Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 513 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

- Jetter had come. 20 covery rewarded him, and, just as the sun was disappearing behind the western hills, he again neared the village on the west side, He was re- turning without a clew to Texas Tartar’s fate, or to the smugglers, but thatdid not by any means indicate that no clews existed, Lack of time had compelled him to move rapidly, and if he had had nothing else to demand his attention, he would have set ont with perfect confidence that he could run the free-traders to earth. Reaching a point almost opposite to where Texas Tartar had, presumably, been shot the nighc before, the mountaineer paused, leaned upon his long rifle and looked thoughtfully across the lake. “ Thar’s one thing I must get Tim Purcell ter do,” he thought. ‘* Because I couldn’t find the body, ter-day, ain’t no sign but it will drift ter shore, an’ I must hire the Irishman ter look for it often. He’s a good, hones: soul, an’a right handy ally ter have.” A fresh gust of wind whirled along the beach, and Yank closed his eyes to protect them from dust. When he reopened them he shanced to look down near his feet, and there lay a white, folded paper. All things were worthy of atten- tion then, and hoe quickly picked it up. It proved to be a sheet of note-paper, and, when unfolded, reveaJed a surface well-covered with writing. Yank read it slowly: ‘**T write this to say that I am not sure I can meet you Sunday evening, according to promise Snould T fail to appear, you must not be too much disap- pointed. It is necessary that I should use great care, for discovery at this moment means great annoyance, to say the least. The young mistress of Westerley house has keen eyes and an active mind, and I am afraid it will not be possible to deceive her much longer. She mus/ not suspect us. You lately declared that her influence over me was greater than yours, but you were wholly wrong. She is an estimable girl, but my affections rest only with ou. **Once more let me caution you not to even think ofthe smugglers. You injured my feelings when ou accused me of being in league with them, Eve. xcuse me; you did not so accuse me; but it amounted to just that. I know nothing about them; I never spoke to one of their number unless, indeed, the fellows with whom I taiked on the beach were of that stripe, as you suspected. I can’t say; I met them by chance as they landed in their boat. Now, dismiss this matter from your mind. Once let it go abroad that I am an ally of the smugglers, and I should be ruined; besides, it would put an eternal stop to our marriage. George Hendricks is not the aman to look kindly on such a person. There are other reasons. ‘Now, I may be at the rendezvous—I will be there if I can—but it may be impossible. I wish I could see you, for | am anxious to convince you that I know nothing about the smugglers. If I do no/ meet you, please destroy this no’e at once for the sake of the man who loves only you.” There it ended, minus signature as it had been without beginning; but a harvest by no means small had been cast at Yank’s feet. He held a letter written to Eve Hendricks by her faithless lover, and it revealed a good deal. The writing was peculiar enough to suggest that it was disguised. Evidently the author was careful to cover up his tracks as far as possible. The reference to the smugglers, and the gen- eral tone of the letter, indicated that va bad already begun to doubt him, and that ‘the young mistress of Westerley house” was an un- conscious factor in the case; while it was even more clear that Grizzly George’s daughter had in some way stumbled upon important secrets in which the free-traders played a pars. The letter gave no real clew to the nature of her discoveries, but they had led her to ques- tion her lover, if not to accuse him of connec- tion with them; and the vehement way in which he protested bis innocence migbt well arouse the belief that he had been guilty of all she sus- pected. As a whole, the letter could not be taken as roof of Robert Kendall’s mnocence, If he had n the faithless lover, this letter, with its ref- erence to “the young mistress of Westerley house,” and to the smugglers, was such as he might have written, Yank shook his head as he carefully placed it in his pocket, but he was not done with it. Tbe gust of wind had deposited it at his feet— where had it picked it up? The paper was thick and closely folded, and it was clear that it could not have been carried far. If the ex-lovers’ rendezvous was near at hand, other evidence might await him. Nevermiss began the search. Just below, the shore-line was extremely rough and rocky, and it was from there the He went about the search zealously, but a short time sufficed to show that & postponement was necessary for the night. _ Darkness was paernaags so fast that all ob- Jects became indistinct, and he reluctantly de- - ided to defer further work until morning. CHAPTER XXVII. NORMA HEARS STARTLING NEWS. “‘MEES VESTERLEY, shall I speak mit you we Aye rd ati ae bn @ speaker was Jacob Ilbraham, and he ad- dressed Norma as she was hurrying home _ ‘through the twilight. She was nothing if not Texas Tartar. faithful, and had again been to visit her ac- cused lover in his prison quarters, Jacob’s sudden appearance startled her for a moment, but his manner had never been more polite and bland—his humble bows threatened to dislocate his neck. She remembered that help might come to Robert from the Ubrahams, and she became gracious at once, ‘* Certainly, Mr, Ilbraham,” she replied. ‘My son, Levi, and I t’ink dot we may have somet’ings imbortant,” ‘** About Mr. Kendall?” ** Vell, you know the Vidow Shenkins?” ‘* Mrs. Jenkins? I know her by sigbt.” **Shust so. Vell, she gomes into our store to-day, und my son, Levi, talks mit her. At first she says not’ings of use, but pretty ke-veek she shanges her talk. My son, Levi, Vinks she haf peen drinkin’ somet’ings strong. ‘** Hef | vas a man,’ say sbe, ‘I vould soon kevetch dem smooglers.,’ *** How you do it? say my son, Levi. ***T baf the glue,’ say she. ‘The ‘ glue,’ Mees Vesterley, means a knowl- edge more den most folks haf.” **A clew; yes, I understand, Mr. Ilbraham. Pray go on!” ‘** Vat glue you baf? say my son, Levi. *** Der lover off Eve Hendricks vas von of dem,’ say Meesis Shenkins, *** Who vas Eve’s lover? say my son, Levi. *** Ah! ton’t you vish you know? say she. ‘I may liff in a poor house,’ say Meesis Shen- kins, ‘ but I vas not von fool. Eveand her lover haf peen inside my barlor many a time, and eef Eve vas alive she vould tell who the smooglers vas, for soe vould haf no mercy on her lover, now he haf deserted and kill her.’ ‘* By dot time, Mees Vesterley, my son, Levi, vas all interest, und he try to learn more, but Meesis Shenkins, she stop talk right avay, ke ss She vas going to leave de store, but oop oes. ‘**Meesis Shenkins,’ say I, ‘vas you a goot voman to sew mit a needle? ***T vas der boss,’ say she, **Den [tell her I haf sewing that moost be done, und I vould hire her eef we agree on terms. I vas too peezy to talk then, I say, but I ask her to coom this eefning at nine o’clock, as we vas glosing der store. She vas glad to get vork, and she say she vill come, but, Mees Ves- terley, I haf no vork for her. It vas von trap set for her to hellup you.” Then Jacob made a very profound bow. ‘** How, Mr. [lbraham? ‘*Meesis Shenkins ees a poor voman mitout money, and my son, Levi, and I tink she vould do ’most anyt?ings for money. Now, suppose when she call you be hiding in my store vere you can hear all, and I gif her money to tell her story, and you listen to all, but show your- self not atall, Den you know der secret.” The plan was plausible and simple, but Norma felt an immediate shrinking at the idea of enter- ing Ilbraham’s store under such circumstances and at such an hour. ** Are you sure she will come?” she asked. ‘* Yes, Mees Vesterley.” 4, She may only have been talking nonsense to ou. ‘* Dot vas true, but ve tell by trying.” One moment more Norma hesitated; then she thought of Robert and her decision was made. ‘*T will come,” she said. ‘Very vell, Mees Vesterley.” **Can you arrange so that I shall not be seen?” ‘* My son, Levi, vill do that. He haf a lon head—oh! my, how shrewd, and noble, an good dat boy vas. He should bea toctor ora shudge. Yes, Levi vill arrange, and all vill be retty eef you come at a kevarter to nine.” ‘*T will do it.” The idea was still hovering in Norma’s mind that she might be making a mistake, but the decision was reached and she would hesitate no longer. Mr, Ilbraham seemed to be pleased; he declared that he and his son, Levi, were devoted to Miss Westerley’s interests; and then he said a few more words and, bowing profoundly, went his way. _ It was nearly dark, and Norma lost no time in getting home. Captain Grandford and Albia were in the parlor, but she desired to think, rather than talk, and she went to her chamber at once. Her thoughts did not prove pleasant, for, try as she would, she could not get over a shrinking at the idea of business, or other association with the [lbrahams. Since their coming to Powderhorn Mile they had made a class, small as if was, by themselves; and they had heen the objects of both ridicule and suspicion. Norma’s prudence remonstrated against her going alone to the store at night. She had just arrived at this point when Albia appeared. Her affectionate friend had feared that she wasilJl, and when the facts had been told, it looked nearly as bad to Albia. That Norma was going on such a journey, and wanted her company, appeared to be double madness, Albia, however, was by no means a coward, Lae, ‘ * y “a= 7 ~— and she was a devoted friend. Such being the case, she did not keep Norma long in suspense, She decided to go, and said so as bravely as possible. The appointed time was drawing near, and they made their preparations at once. When they first came to Powderhorn Mile, David had given Norma a revolver, and she now added to Albia’s uneasiness by bringing it out, Albia could not have been induced, she believed, to touch it, and its appearance on the scene was another proof that the braver girl regarded the expedition as dangerous. Nothing happened on the way. They reached Ilbraham’s store, but were not obliged to enter the room where public business was done, Levi bad been on the watch, and, making his ap- pearance, he ushered them into the office through aside door. He evidently tried to be very jo- lite and respectful, but nothing could keep down the flippancy and self-conceit which formed such an important part of his nature, Business was lively in the store, but it soon dragged. The girls had heen left alone, and from the office they watched tbe scene. The lbrahams were at their old game, and tried in every case to cheat their customers, but they were prudent enough to talk more quietly than usual. Norma, however, heard aad saw enough to make her more disgusted than ever with her allies. The last customer finally departed, and close at bis heels trod the chief character of the ex- pected drama, Mrs. Jenkins. Sbe was culy welcomed by Jacob, but IJbraham, Junior, closed and locked the door to keep out other customers. Mrs. Jenkins was not a woman to entrance an artist or draw inspired rhymes from a poet. She was middle-aged; she was homely; she was very masculine; she had a hard, reckless ap- pearance; and the color of the rose was on her upturned proboscis. Jacob was not poetical, and the odor of poor whisky which was borne to his nostrils did not dismay him, He brought out goods and ex- lained what sewing be wanted done, and as Neri. Jenkins was, apparently, much in earnest, the business went on briskly. Terms of pay- ment were mentioned, but Jacob did not closa the contract. He leaned back in his chair and spoke agg opti ai ‘‘Ket is very hard to make a lifing here, Vidow Shevkins. ‘The gost off getting goots ‘way oop here is terrible, and only dot I am economical I sbould fail very keveek,” ‘‘Why don’t yer buy o’ the smugglers?” de- manded Mrs, Jenkins, ‘* Vere vas their office?” asked Jacob, smiling. ‘¢ That’s easier asked than told.” ‘You ttinks dot Eve Hendricks knew apout dem, though.” ‘‘Come, now; don’t be bringin’ up that played-out subjick.” 5 ‘*T haf mooch curiosity apout it, Vidow Shen- kins. I vould like to know all dot there vas apout dot subject.” ‘Go ask Sheriff Troy.” ‘Ah! I know petter asdot. A voman can tell more, and see furder into a t’ing, than all der sheriffs. I am very anxious to find out all apout eet, for Iam afraid I get sheated py dose smooglers, an’ break oop my peesiness. I gif you von dress off of dose goots, to tell me vat ou know,” He had bid high for her aid. The dress was not the only decoy. If Ubraham’s business was broken up, Mrs. Jenkins could not get the work she desired. The liquorshe bad taken made her confiding, and she looked at Jacob in a very friendly way. Such, at least, was the conclu- sion watchful Norma arrived at. ‘‘There’s one thing about it,” declared Mrs, Jenkins; ‘this mustn’t go abroad,” ‘‘ Mine kracious! I should be der last man to de}] it aproad!” exclaimed the Jew. ‘Ef itll help you about yer business, I'll tell ye all I know,” Mrs, Jenkins promised, ‘Dot vas goot. Did Eve Hendricks know apout der smooglers?” ‘‘She found out a good ’eal.” ‘¢ Was der man she used to meet in your house von of der band?” ‘¢She accused the critter of it.” ‘* Who vas he, Meesis Shenkins?” ‘¢ A man too proud an’ selfish ter marry Eve, so he threw her over an’ went a-courtin’ the rich lady 0’ Westerley House!” CHAPTER XXVIII. THE MYSTERIOUS BLONDE MAN. ILBRAHAM thought he heard a faint ery from the office, and he waited, busying himself with some trifle, until be thought Norma was in con- dition to listen carefully. ’ ‘“ Vy," he then replied, ‘‘who pesides Robert Kendall haf go gourting at Vesterly house?” ‘* Did I say anybody had?” ‘‘ Surely, Meesis Shenkins, you ton’t mean dot Robert vas der man, really?” **T don’t know.” ‘* How vas dot?” ; ‘*‘ He was always disguised,” **Vot for?’ ‘““So he wouldn’t be knowed, o’ course, He had a blonde wig an’ false beard, an’ he pub ~ v ‘ = te »_ Vv i ad : — | ili