Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 437 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 Sam is an old bird, an’ ’twas him that connected the place with the sewer.” A. brief silence followed, during which the water steadily. It had crept rose up until it reached a point half-way to their knees, and it seemed to be coming in more rapidly than ever. The rush and plunge at the side of the cellar Deep Duke, the | Silent Sleuth. | can prosecute a certain enterprise IThavein my atall, and the shadow of mystery was so at mind without fear of opposition. Victory shall be mine!” CHAPTER XIV. TROUBLE FOR THE PROFESSOR. variance with her straightforward practical nature that she felt incapable of orming an. | opinion or combating the invisible foe. | She felt sure that Ralph must have learned something terrible about his father, for in no MARGARET HATHAWAY changed color and | other way could she understand his peculiar looked as deeply pained as she really was when course, f frightened Abe nearly out of his senses. | Claudia so firmly declared that she would not | Her trials were not yet at an end. ' ** This is terrible!” he said, with a shiver. leave the house until she had seen Ralph. When she reached home a servant informed r **Your friend, Peters, is not the noble man There was not a particle of ill-feeling in the | her that Professor Woodside wished to see ber | you thougbt him, eh?’ widow’s heart. She was nota believer in the atoncein his study. She obeyed the summons, i ** Curse him! Td like my liberty for awhile. | idea of visiting the sins of the parent on the | but was somewhat surprised to find Horace Td make bim sick!” child, and though she regarded the marriage of | Wilberson there, also,” ** If we get out of this Pll see that you have | Claudia and Ralph asa most deplorable affair, | _‘* Claudia,” said the professor, abruptly, Mr. revenge—that is, if you will obey me.” she was just enough to see that Claudia would Wilberson has honored.us by asking my permis- ; “Twill, Dll do anything you say.” | be the heaviest sufferer. _ sion to seek your hand in marriage, i have in- (i **T only hope we may have the chance.” Fate, in Mrs. Hathaway’s opinion, had decreed | formed him that I do not approve of sucha But the prospects of such a chance were very | that Archibald Woodside should be punished thing, but I am willing to leave the matter en- i few and small. Struggle as they might, and | through his daughter, regardless of the fact that _ tirely to you. It is for you to decide, at once.” did, their bonds held firm, and the remorseless | the sword of retribution wou!d be double-| Wilberson started up at the last words, waiter rose higher every moment. edged. ‘* Mr. Woodside,” he exclaimed, *‘ I must pro- . Dorgan had been through so many dangers Nevertheless, when Claudia took her bold, test against the lady giving an answer now. | that his nerves were remarkably gocd, but he | stand, the elder lady felt very much distressed | ‘‘ Is she not capable?” could not help acknowledging that their situa-| for Ralph, and began to blame the young wife | ‘She undoubtedly is capable, but this is no F tion was desperate. Peters certainly would not | somewhat.” - time or place for—” ‘i relent, and, unable to help themselves, they “7 don’t think Ralph will come down,” she ‘“ An offer of marriage?” were cut off from the rest of the world. said. | ‘*Bxactly.” In strong contrast to their situation was that ‘‘“Why shouldn’t he?’ Claudia promptly | ‘‘ Love ought to burnat all seasons,” Woodside ul of the men above. They were waiting for their | asked. _ dryly observed. victims to drown. When the proper time came ‘* He is il—overwhelmed—” | ‘*{ must affirm, sir, that your course is out- they would have to raise a gate and let out the ‘* Then my place is by his side.” _Yrageous,” declared the would-be lover, his face water in the cellar—and witb it the bodies of | ‘Really, I think you are inconsiderate.” | very red. ‘‘ You are treating me with disdain, their victims. ‘‘Isit wrong for a wife to wish to see her | and seeking to mortify me. No gentleman would Until then they proposed to make merry. husband when he is in trouble?” | do as you have done.’ | Sam had brought out a bountiful supply of ‘* But you don’t understand—” | ‘*Mr. Wilberson,” was the cool, moderate re-- l beer, and they were drinking as happily as ‘* What?” | ply, ‘* L will trouble you to remember the begin- } though they had not doomed two fellow-men to ‘** His trouble.” ning of this interview. You gsked for Miss violent death. ‘It is certainly my right tounderstand it,and Woodside’s hand. I told you I did not approve > In this way considerable time passed, but | that is why I insist upon it.” | of the union, and when you demanded an an- i their carousal ended in a way not expected by Mrs. Hathaway felt herself overpowered. She swer, informed you that i had discovered you to : them. Sam suddenly paused with his glass | was not accustomed to deal with such strong- be adissipated person, as well asa gambler. You half lifted to his mouth, set it down suddenly | minded people. Claudia, when inearnest, had a became angry and declared that I was not the 4 and then looked at bis companions in surprise. way of carrying all before her, and the pale | man to put on airs, and that 1 ought to feel hon- t “What is it?’ Peters asked. widow felt like a feather on the stream | ored if an honest man offered to gh into my | “*T thonght—yes, by the Old Nick, the water | ‘ Well, I will speak to him.” | family—you remember the emphasis, don’t you, y isescapin’. Hyar that?” ‘Pray do so.” | Mr, Wilberson?” - hs They did hear it—a sort of rushing, roaring | So Mrs, Hathaway went out, and Claudia | Hoyace was glowering at the cool, unconcerned i noise, and Sam, at least, knew the meaning. waited in fear and trembling. Brave as she was | speaker, gnawing his lips and showing himself in: , “* Hither somebody has raised the gate, or the | outwardly she could not control her woman’s | very bad temper. f darned thing has gi’n way ” he explained, as he | heart, and she felt almost numb in the presence | ‘* Yes,” he now replied, curtly. Hs sprung to his feet and hurried from the room. of this undefined trouble. What had Ralph | ‘* Having insulted me thus in my own bouse, ne he others followed dim, and were led to the |} learned which had caused him to deny bimself to | can you complain of my course?” a rear of the house. Hero the rushing sound was | his bride of a day? | A sudden change came over Wilberson, He had a even more distinct, and they were not surprised Her courage did not increase as she waited, | been very indiscreet to use the words to which \e when Sam, after thrusting his hand into whut | for the delay showed that either Ralph was not | the professor objected, but had reason to believe Fr seemed to be a closet, angrily exclaimed: coming at all, or else he was very reluctant; but, | it would not makeso very much difference. He if ** Yes, the blamed gate has bu’sted.” at last, just as the suspense was growing almost | had tried hard to favorably impress Claudia, but | a “What could have caused it?” unbearable, double footsteps were heard, and | had never seen an atom of hope for himself. ¥ ** Pressure 0’ water. You see, the thing was | Mrs. Hathaway returned with Ralph. | Probably it would come to a pitched battle in ih gettin’ old an’ rotten. I ought ter ’a’ had it The latter was pale to a degree which startled | the end, anyhow—it might as well come now as fs strengthened afore this, but I kep’ puttin’ it | Claudia, but, whatever his previous plans may | ever. 4 off.” have been, he was unable to resist the impulses He smiled in a wolfish way. | “Do you suppose the men are drowned?” | of his heart. ‘*'You are at liberty to take whatever course a Peters anxiously asked. He advanced and kissed his bride, though in | you see fit, sir. As for me, 1 can prove all that “Oh! yes; they’re gone, sure enough, though | utter silence, | [ have alleged. No man of finical disposition, i it don’t make much difference. They would ‘* Are you ill?” Claudia faltered. knowing you as I do, would be willing to enter- te never live through the suction o’ that water. “T am ill at heart,” was the unsteady reply. | your family.” i It’s wuss than the rapids o’ ariver. Ther draft | ‘‘I—I hope you will not blame me for not com- Was it fancy, or did a slightly troubled expres- ) is sech that a man is drawed in like a feather, | ing at once.’ sion appear on Woodside’s face? i an’ handled jest as bad. He can’t get through ‘* T certainly shall not until [ know the reason.” ‘* Empty talk!” he observed. wy alive; by the time he reaches the sewer he would Ralph glanced at his mother, but made no| ‘Yes! Now, I wonder—I really do wonder, P be churned all ter pieces.” reply. | dear old friend, if you would say this if I were ey! ** All is lovely, then.” ‘* Have I offended you?” Claudia continued. to ask you where you were twenty years ago?” ite “You bet. Jest hear the water roar! It’s ‘You? Never! No, my dear girl, you cer- Silence! ly rushin’ out like a house on fire.” tainly have done no wrong—such a thing is im- Yes; Professor Woodside had nothing to say. There did, indeed, seem to be a great commo- | possible. It is all because of that affair of the | He sat there and stared blankly at Wilberson, oi tion in the cellar, but it gradually subsided, and | past. What it was, I beg that you will not ask | and his fingers worked nervously on the arm of m3, they knew that the water had become so low | now. I am about overwhelmed, and incapable | his chair. iP that there was no longer a resistless suction. of thinking calmly. I do not wish to seem un- Tbe younger man smiled more broadly, and i Five minutes longer they waited, and then | kind, but if you will give me time to meditate I | added: 3 Sam opened the door through which they had | shall be glad. Let me mark out my course— “Twenty years ago, sir; twenty years ago.” ad come up and, armed with a light, they descended | then I will see you again.” The professor brought his clinched hand down a to the cellar. All the water had disappeared | Claudia was looking at him with a world of | on the table oe Q that would flow out, only a few shallow pools | expression and feeling in her dusky eyes. ‘‘ Sir,” he retorted, “it isnone of your business: : remaining on the hard ground which formed the | ‘Is it as bad as that?’ she asked, anxiously. | where I was.” i cellar bottom. “yes.” ‘Oh! but the law. What of that?” ft ; Sam looked about and found his opinion con- ‘* But—there is hope?” “The law?’ ‘firmed on one point. On former occasions, when A few minutes before Ralph had told himself ‘* That’s what I said.” Ba he let the water off, he had a contrivance by | there was none, but he row set his teeth fora ‘** 1 don’t know what you mean.” 24 which the suction at the point of the refrigera- | moment and then replied: ‘There are none so blind as those who won't: ‘ ol tor was lessened. As this had not been in use ‘* Yes, there is hope—there shall be hope.” see.” mf this time be knew that great force had been ex-| ‘ But you don’t wish to explain now?’ ‘“* Father,” exclaimed Claudia, with spirit, ‘if eo erted upon it, and doubted if it had with- ‘‘No. Believe me, I have good reason. Give | I were you, I would inform this person that he: F . stood it. me a little time, and then you shall know all.” is not wanted in this house!” 7 Nor was be wrong. Therefrigerator had been | ‘I am content with that,” said Claudia, whose ‘““Ah! but he dares not,” said Wilberson,. \a almost torn away from its fastenings, and the | heart, if not her head, compelled her to yield | coolly. a two men he had left bound to it had disap-| her part. ‘‘Oniy, you won’t refuse to see me The professor started to his feet. bam peared. tag again?” “Dare not!” he echoed, impetuously. ‘‘ Who He flashed his light around and soon satisfied ‘*No, no; never. You are always welcome— | are you who says this in my own house? You i, himself that they were not in the cellar. always.” shall nes what I dare do. Yonder is the door, ba ‘That settles them,” he said, cheerfully. “Then I will not lose hope.” sir, and the sooner you pass through it, never to e ‘“* Are you sure they are dead?” Peters asked. The skies seemed brightening, but Claudia | return, the better you will please me. Go)” He “Sure? Of course I be. Nothin’ could go | felt that it would be better for her to go. There| Wilberson axniled. Bei. through there alive. Look fur yerself.” was that in Ralph’s manner which told her so, ‘* Ah! but I shall return,” he said, “TI shall 2 He held the light and Peters looked beyond | and she delayed no longer. Ralph followed her | come to humble you!” - the gate. Strong-nerved as he was, he shivered | to the door, and parted with her tenderly. The professor gave the bell a furious ring, and | at what he saw. The passage which led to the ‘* Be of good cheer.” he said. “I am sure | asaservant chanced to be passing, he almost: ae sewer was lined with large, rough rocks, and he | that all will yet be well.” immediately appeared. ae yr could well believe that any human being swept But when she was gone the wretched man re- ‘Show this man the door!” ordered the mas- ie} upon them would be instantly crushed to death. | turned to the sitting-room and dropped heavily | ter of the house, ‘fend if he refuses to go, belp: i” Such, no doubt, had been the fate of Dorgan | into a chair. him out. You can send his baggage after Br ont Benlow, < by any chance they had fassed ane Md be Bayt after death; I hope for | him.” : gateway alive. nothing before then!” he said. “Oh, Tll go fast enough,” the younge - : : **1'm satisfied!” he said, with a dark smile. Claudia went home like one in a painful | serenely replied. ‘I ex 2 ‘ted lacie seo that it en De “They are forever out of the way, and now I dream, She could not understand the matter would come to this. You have said where [ eb , ; ) . | “s 4 , . 4 = a — - Tae x a. een ‘ f A> bd isd | [Go miGoo0oKks,coMm ~~