Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 501 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

af — wert 2 ime SS ee 2 ner , . m fuss tak , o > . a 7 ; " ¥ +’ 4 Me , ‘tart < p 7 > , : = : . : ‘ ee a ie lle aetna” ie * = Sl te eS Se 22 ees A we re : , f “You see, it has become vitally important to Mr. Edgar Willard that this question, as to the | existence of a twin brother, should be settled at once,” ‘Or what?” * Well, then, confound it, ma’m! how would Elbe relish being suddenly deprived of the six undred a year in monthly installments through | present master of Willard | the liberality of the Manse?” Her countenance fell, but only for an instant. ‘**T wouldn’t like itat all, mister,” she composed- ly replied. 2 onless I revelated something I don’t know nothin about, I reckon I'd hev to.” “Pil fill out that ‘or’ in another way, Miss Raw. Would you rather withhold this piece of information, which I am certain you possess, or —have your present pension made twelve hun- dred a year, instead of six, and secured to you for hfe?” It was a glittering bait. Miss Raw had been starving-poor nearly all her wretched, unloved, hard-worked life, and even the fifty dollars a month had been the sudden realization of a financial beatitude beyond her wildest dreams, She was, moreover, moderately avaricious, Still, after the first shock, she caught her breath, shook her head slowly, and was her iron self once more. **T can’t tell what I don’t know, mister,” was her reiterated response, ‘* No, i couldn’t do that, much as I’d like to, fur all the gold in Golcondy. It would be simply unpossbile!” The detective coolly rose to go. ‘What! you ain’t a-goin’, air ye?” *“Oh, yes! There isn’t much use of my stay- irg here, Miss Raw.” ‘No; but it’s gettin’ sort of ‘long in the arter- noon, anc eff you mought be partial to a cup 0’ tea “long with me, Mr. Gray—” **Oh, thank you!” And the old detective was again in his seat as though a cup of tea were his chief end of existence, But alas! the tea came and it went—and not noticeably good or strong tea either—and the visitor’s sbrewdest diplomacy was still vainly exerted to obtain from the martiul spinster her faintest admission of knowledge with regard to the hoped-for twin. ‘Ti wever, it is something to have been in- vited to tea with the old girl,” grumbled Spring- steel to himself, as he drove out of the village in the thickening dusk, ‘‘Perhaps that twelve hundred a year went in a little deeper than was apparent, though I had no authority from Ed- gar in making it.” While passing along the precipitous roadway in the vicinity of St. Mary’s Lake, his horse suddenly shied, was then gripped by the head, there was @ flash, and a bullet sped past the driver’s ear. An aitack was being made by two men, one of whom held the horse, while the other was the immediate assailant. To drop the lines and produce his revolver was the work of an instant with the old detective, His main object, apart from his actual defense, was to identify his assailant, But this was not possible, by reason of the darkness, Before he could fire, a second flash followed the first, though not until his swift movement had again evaded the messenger of death, Then a sand-club descended with momentarily paralyzing effect upon his right shoulder, the buggy was overturned by a powerful heave, and he was sent headlong down the steep bank, while the horse was heard to gallop off with the equipage, helter-skelter, up the road. ‘‘Quick, Sam!” muttered a hoarse voice; ‘help me with this rock,” The discomfited Springsteel had just time to make himself small against the irregular face of the rocky slope down which he had plunged midway. Then an enormous fragment, loosened from the upper edge, went boundin past his position, its wind almost knocking the breath out of him in its descent, and was heard to go into the lake with an astounding splash, But by that time, or Me soon after, the tough old gentleman had climbed the bank; flash! bang! spoke his revolver, and one of the ruffians, proba ly the one who had stop the horse, was heard to utter a flerce oath, as if struck, But some one was heard driving up the road, and, before Springsteel could fire again, or wholly recover from his shaking UP, both men had jumped into an open field on the opposite BIR: and taken themselves off at the top of their speed. | Pho detective, without making any intimation to the passing team, which had been whipped up as though its driver had been seriously alarmed by the echoing shots, crouched out of sight, and paves in the hope that his cowardly assailants might venture upon a re- turn. But he waited in vain, ‘‘Deuce take it! what a fine chance lost,” he muttered, while continuing on his way on foot, even sorer from the sand- blow than from his tumble down the benk, “ My life on it, that chief scoundrel was none other than O'Meara iw : . ‘ | a a, a %, “ ¢ 2 be = MPs § Fe vx ” © 2 . y 4 ni “ aM a o§ 2 ven *< a ry fre rss ‘x } “g A ‘*But eff I was obliced to lose it, | | ment, ce ta net * ‘a r We , Ba alll aed o> \ ~~ 4 ba himself, but of course there would be no way to prove it!” In the mean time, the overturned buggy had righted of itself, and the runaway horse, after recovering from his fright, had jogged on sta- bleward, finally arriving unattended at the head of the manse driveway, much to the consterna- tion of Edna and her husband, But only a little later the genial old detective himself put in an appearance, having accepted a welcome lift on the part of a farmer who had chanced to be driving 1m the right direction. ** You must both be careful to keep as dumb as fish over the affair,” was his caution while Edna was bathing his bruised shoulder with lini- ‘“‘Tf O'Meara was my principal assail- ant, as I haven’t the least doubt, he mustn’t be permitted to take undue alarm.” ‘You didn’t see his companion’s features either, I suppose?” inquired Edgar, who was standing by. ‘**No; but the other one addressed him as Sam.” a Ah! doubtless some chance-picked confeder- ate. Three or four days later, the old detective, while at luncheon, looked up from his New York leg sos with a satisfied little snort, ‘*My love,” said he to his daughter, ** you will oblige me by putting a few extra shirts and the like into my grip-sack with the least possible delay. I must be off by the next train,” Both Edna and Edgar looked up in no little surprise. ‘* Off to where, and’ why?” demanded the for- mer. “What is up?” inquired Edgar, This!” was the reply to the last question, and, marking a certain paragraph, Mr. Gray handed them the newspaper, It was a general item of interest, alluding to a mysterious and picturesque old man, whose name was not known, but whose mania for dis- covering hidden piratical treasure had made him somewhat notorious along the coast in the neighborhood of certain fashionable resorts for a number of years past, He was last seen near Long Branch, a few days previous, and had quitted that locality, it was supposed, for Fire Island. “* Aha!” said old Springsteel Steve, rubbin his hands; **you’re both onto my little gama, see. ‘*T hope it will amount to something,” ob- served Edgar, while Edna hurried away to make the gripsack ready. ‘Tt isn’t bound to, but there’s some hope, my boy. In the mean time, you’re to keep an odd eye on Miss Raw, and you shall be kept in telegraph communication with me, in case of emergencies,” ; CHAPTER XXY, RED O’MEARA IN A NEW ROLE. NotHine of note happened at the manse for several days after the detective’s departure, save that Miss Raw called, by 5 request, to fit a couple of new dresses for Edna, The spinster seemed to appreciate both the profit and the honor, and manifested a becom- ingly subdued and mollified spirit in a general way. OBut she was as close-lipped to the young couple’s advances, with regard to the grand- father’s supposititious twin, as she had been to the detective’s, and finally took herself off with her work without having vouchsafed a singlo shred of information, if, indeed, there was any to be afforded, which Edna ‘on her part was much disposed to doubt, However, a few mornings later, when they had returned from a horseback jaunt, the finish- ed work was received back, and, written down at the bottom of the-dressmaker’s bill, which was pinned to the bundle, were the following words; “How much would bo settled on Miss R.. for life, 2 oopaerngae for telling something worth know- nye ‘** Poor Miss Raw writes better than she talks,” commented Edna, when looking over the bill on the viazza at her leisure. ‘*A significant ques- tion that she asks here, Edgar, and there’s not a misspelled word in the lines! But wait; it con- trasts the wording of the bill oldly in that re- spect, and seems to be in a different hand- writing too,” Willard hastily took the bill, “The deuce!” he muttered, as soon as his eye had scanned the written inquiry. ‘‘ owcan have got hold of the woman?” Edna had remarked him turn pale. ‘* What do you mean?” she asked. “That odd poral ste which otherwise we might place no little hope in!” * Well? “Tt is in Red O’Meara’s handwriting!” She took the alarm at once. i J “*O’Meara’s! Are you sure?” ** Perfectly. He hus forgotten, or not cared, to disguise it; and J remember its peculiarities of old as well as I do my own.” *“This is terrible!” exclaimed Edna, after a pause, é j - She wasin ber favorite porch-chair, but the | their drive yesterday, because of the fashion magazine she had intended looking over and the weather is delightful to-day,” - . 7 S io h i Lipeteoe: * & bad yt thn Wi z j 0 we re a a ee ee 4 os : ei d at ne . ee Te i cece ene — eg Se eel ee ema 6 ae otal . . —_ aw , f, ee ae ay Ps ~ : z 4 , ee eet gs a 7 =, Springsteel Steve. gs th ML, ew Fé $ a . s i was neglected in her lap, with the leaves uncut, and her whole attitude was expressive of her dejection, not to say of consternation. ‘* Not so bad as that, I hope,” said, Edgar, with something of restored cheerfulness. ‘* Let us not borrow trouble before it is upon us, my darling. It is one of your good father’s prime maxims.” “Yes, yes; I know. But this is so evidently that scoundrel’s renewed attempt upon you, and in such an unexpected form.” * True; but the masking of an attack neces- sarily implies the accompaniment of wuncer- tainty, if not of fear.” **Oh, I hope so, I hope so!” ‘* Let us wait till the blade is bared before we fear its thrust. Come, think no more of it,” **T must, Edgar; I can't helpit! How could that man have known of Miss Raw, besides divining our intentions regarding her?” Kdgar gave an asionished start. * Look down the drive!” he exclaimed. “There is your answer!” Edna obeyed, and with renewed consterna- tion, A stylish team was approaching, and bebind it was— Miss Libby Webb, under the dashing es- cort of Mr. O’Meara! A moment later and Miss Libby, after a timid overture, had folded Edna in her embrace, which seemed grander and more expansive than ever. “Oh, my darling, you are looking!’ with her customary gasping effusiveness, ou know, I beard, though at second hand from hurff Langley, that you wouldn’t disject being friends again, so 1 jest couldn’t keep away an- other minute. How do you do, Mr. Willard? By the way, where’s my perliteness? Let me interduce” (with much impressiveness) ‘*‘ Count Omeerando!” Tbe “count,” who had duly fastened his team, and was viewing these endearments with an amused smile, bowed with a certain grandeur that could readily have passed muster as belong- ing to the haut noblesse, e was fashionably dressed, just not over- burdened with jewelry, bore himself finely, and gave not the slightest indication of ever having seen Willard Manse or its inmates before, ‘*He’s a real nobleman, and he’s bcarding with us for the summer,” whispered Miss Libb at the first opportunity. ‘* You mustn’t give it away on no account, dear Mrs. Willard, more especially to Shurff Jake, but the count’s dead stuck on me already, and he has condescended how sweet, how splendid exclaimed the new arrival, to say that [ put him in mind of the Empress of | Rooshy.” ‘“You have a fine old place here, Mr. Wil- lard,” the count had gravely observed to Edgar, | : without the slightest change of countenance, $ Puts me in mind of my own villa in the Rivi- era. ‘‘Tam glad of that,” was the young man’s equally disembarrassed reply. “ ¢ of the Italian nobility, I presume?” ut,” with a languid air, In such a paradise of fair “Yes, rather, ** dash the nobility, women (an enthusiastic gesture in Miss Libby’s — direction) as free America, who would not content with your democratic institutions?” ‘““We manage to content ourselves, count, But Italy is also noted for her fair women, I have heard,” ou are then *D0; ; - A gesture of indifference was the response, followed by an acoring glance toward the su- ~ perabundance of charms in the person of his — fair companion, that was uot lost upon her; after which the count bowed majestically to both ladies, as if in acknowledgment of the collec- tive beauty of the country’s feminine repre-— sentatives at large. Tt was merely a brief visit_ of ceremony, and, we after declining a not particularly pressing invi- ye to remain for lunch, it was brought to an end. see the baby, Mrs. Willard?” But that’ boon was denied her, by the baby being asleep, and the visit off, | Edna looked, with renewed anxiety in her in- quiring glance, at ber husband, who ordere after luncheon. ‘‘What shall you do, Edgar?’ she asked. “* And where are you going?” ee) **Can’t you guess, my love?, In the first place to the telegraph station, to notify your) father of these doings—he was at Long Beach at last accounts—and then to have an explanation with | Miss Raw.” ‘‘ Do let me go, too, Edgar?” Ho hesitated. “No danger threatens you personally,” pi Ad o objected, ‘* and—somehow, though I don’t why, I dread to leave the baby alone.” . ‘ Alore? But bis nurse would be with him and here is the house full of servants, with * know Albert never out of sig t. However,I have it!” Se aye ‘Take the canopy-top Surrey, — and bring baby and nurse along! They =) BRR.) "comicboo Fr LK i ; we if sti bs ; | : ws IAS ers eo Ae ‘Oh, dear, I haven't seen the baby!” cried \ Miss eth at the last moment. ‘“Do let me — y reason of ors drove forthwith a conveyance to be in readiness directly __ , 7 | ae tf 2 ait ~~ J t ~ ae > ANS 4 “1 4 as a a” 1 ” £ & / { bo - Ly » Vr ‘ -. = ag + ¢ - rs raf 5 3 °