Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 436 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

aes v * 1 tort. ‘I'll get you in my power again some time, and show you no more favor for so doing. I owe you a grudge, and [’'m going to pay it sooner or later, and with interest. So if you've got any sense, you'll get in your work on me while you can.” ‘* No, I prefer not to do so. And, if I ever fall into your hands as easily another time, I shall deserve to be flogged, and you will be welcome to give it to me.’ ‘* With me,” declared Stenton, ‘‘ you may call the score settled. Dm no coward, but I begin to see that this thing might have been carried too far—as I fear it would. I’m glad the interrup- tion came,” ‘*-You’re a fine one!” Kenneth sneered, ‘*Oh! you'll find me all right in most of things,” Stanton avowed, ‘‘ but I draw the line at blood; and I fear blood would have been on our hands had we not been stopped.” ‘* Your head is level, Stanton,” the sport re- marked, ‘*Ccome, you other fellows, just re- move those masks and let me get a look at your faces, It will be a pleasure to know you when we meet again.” The men strongly objected to this at first, and begged to be let off unknown, ’ ut they begged in vain. The sport meant to know who they were, and at his next command, more sternly given, they took their masks off. And a shame-faced set they were. Two of hem at least had more than once drank at Jean’s expense. ‘T’ve had the pleasure of seeing you before, I think,” the sport remarked, ‘‘ and I'll remember you. Now, hold up your hands, every mother’s son of you!” The order was obeyed. ** Now, Madame Incognita. if you will kindly direct one of your men to disarm them, I shall be glad.” he woman directed one of her men to take | their weapons away from them, and in a few minutes the order was executed. The sport further directed them to toss the weapons into the old cabin, and when this was done, said: ‘* Now, you fellows may go. Don’t fool around here, but go at once; and later you can return and get your tools of war outofthe cabin. Now, o!” “And the rascals went, glad enough to get away. bg My time will come, my youthful sport,” Kenneth called back, ‘‘and when it does—then look out!” ‘* Only take care you don’t overreach yourself,” the rt cautioned, ‘¢ And you, my lady,” the villain su addressing the Faro Queen, ‘I sha you, either.” ~ TIncognita made him no reply. When they bad passed out to the road, and turned their steps toward the town, then the Faro Queen turned to her men and said: ‘¢- You follow on after them, but do not inter- fere with them. I shall not need you again to- night. f Allright,” came from the four at once, and bidding the queen good-night, they set out. Incognita turned then to the sport, ‘¢ You see now,” sbe said, ‘‘ that I was not de- ceived, I knew some Canger was threatening vou—knew it as well as I know it now.” ’ **But, how did you learn what it was was? and where to find me?” ‘* T followed you, at a distance, with my men. We were in the shadows on the opposite side of the street when you came out of the hotel, and plemented, not forget I suspected the truth at once, Perhaps now you | will believe in woman’s instinctive foresight, will you not?” I ‘T certainly shall. And I must again thank you for the great service you have rendered me, [T have no doubt that Jared Kenneth meant to mark me for life, 1f he did not in fact kill me.” ‘‘ Nor have I. But, let us say no more ahout that. You know what prompted me to follow you, and I ain glad that i have been able to be of service to you.” “Yes, I know, and I shall not forget the ser- vice. ad we not better be going?” ‘*T think so.” Arm-in-arm then they started, not by way of the main road, but by a path that led through the woods, os as they walked along they con- ersed pleasantly. me What is your opinion of Willis Stanton?” the sport presently asked. ‘Tt is not so bad as it is of Jared Kenneth,” Incognita replied. ‘‘I do not believe he is a bad man at heart, but he is easily led into evil hej My own opinion, exactly. Were it not for Jared Kenneth I believe he would be quite a de- cent sort of fellow. ‘ But here we are at the bridge!” ‘* Yes, and here I must leave you.” ‘* Will you not allow me to accompany you?” “No, I prefer to return to the Hall alone.” Together they crossed the bridge, and then said, ‘* Good-night,” and parted, Incognita turn- ing into a side street to make her way around to the Enchanted Hall unseen, if possible, and Kentucky Jean going at once to the hotel. ——— eg ee re ee ee eee Kentucky Jean. ———— ——- CHAPTER XXVIII. MORE MYSTERY STILL. AT an early hour the next forenoon a great excitement arose in Bended Bow. Pretty Minnie Denson had mysteriously dis- appeared. or could she be found, though a thorough search was made, Where could she be? That was the question asked by one and all. Early on the previous evening she had left the house alone, telling her mother, Mrs. Dallas, that she was going to call on Blue-eyed Belle. Asked when she would return, she had replied that she would very probably be back within an hour. “he hour peated, and another, and still an- other; and when midnight came she had not yet : returned. | Mrs. Dallas had retired rather early, not feel- | ing well, and falling asleep, did not wake up till | morning. No one else knew that Minnie was out, Charlie being away from home, and at the usual hour the house was closed for the night, At breakfast Colonel Dallas inquired where Minnie was, and Mrs, Dallas sent one of the ser- vants to her room at once to call her. | When the servant returned she reported that Minnie was not in her room, and that the bed hal not been disturbed. | Then the household felt the greatest alarm, and the excitement began. Mrs. Dallas told what she knew, that the girl had set out to visit Blue-eyed Belle, expecting to return in an hour, Charlie, who had returned from Denver by the earliest train, went at once to Rube Rittens’s house, there to learn that Minnie had not been there on the previous night at all. This changed the feeling from one of alarm to one of actual fear, and then the excitement be- came general, Kentucky Jean went at once to the jail to question the prisoners—the men who had made the attack upon the girl as described in a pre- vious chapter. His idea was that some of their companions had carried the girl off, The prisoners declared earnestly, however, that they knew nothing whatever about the matter, and that they had no companions or friends any where in the neighborhood. Work at the mine was stopped, and the men were formed into searching parties, with orders " scour the country for miles in every direc- ion. Other mines, too, were stopped, and by noon there were hundreds of men out searching for the missing girl. No one of the searchers was more alarmed, . more thoroughly in earnest, than Kentucky ean. He worked like a beaver, helping to form and direct the searching parties, and doing all that possibly could be done, Colonel Dallas sent telegrams to all neighbor- | ing towns where the telegraph extended, while Charlie Denson dispatched messengers in all | directions. Finally, however, night came, and still the missing one had not been found. Jared Kenneth, being in Mr. te ig employ, had been obliged to work as hard as any one | else during the day, though he was well enough satisfied in his own mind as to what had become of the girl. He believed that Willis Stanton was in some way at the bottom of it, and that even on the previous night, when they had talked about that very matter, and planned to abduct Minnie and Blue-eyed Belle, he, Willis, was acting a double | part, and bad Minnie already in his power, But Kenneth was mistaken. Willis Stanton knew no more where the mis- sing girl was than any one else. In the evening Kenneth was pacing to and fro in his room in tLe hotel, his brow clouded and his lips compressed. His mind was busy. It was plain to him that this excitement was likely to interfere with his plans concerning Blue-eyed Belle. It would be almost impossible for him to carry them out, Bat he did not by any means give up the project. He was striving to find some way to accomplish the end he had in view. Clearly, he must act alone. He now had little confidence in Stanton, ‘lhe action of the latter on the previous night, when the tables had been turned by the unexpected interference of the | Faro Queen, revealed the fact that he was too much inclined to lean toward the side of hon- ee esty and truth to be trusted. And, too, his du- plicity in the matter of abducting Minnie Den- son, made it ain that he placed no confidence in him—Kenneth, ‘* Curse the white-livered fool!” Kenneth mut- tered fiercely as he strode up and down the room, ‘‘ why did he not tell me he had already made a captive of Minnie Denson? Then T would have known what to do. I would have made an attempt to get hold of Blue-eyed Belle, instead of fooling my time away with that ac- cursed sport. ‘* But where in the name of Satan can he have 25 taken the girl? The town has been fairly swept and dusted to find her, and the whole county has been searched. Ill swear it is a mystery to me! ‘*And— Ah! here he comes now!” Steps were heard along the hall, and the next moment there came a knock at Kenneth’s door. ‘* Come in!” was the invitation; and the door opened and Willis Stanton entered the room, ‘* 'You’re here at Jast, are you?” Kenneth said, with a growl. ‘* Yes,” was the response, “I’m here. What's the matter with you? you snap at me as though I were your servant. I’ve been trying all day to get a word with you, and now when I come to your room I find you growling like a bear.” ** You say you’ve been Jooking for me all day? What did you want?” ‘*T wanted to speak about that missing girl.” ‘Oh! did you? Well, I wonder you didn’t think to do so last night,” ‘* What do you mean now?” ‘‘[T mean just this: when you were here last night, and we were talking and laying plans, you had Minnie Denson then in your posses- sion,” ‘* Just the idea I thought you would form, when I heard she was missing.” “What! do you mean to tell me that you do not know where she is? that you did not ab- duct her?” ‘‘Thatis just what I mean to say, and’what I have tried to get a chance tosay. I know no more about her and her whereabouts than you do.” ‘‘ Thunder! is this the truth?” ‘Tt is true, I swear it.” ‘*Then where is she?’ ‘That is something I would like to know.” Kenneth was now completely at sea. He could not doubt Stanton’s word, for he knew him well enough to feel satisfied that he was speaking the truth; and the mystery was clear- ly as deep to him as to any one else. It was something Kenneth could not under- stand. ‘“ Well,” he asked, ‘* what is your idea in re- gard to it? Have you any theory to advance?” ‘‘No, I have none. The only explanation I can offer is the one ages eye ee te te that she has been carried off by roug ‘‘Of course you see this plays the very mis- chief with my plans concerning Blue-eyed Belle. Ill have to give the matter up.” ‘* That’s too bad, too, with such a fortune at stake. If there is anything I can do to help ou, don’t hesitate to say so. I’m willing to eep to the promise I made last might.” “There is nothin gon cando. If I under- take it at all, I sha ve to go italone. But I am inclined to do no more about it.” “Tf Blue-eyed Belle, too, were suddenly to disappear, what an excitement there would be.” ** You're right.” | ‘And no Sout some connection would be suspected between the two cases.” ‘Yes, that would naturally follow.” ‘* And where would suspicion fall?” ‘‘ Where would suspicion fall? How can I tell. Has it fallen anywhere, except upon some sus- ted but unknown confederates of those fel- ows in jail?” ‘* Not that I know of.” ‘‘Then what are you getting at?” ** Well, just this: more times asked Rube Rittens for Belle’s hand in marriage, and you have told methat you said to him on the last occasion that you would have her, by fair means or foul; or words to that effect.’ ‘* Yes, I remember that.” ‘*Do you not see, then, that Rube will be like- ly to suspect you, and turn attention to you at . once?” ‘‘ By heavens! you are right. But, sup I am suspected, what can they make out of it?” ‘‘They will shadow you day and night.” ‘‘ That would be awkward.” ‘You are right it would; and it would be the means of spoiling any other little games you may be interested in. “ That is so, and there’s no getting around it. But, suppose | manage the affair well, and get the girl out of the way without being seen, — couldn’t I manage to throw suspicion off my track in some way?” ‘* Possibly you might, but I do not see how you could do it.” ‘No, nor do I, justnow. Still— By the lord Harry! here is just the thing!” ** What is it?” } ‘Do you remember those mysterious shots that were fired one evening. one into the cffice of the Break o’ Day and the other into Rube Rittens’s house?” ‘Yes: but what are you driving at?” ‘T will explain. Thataffair, you know, seems to be almost forgotten, and no thought of it bas been mentioned in connection with the dizap- en of Mioeds Dime. % biscaed : ! ieve you have y heavens vy T hea not clew to the mystery of the ching! thought of that.” ‘‘Perhaps I have, but I neither know nor care. What I am coming st is this. Su Blue-eyed Belle were to turn up missing, somebody should call attention to those mys- Eomichbooks >" -“,. . = ~ *« Fl , ~ _" cS: ins oe e-y as > Be ; You have once or twice or. ¥, ’ “ ' G : . oe * ~~." , ae oe Zs