Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 438 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

peice, | faint sigh came from the maiden’s lips; as her eyes again opened, this time gazing bewilderedly into his face as it hung, dimly outlined, above her; as she mechanically sought to arise; a glad, almost prayerful cry escaped him. ‘‘Tt is over, ’Telie, and you are safe—safe and sound—but are you?” interrupting himself, with a new-born fear of broken bones and internal injuries. ‘‘ You are allright? You are not bad- ly hurt, little girl?’ ' ! ‘ | | At first it was clear that the maiden did not | realize what had happened, or where she was, She stared blankly into the shadowy face above her, making no effort to return or resist the al- most passionate clasp of the young guide’s arms. But then a low, troubled cry escaped her lips, and she drew back, feéb_y striving to spring to her feet. ‘*Let me go—how dare you—I am not— Merciful heavens!” with a wail of bitter an- uish as a part of the terrible truth seemed to flash across her whirling brain, ‘‘ Father! mother! brother!” She clasped both hands over her eyes, as though to shut out some frightful vision, bow- ing her head and sobbing piteously. ithout a word Oklahoma Nick had per- mitted her to slip from his arms as she made the effort, and now, still on his knees, he watch- ed her give way to her hysterical grief, his hands tightly clasped behind his back like one fighting against temptation. Only for a moment. Howeer covey b this shrinking back must have cut him, loving Otelia Wright as he did, he felt that this was no time to stand on ceremony. With gentle force he took the sobbing girl in his arms, again bending his broad shoulders to shield her from the pelting rain. He only held her the more firmly as she struggled to break away, and his voice was gravely hard as he spoke: ‘Weep if you must, ’Telie. Let the tears flow until the fount runs dry; but try to remem- ber that every minute spent in weeping is one minute lost. Still, weep on: it will do you good. If nothing else, it will clear your brain until you can see how unjust you are in shrink- ing from the man who alone can aid you in this extremity—and what do you shrink away for?’ with an angry pang w ich for the mo- ment overmastered him. ‘* Because I love you? Because you are more than all the world to me? More than heaven itself, a thousand times over |” Passionate as was this outburst, the half- crazed girl did not seem to hear him. With her bowed head buried in her hands, she swayed back and forth, sobbing until her lithe frame was shaken as a reed. She thought of her loved ones as she had last seen them. Thougbt of them vainly striving to flee from that frightful doom. Pic.ured them caught in the grasp of the wind demon, torn— ‘‘Dead—all dead!” she moaned, shiveringly. ‘““Dead—and J not with them! You tore me away, Nicholas Van Bibber!” she cried, her voice harsh and unnatural as she suddenly turned to confront the guide, her great eyes seeming to send forth light through the misty gloom. ‘‘ You dared to tear me away from them—anad they are dead—dead !” ‘““Maybe not so bad, ’Telie,” muttered Okla- homa Nick, his dark eyes meeting hers firmly, striving to conquer her with a magnetic power. ‘““We were threatened with the same peril, yet we are both living. Try to think that the same kind Providence may have shielded them.” A brighter light came into his eyes as he saw that his mental effort was not entirely without effect. Her eyes lost something of their fierce, half-crazed light, and wavered before bis steady gaze. Her rigid muscles began to relax, to quiver, and her breath to come in short, quick, unsteady pants. ; He strove to throw more power into his gaze, and his arms tightened about her form as he added: ‘‘There was no time to waste, and I acted for what I thought the best. That I was not far wrong is proved by your being still alive.” ‘+ And they—father, mother, brother—dead !” ‘ T hope not—I even believe they are still alive, safe and unhurt,” steadily uttered Oklahoma Nick, though he felt that each word he pro- nounced then was false. “I believe you will be reunited, to forget this scare. And then—when our poor brain grows calm and you can see how itterly unjust you have been toward me, whose sole thought was how to the most surely save our dear life—may you see then how intensely love you, to meekly bear your peor ar ‘yi It was hardly a generous speech, but he who uttered it was madly im love, and all unused to holding his hot passions in check. Still, he could hardly have selected words better calcu- lated to restore Otelia Wright to at least a sem- blance of her usual composure. . With a sudden effort she freed herself from his embrace, and rose unsteadily to her feet. Her brain reeled, and a red light seemed to dance before her eyes, but she bravely conquered this, steadying both herself and her voice as Oklahoma Nick sprung erect before her. “Tf | owe you thanks, Mr. Van Bibber, I will try to pay them; but not now—not until T have | | | | | Oklahoma Nica. a -- learned the fate of my family! If they are safe, | J will go down on my knees to youin—” | ‘* Not that, ’Telie,” was his swift interposition, as he caught the white hand that waved him back, almost crushing it in his strong fingers, so | great was his emotion. ‘‘ There is a way you can thank me, but not in words—not in empty phrases! Say that you will give me the one sweet reward that I hope and pray for! Say that you will—” ‘*' You are hurting me, sir!” sharply cried the maiden, shrinking from the guide as she spoke; but it was not solely of her poor fingers she was | thinking then, and right well Oklahoma Nick | realized this fact. He dropped her hand, almost flung it from him. He turned on his beel with an oath grat- See ing througb his clinched teeth. Just then he could have welcomed the return of the cyclone, for he felt that death itself could not be half as bitter.as this repulse. It was not the first one he had suffered, since that journey began, but it cut him more deeply than all the rest combined. He had but just saved her from a terrible death. He believed that only for his prompt and decided action, she would be a corpse, torn and mangled, crushed out of all semblance to humanity by the awful winds. ‘To him she owed her life. her love in repayment, and she repulsed him. He bégged for love, and she gave him scoin! As these thoughts flasbed through his excited brain, his love was turned to hatred even more intense. Explain it how you will: I only record the plain truth. But it did not last long. As she saw him stride away, Otelia uttered a pitiful cry that in- stantly checked his steps, and wheeling about he saw her hastening unsteadily after him, with with outstretched hands. After all, she was but a weak woman. with her brain half-crazed by all she bad undergone during the past few hours. She believed she had driven bim away by her cold words, and she dare not be ieft aone in the dark, stormy night—alone in the wilderness where all her loved ones had met death in such hideous shape! lt would drive her mad! ‘**Do not leave me, Mr. Van Bibber!” she gasped, spin as Oklahoma Nick sprung back to her side, his strong arm again about her waist. ‘‘ Inthe name of kind Heaven, do not desert me now! Take me to them—take me to my poor—poor—” Her voice choked, and she sunk a heavy weight upon his arm, shivering faintly, barely conscious. She was conscious, and yet she made no resistance to his close embrace, to his hot kisses with which he covered ber cold, damp fave. And in that moment Oklahoma Nick felt repaid for all he had done, all he had endured, Felt that the victory was well-nigh won, despite tha heavy odds which he had foreseen from the he? outset. et, bold wooer though he had proved him- self, he dared not press advantage too far, just at first. During the past few months, he had learned a good deal about feminine nature of which he had been blissfully ignorant until then. Seemingly lifeless though the girl was, he knew that she was still conscious. He knew that, despite her utter misery, she could never wholly forget those passionate kisses: knew that whenever she recalled them, the bond between them would tighten and grow less easy to break. It was hard to refrain, his love was so - sionate, but he proved equal to the cccasion. He was playing for the heaviest stake of his life, and this knowledge stood him in good stead now. His strong arms encircled her shivering form, but she no longer felt the touch of his lips. Shielding her from the coid rain as best he could, Oklahoma Nick spoke rapidly, tenderly, soothingly. He bade her hope for the best; He said that, after their own almost miracttous escape from death, they migbt well believe their loved ones had also been spared. He declared that a faith within him told him as much; a faith that was more powerful than all the reasoning be could bring forward to convince her. And something of this faith—not pretended, as in his own case— bis words imparted to the poor girl, who begged him to begin the search at once. “Tf living, they are suffering worse than death on my account!” ‘*T dare not leave you alone, ’Telie,” was his soft response, ‘‘and you are not strong enough to begin such a weary, aimless seitek as this may prove. If I only had my good old horse!” ‘*They must be near—they were coming in the same direction with us, you remember,” faltered the girl. A short, uneasy laugh broke from the guide, as hecasta rapid look around and above them. ‘“*Tf we could only be sure what direction that ' He asked for } | | | | | them the points of the compass. | to ride, something might be done. er rr eee ee ee - —_—— rain was failing steadily, straight down from the clouds above. There was ucthing to tell Nothing to guide them iv the right course. ‘You understand, ’Telie,” gravely added Ok- lahoma Nick, after a silence long enough to per- mit the chilling facts t» Impress themselves on her mind. ‘“‘If I was aione, or you hada horse It would be aimless wandering, perhaps, but chance might lead us to them, even as it m'gbt cause us to cir- cle about all night, to find ourselves within a score rods of where we started when day brought light to guide us.” ‘*] am strong—I canstand it,” uttered Otelia, with a pitful effort to steady her voice. ‘* Any- thing is better than staying here in idleness, while they may be—God pity us all!” She broke down again, sobbing painfully, but she shrunk away from the support which Oklg- homa Nick would have lent her. “Find them—bring us together, dead or liv- ing!” she cried, with hysterical vehemence, flinging back her loosened hair, ber temples clasped with both hands, her eyes shining with & phosphorescent light as she stood before bim thus. ‘‘ Find them--and if dead, I'll curse you with my last breath for tearing me from them in their peril! Go, if you are even the shadow of aman! Go—aud never return until you can bring me tidings of my dear ones!” Oklahoma Nick caught ber in bis strong arms, holding her captive despite her desperate strng- gles tobreak away. He felt that she was on the oint of going mad with grief sand anxiety, and e dared not leave her thus. Instead, he spose quietly, calmiy, seeking to quiet and steady her nerves. And as her struggles grew less and less: assbe at length submitted to his greater strength, he thought to still further improve the coveted advantage he fancied ke bad wen. He went over the old ground, showing how all his actions had been shayed by his pa-- sionate love for ber, while at the same time showing how impossible it was for bim to have aided the rest of the family further than be bad done by telling them the safest direction to take in the forlorn hope of eluding the twister, ‘‘Tf I could aid them in the slightest, ’Telie, notbing would keep me from so doing; nothing but leaving you here alone in this terrible dark- ness, to gv mad long before Ll could find you again! Not even your anger and scorn can drive me from your side now, little one; and how cruel.y bitter they are, may you never come to know through your own feelings! More bitter than death! For I love you—I love | you so madly, my darling!” As he uttered the closing words, he pressed his an to hers: but it was a rash move on his part. it h a sharp, angry cry, Otelia wrested herself free, standing erect, one hand motioning him back as she cried: : ‘*Love! You dare to talk of love—now, and to me?” ‘Why not, since it is love I feel for you, ’Telie?” ‘* Not that name—not the name he used to call me!” she gasped, almost choking, her other hand rising to her swelling throat. ‘ Otelia—Miss Wright—” . Like a dim phantom her white hand waved before his face, cutting his agitated speech short. | And then, cold and hard. came her voice: ‘“ You force me to utter words which are al- most as hard for me to utter as you to hear, Mr. Van Bibber. You speak of love, when you Enow that I have no love to give youin return. Is this kind—is it the part of a man, helpless, mis- erable wretch as I am now, not knowing but what a!l [ had to !ove and care for on earth are dead or dying? And 1 away—torn from their side by your cruel hands! “* Love? Ihate you, Nicholas Van Bibber!” with fierce earnestness, as she drew still further away, looking like some dim, shadowy phantom of t stormy night through the intervening gloom, Whatever answer Oklahomo Nick might baye made to this unexpected outburst, was cut short by a sound that came quavering their ears; the _ sound of a far-away buman voice—a_ voice pro- nouncing the name of the peor girl who stood spellbound with clasped hands, scarce breathing lest it drown that joyful sound! Then, clear and piercing, soaring through the night as though carried on wings, rung out ber response: ‘* Brother! Perry! Here—oh, here!” A few moments of terrible suspense which was felt by both man end maiden, then back floated the glad sounds: . ** Comin’ —I’'m comin’, ’Telie !” With a gasping sob, the poor girl sunk to the und, a hand clasped over her wildly throb- ing heart. It was the voice of that young giant, her brother Pericles! Alive! Ccming! And the others? Her father and mother? What of them? Had they also escaped that storm was, my poor child!” he uttered, with-chilling | demon? Were they alive, waiting and watching graveness. Shocked and bewildered though Otelia was, | she did not require an explanation of these words. It was night. The heavens above were covered over with dense clouds through which not even a solitary star was permitted to show its light. The wind bad died away, and the and praying for their child? She would not, she dared dread alternative. She shivered as Oklahoma Nick lifted up his strong voice in a prolonged shout. What if there came no answer? but a dream—a phantom of a shattered brain! ‘Comicbooks not think of that What if it bad teen — “>. -y ." ¥ Ben -* 2 L tt ' = ote . OTS ee SE RY Ge 2 SO ee eet Oe ee Ee Oe Dem. Oe 8 Se