?” but now I see how sadly I was deceived.” “Certainly, sir,” responded Cibuta John. ‘‘ And you say he threatened you?” ‘*Come right into this saloon,” and he led the ‘Yes. I had to tell him that I am to be way into the Pleasant Hour, married to John, in order to make him under- he lawyer had dismounted and given his | stand that I had no right to listen to him; horse into the care of his guide, and he fol- | and then he flew into an awful passion. He lowed into the saloon at once. swore that John should never claim me, and Once there, he mounted a chair, drew a| that I should marry him. His last words folded document from his pocket, and read | when he left me were, ‘You_shall be my it aloud to the people. bride by fair means or foul! I have sworn [It was a copy of the summons which the , it.” postmaster had tacked upon the wallashort | ‘‘What shall Ido? Iam afraid he really while previously. meant what he said, and 1 shall not dare to It had now been served in due and legal , go out of the house,” form ‘*What shall you do? Why, we will send ‘‘ We've heard somethin’ about that ’ar be- | for John and tell him all about it, fore, Mr. Joyfully,” said Bill Twicker, _ ‘Oh! thecowardly villain! Tc think that ‘‘Ahem! yes—yes. Sent copy by mail. | he should have caused you such alarm. You Allow me to remind—name Joy, not Joy- | are really all a-tremble.” fully. Ahem!” “ Yes, and [ cannot help it. I feel that ‘That's all right,” said Bill. ‘I knowed something dreadful is going to happen, I there was Joy somewhar, anyhow.”’ have an awful presentiment of danger.” Cibuta John now stepped forward, and “Tut-tut! It is only because your nerves said: have been shocked. There is no danger. “Mr, Joy, allow me to introduce Mr. | No harm can come to you, my dear.” Phineas Skynn, our attorney, who will han- | ‘‘T hope it may be as you say, but I can- dle this case for us.” not think so. Oh! I wish John would call Mr. Skynn crowded to the fore, and the , in. Will you not send for him?” two lawyers shook hands. ‘Yes, my dear, and at once.” And Mrs. “Yes.” said Skynn, ‘“‘I have the honor, | St. Clare rose to call for some one to send, sir, to represent the town and people, and ; when at that moment the door opened and an will serve our answer upon you in due | old woman entered the room. time. ‘‘Mother Wolf!” the lady cried, as she “T can tell you now, though, that we are , stopped short in her surprise. going to make it warm for you—deuced; Mother Wolf it was, an old woman who warm!” lived up on the mountain a mile or so from ‘“‘Bet yer life we are!” etc., the crowd the town, and who was said to be a veritable echoed. witch. ' ‘‘Ahem! yes—yes,” and Mr. dey smiled She was a witch in looks, if not in fact; serenely. ‘‘But you will lose. ou have | but there was reason to believe that she was not the ghost of a chance to win.” a witch in fact, too. Many strange and weird ‘“That remains to be seen,” said Cibuta | tales were told of her, and concerning her John. | mysterious power, and some of them were “ Yes, we will give you a hard fight, unquestionably true. We'll fight with might an’ main; She was old, wrinkled, and almost hideous An’ if at first we don’t succeed, to look upon. Se ' ‘Yes, Mother Wolf it is,” she whispered So chimed the postmaster. And Mr. Joy rather than spoke; ‘Mother Wolf it is.” glunced in his direction, smiled and said: And then she laughed in a horrible way. «You are tuneful, my venerable friend.” | And such alaugh! It was almost enough to ‘That reminds me,” said lawyer Skynn. curdle the blood of any one who did not ‘©A suit for ejectment requires two verdicts, | know her. T believe. \ You have a hard task before you, ‘But what brings you here?” Mrs. St. Mr. Joy.” | Clare asked. _“‘ How did you get in?” “An we wish ye ‘joy,’” added Bill ‘*Doesnot Mother Wolf always watch over T wicker, the irrepressible. ‘‘Thar’ll be a those who are her good friends?” the hag joyful jinglin’, you bet! But we'll ‘Skynn’ | queried. ‘‘ Who sent her medicine and fed ye, spite o yer teeth.” 'and cared for her all through her long illness? The lawyer’s business being done, he ac- Was it not the sweet belle of the town—Miss cepted his client’s invitation to go over to Hucklebee? Yes, yes, she it was! And Bung-eye Camp, and they set out at once. | Mother Wolf does not forget her. Every night, as the sun sinks behind the hills, does CHAPTER X. | Mother Wolf put her charms to test to find MOTHER WOLF’S WARNING, _what fate holds in store for her pretty As soon as Don Juan Bartolo was gone. friend.” And then again followed the hor from the house, after the scene hehadcreated rible laugh. | . , ‘ : EE a a a ee ————— — ———— - —— ‘* And you have learned that Iam in dan- ger?” Nettie quickly asked. “Yes, my child,” was the answer. ‘‘I have found that you are in danger, and in great danger,”’ Nettie sprung to her feet, ‘*T told you so,” she exclaimed, addressing Mrs. St. Clare. ‘‘ Oh! I knew it.” ‘* What is the danger, Mother?” to the old witch. Nettie,” Mrs. St. Clare here interposed, ‘you must not excite yourself so. You will be ill. ‘*And you, Mother Wolf, you should be more careful. Can you not see that your friend is all unnerved?” ‘* And should I spare her nerves to see her plunge headlong into danger, and all un- warned?” the old woman queried. ‘You might have been more careful in making it known.” ‘‘Yes, yes. Mother Wolf is not a fine lady, though, and does not possess the fine feelings which belong to our sex. All that was lost long, long ago’ And fora moment then the old hag rocked to and fro, and mumbled to herself, ‘But, Mother,” said Nettie, who ly a great effort succeeded in overcoming her nervousness in a great degree, ‘‘ you have not yet told me what my danger is. Tell me, | pray, and do not keep me in suspense.” ‘“Yes, yes, my child, so I will. Mother Wolf never forgets her friends, though she sometimes forgives her enemies. ‘‘There is a Mexican, I do not know his name, but that does not matter—a Mexican who has set his heart upon making you his bride. ‘‘In outward appearance this man is a gentleman; but at heart he is a villain. Hnu- man life cannot stand between him and any object he desires to gain. ‘*He has sworn that you shall marry him, and in his heart he intends to remove your true lover from his path, “There, there! Do not be alarmed. Mother Wolf has once foretold whom you shall wed, and her prophecy shall come true. ‘“What I would warn you of is this: Be- ware of this Mexican. Have nothing to do with him. And, above all, be well protected on the eve of your wedding. Beware, be- ware |” When told that the life of her lover was threatened, Nettie had turned deathly pale; but when still assured that she should wed him, the warm blood returned to her face, causing her cheeks to bloom like roses red. ‘And you say you do not know this man’s name?” Miss St. Clare inquired. ‘“No,” answered the witch, ‘‘ but I can easily describe him. He isof medium hight, well proportioned, rather good-looking, and about thirty years of age. He looks some- what like your brother—this sweet girl's lover—but his eyes are not the same, In the depths of his heart are dark shadows, whicn find their way into his eyes, and make them appear as treacherous as the eyes of a snake. Such is his appearance.” “Tt is he—Don Juan Bartolo!” Nettie cried. ‘Yes he it is, surely,” Mrs. St. Clare agreed, To the surprise of both, the old witch had sprung to her feet, her face as pale as the wall behind her, and her eyes gleaming like live coals. “That name, that name!” she gasped, “ Sneak that name again!” And with tightly- clinched hands she bent forward to catch the words. , ‘‘] said that you have described one Don Juan Bartolo,” Miss Hucklebee repeated, With a wild scream, that was as much like the cry of a wild beast as it was like the cry of a human being, the old woman flung her arms over her head, and then her voice sub- sided into her natural hideous laugh. ‘¢That name, that name!” she hissed. ‘A thousand curses upon all who bear it!” “You have heard it before?’ Miss St, Clare wonderingly asked. “Havel? Ay, tomysorrow, I was once— But, my story would only pain you. Be it enough for me to say this: If man of that name ever comes within reach of my arm, he dies!” © “Then he must have wronged you deeply. **Yes, he did, he did!’ He wronged me as deeply as ever trusting girl was wronged, = comic 900 S Pa (so)