Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 436 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

mercy; but seated here, I have you at mine. Look above you.” The sport did so, and to his surprise and al- rr ost horror beheld a heavy sword hanging point downward directly over his head. He, too, had resumed his seat, ‘‘ Heavens!” the sport ejaculated involuntari- ly, and he essayed to spring to his feet, but did not succeed in doing so. To his great surprise he found himself a pris- oner in the chair, two strong steel arms having slipped around him, one around his waist and the other over his ac He had not noticed them, as they did not touch him when he sat still, but they held him firmly to the chair. ‘* What think you now?” the woman asked. ** Are you human? or are you in league with the Evil One?” **T am human, like you.” ‘* Well, let us have no more of this nonsense, Come at once to business). Why have you brought me here? and what do you want?” ‘*] want to talk with you.” ‘Well, [am willing. First, though, remove these cursed springs from around me.” ‘‘That I willdo. I only wanted to show you my power, I think we understand each other now. ‘*T think we do, Madame Incognita. “Hal” the woman exclaimed, ‘you know who I am?” The sport wanted to satisfy himself as to whether this was or was not the famed Faro Queen he had heard spoken of. , | He now knew it was she, “ Yes,” he answered, ‘‘I know; you are In- cognita, the Faro Queen.” I thought you did not know me, But, I can- not wonder that you do, for I am too well known in that character to remain long un- known to a stranger.” I do not care to stay here ‘Well, release me. beneath that sword. It may fall, though through no intention on your "eat ** No, it cannot fall unless I release it. But, there you are, free again.” The sport arose, shook himself, though he could not have told why; and then strode up and down the room several times. Presently he paused opposite to where the wo- man sat, and said: “Madam Incognita, I have asked favor me with a sight of your face, oblige me?” 4? o man in this city has yet seen my face, sir. ‘The greater the favor I ask, then, You also say no man before me has ever entered this room. Why am I the favored one? Not be- cause you are friendly inclined toward me. [ am certain.” ‘You mistake.” “Do I?” ‘*You do. . It is more than a friendly interest Me \s that has led me to bring you to me.” ou to ill you || ~* What, then, is the interest you have in me?” / **T have brought you to me because—because i _ Tlove you.” : ‘ ‘an CHAPTER XX. ie THE FARO QUEEN’S STORY. rel ‘. KENTUCKY JEAN now began to believe the iat - Woman insane, | ' [Tn what other way could he account for her . gtrange doings and sayings?—not the least ! strange of which was her startling declaration , |. that she loved bim. ‘|| -He resolved to know more about her. ‘How was he to learn more concerning her, i however, unless she chose to reveal it? Lh He felt that thus far all had gone in her ») favor, and would it not continue to go so? | fe m,” he presently said, ‘‘ the declara- ) tion you make is a surprising one. I am not aware that I have ever seen you before.” ') *] do not think you ever have, sir, unless you | have visited the faro room of this saloon, and geen me at my bank.” «And I have never had that honor.” ‘| ©Then you have never before seen me, I - think. ‘You may have noticed me in the bar- » yvoom of the gh ag (gain Moregae last evening, | however; but as 1 was in disguise then, of ‘) course that would not count.” i ir ‘‘-You were there last night?” ; | &T was.” -. * And you saw me?” Wa “eT did.” 1 gh sp) a baa . . if e Bt. * rh ‘‘Strange; Ido not remember seeing a wo- ‘man there.” : “Ob! Isee. And may I ask where you had .) seen me before that?” _ + **T had never seen you before then.” — ** How can it be, then? You certainly did not “learn to love me so suddenly.” tha ** Yes, I did. My love for you was born in a -' moment.” _. **Madam, you puzzle me, You are a mys '»| tery to me.” “Tama mystery to all men. To you, how- i *¢ ever. I intend to reveal myself.” — * Do you mean what you say?” ie oy hen : a + “y< > . 4 ” * P 7 ° te 4 1; od 4 va 7. . oe Bayt 7 we. 2 See a & ‘Not strange at all, sir. Iwas clad in male ” Kentucky Jean. *© And when do you intend doing it?” ‘* Now—at once, if you can answer to my sat- isfaction a few questions I desire to ask.” ‘** Ask them.” ** Are you a married man?” ‘*T am not.” ** How old are you?” ‘‘{[ cannot answer that with any degree of certainty. I am between eighteen and twenty, I think. ** What! do you not know your age?” ‘*T do not.” ** How do you explain that?” ‘** Easily enough. I do’ not remember my parents, and have no record of my birth.” **Indeed! But have you no relatives who can inform you?” ‘“*T have no relatives, so farasI know. But your questions are becoming rather personal, are they not?” ‘* No doubt they are, as I intend them to be,” ‘* Have you any more to ask?” ce Yes.” ‘* Well, let me hear them. I will answer them or not, as I think fit.” ‘*Pray do not be angry with me, You can- not blame me for making some inquiries con- cerning you, when I tell you that I intend to ask you to marry me, can you?” ‘*'You intend to ask me to marry you? Good Heavens! are you mad?” ‘*T am no more mad than you.” ‘Call it what you will, you are not in your right state of aia You must be insane.” ‘**No more so than you. Because a man loves a woman and asks her to become his wife, should he be called insane? Why, then, if a woman asks a man to become her husband, should she be considered out of her mind? It is a poorrule that will not work both ways.” ‘* But, madam, such a thing is unheard of.” ‘** |rue, and more’s the pity.” ‘But, madam, you are surely not in ear- test.” ‘* | was’never more in earnest in my life.” ‘You do not consider that 1 know nothing whatever about you—who you are, what you are—or that I have never even seen your face,” ‘* See it now.” As she uttered the words, the woman raised her hand and pulled aside the mask she wore, The sport started back a step in surprise, A more beautiful face his eyes had never rested upon, To describe it is unnecessary. Suffice it to say the woman was handsome, and apparently not over twenty-two years of age. ‘You have no fault to find with my appear- ance?” she queried, after a moment of silence, ‘* Not the least,” the sport responded. ‘*My face is fair?” ‘*It is exceeding fair. You are a beautiful woman,” ‘‘No, I am not beautiful. I know my own appearance. Iam good-looking, but not beau- tiful. And the reason I call attention to my appearance is this: I assure you—and I want you to believe me—that my soul is as fair as my e PP ‘*T believe you. Will you tell me your his- tory ” ‘*T will, After the declaration I have made to you, and the great favor I have asked, | am bound to do so. Listen: ‘“My name is Amabel Erving. I am now twenty-two years of age, I was born in the city of New York. I may have relatives there, but if so, I know nothing of them nor they of me. Iam an orphan.” ‘When I wasa child my parents moved to the West and settled at Denver. A year later my mother died, and some three or four years after that my poor father was foully mur- dered,” ** Murdered!” ‘Yes, murdered, He wasa lawyer, and had an office in that city—Denver. He had a house- keeper, who took charge and care of me, though I spent a great deal of my time in my father’s office. One morning I went to his office as usual, and found him lying upon the floor, with a cruel knife buried in his breast, dying.” ‘* How old were you then?” ** Between eight and nine.” **Go on.” ‘* With a scream I threw myself upon my knees beside him, and clasped his hand, beggin him to speak to me and tell me what to do, think he had fainted, for he did not move or speak for some moments, ‘Presently, though, he opened his eyes, and the moment he saw me be said: ‘** Ama, thank God you have come, I have been praying for you to come. I want you to avenge my death. ‘** He was almost gone, and I had to pay the closest attention to catch his words, ‘**T have been foully murdered,’ he said, ‘ and you must be the one to bring the murderer to justice. His name is— and he whispered a name distinctly with bis dying breath.” ** And that name?” ‘* That name was—‘ Delwin Mourton,’” **Good heavens! Delwin Mourton a wmur- derer!” the astounded sport exclaimed, his thoughts flashing instantly to Blue-eyed Belle, 7 " 4 } : ; . \ oF. 5 . & . far Pe OLE . “si Oe , " fe. he - : as a2 * s 44 “ i ~ ’ . { "1 —_— ve _ © - ™ 2 - -" i _ — oS - - 7 - - = ee — whose father Delwin Mourton was supposed to» ‘My God! you donot know him?” the young woman cried, instantly. ‘* No, I do not.” ‘** But you know of him?” ‘*T know nothing of him.” ‘* Why then your exclamation? You have at least heard of him.” ‘**'Yes, and lam looking for him. But I will tell you more presently. Go on with your wf ? ‘** Well, as soon as my father was dead I ran to the street and called for help, and told my story. But, strive as I would, I could not recall the name of his murderer.” **’'You could not remember it?” ‘* No; it had slipped from my mind.” ‘* But it came back to Nee eventually?” ‘* Never. Awake and asleep, day after day, year after year, the haunting question ever on my mind was—‘ What was that name? ” ‘*And when did you recall it for the first time, and how was it brought to your mind?” | “y never learned it again until yesterday, when I happened to see it in an advertisement in the papers.” Kentucky Jean was more than interested. ‘You do not know why Delwin Mourton killed your father, do you?” ‘*{ do not.” ** And no papers were found in his office to throw suspicion upon any one?” ‘*No, none whatever. It was believed that the murderer robbed him of many papers at the time of the crime.” ‘Very likely. But, go on. interrupt you, it seems.” ‘*Some time after my father’s death our housekeeper married. Her husband was a pro- fessional gambler. Wi.h them I visited almost most every city in the land, and thus learned what I know of the black art. A few yearsago, by an accicent on the Mississippi, they were both killed. Bythe gambler’s will I received a fortune of nearly one hundred thousand dollars, besides some property here at Bended Bow. came here, and here I resolved to locate. You see the result of that resolve.” ‘* But, your education?” the sport queried, with a glance at the volumes on the table, “Tbe gambler of whom I speak and bis wife were both educated, and the little 1 know they taught me.” ‘* And the regard you confess for me—” ‘‘My love for you was bornina moment. I have had many offers of marriage, all of which I have refused. Some I refused because th offerer was unworthy of any Sot woman; and all, be- cause I did not love. felt no more interest in one man than in another, and little in any; and I resolved that 1 would never marry until I could give my heart as well as my hand. More, I vowed to reverse the order of things, and be the one to choose, instead of waiting to be chosen. If I ever found my heart being drawn to eny man, and there proved to be no barrier in the way, I determined that I would ask him to accept me for his wife. ** With this resolve in mind, I have led a pure and sinless life. In public I am Incognita, the Faro Queen—a woman whose face has never been revealed; in private, and you are the first to know me in private, I am Amabel Erving.” ‘*And you are in earnest in asking me to. marry you?” ‘*[ am in earnest, Can you not believe me?’ ‘*Do you know my name?” ‘Yes, it is Jean Grantley.” ‘* How did you learn it?” ‘*T saw it on the register at the hotel.” ** Did it not strike you that it might be an as- sumed name?” ‘‘ Heavens! I had not thought of that. But I don’t believe it is.” ‘‘ Well, it isnot. It is all thenameI know, and I vt gt itis my true name. But, you di not finish what you were saying.” ‘‘In regard to how and why my heart has turned to you in love?” ’ ““ Yes.” “*T was at the hotel last night, as I have said. I saw you when you arrived, and at once I felt an unusual interest in you. 1] remained to see more of you. When you came into the bar- room again, after supper, my interest turned to admiration; and when, a fe moments later, you crossed the room to protect that Jittle girl from Jared Kenneth’s harsh questions, knocking him down as you did when he insulted you, my whole being went out to you in love. “Ob! if I could but tell yeu in werds how much I love!” and as she uttered the exclama- tion she threw herself upon the ficcr on her knees, and clasped the sport’s Land in hers, kiss- ing it passionately. Lifting her up, Jean led her toa sofa and sat down heside her, still allowing her to retain hold of his hand. He saw that she was thoroughly in earnest, and he believed her story. He no longer considered her insane. But to love ber— Ah! If this had harpened on the previous night, before he had met Minnie Denson, then— But, he had met Minnie Den-- son, and he loved her. I am bound to. - al EOmMIEcboo we SG