Beadle's Dime Library No. 395 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

+ . * ; . ° ~ . 7, ‘ A 2 Deadly Aim, the Duke of Derringers. We were all witnesses to this statement, and 5 unfriendly eavesdroppers here, in his snug little ** We'll do the one, and run the other,” inter- ‘** The ranks of his bitter enemies were thinned, Office. ge Darley, with a little more animation in | he said, but there were those still living who 5 “Out with it!” snarled Rufus. ‘The jig is| his voice. ‘‘Five millions! the stake is well | would hasten like vultures to the feast as soon . up, of course!” worth it!” | as word of his death should go forth. It was | ’ “Not so bad as that. It might have been Rufus Cramp shifted uneasily on his seat. | with thoughts of these carrion-crows and their a worse.” ‘‘T’m ready to do my part, but what I don’t | evil lusts that he took this step. Rufus dropped back into his chair, with a | like is this stopping to swap horses in the middle | ‘‘ His will was made, and that will left his ! - gurly growl. | of a crossing. Everything was.arranged, and property, without exception, to bis daughter se “Your face was enough to frighten the foul | we each had our parts marked out. Why not | and only surviving child, Portia Wellspring, at fiend himself! Something has gone crooked: | stick to them?” | that date living on his estate, Fairview, near . what is it?” ‘‘ Ask the dear old gentleman himself,” light- | the city of Orleans. He had nothing to add to —, “Take your time, my dear sir,” purred Dar- | ly laughed Kyte, with a return to his former , that testament. It fully expressed his carefully ~ dey. ‘There’s another day coming.” lazy indifference. ‘‘If he refuses to make a matured wishes. His sole anxiety on that score Fs *€ And will bring its work with it; work for | will, who shall turn his erring footsteps into the | was to prevent any possible dispute as to the you both, perhaps,” the old lawyer said, sink- | correct path?” authenticity of that will. | - into a chair near the little table at which ‘‘But that’s nonsense, you know!” snapped ‘* He called for pen, ink and paper. With gs e: _ the pair were playing cards when interrupted; Rufus. ‘‘ Catch him going off the hooks with- their aid, and holding the sheet so that not one ; | by his entrance. out first making sure all is well with hisfortune! of us all could even detect the motion of the ee ** Anything is better than this infernal wait- | He was a thorough man of business, long before | quill, ne wrote a word or two, placed the slip of =< ing and hoping and watching—may Satan fly | he first sprouted a beard, and a true man of paper inside an envelope, carefully sealing it. . away with the old rascal!” business he’ll die.” Holding this, together with the medical cer- | —e ** Amen!” drawled Kyte, with a faint smile. ‘*And as such, of course he has long since | tificate, he more immediately addressed the yn ss ‘“When does the next packet leave for down |! made his will. I only wonder we didn’t think | banker. river?” asked Silas Cramp, unheeding if he / of that before.” ‘In that envelope was written the name and | heard these interruptions. * “We did think of it, and provided against it, | address of the man who had his will in charge, ] a , og © Ss < ‘z 2 1 - - asp ~ os iss ey Lat ‘In the morning. Why?” ‘¢ There will be time enough—time enough!” muttered the old man, brushing one shriveled w across ‘his skinny temples, drawing a legal- ooking document from his breast-pocket and casting it upon the table, where it was greedily _ snatched up by his son. A faint smile curled the thin lips of the elder as he noted the eagerness with which Rufus _ opened the paper, as he saw the hot flush spread _ over the face, the red light leap into his eyes. ‘Kyte Darley saw this smile, and resumed his former cereless position, though the first sight _ of the document had drawn an eager cry from he made a new wi one stand, what matter to us? were guarded.” **So you informed me, but apparently your sure thing has petered out. Lookat the Ancient, if you doubt the truth of my words.” tufus was silenced. It did not require a second glance into the wrinkled, scowling face of his father te assure him that something had most decidedly gone wrong with their elaborate plans. And yet, they had so carefully guarded every point! Success had seemed so sure when of course,” irritab u retorted Rufus. ‘*‘ Whether 1, or preferred to let the old Either way, we that he now placed the two papers in the hands of the banker, who pledged his word to place them immediately in a secure spot, where there was no possibility of their being either lost or tampered with. to case of his death, the envelope was to be opened, and word immediately sent to the ad- dress therein written. That would end cur con- nection with the matter, unless some effort should be made to either break or discredit the genuineness of that will. Then, if called upon, | we were to give our evidence accordingly.” an. the angel of death placed a cold finger on the “One could almost swear the old gent bad ' his red lips. Cooler, steadier-brained than his | brow of Romulus Wellspring so far from his | gained an inkling of our rosy hopes,” softly mur- comrade, that faint ripple warned him of snags | home, so near that of the pretended friend who | mured Kyte Darley. ~_. lying just beneath the surface. was even then in fancy fingering his millions. Rufus flashed a sullen, suspicious glance at The document was a will, carefully drawn up in true legal phrase, and complete in ali respects . - sts « ¥ + ay ~* Ae“ 0 ¥ a + 7 ‘ save one; it lacked the signature of the tes- An important deficiency, one would fancy, but Rufus Cramp did not appear to regard it in that licht. Instead, a glad, half-savage laugh arted his lips as he thrust the paper across the ‘* Tt is so,” broke in Silas Cramp, the thin lips curling back from his yellow snags, his voice harsh and grating. ‘* The old scoundrel says he has nothing to add to the will already made.” ‘‘ If that is all—” “Tf it only was!” harshly laughed the old man, flinging out one skinny hand with an angry emphasis. ‘* You want to know what’s gone — ee ee _ the speaker, but his lips closed again without ronounecing the words that rose in bis throat. Soft, careless as he appeared on the surface, Kyte Darley was hardly one whom he cared to wna | affront. Yet—if he had really betrayed them! ‘** Tf one could be sure of time enough, a little professional skill might reveal the secret of that at) ble to Kyte Darley, uttering: wrong and Ill tell you. When you have heard | envelope. It is vulgar, cracking a bank, but _» & A wee touch of your skill there, old fellow, | all, perhaps you can point out our next move.” just such jobs have been done.before this, for and then, hurrah for THE FIVE MILLIONS!” Kyte Darley poured out a glass of rum and | less value,” he quietly added, gazing steadily ___ Kyte took the paper, but it was simply to tear | silently pushed it across the table. SilasCramp | into that wrinkled face. ~ astrip from it and hold over the lamp chimney, | barely moistened his lips, then added: Silas Cramp shook his head rapidly, coming Soy utilize the flame thus borrowed to ignite a ** Whether old Wellspring suspects me or not, | out of his half-reverie with a start. 7 et fresh cigar. is more than I cansay. You know how careful ‘* There is not time for work of that sort, even Rufus Cramp stared at him in wild-eyed * = é amazement that quickly turned to red-hot angery | A savage oath parted se his chair with a violence that hurled it half- _ + bi ABD * a ry “i é is lips, and he rose from across the room. He seemed on the point of meeps 3 the throat of the cool rascal whose t and attentive I have been. Until this morning, I could have sworn he regarded me as his best, if not his only, friend. e seemed to trust me in everything, and as he was plainly sinking with each hour, I ventured to again bring up the subject of his will, Once more he put me | | | **Given the name and if it could avail us now.” ‘““If?? echoed Darley, lifting his brows, lace of keeping, what is to hinder our substituting something like this,” tapping the mutilated ‘‘testament” as he spoke, ‘‘ for the original? In case he stcod by a 4" -4 lack eyes were half-laughing at him | off with a word or so that meant nothing on the | former will, I thought that was our pro- “Ege h the curling rings of blue smoke. surface, and as I felt we were armed at all | gramme?” : __- **T wouldn’t, old fellow,” he drawled indolent- | points anyway, of course I refrained from press- ‘** Arranged before we dreamed the rascal was we nal * ~~ 7 a - * — ¢* ‘‘The night’s too hot for work of that sort. down, please.” _** You are cool enough, curse you!” Sid Rufus, held in check more effectually than he ing the matter. Guess, then, what were my sensations when, an hour or so ago, three gentle- men were introduced into tne sick-room, plainly by appointment. One was a banker, the others so cunning,” snapped Silas Cramp, clicking his yellow fangs sharply together. ‘'There are at least three other witnesses to the fact that his will left Portia Wellspring his sole heiress, be- -_-would have been by the boldest armed front. were physicians, and Doctor Birdsall accompa- | sides myself and Birdsall. How could we hope | . What better use to put a bit of waste-paper | nied them. to substitute Marcia for Portia in that will?” to than this?” “I knew them all, more or less intimately, “Tt might be difficult,” admitted Kyte, Waste pape r?’ echoed the other, still fum- but Wellspring regularly introduced us, then at thoughtfully, then laughing softly as he glanced ing. “It only lacked the signature of old Well- | once entered on the business which brought | toward Rufus: ‘‘If you had not been so im- spring to be worth five million dollars!” , them. , petuous, dear fellow! Just think how neatly it fs If written by himse!f, no doubt.” “At his request, the physicians examined | might all have settled itself; a most charming Bats de) “Or you, for him! What did you come here “> at _ , y a » eZ * , . . - ‘- anyhow?” him, both bodily and mentally, at length de- claring that he was undoubtedly in full posses- bride, and a magnificent fortune! If you could only bave changed roles with that infernal Duke (CO) NANCE] Ooo) es saee that same name, of course.” sion of his senses, with a brain as clear and well | of Derringers!” parse 66 phot, her balanced as any one of their number. But not Rufus Cramp scowled darkly, but his mut- —s- «* T yeckon T'll have to go away: without dis-| until Wellspring bade them put this decision in | tered oath was drowned by the voice of his father | playing my peculiar_accomplishments in that | plain black and white did Teven begin to suspect | asking: eS) fine,” softly laughed Darley. he whole truth. . ou know of thataffair, then? Rufus would . > Coy go back on us—on your solemn oaths?” “With this certificate of sanity in his hands, | never confess, and all I know is that, foolishly, _—s« «* The opportunity goes back on me, rather. | the suspicious rascal began to knock the poor he had some public row on her account.” ; -_ Ask the oY entleman. If he don’t admit as | from under our feet, one after another, while I ** Bless you, my dear sir, all Orleans was filled ~ much, then I'll own myself all and worse than | dared not utter so much as a word of remon- with it at the time. Unless Rufus objects—” | you are calling me, in mind as well as in| strance. m ee at ey “* Drop it, curse you!” surlily growled that in- ote swords.” ‘“Pully realizing his critical situation, though dividual, ) _-‘Kyte Darley nodded slightly toward Silas | declaring his firm belief that he would eventu- | | “* Nevermind,” hastily inte Silas Cramp. | Cramp, who was sitting in a heap, his head bent | ally get well, he was too much of a business man I know that the foolish boy has forever ruined / ; | forward, his brows puckered until his shaggy | to take any unnecessa! risks. All the world | his chances in that quarter, if, indeed, he ever } ‘gray eyebrows met above _ his hooked nose, | knew he was accoun a very rich man, and | had any.” Bi Eg b and finger pinching his protruding under | the world was right so far. In round figures, ‘* As bright as ever man could wish, but the Bi | Jip, staring at nothing, paying no attention to | his fortune if turned into Cash, that day, would | dear fellow was not content, to make haste . _* their words or actions. sum up five millions of dollars.” slowly,” persisted Kyte, growing a little more ia : sO Never in danger of ‘“‘ being hung for his beau- **'We. know all about that,” impatiently in- | animated in appa as his comrade sought . ty,” the old man presented a particularly un- | te Rufus. ‘Never mind repeating the | to intimidate him by portentous frowning and ie LS: ieipicemee view just then. More withe and | old fool word by word: give us the substance.” | muttered curses. ‘* He could not allow the slight- ' shriveled and bowed, more than ever like a Silas Cramp did not even give his son a | est opening to escape him, and— half-mummified corpse in all save the steady | glance. Still crouching there in his chair, still ‘Made a fool of myself when drunk, if you —- glow_that filled his nish-yellow eyes, Silas | staring at nothing, still ae his under lip | must know all,” sul y, interposed our hero of Sa p had drop the conventional mask | with hisskinny thumb and forefinger, he croaked | that luckless episode. Let it drop at that, or which can soften and mellow, if not entirely | on as though it was his own memory that re- | there'll be a row in sober earnest. a7 @ so many imperfections in the best of us. | quired freshening. ‘“‘ Yes, let_ it drop,” hastily uttered Silas, a ; He was with friends and ailies who knew him ‘« All the world knew him as a self-made man, | ‘‘ Even the slightest misunderstanding now may _ so for what he really was. No need with them to | and nearly as many would remember how he | complete our discomifiture. It is sufficient to ; train his voice and school his features, had been called upon to stubbornly, desperately | know that we cannot bope to either coax or e By As Kyte Darley spoke, Silas Cramp shifted | defend himself against those who should have | frighten Portia Wellspring into marrying Ru- a. ; his gaze sufficiently to meet the angry, icious | been nearest and dearest to him, according to | fus.” a ie B® __ eyes of his son, nodding slightly as he said: the ties of blood. The whole world knew that |“ Nor of wringing in a cold will, it appears,” _ "Waste paper—yes! Hold your tongue for a | he had conquered in that fight, and he wished it | laughed Darley. pee bit, will you? It may not be so bad—it ht | to be daced on record that, were the battle to “If she would only tumble down and break ib ex oak been worse. A little more work—a trifle | be fought over again, his course would be pre- her dainty neck an hour after the old ’un croak- -_- more risk—” | cisely the same as of old, : ed!” growled Rufus, viciously, \