Beadle's Dime Library No. 429 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

“ ' ‘ws iy ; ,, St.s 7 ia "a oe es 44 ss" i ow the infernal thief was holding out. the deck-head, though, and count_ the cards. see that Take Up with it, quick, man, if you don’t want him to plug you sure.” Then as Boutelle picked up the cards, Darelle turned the table up on side, and showed three cards sticking in the crack be- tween the top and the rail, on the side where Shaw had sat. Thompson, the quict man of the stage, came forward, while a couple others peered in at the door. ‘“You are correct,” said the quiet man. ‘‘T never had my eyes off of you, and I can agg you played your cards straight as a alice.” ‘* Hold there, or ’I—” began Shaw, stag- gering to his feet and as his senses came back to him whipping his hand back for his revolver, in a lightning effort to catch the drop. ‘Go to kingdom glory—if you touch that hammer, by the Lord of Israel I'll blow you through and through! I’m Hair Trigger Tom, of Red Bend, here with the drop. You know me of old, Edgar Otis. I'm here to get even, and I've got you foul.” Cough, palsy, old age—all the wonder- fully skillful disguise was gone, and in its place stood a young, handsome, powerful man, with steady nerves and glittering eves, looking along the line of a pistol barrel that never wavered, CHAPTER XXXIV. KNITTING UP THE FRAYED EDGES. Tue sudden change in Mr. Darelle was a thunder-stroke to more than Egbert Shaw— or Edgar Otis, as his old partner had named him. Shaw, knowing now whose hand had him covered, did not attempt to move, but Miss Leona gave a shrill shriek of dismay. ‘Then Mr. Thompson, who had eyes every- where, caught her wrist. ‘Please don’t. Shooting wouldn’t help you any, and might hurt Mr. Darelle. If you keep cool I think maybe you'll come out all right. You're dealing with a hard man, but one that’s square to the chin. Just mee on till he loans you a quarter, will you?’ She thought better of her mad intention, yet crouched back, hot and quivering, like a tigre.s ready for a spring. ‘*] want my moacy that vou have robbed me of,” said the governor, firmly, after that momentary hesitation. ‘‘I seem to have fallen among thieves; but, Boutelle, I'll swear I always thought you were an honest man. Stand by me, won't you, and we'll hold our own yet.” ‘I’m sorry, Shaw, but I’m afraid the boot is on the other leg. I've counted the cards, and there's not a shadow of doubt but what you have been holding out, either on this 1and or some other. It looks to me as though you had set up the deck, lost sight of the stack and put yourself in a hole. Per- haps you would say that yourself if you looked at Mr. Darelle’s discard and my hand.” ‘‘The flames of perdition seize him! Why do you cail him Darelle? He’s a cut-throat and a thief, who has set up all this game to rob me!” ““Go easy, Mr. Otis. You are back on your old stamping-ground only under a new name, and are talking to an old pard that ou robbed and tried to murder. You aven't and hadn’t a thing of your own to be robbed of; and the end is not yet.” i. You and your vile paramour be hanged! “Steady, there. No paramouris she of mine, but as badly sold as you are. She, too, thought I was a crazy weakling, who fancied he saw in her—with her trumped-up proofs, furnished with a batch of testimony by another adventuress—a long-lost daughter and the heiress to a million. And yet, for your sake she would have left me in a mo- ment if she could only have carried a few of my thousands with her. Speak of her tender- ly, she deserves it. And as she was an es- sential part of my scheme, I shall present her with twenty thousand dollars as some com- ensation, and send her on her way rejoic- ng. As you are down to bed-rock I don’t you can do any better than go with ther.” “With her—with a woman as bad as the Hes . 8) Hair Trigger Tom ne a e - S eee eat tcc CC A LL een 3o1 | knew wes there, and between us we'll make Rome bowl.” of Red Bend. -_— - worst—with a cold-blooded murderess on whose hands the blood of her husband, slain this very day, has not dried. Thank you, no. But I'll have the pleasure of sending her to the rope; and you with her as an ac- complice. 1 know—for I saw the deed, and then and there gave her up forever. Had it | not been for that you never would have roped me into this cut-throat game.” ‘‘In other words, when you decided you could not take my millions through my | daughter, you were satisfied to have a hack at them over the card-table. Nonsense, man. You are doing all this talk on the chance of seeing an opening; but when Hair Trigger Tom is around—even if, of | late, he has been out of practice—you will | find none. Now, Thompson, talk sense to | him. You and your pards have been get- The frayed ends of the story are easy to knit together now, and the reader scarcely cares for any extended explanation. | Longhand, and the false Tom Carey a worthy lieutenant who had assumed the name under orders from the colonel, and had carried it for a year or more, probably to help relieve him from any likeliboed of trouble in regard to the old affair, in which, as he had be- lieved, his partner was killed by his cut- throats, in order to place the mine in bis possession. Detective Thompson, with his ally, Uncle Daniel, who both at times assumed the dis- guise of Tommy Tough, looked well to it ting in some pretty fine work, and you may | that the now fallen idol of Bad Man’s as well put him out of his misery.” Bar received the punishment he deserved. ‘‘Yes, governor. I’m very sorry to put | They had been really playing into the hands you to any inconvenience, but as you're a/| of the true Carey, who, at the last_ moment dangerous man I'll have to do it. The took Thompson more or less into his confi- Cracker has split, wide open, and we've got | dence, else his admirable acting would have a cord of evidence without him. I'll haveto | deceived them both. An adept in disguise, put on the bracelets. Colonel Longhand, | Hair Trigger Tom once assumed the char- hold out your wrists,”’ acter of Tommy Tough, and several times He made a swift effort to comply; but as | that of Wellington Woburn, cngaging in the each wrist was just behind the butt of a re-| pleasing ocupation of bringing Pluggy volver the attempt was not quite according to | Becker to grief—though the first and last eard, and as his weaponed hands came around | racket was between Becker and the simon- Hair Trigger Tom carelessly crooked his | pure dade. finger and the man went down. That young man, alas! could take care of “Don't look so blue, Miss Fanny,” his head; but not his heart. When morning said, lightly. ‘‘There’s no harm done. I) dawned it was discovered that he and Leona creased him to make him lie still while De- had taken their departure, presumably to- | he tective Thompson puts on the gyves.” gether. Sam Loftus, who did not die, made ‘Yet for the, sake of my sister, his wife, I | no revelations; and, as no one else could say would sooner that he had a different end-| anything, the statements of the governor “ were taken for malice or raving, and the two, anfollowed, winged their way to parts un- known, Hawkins and his partner never met them again, and doubtless would make no sign if they did. And Fairy Fan no longer reigns Queen of the Quartz—but she has an interest in the Isabella, since Colonel Boutelle’s liking for the nervy little woman developed into loving, and she had not said, nay. The mine was not put on the stock market, since the two partners worked it for all it was worth, and found it a veritable bonanza. Should you ever get as faras Bad Man’s Bar it will be worth your while to go over to the mine. The colonel will guarantee that the bridge is always in order. Uncle Daniel is still. a peripatetic fiddler, working blindly under the orders of Mr. Thompson; and his inside occupation is still unknown to the world at large. His share in the bringing of Eg. Shaw to grief was un- suspected at the Bar, though he occasionally spins a lively yarn about the sbarp that the road agents followed to the Bar for a flat, and how he turned out to be a little better than the best, anddn sober verity—all wool, and a yard wide. THE END. IME DIALOGUES AND SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOL EXHIBITIONS AND HOME ENTERTAINMENTS. Dialogues, Nos. 1 to 33 inclusive, 15 to 25 popus ar dialogues and dramas in each book. Each vol- ume 100 pages 12mo. Speakers, Nos, 1 to % inclusive. Each speaker 100 pages 12mo, containing from 50 to 75 pieces. ing ** Your sister!” “Yes, my half-sister, though he knows not of the relationship to me. 1 got her out of his clutches, when he was murdering her by inches! Afterward I found it to ny inter- | est to keep an eye on him, since he furnished | the capital to run the Quartz, while I was waiting for a chance to save something of his fortune for Isabella.” ‘You know that she would have been my wife had. he not ruined me and deceived her?” ‘*Yes. She has spoken of you. some day in the future—” “She has no future—on earth, at least. She died two weeks ago. I have kept my eyes on her since 1 found her. I will speak to you of her again. Now, I must finish my work here.” They had spoken in low tones, so that their conversation had not been overheard. He turned away, to Leona. ‘Though your reasons were selfish I must say you have tried to defend me, tooth and nail. If you had not been in sober earnest I doubt if I could have brought Edgar Otis to the pitch of having his whole fortune avail- able for the. turning of the cards. You thought I was an insane old fool, looking for a daughter; and you were willing to pose as the missing heiress—for a consi¢eration. You may be disappointed, but you shall not go unrewarded. I doubt if you could have made twenty thousand more easily. Here it is. QGood-by. It would hardly be advisable for a young and handsome young lady like yourseif to be seen in company with Hair Trigger Tom. The world could not exactly understand the relationship. You can see that such persons as you have their uses, and as it’s scarcely worth while to give you any advice looking to moral regen- eration, I can only say, pick your flint and try again. The next time you may find a father that will hold.” She looked as though she could murder him without remorse; but as he said nothing about Sam Loftus, and the crisp notes were in her hand, she thought it best not to pro- long the conversation—she thought it best to depart before some one else did. Without a word she stuffed the notes in her bosom and took her departure. As Carey had said, it was something of a disappointment, but the pay was very good. ‘Now, Boutelle, it is understood, I sup- pose, that our bargain holds. There is no use for me to go down there before we close, since I know the place like a book, and with Perhaps YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERIES. Dime Book of Winter Sports. Dime Book of Summer Athletic Sports Dime Gents’ Letter Writer. Dime Book of Etiquette. Dime Book of Verses. Dime Book of Dreams. Dime Fortune Teller, Dime Ladies* Letter Writer. Dime Lovers’ Casket. Dime Ball-Room Companion. Dime Book of 100 Games. Dime Chess Instructor. Dime Book of Beauty, {#" The above books are sold by newsdealers everywhere, or will be sent, post-paid, to any ad- what you have told me, understand the situ- | dress, on receipt of price, ten cents each, Braniy ation exactly. You have only found what I! anp Apams, Publishers Analy ou, N.Y. ; Eomilcbooks i ———————— ; * ; . + : Egbert Shaw was the redoubtable Colonel —