Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 483 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

s & > = Y * J E % * Flush Fred, the River Sharp. never let one of them get within smelling dis- tance of it.” A black girl belonging on the place, who hap- pened to come into the room, grinned and snick- ered as she stared at the stranger. * What are you laughing at, you sassy imp? indignantly demanded Cousin Arabella. ‘ you saw me, though you might not have sup- osed that I could be such an intense and exu- rant liar. 1 would not have dared to show myself here if I had made the acquaintance on the boat of your uncle and your cousin, though they are both so very stupid. But here Il am, lf | and for the present I am their Cousin Arabella, you are laughing at me, you are laughing at | and they are glad to have me here,” two hundred thousand dollars!” CHAPTER XI. A SPY IN THE ENEMY’S CAMP, Two hundred thousand dollars! The negro girl was suddenly and ignominious- ly expelled from the room. Judge Stacey and Tom felt their hearts warm- ing toward their newly-discovered relative, and were ready to boil over with hospitality. ‘It was very ¢ in you,” said the judge, ‘‘to take the trouble to hunt up your poor rela- tions down here.” ‘‘T have not put myself out much to do so,” answered Cousin Arabella, *‘‘ I used to hear my father area of Staceyville and his cousin, Bramwell, and I determined to come and take a look at you when [ could make. it convenient to do so. I had to go down to Orleans to look after my agent there, who has been managing so badly that [am afraid I shall have to take the business out of his hands, and it was an easy matter to stop off here.” » | Then I hearc ‘Do you manage your own affairs, then?” | -away. Howis it with you, Eva? Mr, Stanni- inquired the judge, “Indeed Ido. Do you suppose [ would trust them to Tom, Dick or Harry? Not much! We never got rich that way. The business has grown in my hands, but I still keep hold of it, and I have not a relation living on either side except you folks down here, So it is no wonder that I wanted to come and see you,” It was a great blessing, in the opinion of Judge Stacey and Tom. This plain-featured old maid of a cousin might be an angel come down from the heaven of Ken- tucky—a heaven where distilleries abound—and in the present muddled condition of their af- ae they could not cultivate her too care- ully. Though apparently not a marriageable per- son, she might be liberally inclined, and at Staceyville she could find a good field for the ex- ercise of liberality. So Cousin Arabella was warmly welcomed by Judge Stacey and Tom, treated with all the hos- Beaty they were capable of, and given to un- erstand that nothing in the house was good enough for her, Tom Stacey, having the Kentucky distillery on his mind, made strenuous efforts to brace up, staying at home and restricting his drinks to a private bottle that he kept in his bedroom. Cousin Arabella was soon made acquainted with Eva Bramwell, though that young lady was not introduced to her even as a distant cousin, because it was not necessary that Eva should divide the possible benefits of the dis- tillery with her uncle’s family. Eva was looking as well as when she came down the river on the Tom Swann. That is to say she appeared in good health; but there was a troubled and uneasy air about her that was not an indication of good spirits: She started when she met the visitor, and her face flushed unaccountably. She had little to say to her, but stared at her at first, and afterwar looked at her curiously every now and then, as if there was something about her which she did not understand. This strange proceeding on the part of the young lady was noticed by her uncle, who took er to task about it. ‘Eva, why did you stare so much at Cousin Arabella? That is not a bit ladylike, to say the least of it.” ‘* She reminds me so much of somebody I have met before,” answered Eva. ** Tf you were ever in Woodford county, Ken- tucky, my dear,” observed Cousin Arabella, ** you may have met me,” ** But [ was never there.” Eva and Cousin Arabella got on well together, although their approach toward intimacy was not highly approved by Judge Stacey. In the evening they contrived to get way from the rest of the family, and to stroll out of sight of the house, where they had a private and peculiar conversation. **So you fancied that you had met me before, my dear,” remarked Cousin Arabella. ‘I was almost sure of it,” answered Eva, “and I have not yet been able to get the fancy out of my head.” ** Perhaps you thought that you might have met me on the steamboat when you came down the river.” ‘That is just what I did think.” ** And you may have thought that I resem- bled an old maid named Martha Gibbs.” ‘*T thought you resembled one of the best and dearest women I ever knew, and her name was Martha Gibbs.” “Thank you, my dear,” said Cousin Arabella, as she pounced on the girl and kissed her. ‘‘ It is very good of you to speak of me so kindly.” ** Then you are Martha Gibbs?” | ‘ ** Of course I am, and you knew me as soon as | ‘‘7 don’t understand you, Martha. Where did you come from?” ‘* From Betty Marks’s house. You know that she is living near here, and lam staying with her.” ‘‘Does she know that you have come to this lace?” ‘* Indeed she does. She sent me here to act as a spy in the enemy’s camp, to learn how you are getting on, andito ask you if you wantiany help. o you think [ am playing my part well?” ‘‘'Very well indeed, and 1 am ever so glad to see you, though I don’t know how you can help me,” “You have friends who are able and willing to help you, my dear, if you need help, Of course you know that Mr. Stanniford and his friend Henning are in Staceyville.” ‘They have kept that news from me, and it was =(é by accident that I lately learned it. that Mr. Henning had been fight- ing a duel with Major Stacey.” ‘*He would have fought a duel, I suppose, if the other man had not broken down and run ford will want to know how you are getting ‘** Not at all badly,” answered Eva, ‘' There is nothing to complain of. I have plenty to eat and drink, and a good place to sleep, and I am not so lonesome as you might suppose, though this is the dullest house I was ever in,” ‘Do they not persecute you?” ‘Not yet, and I ought not to borrow trouble about the trials that may be awaiting me. Uncle Bramwell keeps telling me that it is settled that I am to marry his son Tom, and I have as little as possible to say about the mat- ter. ‘*Tom, then, is not a very ardent wooer,” suggested Miss Gibbs. ‘* He is always so full of something else that is ardent, that he has been no sort of a wooer as yet. I fancy that he is trying to get his spirits up to the wooing pte but you know, artha dear, that I can have no use for such a lover as that,” ‘* Of course you can’t. I suppose that I might marry Tom and take him off your hands; but the case is not so desperate as to demand such a desperate remedy, Do you want to get away from here, Eva?” ‘*I would prefer to be somewhere else, no doubt; but I have no que cause for running away. Uncle Bramwell is my guardian, it know, and I was put in his care by my dear mother, So I ought to stay here as long as I can. , ‘* Perhaps you are right about that, Eva; but we must find some way to communicate with you, so that when you do want to leave we may havea chance to take you away. Now we had better go back to the house, or they may suspect us of conspiring.” CHAPTER XII, “Rats!” CousIn ARABELLA, saying that she was not accustomed to staying alone at night, asked per- mission to share Eva’s room wit) her. As she was just then a person of special con- sideration in the Stacey establishment, her re- quest was granted, though ‘* Cousin Bramwell ” was not pleased by the friendliness of those two, Some time after they had retired, and when the entire household was sunk in slumber and in silence, Eva was awakened by a noise that sounded like a scratching against the side of the house. She sat up instantly, and startled her sleeping companion by a piercing scream, ‘What is the matter, Eva?” demanded Cousin Arabella, as her eyes flew open. She was at once as wide awake as the girl was, with all her wits about her, and with nerve enough for any pig Seah ‘*T saw a face at the window,” answered Eva. ‘* A noise like climbing woke me, and then I saw that face; but it disappeared immediately. Did you hear nothing?’ ‘Nothing at all. I wassound asleep. But I am wide enough awake now, and we soon know if there is anybody about to bother us,” Cousin Arabella jumped out of bed, threw up the window, and looked out. ‘* There is nobody there,” she said, ‘‘nor any sign of anybody.” ‘I am sure that I heard that noise and saw that face,” remarked Eva, ‘*T will try to fix things so that it will not occur again.” _ Cousin Arabella closed the shutter, fastened it on the inside, and put down the window, Then steps were heard in the hall, and some- body knocked at the door. ee EEE . It was Judge Stacey who knocked, and he wanted to know the cause of the scream he had heard, The scare was explained to him through the closed door, and he grumbled at having been disturbed. ‘“‘Tt must have been a cat,” he grunted, **'You women-folks ought not to get scared too easy.” As the window opened on the roof of a ve- randa, there was a good chance for a cat or a human being to climb up. Cousin Arabella and Eva went back to bed, and silence again took possession of the house. The young lady, however, had been so thoroughly awakened by her startling adven- ture, that she could not easily return to the Land of Nod, and she lay awake, listening and watching for she knew not what. : In the course of an hour or so something occurred that justified ber wakefulness, A door slammed loudly, and then there was the noise of a rapid pattering of feet in the hall, followed by the gruff voice of Judge Stacey, who was growling and swearing, the sound in- dicating that he was pursuing something or somebody. Then there was a pistol-shot, and after that silence again. Cousin Arabella was already out of bed once more, and she made Eva get up, and they both hurried on a portion of their garments, beng naturally curious to learn what was the matter, | as wellas unable to sleep under such circum- — stances, The elder lady opened the door cautiously at first, peeped out, and then threw it wide open. — **Come, Eva,” she said; ‘it is only your Uncle Bramwell.” The hall was dimly lighted from a lamp that_ was burning at thefoot of the stairs near the front door, and the woman saw Judge Stacey, clad only in his shirt and trowsers. | He had apparently just mounted the stair- — way, and was coming toward them, grumbling and swearing in low tones but quite impressive- ] Ps y. Just then Tom Stacey opened the door of his room, and came out, clad as his father was, and with a revolver ip his hand. ; ‘* What is the matter, Cousin Bramwell?” in- quired Martha Gibbs, who spoke up as bold as a lion, no matter what her real feelings may have n. ‘It is a very strange piece of business, Cousin © Arabella, and I don’t pretend to understand it, — I was woke up by hearing a noise in my room, and saw somebody or something there. It was too dark for me to see what it was, and I reach- | ed for my pistol. Then the critter lighted cut, — and slammed the door, é ‘*T heard the door slam,” observed Eva, ; “T hurried out to chase it, and caught a — gee of something sliding down the stairway _ ike a shadow. I ran there, and atthe footof | the stairs was the queerest face, looking up and grinning at me, that I ever saw. I couldn’t— tell, for the life of me, whether it belonged to a — human being or a wild animal, I fired a quick © shot, but with a good chance to aim,and atthe — sound of the shot it was gone. I ran down, but ‘4 saw nothing of it, and | can’t imagine how it got away; butit was clean gone, and there was | nothing to show for my shot.” ae Nhs must have been a cat,” slyly suggested iva. “This was no cat. More like a dog, it seemed — to me; but I don’t know how a dog could have ~ got into the house, much less how it could have «| ae a ai my room and opened and shut the oor. ae ‘‘ Whatever it is,’ said Tom, ‘‘itcan’t befar | away, and the chauces are that it is somewhere _ in the house. Let us look for it.” wi Two negro women who slept in the house had joined the others, and, as they were nearly — frightened out of their wits by the pistol-shot — and what they heard, they did not baveatran- — quilizing effect upon anybody. (a A lamp was lighted, and Judge Stacey and ~ Tom began their search for the strange in- | truder, They were not cowards, whatever else they — were, and their quest was careful and thorough, — After going through the cellar, they exam- — ined all the rooms on the first floor, but found — no sign of any living thing anywhere. 4 There were windows without adit» a) through which an agile human being might — have escaped; but nothing else could have got | out in that way. Ry They had got through with that rhe of the — | house, and bad just closed the door of the hind- — most room, when they were startled by a bark- — ing at the front door. _ > a t was a sharp and quick barking, like that of _ B dog which had been belated and wants tobe | et in, : a! They ran thither, and opened the door hastily; _ but there was no dog in sight, nor anything that _ could be mistaken for a dog. * “‘ This is a queer piece of business,” grumbled Judge Stacey. ‘I would give something to’, Al know what has been bothering us to-night,’ NG ‘*It must be about the place somewhere,” i Tom, ‘‘andIam going to look for it “a - * *f '* 4 s (E(0) .OO AMILCE <S