Beadle's Dime Library No. 509 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

- ~ 5 Old Falcon, the Thunderbolt Detective. 15 aph, Therese selected the full address of Major , he Falconbridge, Detective, and without an instant’s delay, sent off the following dispatch: “Can you come to see me this afternoon, on im- portant business? Buried treasure, Immediate an- swer awaited and paid for." She then sunk into an eagerly-proffered chair, and amused herself by statuesquely paralyzing all comers and goers while awaiting the return dispatch. It came expeditiously: as Yes. ” A moment later, as Therese was about step- ping off the sidewalk at a corner street-crossing, a swiftly-driven horse, about making the turn quite noiselessly by reason of the smoothness of the freshly-sprinkled roadway, was jerked back almost to bis haunches in his driver’s effort to avoid running her down. As it was, she ran a very narrow escape, though without losing her composure as she stepped back—young women accustomed to be- ing fired out of cannons may be pardoned the possession of a certain masculinity of presence of mind, in fact. Then she looked up, exclaiming, sweetly: ‘ Ah, itis Monsieur Mairveen that would bave trampled my poor body to death, eh? Bonjour, mon fils |” ‘‘ Heavens! it is Madame Bertrande—the peer- less, the astounding, the only Travadeuse!” was was the exclamation in response, Then, having caused his horse to stand like a rock at the word, the speaker, who was none other than Joseph Mervyn, gallantly leaped out of the buggy, lifted his hat, and was profuse in his apologies. ‘*] had altogether forgotten that you lived in Tarrytown, Therese,” he said, at last. ‘You have found it out ata risk to me, at least.”” She laughed, to the added illumination of her rich brunette beauty and the disclosure of her perfect teeth. ‘‘ And how is monsieur, votre cousin? And have you drank any more champagne since the gay party we made at Delmonico’s after the circus? There were twenty of us, at least!” And then, without giving him a chance to ap she interrupted herself by bursting out: ‘What a beautiful horse! and the equipage is in kind. Ah, monsieur, you are then capablo of le mensonge—the prevarication! The wine opened your heart that night; you told me you were poor.” ‘‘T must still stand by my colors, Therese,” replied the young man, rather sheepishly, ‘‘ The turnout is not such as I can afford, and is, in ath a loan from a wealthy friend residing near ere, Which was strictly true, he having hit upon this inexpensive plan of offering Miss Merrivale a drive, and thus basely stealing a treacherous march on his elder cousin, notwithstanding the billiard decision. A sudden idea possessed Therese. **It is so early in the day, and the morning is lovely!” said she. ‘I don’t ofcen take drives,” He could do nothing else than offer her one, which was instantly accepted, and the next in- stant they were bowling along quite merrily, Pos mit mae that Joseph’s plans were some- what interrupted, Attractive as she was, he was sensible enough to know that she was altogether too expensive for more than transient wear; while the modest beauty of Retta had already engrossed his im- agination to the exclusion of pretty much everything else, P ‘“*Which way?’ was his first query, after whipping. ‘‘Have you any preference, mad- ame ‘*‘ Yes, since you are so obliging. Drive me to Yonkers, I want to see a young lady there who is going to give music lessons.” e looked at her in surprise, ‘*Can it be possible?” he exclaimed, ‘¢ Of course it can, my dear. Have I knocked you over with a feather, and why?” ‘*What is the name of your musical young lady, and whereabouts in Yonkers does she live?” ‘‘The latter you must find out forme, They tell me she is a Miss Merrivale.” ‘*The deuce! What an odd coincidence!” *“ What is, my son?” ‘*My meeting you, and so on. Ill be frank with you. Miss Merrivale is the very person | borrowed this equipage for.” . To invite her to drive with you?” ‘Well, that is really nice,” complacently. **T can make her acquaintance, after which you can take her a short spin; and then you can drive me back home. And, if you make your- self extra-agreeable (to me), it will take you to the Maison Godlove to lunch with me, How fortunately things sometimes turn out!” ‘*'Ye-es,” a little doubtfully. ‘“‘ What is the Maison Godlove?” _*My boarding-place, to be sure; and the an- tique old girl can perpetrate a fair-to-middling lunch, considering she isn’t French, Mund out, or you will run down that gentleman, as you so narrowly missed doing for me. Bon jour, cher ami !” Ah,. there! And she nodded gayly, with a kiss of her hand, to the gentleman jn question. who, as they flew past, only raised his bat with stiff formality, though with a swift glance, not of jealousy, but of surprise, at her companion, ‘‘ Hallo! another astonisher!” exclaimed Mer- vyp. ‘Why, that was that chap Mayfield.” ‘* A fellow-boarder of mine, whom I shall per- haps marry some day—if he behaves himself.” “You don’t say sof” “Tl say it in French, my dear, if my meaning was indistinct. But how did you chance to know my young Apollo?” ‘‘T don’t know him, save by name. He was pointed out to Jake and me but a short time ago. So you have booked him for the altar?” ‘*T said perhaps. My mind is not wholly made up, mon fils.” ‘Oh, but if his is, it’s all right.” And Joseph brightened up wonderfully. ‘*T hope you don't particularly envy him his good luck, monsieur.” ‘‘Candidly, and spite of your being sucha stunning beauty, Therese, [ rejoice at it, for my own sake,” ‘Don’t be enigmatical because I am an in- fant, my dear.” Joseph laughed, and seemed to reflect. ** Tl be guileless with you, then, since you are so specially innocent, Therese, His being in love with you precludes a fear I had—he is so infernally good-looking, you know—that he was in love with some one else,’ ‘* Ah! with the little Merrivale, for instance?” Ann Therese’s ‘innocence’ became astonishingly wide awake. ‘¢ Exactly.” ** And you are ambitious in that quarter your- self, eh?” sé Yes. ” ‘¢ What is she like, la petite Merrivale?” ‘You'll judge for yourself within twenty minutes—that is, if we find her at home, which is not unlikely.” ‘‘Tamimpatient. Tell me what she is like this instant, mon fils, or I shall administer maternal correction with my own whip,” ‘‘ She is a very beautiful young lady. ** Her age?” ‘¢ Almost twenty, I should judge.” * Tall or 4 er ” ** Gracefully tall and slender.” ‘** Blonde or brunette?” ** Brunette—I think.” ‘You think! What! you are in love with a girl without knowinggher complexion?” ‘Well, you see, my friend, Pve never hap- pened to see her in a very strong light.” ‘“Come, now!” said Therese, very gravely. “Tf you mistake me for a fool, mon ils, I shall be strongly tempted to throw you out of this carriage, neck and crop.” CHAPTER XXII. A MORNING DRIVE, JOSEPH burst out laughing. Three days: previous, nothing would have pleased him better than to have cut Mayfield out in the imaginary case, by winning for bim- self the bold regard of the dangerous and beau- tiful woman at his side. But since then he had seen Retta, and was fascination-proof, at least tor the magn pe ‘Tl be perfectly frank with you. Therese,” said he, after a pause, ** You've said that before, mon fils,” ‘* But now I think you can help me. That is,” a little anxiously, ‘‘ if I can be sure that you will not abuse my confidence,” ‘*My child, [am an angel in flesbly disguise for the reception of young gentlemen’s confi- dences, They take to me as naturally as ducks to the water, or little chicks to the maternal brooding wings.” ‘* No, but in earnest—upon your honor, as a woman, you know.” ‘*Upon my honor, then,” ‘* Let me begin, then, by requesting you not to address me by my surname in Miss Merri- vale’s presence, but as Mr. Josephs.” **Mr, Josephus, if you say so.” ‘* Mr, Josephs will answer.” ‘*T shall not forget, my dear.” ‘‘- You see, my Cousin Jake and I only intro- duced ourselves to her last night. I am, in the young lady’s estimation, Mr. or Herr, Josephs, a musical professor. Jake is Mr. Jacobs, my most promising pupil.” ‘“‘ How interesting! Is monsieur votre cousin also in love with her?” ‘‘ He sha’n’t have any show, if he is!” with a black look. ‘* Why should you think tbat?” ‘By the commendable zeal with which you both seem ‘to have initiated a scoundrelly de- ception with the young gir! at the outset.” ‘You speak plainly—for a beauty of your own immaculateness!” he sneered, ‘* Whatever I may be, or have been, mon- sieur,” said Therese, with an unusual quietness of manner, ‘‘ understand one thing. No pure young woman shall make one step toward wo- manly ruin, I being by, without my strong, if somewhat stained, hand pag stretched out to warn, to succor and tosave. I might make an exception in the case of one who had threatened —_—_—_—_— _LM CC re CO an SS a Oe eee Se to cross my own passions—there is so much of the Godless wretch in me that I don’t exactly know—but I hope not.” He looked at her in unaffected astonishment, With the shallowness of most thoroughly cor- rupt men—who at last can only judge others men and women by their own miserable stan- dard—he was incapable of conceiving that womanliness has an inborn sense of generosity for innocence in its own sex that no amount of corruption can ever wholly conquer or over- slaugh. The infamous Theodora sent a favorite noble- man to the bowstring for merely hinting of dis- honor to one of her girl-slaves—a poor but guileless clod from Numidia; Messalina herself had an oasis in her passion-parched desert of a heart for maidenly innocence when menaced; and it is well known that Russia’s imperial monster, Catherine I], while leading the rout of magnificent license at her guilt-starred iniqui- tous court, could frowningly wave back the hesitating yet fascinated steps of uncontamina- ted purity from the brink of its dazzling mael- strom. ‘‘ Therese, you surprise me!” was all that J ok could say. ‘7 have no doubt of it, for you are a man, and not a good one at that,” And ber lip slight curled, while he felt that her bold but clear eyes were eset ap through and through. ‘‘ Now go on with the story of your conspiracy—for it can amount to nothing else than that—and be careful that you omit nothing.” ‘* By heaven!” he cried, flushing, “‘it may be a conspiracy, but [ mean honorably. I would give my left hand, off at the wrist, to marry the girl!” ‘A left hand, eh? Perhaps Mr. Jacobs would give his right. But go on, I say.” He had said too wuch to draw back, leaving himself not a little at her mercy. Moreover, she still might help as against Mayfield, whose alleged enchainment at the Bertrande chariot wheel he was disposed to have some doubts upon, ‘¢ fl] make a clean breast of it,” said he, after another pause, occupied in meditatively flicking the flies off his horse, which was a daisy step- er. " And he did so, even to the cousinly joint con- nection with Old Falcon, the detective, with re- ard to the treasure-search; the probability that tta Merrivale was none other than Henrietta Mervyn, the treasure’s rightful owner, though doubtless ignorant of its possible recovery; the match yaree of billiards, with what had been staked thereon, of the preceding day; and the subsequent meeting with the young girl on the part of both cousins, Indeed, so astonished at himself was the young man for the unreservedness of his dis- closures, that he half-fancied they must have been evoked from him by some occult, mesmeric power in the adventuress at his side, and he al- ready pagan to regret not baving substituted a cunning fabrication for the truth. But, though he could not be aware of it, in no other way could he have so stimulated her selt- interest in his unworthy cause, so far as May- field’s possible rivalry was concerned. The weakness of the lJatter’s armor was at once exposed to her, True, Harvey, on his part, could not yet im- agine the young mill operative’s identity with the heiress to those stolen thousands, which she suspected him to have already made drafts, or a draft, upon. Sbe knew him to be not suf- ficiently base for that. But had not his chance meeting with the young girl, so fateful in its co- incidence, most likely bad some connection with his visit to the treasure itself? And could there finally be any better means of shaming bim out of the enchantment exerted, doubtless uncon- sciously, over bim by the purity and simplicity of the girl’s character, than by presenting the truth to bim, in connection with his own dis- honest appropriation of a portion of the treas- ur e For Therese had never known or guessed the true story of the stolen fortune before, She knew that, even as her own miserable and des- picable father’s heir-at-law, she could have no more claim to it than Mayfield, or any other chance discoverer; while any endeavor to even share the ill-gotten money with him would con- stitute a felony—something which she was not repared to risk, for La Travadeuse, apart rom the gratification of her ill-governed emo- tional desires, had ever held the criminal laws of any country in which she chanced to cast her lines in deep and abiding respect, — And, lastly, the Adonis-like image of the backsliding divinity student began to assume fairer colors and nobler proportions in her im- agination. She recalled even bis Bayard-like resistance to her own fascinations, a slight that had but recently both angered and disgusted her, to his advantage. He bad been, as she sup- posed, the transient idol of her cormorant sen- suousness; be was now something more—some- thing better, worthier and more durably precious. Was she, even La Travadeuse berself, really, purely, sentimentally in love at last, end with a man of more than the average morality, at GComicbooks — 6 eS er a eC ee - ee com =