Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 420 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

: ’ et a Vp \ a Pe : *¢ T hope you will not blame me any more,” said he. ‘*I have brought you some news at last.” ‘‘ From my mother?” she eagerly inquired. ‘*Rrom your mother. If you will come out here a little way, I will give it to you.” ‘* Why not here?” ‘“T don’t suppose that you care to let these people know anything about your business.” It seemed to Eva that there was no sufficient reason for taking her away from the house; but she was more than anxious to see her mother’s message, and followed him accordingly. He led her to a little distance from the cabins, handed her a sealed envelope which he took from his pocket, and seated himself on a log. She made no move to take a seat near him, but stood up and scrutinized the envelope before she opened it. It was not the usual style of telegraph envel- ope, having no printing on it, though the cus- tomary cabalistic letters and figures were in the lower left hand corner. ; When she opened it she perceived that the message was not written on a telegraph blank, but it was not that which caused her brow to contract and her cheeks to flush as she read it. After glancing over it she read it again care- fully, the frown deepening on her brow, and then she spoke slowly and deliberately. ‘‘ Where did this come from, Mr. Hannafin?” ‘‘From Rocky Bluff, the station from which I sent your message.” ‘‘ Where is Rocky Bluff?” ‘¢ More than fifteen miles from here.” ‘Quite a long distance. You must have hed ahardride. If you will excuse me, I will read the dispatch again.” This was the dispatch: “Glad to know that you are safe. Come home as soon as possible, I will send money to Rocky Bluff, but cannot send by telegraph. As you have been so long out with Mr. Hannafin, you had better come home as his wife. I hear good reports of him,” It was a strange message for a mother to send to a daughter who had just escaped from a ter- rible death, and it was more than strange to Eva, who naturally knew her own mother so well. ‘‘Have you read this dispatch, Mr. Hanna- fin?” she coldly inquired. “Oh, ves, I was obliged to read it before it was sealed for you, to learn whether an answer was required.” ‘* Did it seem to you that an answer was re- quired?” ‘¢T sent back word that the money might come to Rocky Bluff.” ‘* Are you sure that this dispatch came from my mother?” ‘‘As sure as I can be of anything. I sent your message to her, and that is the answer I ‘Tt is not written on a telegraph blank, and the envelope is not an official one.” — ‘Rocky Bluff is but a small station, and the operator happened to be out of both blanks and envelopes.” ; ‘ As you are acquainted with the contents of this paper, Mr. Hannafin, I would like to know ‘ ~~ what you think of the advice contained in if.” ‘““Well, really, Miss Talcott, as my name is mentioned there, I am an interested party, you know.” ‘‘ Of course you are, but perhaps you will tell me whether you believe that my mother could ever have insulted me in that way.” ‘‘ Insulted you, Miss Talcott?” ‘*Tnsulted me b crepe Be aes a suggestion for such a cause. It is far beyond belief. Do you not suppose that she knows me too well to imagine that Ihave done anything of which I should be ashamed? How did she get the thought that you might be willing to marry me, a person who deserved such an insult? How did she learn that I had been, as this paper says, out so long with you?” These were plain and direct questions, and Mark Hannafin endeavored to answer them. “The fact is, Miss Talcott,” said he, “that I went a little beyond your instructions, and gave your mother—of course in as few words as pos- sible, an account of your rescue and of subse- quent events. But I had no idea that she would yield such a ready consent to our union.” .Eva Talcott made a gesture of impatience, and contempt was plainly written in her face. ‘Mr, Hannafin,” she said, “‘ you are talking nonsense. What you name as our union Is im- possible.” 2 ‘‘ Why should it be impossible? “Your mother wishes it, and you know, Miss Talcott, that I adore you. Marry me, and you could not wish a more devoted slave than I will be.” ‘You are still talking nonsense. If I wished to marry I would prefer a master to a slave; but I would never marry you under any cir- cumstances whatever.” ‘Why not?” ‘‘ Because [ have learned to knorv you too well and to despise you too thoroughly.” Mark Hannafin jum up, his dark face blazing with anger, and his utterance was thick end passionate eas he spoke. ‘*So you thoroughly despise me, and it is a master that you want? Well, you shall have a i” ‘ a : a —- “4 " . - ,? ? * is, SS —— —— OO Ax ¥ The Old River Sport. 21 master, and it shall be the man you despise. If | cott, if he marries you, I believe I will have to kind words and good intentions are of no use, I kill you.” _ | shall try the other way, and I tell you, Miss ** Would it not serve the same purpose to kill Talcott, that you shall be my wife before you | him ?” Eva suggested. iy a: see your home again, as sure as my name is| ‘Oh! I couldn’t never kill him; but I'd have Mark Hannafin.” | to kill somebody afore I died.” Eva did not appear to be inthe least moved! ‘It seems to me, Linda, that the best plan by this threatening speech. The knowledge of | woulda be to keep him from marrying me.” her brother’s safety had been a wonderful tonic | ‘*‘ How could I do that?” for her. | ‘Help meto get away from here and go home ‘*Now you are talking worse nonsense than | to my people.” ever,” she replied. ‘‘ I do not know what vil- | lainy might be accomplished ky swindling and brutality, but I do know that I would never | really become your wife, and I am quite sure | that you would never be able to touch a dollar | of the property that is believed to be mine. But | I do not wish to waste words on such nonsense, | I wish to say to you, Mr. Hannafin, that you | do not know my mother. She isa woman who | | i it, Miss Talcott.” ‘‘T will tell you. I have kept my eyes open since I have been here, and have studied up the best way to get out of this place. 1 believe I know just where to go and what to do in order to escape safely. But it is after L ret out of here that my trouble begins, as I P weonid ke about as bad as lost if I were alone. But you know much about the country and the people, and with ycur help I can get to a place of safety and send word to my friends. I have some money, and will get plenty more as soon as I can hear from home; so I will be able to pay our way, and you shall lose nothing by helping me, Will you go with me, Linda?” ‘*T hate to go away from him.” ‘Would you rather stay and help him to marry me? That is what it will amount toif you do not help me to get away from him.” This alternative was too much for Linda, who surrendered at once. ‘“T will go with you, Miss Talcott, and will help you all I can, though I am afraid it is little that I can do.” ‘That is right. Do you know a town or vil- lage called Rocky Bluff?’ ae No 9 could never be persuaded to think ill of her chil- dren, and if such a suggestion as is contained in | this paper should ever be made to her, I would | pity the person who made it. She was born a lady, was bred a lady, and has lived the life of a lady, and it is impossible that she should take any view of the subject that would be unbecom- ing a lady. I presume that you have never en- joyed the ee on of people of that style of character. If you had it would have been bet- | ter for you, and you Would never have made the | mistake of writing such a paper as that and | trying to pass it off on me as a message from my mother.” , he young man’s face was livid with rage. “Do you mean to say that I wrote that dis- patch?” he fiercely demanded. ‘*Ask yourself—you know best. I am sure that my mother never wrote it. You must ex- cuse me now, Mr. Hannafin, as I wish to be alone and think of what I had better do.” | ** Don’t give yourself too much uneasiness,” he answered with a sneer. ‘‘I intend to take all trouble off your hands.” ‘* LT could not allow it, sir. done enough for me. ‘¢ But there is such a place, and it lies some- where to the west of this. We will gothere. If we do not find it, there are other towns. All I want is to get where I can send word to my friends, and then we will have no more trouble.” ‘*Wecan do that, 1 believe, Miss. Talcott, if we can find our way out of here without bein’ caught.” ‘*Leave that tome. my dear. All you have to do is to mind what I tell you, and we will go through.” Eva waited a little longer, until all in the building seemed to be sound asleep, and then di- rected Linda to go out noiselessly. promising to follow her if her departure should be unob- served. This scheme worked well, as nobody stirred, and shortly Eva slipped out and found her com- panion waiting for her outside. Eva then took command of the party of two, and proceeded to carry out her plan like an old campaigner. She had noted as carefully as she could the positions of the sentries and other arrangements of the moonshiners’ camp, and knew that it would be useless to attempt to escape by the You have already Besides, I am expecting my. brother.” | his blow, delivered so quietly, was the hard- est and most stunning blow that Mark Hannafin had yet received, just because he was quite un- able to comprehend her simple statement. ~ 5 we your brother?” he exclaimed, with a look and a tone of blank amazement. ‘*T saw him last night, and he promised to come to me.” At this his amazement deepened into abso- lute terror. ‘You saw him last night?” ‘* Yes—in a dream.” She quietly walked away, leaving Hannafin in a state of mind that may well be called a muddle. What was the matter with her? Had she ‘cone crazy? If not, it was strange that she should speak of her dead brother in a jesting way. blocked up by a log fortification, but was so closely guarded that she could not fail to be dis- covered. | At the western end, however, and not far be- yond the log-houses, there was a smalier and more difficult pass that led to the upper country, and here but one sentry was posted, as the pass was a mere bridle-path, was seldom used, and was not likely to be discovered where it debouch- ed upon the upper region. It was, however, easy enough of passage for people on foot if they should once find it, and Eva had decided that it was the exit by which she must obtain her freedom. f The question was, how should they pass the wine and this point had also been well consid- ered by the young lad CHAPTER XXV. THE SENTRY AND THE GHOST. Eva Ta.cortt did not give herself the trouble to consider Mark Hannafin's state of mind at that moment, as she was satisfied with what =m had done and with what she intended to O. She had astonished and mystified him, as she meant to, and had been quick to interpret his consternation at her statement concerning her brother as a sure sign of guilt. As for his threats she did not fear them, as she had decided on a course which she hcped would put her beyond the possibility of further perse- cutions. Sbe knew what to expect from him, as he had shown himself in his true colors, and there could be no doubt that,'after the failure of his attempted fraud, he would resort to yet bolder measures, She kept within the cabin during the remain-’ der of the evening, avciding Hannafin as much as Uhe could without sceming to do so; but with this exception there was nochange in her de- were both favorable and unfavorable. The night was a bright one, the moon shinin ina sky that was flecked by ragged patches o .cloud which occasionally obscured her face. very moist and the hours of darkness were some- what chilly, and the exhalations that arose were meanor. almost as thick as a fog, giving a weird and un- After she had retired to rest with Linda, and | natural appearance under the moonlight to ob- all was quiet about the cabin, she began to carry | jects near at hand. . out her plan, which involved the co-operation of | As Evasilently sto’e toward the place which she the Shropshire girl—not because she believed | wasseeking, circling around the heavily-timber- that the latter would be of any service to her, | ed edge cf the camp, she picked up a but because sho wanted company. phosphorescent rotten weod, or ‘ fox- ‘*Linda,” she whispered to her haif-asleep | the natives term it. companion, ‘‘do you want Mr. Hannafin to marry me?” ‘*Gracious me!” exclaimed the girl, startled into wideawakefulness. ‘‘Of course I don’t! How ean you ask such a question?” ‘* Because he swears that he is going to make me his wife. As he cannot do that by fair means, he says that .he will try other mears. Anyhow, he is determined that if I ever go home I shall go as bis wife.” ‘* Has he told you that, Miss Talcott?” ‘**Only a few hours ago he told me that, very plainly. I do not know how he expects to make a wife, but that is what he says he will oO. . ‘* He'll do it, then, and it will kill me; but I won't be the only one to get hurt, Miss Tal and the sentry was also quite as visible, seated on a log ina position that would compel them to pass at all. . His back was toward them, and his rifle rested across his knees, and his slouched bat had falien tion. : whispered Linda, | ‘*] think we can, if you will watch me and just what I tell you to do.” o ‘What is it?” | “Tam going right up to him, and I expect to | x PR aa bt ee eC OMMEDOOKS - pass within a few feet of him, if they should — ‘*} wish I could, but I don’t know how todo © ss at which she had entered, asit was notonly 4, oN . ay. ca @ re ) 7 ae “ ‘ * ‘ars 7 f . B. The night was misty, also, as the ground was - iece of e,” as) When she reached the pass, followed closely | by Linda, it was easily visible in the moonlight, © ie " _ ey =| is - For such a plan as be proposed circumstances down over his face, and he was either asleep in © :.) that attitude, or absorbed in profound medite- _ ‘‘ We can never pass‘that man, Miss Talcott,” f “ wart * é y re i 7 . x re .