Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 488 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

a, estly broke the ice, all for myown ¢g _- over Silver Lode. talk over! a Ue ™ - 22 ~ The Thoroughbred Sport. business, You let Gypsy Gale cheat the rope. | That, with her Boag course in regard to the You failed to get a grip on ‘course?” Judd Varley gloomily nodded his head. ‘It will take finer playing, but I reckon we ‘can manage without them, since we have to, What is your best idea, honey?” ‘* Will it do for you to recover from the shock ‘of your frightful adventure before several days, think?” with a low laugh. ‘* [?’s wonderful what nerve I have—or would ‘be, if everybody isn’t to soon learn that I am the daughter of my father; and he none other than the Big Bracer himself!” echoing that mocking laugh, though in too low a key ‘beyond the walls of that little chamber. ** Yet—lve sent sharp eyes and sure kands to look for the carcass along the river, lower down. If they find it, perhaps they’)1 find the papers on the carrion, If they do—and you prove your claims as his sole living relative?” Queen Esther slowly shook her head in dis- sent. > ‘* Who knows what he might have done before you hunted himdown, Can youswear he didn’t send off a letter before you jumped him? And if so—mightn’t that bring some one here who knew the real Olive Tempest?” ‘* Ts it likely?” **Ts it not possible?” was the swift retort. ‘I say yes! And so, we’ve got to change our pro- ammoe a little, We've got to be satisfied with ess boodle and more security.” ‘*All Silver Lode knows he’s dead, by this time. You’re too scary, girl!’ muttered Var- ley, with a dark scowl] gathering on his face. ‘**‘AmI? Whatof that infernally cool sport who knocked Matson cold and snapped the neck of Ben Hurley? Who's to say he won’t make more trouble for us all? He said he was hunt- ing for the Big Bracer. To lock horns with him over the papers, he claimed, but who knows he wasn’t lying? Do you? Can you swear that he isn’t an old friend of Gale’s? Can you go -bail he doesn’t know the girl herself?” Swiftly, earnestly she spoke, growing pale as she recalled the cool sport who had so thorough- v bothered her men on the night before. And udd Varley was disagreeably impressed by this new complication, against which he had made no provisions, ‘‘Tf he ever finds his way to Silver Lode, there’s enough to put a stopper on his tongue, I reckon.” ™ ** And so kick up a still louder racket? That »won’t wash, Varley,” and she spoke with still firmer decision. “Better half a loaf than no bread at all. Better nine-tenths of the Big Bracer’s pile than not to finger a red—with a rope in the background, maybe!” ‘Pll never give up the game, after playing it ‘this far!” ‘‘Nor I, you owl-eyed darling,” laughed the “woman, her arms about his neck, her warm lips peckin at his cheek daintily as she whispered: ** We'll strike while the iron is hot, and get in -our pretty work before this wild and woolly thoroughbred can drop on our little game.” 9 But how? That’s what I can’t see into, just et! ‘I'm Olive Tempest, sole daughter and _ heir- -ess to Gypsy Gale, as the good people of Silver Lode knew him best. I never suspected what a ‘terribly wicked old rascal this precious parent of mine was, until yon gently, tenderly, hon- » you know, honey!” laughing softly as her warm _cheek was pressed close against his face. ** And then—” “Do you begin to see, honey? Have I opened a shaft big enough to let light through that thick pate of yours, at last?” ‘You mean to play the penitent, on his ac- count?” **To play—you have hit it, precisely, honey! To play them all for suckers! To play them such a trick as their smartest man never even dreamed of! Andif you do your eae honey, ‘we can snap our fingers at ajl the sports in Christendom !” A faint sound startled them, just then, and Queen Esther guy extinguished the light. hen, in hurried whispers she more fully ex- plained her meaning to the eagerly-listening ambler, who expressed his full approval by a acm hug, then stole silently out of the cham- of CHAPTER XXXVI. JUDD VARLEY PAVES THE WAY. Iv was late that night before slumber rei : The citizens had so muc ed to The suicide of Todd Undermill. ‘The flight and death of Gypsy Gale. The death of more than one of their own number. The attempted robbery of the stage, ending in its death-leap over Satan’s Elbow. The marvelous escape of the fair passenger from a frightful death. Little wonder, then, that couches were ne- ok gleeted until a late hour. i Nor was the whole of the next day long enough * ot ’ _ for the citizens to talk the various subjects _ threadbare, particularly as it got wind that the fair passenger was none other than the sole * . __ living relative of the Big Bracer! his. papers, of | prone which to reach | : vc {lot -ne 5s See | AE eA Ue, ay ee Ie 2 = ‘ ypsy Gale had been forced to eave behina him, was enough to furnish one solid week’s discussion! Some were out looking for the bodies of Dick Mann and the Big Bracer, though they were fated to meet with complete disappointment. Beyond a reasonable doubt, both bodies had been caught in an eddy which sunk and fastened ; them in among the rocks with which the river- bed was lined so thickly. his past sins. As for myself, I would not have opened the subject at all, only for Miss Tem- pest. ‘** She asked me to make this little talk. She | begged me to tell you one and all that, up to ber arrival at Silver Lode, sbe had not even the ghost of an idea how the Big Bracer really made his money. He had never given her the slight- est hint as to the truth. She thought hima mine-owner, whose fortune came directly out of the earth, not by way of the card-table, through Judd Varley was very busy, too, though after | other men’s pockets! a different fashion. e secured a long inter- view with the lady, from which he came with grave, earnest face. And when, just after sup- per, word spread that the citizens were expected to assemble in the Open space before the hotel, be sure there was no need of force to make them attend. Material for a respectable bonfire had been collected, and as the torch was applied, and the ruddy light began to spread around, Judd Varley leaped upon a big box which a thought- ful hand had provided for the occasion, liftin one white hand to command both attention an silence, ** Gentlemen,” he said, his tones clear, grave, full of impressiveness; ‘‘1 ask your kind at- tention for a few minutes. I’m nothing of a public speaker, and if what I have to say sim- ply concerned myself, ’d hunt up some other way of getting at your ears,” ‘** Better bore then chaw ’em, 1’m howlin’!” Varley les until the laughter which greet- ed this whimsical assertion died away of itself, then he resumed: ‘*Tt’s no matter for jesting, gentlemen, and I hope you'll be white enough to listen without trying to play the fool.” ‘* That shets me up, boss! I’m friz out!” ‘You'll be stiffer than freezing can make you, if you chip in again without leave, my fine fellow!” sharply cried the tall gambler, his face stern as his voice, his gray eyes flashing dangerously. ‘‘I’m here to talk to you about an imporvant matter o’ business. [’m acting as mouthpiece for a lady, who is feeling too ill, too badly shaken, too utterly heart-sick—God bless her!—to utter the generous sentiments in ber own person. And as that lady’s representa- tive—” ‘*Go on, boss! We'll set down on the fu’st galoot as says a word)” Judd Varley smiled grimly. The ice was fair- ly broken, and he knew that strict order would be enforced from this time on. He had chosen his opening words right well! ‘The majority of you are by this time aware that the lady whom we were favored enough to rescue from what seemed certain death, is none other that Miss Tempest, the daughter and last living relative of the person whom we have known for so long as Gypsy Gale.” Though no words were distinguishable, an ugly muttering-came from the outskirts of the assembly at that name. Judd Varley frowned a bit, but spoke up sharply: ‘*T know what you are thinking, and I’m glad to see you have manhood enough to bite off your words rather than spit them out to shame and pain a lady! And to show how right you are in that—listen! ' ‘** You know [’ve been talking for a long time with Miss Tempest. It was by her own request, for she had caught some careless words which some fellow with more tongue than brains had let drop near enough for a daughter to hear how her loved parent was regarded, And—it was the toughest deal of my life, gentlemen!” his voice unsteady for a moment as though the memory still unnerved him, ‘* The lady insist- ed on my telling her everything I knew concern- ing Gypsy Gale!” Again that inarticulate muttering, but this time it expressed mingled wonder and admira- tion. “You're right, gentlemen,” bowed Varley, who seemed gifted with the power to read their thoughts through their faces, ‘It was little short of heroic in the poor child—I beg her par- don for the familiarity! But—you know what we all thought of the father. You know that he was a conscienceless scoundrel from the ground up. You know that, after I read the letter left behind by poor Todd Undermill, [ joined in the hunt for Gypsy Gale. You know that I tried my level best to bring him to the rope which his crimes had so richly merited. ‘You know all this, gentlemen, but when I listened to that poor, heart-broken child—when I saw her eyes weeping tears bitterer than the salt seas—when I made out what a generous sacrifice she had so firmly determined upon—it knocked me clean out of the ring! And in the truth, the honesty, the purity of the daughter, I forgot the sins of the parent!” A iow cheer broke forth as the tall gambler paused to moisten his lips and catch his breath after this passionate speech. He bowed his re- cognition, and a smile crept into his cool gray eyes. For he knew that his ends were sarely gained. All that remained was to clinch 1t. *¢ After all, the grave covers all, and Gypsy Gale bas cashed in for the last time, As he is dead, let’s try the best we know how to forget It’s your make it— . ‘ 7 a % ; rt. i _ acai a ef 4 ‘*1t was hard to make her comprehend every- thing, she was so innocent, so ignorant of what an evil man can do, More than once I tried to to get out of it before the end, but—well, you know how a woman can twist a man about her fingers,” with a faint laugh. ‘* When we parted, she knew all I could tell her about the Big Bracer and his little schemes. And I—gentlemen, I knew more about what a pure-hearted woman is capable of than I ever dreamed in all my life.” ‘‘ Are we to take it on trust, pardner?” ven- tured one of the company. ‘‘“You might, but you don’t have to! Miss Tempest made me agree to tell you everything, and now l’ve shown you something of how it come about, I'll string the rest of my cards, face up, for all to look at. ‘You know Gypsy Gale took all his papers with him. But you all know what property he left here and hereabouts, J know, and I gave a list of them to Miss Tempest. And she—now you’ve got it, gentlemen, ‘“‘She said, with tears filling her eyes, but with a voice as firm as ever the grittiest man owned, that she took charge of everything asa sort of sacred trust. Not from Gypsy Gale, mind you. Shenever gave bim a thought when she said that, [ll go bail. ‘‘She said that until the past was made clear, and every wrong fully righted, she would never know a peaceful moment. She begged me to lend her what aid lay in my power toward get- ting at the bottom facts in every case. She begged me, when I refused to take such a great responsibility on may lone shoulders, to see that the citizens were fully informed as to her firm resolve, so that they might help her choose good and true men to aid her in clearing the name i bore from even the slightest trace of rob- ery. hen, you don’t mean to say that she intends to restore all the winnings of the Big Bracer?”’ cried an amazed voice from the crowd, ‘‘ Not quite that, but just as good to all square men,” with a short laugh as he added: “I mean that she declares she will settle up the estate as rapidly as possible, turning it all into money, even at a sacrifice, and then restore every dollar that Gypsy Gale won by anything like es eey Isn’t that enough for any square man to 3 Isn’t that ten-fold more than any one man in all Silver Lode would do if chance had put him into the position this lady now occupies?” **'You bet it is!” “A snow-drift ’d sell fer a coal-mine ‘longside that. ‘‘ Whooray fer the little leddy, an’ split yer lungs, mates!” Those were the leading cries, but all the rest was drowned in the wild chorus of cheers and yells which followed, fairly making the hotel quiver on its foundations, And though he knew all this was started by his cunningly posted henchmen, Judd Varley smiled proudly, for he felt assured that his bold schemes were secure beyond the possibility of failure after this. Silence followed his uplifted hand as though it were a magic wand, but before he could speak he saw that this was caused, not by his act, but that of another. In the door of the hotel stood the false heiress, looking wan, worn, pale as a corpse, her hand also uplifted, CHAPTER XXVIII. A HEART-BROKEN, DAUGHTER. INSTANTLY the hat of the handsome gambler came off, with a mute confession that be felt un- worthy to stand covered in such a presence, His henchmen, ever taking their cue from their chief, promptly imitated his action, and almost ere the human eye could note the fact, not a single head remained covered in all that crowd, A small item, it is true, but mention of it is made simply to show how thoroughly Judd Varley had paved the way for what was next on the programme, If they were nigh bea: be game as evil as it was audacivuus, the pee were playing it for all it was worth, and howe that they could change their line of battle right in the face of the enemy without betraying their own weakness or missing a single int, point. As silence fell over the crowd, the false Olive Tempest lowered her hand, to aby it tightly over her heart. She leaned her head for an in- stant against the door-casing, like one whose emotions were overpowering, and whose strength had been too highly estimated. ‘Her heart’s bigger than her body—poor, sufferiug child!” Judd Varley cried compassion- ately, as he sprung from the box and hastened —_ - — ee ——— = -~ ——— rr re