Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 436 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

! { j o 90s } : — - 14 seen there!” “* That’s an easy way out of it, you sneaking, flop-eared cur! you tocome! I dare you to come down to the middle of the street!” ‘** What! you dare me to come down to the middle of the street! By heavens, sir, after the abuse you have heaped upon me, [ll not stand that !” and out and down the stairs the irate edi- tor of The Arrow rushed, bareheaded, evidently ready for fight. When he reached the street, though, his rival was not to be seen, and glancing up at his win- dow he found that he had not moved. “Oi! you hound!” the general fairly yelled, as he jumped up and down in the middle of the street, shaking both fists wildly at the smiling major, ‘* you coward! you jabbering fool! just come down here! Docome! I beg youtocome, and if I don’t scour your suspender buttons in ~~, eee ee eee the sand! Oh! you poor, miserable, half-fed, creeping louse, you! 1 wish I could get hold of you!” Of course a crowd was soon on hand to enjoy the sport, and the rival editors fairly let them- _ selves loose. ‘Oh! won't you come down here?” the general invited. ‘‘ Please come! I long to crook my fingers in your scanty locks and snatch you baldheaded! You dared me to come out here, and here lam! Why don’t you come and pul- verize me? Why dcn’t you come out and walk allover me? Why don’t you come and stand on my neck? Oh! but I'd just like to have you do it, you miserable cur! andif [ wouldn’t clitab up your back so quick I’d make your head whirl! -a-h! you groveling plagiarist! I knew you were a coward, and now I’ve proved you one!” With a parting shake of the fist, then, the general wheeled and returned to his office. Barely had he disappeared, though, when out rushed the major, bareheaded and excited. ** Where is it?” he screamed, as he danced around and brandished his fists; ‘* where is that thing that called mea plagiarist? By heavens! but [ll cram the lie down his throat! Where are you, you whining cur? Here J am, prepar- ed to annihilate you! Ol! you poor, miserable, sneaking, whining dog! I wish you would show wer Nat tl te it tae eS SOOPDIIY GE BE ORO BP HE NL - ail —— ee ane tematn o . , - <7 ee er ee me er errr a a wr a eee ~~ , -_ > AS % . d ee —~, - ‘ge - . > | - or} - > ae fo epee tary) ee 9 2 ee a > © : - Pa ag yourself! Tell we where he is! Just let me at _ him! Let me get just one fair crack at him, and if I don’t knock his form into pi in just one wd brief second, I’ll eat my boots!” __. By this time the general had reached his room, ‘and stood at the window wiping the perspiration _ from his face. “Oh! there you are!” yelled the major, as he caught sight of him. ‘‘A noble warrior you are, ain’t you! Why didn’t you wait here till ] came down? Oh! you coward! I blush with shame for you! If I were such a pale, trembling, wind-broken old fossil as you are, d’ye know what I'd do? wage and hire somebody to bury me! You wan me here so bad, now why don’t you come and see me? Why don't you come and climb up my back? Why don’t you come and make my head whirl? Ba-a-h! you can't do it! and I dare you to come and try it! ‘Why, you hump-backed, stub-toed, knock-kneed | a old scare-crow! ld double you a and tie you | into a hard knot so quick you’d forget what our name was! Ba-a-h! why don’t you come? ou r, miserable, half-baked fool and liar! why *t you come?” | Dancing around excitedly fora moment more, _. the major dashed back into his office, and in a few seconds was seen at his window. Then both greeted each other with a cordial shake of the fist, while the crowd cheered and — hooted itself hoarse. i “Oh! but Tl write you up for this to-mor- row!” cried the major. *« And so will I, you!” yelled the general. ‘ 7’ use a scorpion’s tail for a pen and a pot of can- kering venom for ink, and print your history in words of fire!” And Vll use the fang of a rattlesnake and the poison of a tarantula for you, and expose your career in words of blood!” a ** Ba-a-h!” And both drew back from sight, while the crowd in the street below hooted and cheered - like a crowd of madmen, and the sale of an extra large edition of the papers on the morrow was assured. A quiet observer of all this was Kentucky Jean, and as he sauntered on down the street olen the crowd dispersed, he smiled knowingly and muttered: : ia * ee game, I must admit.” Now, as been explained, these two men were not rivals in business alone, but were also rivals in love, and the object of their devotion was—Eupbemia Wiggins. And they, in turn, hed nia sy rival in the hie —— of Hans Keppleheim, the proprietor of Me 7 sing Home.” iam All of these gentlemen had made several ' ss galls at the widow’s house, but thus far neither ‘had **come to time” and asked her for her My Wt ror _ Nor had any two of them happened to meet at % ae two editors were, of course, openly bitter ‘a rr | . Fie bee 8S : Pk / ' es a TT a hyena! but I wouldn’t disgrace myself by being 1 dare you to come, sir; I dare | —— == = — Kentucky Jean. SS oan er SS SSS in denouncing each other, and more than once the widow’s name had been spoken in their uarrels. They cared nothing for the public in their bitter attacks upon each other, and cer- tainly cared nothing for their other rival. Nor did Hans trouble his head about them. He went about with a smile upon his broad face, and had nothing tosay. [If he truly loved the fair young widow, he evidently felt secure in his | position. learn who it was inquiring for Delwin Mourton, and then she might be able to gaina clew to Aunt Belinda’s past. Some time after Aunt Belinda had retired,, Mrs. Kent retired also, and then Euphemia was. left to entertain her callers alone. The hour had now grown late, and it began to look as though each of her lovers was bound to out-sit the other two. Conversation began to flag, and finally the situation was growing When evening came, on this same day of | desperate—for the lady, at least when suddenly which we write, General Orrion Wade, clad in | Hans Keppleheim sprung up, grasped his hat, his best attire, wended his steps toward the home of the fair young widow, Arriving there, he knocked at the door, which was soon opened by the widow in person. ‘* Good-evening, General Wade,” she greeted him; *‘ pray walk in.” ‘*Good-evening, my dear Mrs. Wiggins,” the general responded, and he obeyed the invitation and entered. The stranger—Mrs. Kent, as she called her- self—was still there, her little girl having been taken ill during the previous night. Euphemia had urged her to stay, feeling, as she said, that it was the will of Providence that she should re- main as long as she would. To her the general was introduced, and then a pleasant conversation followed, Euphemia di- recting it as best she could. Presently there came another knock at_the door. Euphemia responded again, not a little agi- bee this time, and there stood Major Theobald Miles. **(-good-evening, Major Miles,” the widow faltered; ‘‘ will you come in?” and she opened the door wide enough to let him see that General Wade was there. ‘* Good-evening, my dear Mrs. Wiggins,” the major answered. ‘‘ Yes, by your leave, I will come in.” And he entered .. Euphemia introduced the major to her guest, the strange woman, Mrs, Kent, and then said: ‘*] suppose it is unnecessary to introduce you two gentlemen to each other. You are both ac- quainted, I do not doubt.” ‘* Yes, I know hin,” the major answered. ** And so do I,” declared the general. And then the pair glared at each other for a moment in no very friendly way. But there was no outbreak, however, and all he going on well when there came yet another cnock, “Who can it be?” the widow muttered, as she rose to answer the summons a third time. Opening the door, she came fuce to face with good-natured and smiling Hans mee rir = ‘* Goot-eefning, mine tear Mrs. Viggins,” he exclaimed. ‘* How you vas, hey?’ ‘‘W-why, Mr. Keppleheim, is it you?” the widow managed to say. ‘* Won’t you walk in?” ‘* You pet my life it’s me!” Hans declared, as he entered. And then at sight cf his two rivals he stopped short and stocd for a moment speechless, Ruphemia introduced him at once, first to her guest, and then to the two journalists. ‘“ Yah, yah,” said Hans, *' | knows ’em, but I vas surbrised dot dey vasn’t fighding. Dey vas pooty good sort fellers, but dey vas all de vhile fichding. Major, how you vas? How vou vas Cheneral Vade? Pooty good, hey? I like to hear dot.” Having made himself agreeable in his own way, the worthy Teuton sat down, and then once more the conversation became general. After a time Hans Keppleheim turned to the two newspaper men, and remarked: ‘“* Say, Echos you fellers haf heard de news *bout de highwaymans, don’t it?” Hans’s English was rather rambling at best. ‘* No; what is it?” they inquired. “ Vhy, two road-agents stopped Charlie Den- son dis afternoon vhen he vas coming from de train, and only fer dot Genducky Chean feller dey vould haf robbed him.” ‘Only for whom?” queried the major. “Genducky Chean, dot feller dey calls der Youthful Shpord from Yellow Bine. May pe you don’t haf seen him already.” ‘Oh! yes, I know now whom you mean,” the major exclaimed, ‘‘Ile was in my office this forenoon. He called to advertise concerning a certain Delwin Mourton; if I—” He was interrupted by Aunt Belinda, who sprung to her feet with a slight scream, pressing her hands to her head. For a moment sbe stared wildly, and then sunk down again upon her chair, The awaken- ing had been but momentary. Euphemia was at her side instantly, and as- suring the others that it was nothing, that the woman was subject to sudden pains near her heart, she assisted her to her room, while Hans Keppleheim gave the particulars of the adven- ture he had begun to tell about. Two things were now known to Euphemia Wiggins. One was, that in Aunt Belinda’s past there was concerned a person named Del- win Mourton—she now recollected the name as the one Aunt Belinda had uttered on the previ- ous night; and the other, that that person was now rp 2 inquired for at Bended Bow. And she quietly resolved to know more. She would * eee ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————E—EEEEEE——————————————————————— a and exclaimed: ‘*Chentlemen, vhen a mans goes to see a. vomans, two vas a pully time, don’t it?” His rivals nodded, though they hardly knew what he was talking about. ‘* Ya, ya, dot vas so; und dreevas a crowd, don’t it?” They saw his point, now, and had to own that he was about right. ‘* Ya, va, dree vas a pig crowd; but vhen it. comes to four— Vell, four vas a whole house- ful, and I guess I peen going pefore it vas preak- fast time.” ‘*Good heavehs! is it so late?” exclaimed the two literary gentlemen, as they snatched forth their watches, And then as they laid hold of their hats and canes, and moved toward the door, they each poured forth a volley of ex- ~— for their thougbtlessness in making so long a call. They did not notice until too late that Fans did not seem to be in so much of a hurry as be had been, and when they said their final ‘‘ gooa- night,” the smiling German called out: ‘Goot-nighd, chentlemen, goot-nighd! I hope you schleep vell.” And as they went away, he settled down to enjoy the widow’s company for half an hour alone. There was nothing slow about Hans. CHAPTER XVI. THE SPORT TO THE RESCUR. Ir was Minnie Denson’s custom, on nearly every pleasant afternoon, to order the saddle put on a noble-looking black horse which she owned, and go out for a ride. Sometimes, but not frequently, Blue-eyed Belle would accompany her, on her brother’s horse. When Blue-eyed Belle went away from the Dallas residence, after her interview with Colo- nel Dallas, Minnie felt a strong desire to take a little exercise, anc ordered her horse. She had invited Belle to accompany her, but owing to Aunt Dinah’s precarious condition, it. ras out of the question, of course, for her to O SO. So Minnie set out alone. She knew the country well for miles around in every direction, and thought nothing of tak- ing an excursion of eight or ten miles and back, On this occasion she rode away to the south, passing the Break o’ Day Mine, and then turn- ing into a trail leading away to the west, went on and on, paying no heed to time or distance until she noticed the sun was getting low, and then realized how far'she hed gene. Instantly she wheeled around and started for home at a lively gait. For some reason she was nervous and half afraid, Was it woman’s natural intuition of impending danger? or was it caused by the ad- venture her brother had bad afew short hours. before, and which he had told her » bout? Be that as it might, she certainly felt excess- ively timid, a new experience for her; and made all haste to reach home before dark. Nothing occurred until ske had arrived to within a quarter of a mile of the Break o’ Day, and then suddenly three rough-looking men sprung from a clump of busbes by the way- side, seized her horse’s bridle and brought her to a stop. ‘‘Hold on a bit, leetle lady,” one of them said, ‘*we wants ter make yer ’quaintance,” ‘* ‘You rascal!” Minnie cried, ** let go my horse at once!” and as she uttered the words she struck the cowardly footpad a stinging blow across the- face with her whip. ‘“Thunder ’n’ lightnin’!” the fellow cried, as he sprang back, clapping his hand to his eyes ‘*she’s half biinded me! Hold fast, Jim, an” Pll have her off o’ thar in a jiffy.” Minnie, frightened as she was, plied her whip vigorously, both upon the men and her horse, and the latter, plunging madly, almost broke away once, but did not quite succeed. They were three against one, and that one a woman, | The struggle was short but decisive, and in a few moments two of the rascals had a firm hold on the horse’s head, while the third proceeded to- drag the helpless girl from the saddle, having gained possession of her whip. ‘Come, ye little fire-cat!” he hissed, ‘‘ an’ P'll pay ye fer th’ cuts ye gev me. We'll take some o’ th’ nonsense out 0’ ye afore we’re done wi’ ye, you bet!” Finding that resistance was useless, and that she was completely in their power, the poor girh but one resource left—to scream for help. And scream she did, until the surrounding, hills and mountains fairly rung with her cries. | ‘comicbooks ' ' + a. ag << ne ae ee pital -