Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 394 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

- ai Ti Ws - * “Oa a - ye : “s 5 a if ad = S : — ® As she sprung from her horse, old Auntie Phebe met her with: ‘Lor’, missy, 1 is awful glad ter see yer back, honey. ‘‘ And whar is ole massa?” * ‘‘He is coming, Auntie Phebe, and there are some gentlemen with him for supper.” ‘‘T ’elar’ ter gracious, honey, I is allers skeert when you an’ ole massa goes out, fer dese days dar am death an’ disturbance in de land. ‘* But dere is comp’ny, you says?” “Yes, and we must have a good supper.” ‘‘ Who is dey, chile?” ‘Doctor Powell and his brothers,” ‘‘Waal, dat settles it; dey gits de best dis plantation kin bring forth. ‘Here, ole man, stir your rheumatiz j'ints an’ git ter work, fer de Dector an’ his brud- ders is comin’, an’ you know we allers gits shiny gold from dere han’s; Lor’ bress ‘em, dey shall hab de fat ob de lamb (land Aunt Pheebe meant) an’ prenty of milk, but whar is we gwine ter git de honey?” ‘‘Never mind the honey, Aunt Phebe,” laughed Janette. ‘Yas, chile; you means you'll be dere honey; waal, I guesses you am honey enough, but, ee chile, I fergits ter tell yer some tidin’s o news. ‘‘Why, what is it, Aunt Phebe, for you seem really excited over it?” ‘<Am ’eited ober it, chile, an’ massa will be, too.” ‘Oh! has anything gone wrong?” asked Janette. ‘Oh, no, chile, on’y dere were a visitor here dis mornin’ yarly.” ‘“A visitor?” , ‘Yas, chile, a gemman,” ‘* A gentleman?” ‘*Yas, he look dat way, an’ he "habe dat way, for he done gib de ole man a silver dol- lar, an’ he gib me two ob ’em, at de same time sayin’ I bein’ de better half, I oughter hab de better half, an’ | ’grees wid him.” ‘‘But who was he, Aunt Phaebe?” ‘* Waal, he am Missy Ellen’s chile!” ‘* And who was Miss Ellen?” ‘* Massa’s sis‘er,”’ ‘* Ah!” ‘‘ Yas, she marry a rich gemman an’ he take her ’way off Norf ter lib, and she hab one chile, a boy, dat we never seen, but massa see him when he were leetle pickaninny. ‘After Miss Ellen die, massa an’ her hus- band never meet, for dey was not good friends partic’lar, and now de boy come here to- day an’ tell me his father is dead, too, an’ he is goin’ to hab a ranch up de riber, an’ he gone ast with cowboys, waguns, horses an’ cattle.” ‘‘Tudeed, I am glad we are to have a neigh- bor; but is he a boy, you say?” ‘‘No, chile, he am grown-up man, an’ aw- ful pretty, for he tall, straight like a Injun, an’ hab a pleasant smile dat fa’rly tickle yer inter laughin’ when he look at yer. ‘Den he am so perlite, an’ tells me ter say ter massa dat he will see him again soon.” Ere Pheebe could say more, the major and his guests arrived, and told Janette that they had discovered another trail, where wagons and cattle had gone along. In a few words she told him what Phebe had said about the nephew, and the major seemed to be really pleased, and said: ‘‘T am glad the boy has come here to live. ‘He was a fine, manly little fellow, and I had wholly lost sight of him. ‘“He resembled his father greatly, and if he has grown up to be half as handsome a man, you will have cause to be jealous of him, Doctor,” and the major cast a sly look at Janette, who hastily ran out of the room, on some excuse, an act that was pretty sure proof that she was in love’s fetters, whatever Frank Powell might feel toward her. oo CHAPTER LIII. A STRANGE MEETING. A STRANGE calm scemed suddenly to have fallen upon the border, for the Indians were keeping close to their reservation, and the * The negroes with Major Monkton having belong- ed to him in slavery Cays, and clung to bim in his ywennoiars afterward, had never dropped tine habit m massa, as many of the color eople -f the South still do with their old masters. aie 4 White Be , and taking the afternoon for a ride to Prairie ee eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaacacaaceaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacaaaasacacacaccacacacacaaaaaaaccccesccaaaaaaaccc acca rr S , wl? ; si ; » - A Ee the Exile of the Platte. 27 ‘Red Angels had not been seen or heard of for came West to establish a home, for he had aver, some weeks. some little mining claim in Colorado, he Broncho Bill had returned to his ranch, | hoped would some day be of value. Night Hawk had gone back to scouting, and ‘On these prairies he was foully murdered Frank Powell was devoting himself to look- | by outlaws, the Red Angel band, of whom ing after the sick of the fort each morning, | you have heard, and Heaven raised up to me ind friends, and an adopted father in the owner of yonder ranch.” “ae Major Monkton?” “é es,” Rest Ranch, returning to his quarters at the post when the night was half gone, and thus being hours of the day and night in the sad- | dle between his dwelling-place and that of Janette. The officers joked him upon bis devotion to Janette, but he took it in his usual gentle way, and still continued his pilgrimages, keeping one horse at the ranch and another at fort, so that he did not work them too hard. One afternoon, as Janette started out upon | the prairie for a gallop, hoping to meet the | Doctor, she saw a horseman coming toward | her, whom she at first belived to be the sur- geon. But, as he drew nearer, she saw that it was not Frank Powell. He was a man of striking appearance, she noticed as he drew nearer, sat his horse with | an easy grace that showed he was perfectly his sister.” ‘*Indeed, I had half suspected it when L saw you coming; but he alwaysspoke of you. as Paul, and 1 never heard the name of Mur- dock, so did not connect his Paul with my Paul.” ‘‘Oh, Janie, this is sad news that you telb me of your father.” ‘‘Sad, indeed, Paul.” ‘‘But how strange that we should meet. again as we have, and my lucky star certain- ly sent me here. ‘‘T roamed in Texas, wandered to Colo- rado, and then, with my earnings, bought a. ranch in Kansas, but not liking it, brought $e — have settled twenty miles above on the riy- at home in the saddle, and the animal he be | er, where I have been building a house for strode was certainly one possessing most ad- | the past five weeks, and only to-day found. mirable points in a horseman’s eye. time to return my uncle Monkton’s visit. The stranger was tall, slenderly formed, |! ‘‘I am not rich, Janie, but I have a couple but with a breadth of shoulder denoting great | of sections of Jand, a few hundred head of physical strength, and his dress was a velvet cattle, some horses, and a thousand or twoin jacket, beaded leggings, cavalry boots, anda money, and all is yours.” black sombrero. ‘*No, no, Paul, do not say that, for father left me a few thousands which the major has His face was colorless, though bronzed by | exposure, and his features were strong, well | invested in land and cattle, so Lam rich, you sce molded, and full of expression, his eyes being | ) particularly fine ‘and full of dancing light |} ‘‘ But come with me, for I see a gentleman that lent a sunny look to his fevcee. coming whom | wish you to meet.” His saddle, trappings and bridle were rich- ‘‘ Who is it, Janie?” ly mouuted with silver, and his arms, a re-' ‘His name is Doctor Frank Powell, and peating rifle slung to his saddle-horn, and a_ he is a surgeon at the fort, while he is known. pair of revolvers, were richly mounted and on the border as the Wizard Doctor, the Sur- of the best workmanship. | geon Scout, Fancy Frank, and the Dead Shot. The whole contour of the man was at- Doctor, his daring deeds having won for him tractive, his face winning and inviting con- these names.” | fidence, and one not to forget when once ‘‘I have heard of him.” seen. ‘‘It is the major’s nephew,” muttered Janette, ‘‘for he answers the description he gave me of him,” As the two drew near to each other the man raised his sombrero from his head, and said politely: ¢ | ‘“May I ask, lady, if yonder is not the | Monkton Ranch?” | find Janette with an escort. Janette made no reply, but set upon her But they grasped hands warmly at the in- horse staring straight ito the face of the troduction, while Janette said, in her sweet, man, while her eyes sparkled and her bosom. way: | ——— ‘* You seem to think most kindly of him, Janie?” ‘‘And I have reason to, Paul, for I owe my life and all to him. ‘*Come, let us meet him.” The heaved. ' Now, Doctor Frank, I want you and An instant she sat thus, and then found Paul to bethe best of friends, for he was my voice. boy brother, and I love him dearly.” ‘* Are you not Paul Murdock?” | ‘*Such is my name, lady, and must I be so rude as to say, though | know your face, [ cannot recall where we have before met,” he said, in a courtly way. | | ‘*Oh, Paul! you are indeed rude to forget | little Janette Joslyn, your adopted sister,” |. and she held forth her hands, and grasping | them, he drew her toward him and kissed | her, while he said: | “My dear little Janette! And this is you, | grown into a woman, since last we met, for | you were a little girl then.” ‘Yes, that was five years ago, when I was but twelve,” and she sighed. ‘* Yes, but you were a noble little girl then, and 1 a willful, wild youth, who gave your. good father, ay, my father, for such he was to me, so much trouble, and, I fear, caused him to lose his wealth; but I have changed since thes, » a& man now, pag warking hard CHAPTER LIV. Oo make a fortune to pay all back to m generous benefactor.” | fir . | * der wee The man spoke with deep feeling, but | Ir there were those at the fort who envied something in the face of Janette checked Frank Powell the treasure he was to possess him, while she said: ‘Paul, father is dead.” ‘* And you certainly have a claim upon the Doctor, too, Janie, after all you owe him,” said the young ranchero, with a smile, the right to claim me as his wife some day,” was the frank response. ‘‘He deserves you, Janie, and I feel wilk “Thank you, Mr. Murdock, for your kind. words; but come, I see the major, yonder, Doctor, and, with an escort upon either side, Janette Joslyn rode back to Prairie Rest: Rauch, her heart full of happiness at again —E ~ name of brother when she was a wee girl in her Eastern home. gasped. “Yes, Paul.” te what are you doing here, Janie, and— “Oh, Paul, it is a long, sad story. “I knew that you speculated, and lost money, and that you left, determined that we should not hear from you until you had made hand. over to Monkton Ranch. blesome, having made several raids down into the neighborhood of the rancffts about a fortune. the fort, so it was necessary to be on the ‘With the little that father had left he alert, and both the Doctor and Night Hawk : | comicbooks é Je ‘‘He is my uncle, Janette; my mother was cattle, cowboys and baggage up here, and. ‘* Yes, he is famous all along the border,” — rode forward and soon met the Sur- on Scout, who seemed a little surprised to “Yes, Paul, I have given Doctor Powell — make you happy; if not, his face belies him.” An ardent, devoted lover he certainly was, 3 _and whenever duty did not keep him at his | post, he was taking the long, dangerous ride _ The Sioux had again become a trifle trou- 7 5 col so let us ride over and join him,” said the meeting the one she had called by the sweet. in Janette Joslyn, there were none so despica- _ os ble as to say that he had not faithfully won Dead! your father dead!” he fairly the prize, and deserved her love with her al = “Ss — a a Ga —_ ‘ +>