Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 485 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

rr = — © ewe — Mrs. Twiggs, the old housekeeper, who had ‘been almost a mother to the young girl, looked ‘up a little anxiously from her sewitg-chair. ‘‘T wouldn’t go just yet, dear,” said she. “You haven’t yet received Mr. Ensco’s signal,” ‘No, aunt,” it was thus that Inez mostly ad- dressed the housekeeper, ‘‘ but look!” and she peered out over the lawn and darkening water; ** yonder is the twinkle of the Seamew’s lantern, rocking at the anchorage just off Astoria.” ‘+ But the detective was not to put off for this ‘interview until quite dark, and the twilight is not gone,” Inez sighed. The wearing shock of her grandfather’s tragic death—as yet unavenged, or even brought home to the perpetrators—still showed its subduin traces in her soft beauty, though she seeme lovelier than ever. ‘‘What of that? It is so stupid, remainin shut up here so incessantly, as in a besiege cabin in the Indian country.” “There are enemies, more cunning and _ piti- less than red savages, for you to be guarded against, dearie,” urged the old lady, impressive- ‘* But we have no longer with us the treasure- chest, aunt, which all these bolts and bars and cast-iron regulations were intended to defend,” Then her lip trembled at the thought that the dear, good grandfather was no longer with them either—passed forever to that mysterious bourne from which no traveler returns, Mrs. Twiggs locked up at her lovingly over her spectacles, 1 * . You forget, my dear, that we have still in keeping a yet more priceless treasure, which those devil’s whelps, Juan and Vasco, are fully as determined to carry off as was their terrible mother in the case of the jewel-chest. A flash of hatred and fear crossed the fair young brow, and then the discontent reappeared in the lovely face. ‘*Oh, yes; you mean me, of course.” ‘* Of course, dearie!” And Mrs. Twiggs drop- ped her knitting to take one of the soft, listlessly- hanging little hands, which she patted and smoothec between her dry old palms. *’ Whom else but my darling?” ‘¢ Treasure, indeed!” Inez’s tone was sionately in earnest, ‘‘I wish—I wish—” ‘Well, and what does my darling wish?” ‘‘Oh! next to bringing Juan and Vasco to the scaffold, aunt, [ wish that 1 were ugly and poor, instead of handsome and rich, or else—just dead!” “Tut, tut, tut! Wild words, these, for my petted Inez to speak!” ‘* But I’m not petted—save by you now, aunt.” And there was a kindly answer to the pressure of the fondling palms. ‘* Petted, indeed! to be up here, day in and day out, as in a Jail, with only an occasional peek out at the door or win- dow for a mouthful of fresh air!” ‘* But it cannot be for long, dearie, Remem- ber, itis by Mr. Ensco’s earnest advice.” ‘* As if I should forget it!” ‘The criminal young men once captured, and’ their crimes brought home tothem, as the Har- bor Detective is now striving for, and my dar- ling will once more have the world of love and admiration at her pretty feet.” ‘* Ah, no, aunt!” despondently. ‘‘ Ishall never love or beloved, Of that I am quite positive.” Mrs. Twiggs, having forgotten the uncon- scious hypocrisies of maidenhood, always took lnez seriously, ‘¢ Not love or be loved!” she repeated, ** Bless me, my child! what else are you made for?” ‘“T don’t know; to be dogged, and watched, and made miserable, I suppose.” ‘* Nonsevse, sheer nonsense! Why, Mr. Ensco was saying to me, on the occasion of his last se- cret visit here— But, bless me! what ails you, my dear?’ Inez had snatched away her hand but tae old lady’s imperfect eyesight fortunately failed to mark the telltale color—-invariably invoked of jate at the mere mention of the handsome detec- tive’s name in anything like an emotional con- section—that had suddenly overspread the pure allor of the fair young face. ‘‘ Nothing,” was the short reply. ‘‘ Well, well, Aunt Twiggs; Mr. Ensco was saying to ou -—$” “That you must still keep close, my dear: but that, the danger once passed, you might safely enter but to conquer upon the world of wealth and fashion and admiration that is doubt- less impatient to applaud your debut,” “Oh!” a little disappointedly. “Yes; and that your peerless beauty and rare accomplishments could not fail to win your choice from among the richest, highest-placed and most distinguished in all the land for a hus- band.” ‘+ Indeed!” ‘‘-Yes; and [ couldn’t exactly understand, for he seemed so downhearted and cheerless-like while he was predicting so many pretty and brilliant things for you.” “You are sure he seemed that way?” eagerly ‘To be sureI am, dearie; and, as he turned away, he muttered something about a poor and obscure man having no chance, no matter how pas- much he might love and do for you, as a simple matter of course, ‘Oh, that stands to reason, Mr. Ensco!’ says Il. ‘Just as our Nessie is a natural-born princess among girls, just so sure could she never think of any wooer who might be only poor, but honest, and otherwise un- worthy. And for that matter,’ says l—” _. Inez, or ‘‘ Nessie,” cut her short by throwing scx TS LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL, Ln Le ————— ae her arms around the old neck, and bursting into s laugh that was like chime of joy-bells—her sweet, natural laugh that had hardly been heard since the sunrise tragedy on board the Seamew. ‘Oh, you dear, darling old goose!” she cried; ‘vou know all about it, of course, don’t you? You are just as deep, and penetrative, and far- seeing as the stupid men themselves, aren’t you?” ‘‘[ really don’t exactly understand, my dear.” But Nessie was once more at the window. ‘*The signal!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ There it is— four swings of ared lantern, just as the detec- tive agreed!” ‘“ Wait! no haste! Don’t forget his warning against a false signal, or some other cunning trick,” said Mrs. Twiggs, who could see better at a distance than nearer at hand. ‘Ha! Cau- tion’s the word, Nessie.” ‘* Nonsense, auprt! flashes?” ‘Yes; directly under the lawn’s end there, while Ensco’s were to come from midstream, while passing from the Seamew to the landing. Stop, Nessie, stop! Dont dare to forget the precautions! Some trick, some treachery—” But, Inez bad already darted into the hall, after vouchsafing a little reassuring kiss, She could be heard giving hurried orders to the servant, who was unbarring the front door, for the fort-like safeguards of the old mansion, instituted by the late eccentric proprietor, had been sedulously kept up, at the detective’s sug- gestion. Then, before Mrs, Twiggs could run after her, she had disappeared, The Marston residence was a somewhat neg- lected mavsion of old-time stateliness, in the midst of extensive grounds, a little north of Kast Kighty-sixth street, on the river-bank—with a public boating and bathing float below, near the foot of that growing thoroughfare, and the erounds of the House of the (;ood Shepherd ad- joining on the north—which is familiar to resi- dents and ramblers in that section of Yorkville by its incongruous but agreeable rusticity in the midst of the prosaic brick-and-mortar iim prove- ments, finished, finishing, and just beginning, on every band except that of the broad river front, with its superb view of Hell Gate, the interme- diate island-ends, and the opposite Lovg Island shore, though another pleasant break in the city river-line is supplied by the East River Park, adjoining Kigbty-sixth street on the south, an merely nodded to the old coachman, who was sturdily patrolling the grounds, bludgeon in hand, and then sped on through the dusk for the private boat-landing just Solan the lawn-em- bankment, The red lantern had repeated the signal, and then remained stationary. She had no sooner descended the bank than, with a swiftly-interrupted scream of terror, she found herself a captive in the combined grasp of the dread twins, Juan and Vasco Martez, Don’t. you mark the CHAPTER V. THE INFERNAL TWINS’ WORK. ‘* SILENCE!” exclaimed Vasco, who had the firmest hold of the young girl, while Juan was assisting in gagging and controlling her; ‘silence, or we shall be forced to kill you! Submit, and there is nothing but happiness in store for you.” ‘‘ He speaks truly, Cousin Nessie,” said Juan. ‘This abduction has become a family necessity —no more no less. No violence or indignity 1s dreamed of,” From the hands of the latter especial] y—stain- ed with her grandfather’s murder, as she had not the shadow of a doubt—the young girl shrunk in a sort of frenzy, but they were both sinewy and determined beyond her utmost re- sistance. They spoke in low tones, and were dragging her toward the small landing, at which their row-boat, containing the false light that had de- luded her, was in waiting. Inez succeeded in uttering yet another half- scream, Then a soft and painless but effective gag was secured oyer her lips, and she was burried into the stern of the boat, with one of her immediate captors on either side of her. ‘Give way!” growled Juan. that last cry was not unheard,” The long, spoon-shaped skulls of four ruffianly oarsmen bit the shimmering gloom of the water at the same instant, and the keen, narrow boat shot out and away like an arrow Jet fly. Juan’s anxiety was not misplaced. Nessie’s last cry had not passed unheard. Old Jobn, the coachman on patrol duty, was already on the retreating bank, calling out her name and sounding a general alarm in stento- rian tones. ‘* No ciudado !” ‘* Let him roar!” ' ‘S Oaramba ! commented Vasco, placidly. ~ Rowlock, the Harbor Detective. They rowed with the tide, which was swirling up in the direction of Hell Gate with fierce ve- locity. But at that instant the true signal, which Nes- sie’s impetuosity had not been content to make sure of—four swayings of a red luntern from a boat midway bet ween the Seamew’s distant an- chorage and the homestead grounas—flashed up through the deepening dusk. The captive made a movement both of hope and despair, but the young men only laughed. ‘‘OCarajo! little good will it do the Harbor Detective now,” said Juan, lighting a cigarette. ‘‘ No, indeed; our boat may safely defy pur- suit,” observed Vasco, ‘*even if they should see us and suspect our mission,” ‘You may well say so. Whatisthe yachts small boat, with its single rower, even if it be the detective’s black giant, compared with this barbed clipper of ours?” ‘‘ Hurrah for the red lantern! Aha, that was a lucky trick by which we duplicated the signal agreed on!” ‘‘ Rather say forestalled, Vasco... And how would you have managed but for my overhear- ing the parting words between our fair cousin and her bold detective night before last at the edge of the terrace?” “True; but if you had knifed him then and there between the shoulder-blades, how much better yet!” Juan gave an involuntary shudder, which, perceiving the girl’s eyes bent upon him, he pre- tended to be a mimic one, ‘¢ Por Dios!” he muttered, half-under his breath; ‘t wait till you’ve dipped your own hands in the red before recommending the dye-pot so freely for others.” “Don’t be angry, Juan; it was only my joke,” ‘‘Yes, joke! You can afford it. with Cousin Nessie there for your prospective bride, and your share of mother’s recovered SOR axe ams to lavish upon the pair of you at will. Butas for me, unjustly accused of my granduncle’s. mur- der, and with all the minions of the law on my track, to say nothimg of this water sleuth- hound, Rowlock Ensco—well, the case is not so charming!” Juan growled out these discontented words in a mixture of Spanish and English—in which, by the way, most of the colloquy was being carried on, Inez being fortunately familiar therewith, through her thorough knowledge of both, ‘* Don’t be downcast, I say, amigo,” urged Vasco, cheerfully. ‘* They have not caught you yet. You haven’t thought of how you lost your sapphire ring vet, I suppose?” uan was craning his neck to starboard while peering for the detective’s red lantern which had ceased to sway to and fro, and was now a mere lurid, slightly moving speck out in the darkness. ‘‘ No, no!” he replied, absently. ‘* Madre de Dios!” aud Vasco’s voice fell al- most to a whisper; ‘if it should have been picked up in the cabin of the Seamew after—” Juan straightened himself up in a sort of ter- rified frenzy. ‘‘ Cease your infernal croakings, or we’ll quar- rel!” he hoarsely interrupted, with a torrent of Mexican maledictions, ‘Found there? Im- possible—preposterous— false!” ‘* Compose yourself, Juan,” bi) BIA ‘‘ What! must you forever be suggesting hang- man’s knots and gibbets?” ‘* Peste! Nothing of the sort.” : ‘* And that, with HKuseo, the sleuth-hound of the harbor waves once more on. our track Look out for yourself!” | Vasco obeyed. ‘* You are mistaken,” said he, after a mo- ment’s scrutiny. ‘'I cannot see that yoncer boat-light alters its position a hair’s-breadth,” » ‘‘ Precisely, for the excellent reason that itis heading dead toward us, and at no tortoise jog, either,” 3 oy Vasco remained silent, while Inez bad al- ready marked the truth of this with a joyful heart-leap. it} Availing herself of the negligence into: which —_—* - her guards had lapsed ng now sprung forward © unexpectedly, seized the red lantern that was poised not far away, and hurled it abroad wit all her strength. ry. It described a bright, crimson are in the darkness before disappearing, | oo Juan shouted an imprecation, thrust her back furiously, and balf-drew his stiletto. py it! But Vasco, who had repinioned the youn cirl’s arms from behind, drew her back, and, aughing gayly, snatched a kiss, The men at the oars, also, took the liberty of ] bursting into a coarse guffaw. ‘‘ What, Juan,” cried Vasco, “are you soap- prehensive? Caramba !” | And, releasing Inez, he relieved her of the gar. | | But her first use of her liberty was not to scream afresh, as might have been expected. — It was to fetch him such a box on the ear as made his senses swim. | She was red with anger. ‘* Coward! ruffianly brute!” she hissed, in bet- ter Spanish than his own, ‘‘ you would dare to kiss me? Had I but a weapon! Even that com CDOOKS. 74 * ; “et . sl lar 4 ad | , .. > «, 4% « a,