Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 436 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee YS sais a ee elem > ~" . going, and I recognized his voice instantly. — eee ee eee CS SO a eee ee eyed Belle requested, still in her mother’s fond embrace. ‘ Alas!” was the response, ‘‘ it is best that you do not learn the truth,” ‘* And why? Is be living? or dead?” ‘*T do not know. If living, I hope he is living the life of an honest and honored man. But good heavens! it just comes to me that you are not my only child; you have a twin brother, if he is alive.” Colonel Dallas looked up quickly, and Belle exclaimed: ‘‘T have a twin brother? Oh! tell me some- thing about him,” ‘* Yes, tell us your story,” added Mrs, Dallas. ‘‘T will do so. As this certificate shows, I was married to Delwin Mourton, at Denver, on the 10th of May, 1863. At that time my father, James Gernett, owned a rich mine, but soon after my marriage his mine began to fail, and he lost his fortune and died, and then my husband deserted me. Not long after that I gave birth to twins, in the home of the Mrs, Gray whose name is signed here as one of the witnesses to my marriage. ‘* About a year after that I heard of my hus- band at Bended Bow, and set out to find him. I left one of my children with a friend, a widow who had been my father’s housekeeper, and took the other with me. It was summer, and I set out on foot, asking my way of all whom I met, and one night, following the directions of a man whom I had asked to direct me, | found myself in a dismal canyon, A terrific thunderstorm was coming on, and far below me J could hear the rush of waters, which grew louder and louder as the storm drew near. Tired out, [ laid my child down for a moment to rest my arms, and then I heard steps coming, and the next moment a man ran against me in the darkness. ‘The man wanted to know where I was It was my husband. I caught his arm, begging him to lead me out of the dark canyon to a place of safety; but before I could finish, or speak of my child, he, with a curse, pushed me to throw me over the ledge, and I knew no more. ‘‘Of what followed, you know as much as J, no doubt; how I was given up by a band of In- dians to a party of whites, and how I have lived since, It must be that I fell to the river in the canyon, was carried along in some manner, and that the Indians saved me.” Such was her story, and all listened in close attention. When she concluded, Kentucky Jean asked: ‘*What means did you provide for the identi- fication of your other child, Mrs. Mourton, when ' you left it with your friend, the widow?’ ly stage, he left the stage at ‘Alas! I fear I[ left but little, because I cer- tainly expected to return to claim him. On my arm, however, is a peculiar birth-mark, and that mark was exactly reproduced by nature upon the arm of each of my children.” ‘‘And that mark—what was it?’ asked the sport, unable to conceal the agitation he felt. ‘* It is a small, red spot in the form of a star,” _‘*My God! I have just such a mark upon my right arm!” and with the words the sport threw off his coat and bared his arm; ‘I believe that f am your ebild!” ‘* And the same mark is upon my arm, and in the same place,” declared Belle, ‘*Then you are indeed my children! Oh! my God, what happiness! If your father were only here to—” A loud groan drew every eye to Colonel Dal- las. His face, pale and drawn, was twitching ‘vith suppressed emotion. ‘‘Their father is here,” he gasped. ‘‘ I, cow- ard and villain that I have been and am, am Delwin Mourton !” Then, ere any one could interfere, or guess his geod ergy he drew a knife and plunged it into his r PN eee Dh he an pan ‘I do not ask to be forgiven; forget me if you can.” And with the words he sunk bleeding to the floor. CHAPTER XXXVIIL MINNIE DENSON FOUND. Lim1TeD space forbids our repeating in detail all that occurred after the terete denouement. A doctor was sent for at once, and when he arrived he announced that Colonel Dallas had but a short while to live. Meanwhile the dying man had made a confes- sion to those around him. His sole end and aim in life had been to gain wealth. He mar- ried Sibyl Gernett solely that he might gain pos- session of her father’s mine. The mine failing, he dese her to seek wealth elsewhere. Com- ing to Bended Bow, he made the acquaintance of Philip Denson, who owned a rich mine, and he resolved to lay plans to gain possession of it. He was now known as Colonel Damon Dallas, and a full beard served him as a disguise. Re- turning from Denver one day, by the then week- ) the point where the canyon trail shortened the distance to the town, and started up the canyon on foot. In the can- yon he came upon his wife as she had described, and in anger and passion hurled her down into the roaring river below. Of his child he knew : 7. uc ar, pa em ee ae ee = - e e . - -C ————__ OO vmVY\1Cl" ee LL TTT ' — eee eee Sa aaa a | —— | , [ ) LEE ee —_— Kentucky Jean. —————— nothing then, but later, when the babe was found by Rube Rittens, he knew that it must be his; and he it was who had visited Aunt Dinah that night, and he it was who had supplied the monthly twenty dollars ever since, Furthermore, he confessed to having forged a will purporting to be the last will of Philip Denson, in which everything was left to Mrs. Denson, in order that, could be win the widow’s band in marriage, he would come into full pos- session of the property. And in this scheme we have shown how well he succeeded. He told where the true will could be found, a will in which the property had been equally divided between the two children, Charles and Minnie, with the reservation that the widow should have, own and control one-half of all the in- come from the whole during her life. After the arrival of the doctor, Kentucky Jean—or Jean Mourton, to give him his true name—asked: ‘*May 1 ask you all to leave the room for a moment? I have a question of the utmost im- portance to ask my father in private.” Without a word all obeyed ‘* Father,” Jean asked, kneeling beside him, ‘* will you answer one question, and truthfully?” ‘* Yes,” was the faint reply, *‘ I will.” ‘Tt is this: Did you murder Daniel Erving?” ‘““My God!” the dying man gasped, “‘am [I not punished enough?” ‘*Speak, father, the truth.” ‘My son, 1 did. Daniel Erving knew that I had forged Philip Denson’s will, and was deter- mined to expose me. In order to carry out my plans I killed him. Oh! may God be merciful to me—a murderer !” Those were his last words. His head fell back, and the blood gushed from his lips, Jean rose to his feet and called to the others to return to the room, and when they entered they found Delwin Mourton gasping his last, and Jean standing over him, his face buried in his hands and his hot tears flowing fast. To them that last great secret was never re- vealed, Thestory of the past—of Jean—was told later, after the first shock of death had passed. Hts earliest recollections were of living with a widow at Denver, a Mrs. Grantley, and he was called Jean Grantley. This, his mother cor- roborated, was the woman in whose care she had left him. When he was about seven or eight years of age Mrs. Grantley died, and he was left to care for himself as best he could. He became newsboy, bootblack, errand boy and anything else by which he could earn an henest living, until at last, at the age of fourteen, he was engaged as office boy, etc., in the office of a detective agency. There he gradually worked himself along until at last he won a place on the regular staff as a detective. His pseudonym of * Kentucky Jean ” was one he had chosen for one of his *‘ character crea- ations, though in that character he was seen in propria persona ; and the explanation he gave of the name, and of his coming from Yellow Pine, Cal., were but bits of fiction to support his story. ° But of him more anon. At an early hour next day Jean made his way into the presence of Incognita, the Faro Queen. She had already learned all that had been made public of the events of the night, and was in an agitated stage of mind. ‘*Incognita,” the sport said sorrowfully, ‘I cot here to give you the answer to your ques- on. ‘* Heaven help me!” she gasped, as pale and trembling she stood before evarrsy foe T read it in your face,” ‘T believe you do, An insurmountable barrier has ariseix between us, and even were I to answer ‘yes’ to your request, you would spurn me from you, for I, Jean Mourton by rightful name, am the son of Delwin Mourton; or in other words, I am the son of your father’s murderer.” - With a gasp Incognita fell fainting to the oor. It was some time before the sport could restore her to consciousness, but at last he suc- ceeded, and she was a chan woman. Her face was hard and stern, and her manner cold and severe. ‘‘ You are not accountable for your father’s crimes,” she said, “ but the gulf that now yawns between us can never be bridged. I loved you —loved you so much that I did not stop at any- thing in my desire to win you, and I shall now prove to you that I love you still.” As she spoke she gave a pull at a silken cord that hung near to where she stood, and in a few moments her ‘‘ double” glided into her room. ‘*Go and bring my prisoner here,” the queen ordered. The ‘‘double” disappeared, and in a short time returned, bringing with her — Minnie on, ‘* Here,” Incognita said, ‘‘ is the one you love. T saw that she was winning you, and abducted her. . Now, since all is over, I restore her to you. With a glad cry, then, Minnie sprung into Jean’s arms. . r ' ' i « aé 7 M eee —————————————————————————————————————————— 31 “Go! go from my sight!” the Faro Queen ordered imperatively. ‘*‘ Let the past be swept into oblivion!” Quickly they left her presence, and Jean led Minnie home in triumph, telling her on the way of the death of Colonel Dallas and of the rev- elations of the previous night. That afternoon a horrible re the town. Incognita, the Faro Queen had killed herself! And the report was true. She had visited a lawyer and turned all her prop- erty over in due form to her assistant, or ‘* double,” and then returning to the inchanted Hall had placed a revolver to her heart and fired, falling dead instantly. No one could account for her rash act, but when, later, all the secrets of the Hall were made known, it was be- lieved that she was partly insane. And that night ‘‘ Kentucky Jean” disappear- rt flew through He left no clew as to where he was going, and no word, except that he would not be seen again until the day of the trial at Denver. The day of the trial came, the trial of Mrs. Sibyl Gernett Mourton against the Imperial Mining Company—as the case now stood; and the place of justice was crowded. As the case progressed it became clearly evi- dent that the woman must win. One witness called was the detective who had been engaged to find the missing heirs, and when he took the stand he was recognized as the same tramp-like fellow whom we have seen in the office of Dobson & Blake. And the story he told was the story as we have told it here. After him was called Mr. Jean Mourton. Then came a surprise for everybody. The tramp-like detective stood up, made a few rapid changes in his appearance, such as casting off his old coat, removing his false hair and beard, etc., and lo! in his place stood ‘** Kentuc Jean,” the ‘' Youthful Sport from Yellow Pine,” CHAPTER XXXVIII. FINIS, Bot little more remains to be told. The legal battle was won by the rightful heirs and the Imperial ey Company had to sur- render the property to Sibyl Mourton and make to her a long accounting. The true will of Philip Denson was found, and’ Charlie and Minnie, with their mother, had their property restored to them. Willis and Annie Gray proved to be the child- ren of the Mrs. Gray whose name was signed to Sibyl Gernett’s certificate of marriage, and she, Sibyl, remembered them as children. She gave Annie a home with her for the present. ‘Jared Kenneth,” otherwise John Kent, was made to restore his wife to her rights, and then he was dealt with according to law, as were all the other rascals who had been cast into jail through Kentucky Jean’s work. The two mysterious shots fired, one at Ken- neth and the other at Blue-eyed Belle, were fired by Annie Kent, as she confessed. They were fired in fits of hatred, when the woman’s mind was almost unsettled. Willis Gray remained cashier of the bank, and has become an honored and respected man. He soon made a home for his sister, and she, with her little girl, are all in all to him. Hans Kepplehem and Euphemia Wiggins were married in due time, and it is to be hoped, were happy ever after. ‘General Orrion Wade” and “ Major Theo- bald Miles” grasped hands ‘‘ across the bloody chasm,” so to say, and their papers were soon made one, which still flourishes. It is called ‘‘ The Bow and Arrow,” and is a lively sheet. Two years after the events recorded, there was a grand double wedding at Bended Bow, the contracting parties being Charlie Denson and Belle Mourton—or “‘ Blue-eyed Belle,” and Jean Mourton—“* Kentucky Jean”—and Minnie Den- son. Ree. Jean and Minnie now live at Denver, Jean’s mother with them; while Charlie and Belle re- main at Bended Bow, Charlie’s mother living with him, And all are rich and happy. Rube Rittens, too, is now at Denver, in the employ of Jean. His old housekeeper, Aunt Dinah, is dead. Peleg Green holds Rube’s old place in the Break o’ Day Mine, and is liked by all who know him. Gardner Gernett, the Englishman, spent a ear at Denver, and then returned home, happy what he had done to repair the wrong he*had done his brother in life. Of the others who have played more or less im iy roles in our romance, we speak in rief. Suffice it to say that some were rewarded and some were punished, according as they were good or evil. ‘Colonel Damon Dallas” lies buried at Bend- w, where a plain stone marks his grave, — and on that stone are simply the name as a and the date of his death. And so wé take our leave of them, one and all, and close the book. THE END. mic 200