Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 535 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

~ know all about all of the tricks. 12 ward the glittering array of glasses and decan- ters behind the bar. ——— ‘‘ Nickels, dimes an’ dollars!” he muttered, | that wistful look deepening in his face as abe sé f t temptation assailed bim more strongly. I only could—an’ why not?” His head flew back, shaking those flaxen locks behind his ears. He cast his little eyes over the ag Ba half sheepishly, half brazenly. Dandy Dutch. ————_>————— No one sought to follow him, Not a hand was lifted to stay bis flight, Possibly because all present were more or less thoroughly acquainted with the cunning tricks by which protessional bummers and dead-beats manage to secure a living! (f any person had taken the trouble to have followed the avowed suicide, and they had been cunning enough to escape his notice, their doubts would speedily have been decided by his ‘Gents, you all jest a bit ago see me bring up | the last scrapin’s from bed-rock., You see that couldn’t call the gang to water, fer they wasn’t nothin’ to pay the wharwith. An’ you've looked on while the boss ’ve niggered fer these many a turrible lovg spell—you’ve wiped tears o’ sym- pathy out o’ the two eyes o’ ye jest fer seein’ a white man kicked out o’ house an’ home an’ chuck an’ moistness, long o’ no fault o’ his’n, nuther, An’ now— “I do reckon I could die happy ef I hed jest one weenty bit bottle o’ mountain dew fer to brace me up while starvin’ to death in naked misery! An’ so—who’ll lay a bottle that he kin onkiver the little joker fu’st time 0’ tryin’?” 3 ‘Isn't that just a little one-sided, stranger?” laughed the prospector. ‘ You're ape %eordin’ to your own say-so, Then howef you lose the bet?” : : ‘¢ How kin I lose, an’ me doin’ the throwin’?” grinned the man with the shells, impudently. ‘‘Then you mought as well ask the feller to | give ye the whisky!” the miner growled, turning | away with a scowl of disgust, ‘“ Ef it warn’t 7 for the looks of it. Ef it wasn’t that gamblin’ tuck the bitter edge off, an’ made a gent feel that he hedn’t fell so pa low as to beg—beg? An’ time was when I could—” ~ Solemn Saul seemed to choke over the bare memory, bis head drooping, his face Poe longer, his whole being the picture of hopeless misery and dejection. Yet his long fingers kept the shells and the little joker moving nimbly, defying the eye to keep certain track of the little black pea. Although it was difficult to think that this fellow was anything more than a cunning | fraud, one of the gentlemen present presently | said: ‘‘The bottle goes, stranger, if only as a re- ward for your perfect acting. Hide your joker, and if I don’t show him up, play I }9se.” ‘“ Honest?” eagerly asked the man of woe. ‘* An’ you won't kick ef I do cheat the two eyes 0’ ye? Fer iv’s part ‘o’ the game, an’ I couldn’t play it square ef I tried double hard. lve got to cheat ye, boss!” “Tf you can,” laughed the other. “I’ve seen the game before, and flatter myself I Do your best, for if I catch on, you'll have to bunt up another suckez.” : | Solemn Saul squared himself, and set the shells to flying, over and under, right and left, © so swiftly that they seemed moved by a magnet | instead of his fingers alone, | His usual air ot listless despondency had van- ished, and if the stake bad been his own life, he could not have worked more earnestly. | ‘** All set, boss!” he weg: said, with a sigh of anxiety, as the hand of the gentleman hung over the little table. ‘‘ I’m cheatin’ ye, sir, | boss, your Honor. The little joker is thar, but you don’t know the way to pick him out. Fer when they’s so much— Didn’t I tell ye so” | He laughed grimly as the gentleman lifted a | shell, to find the space below unoccupied. And | he laughed again, as the man picked up both of | —— ee ee ae the other shells with the same result. — ‘‘Where is the joker anyhow?” with a half- | laugh, half-frown, ‘ It isn’t in your hands, for | I made sure of that at first, It isn’t—” | With a deft touch on the lower surface of the | table, Solemn Saul caused the pea to pop up out of a cunningly-hidden pocket in the cloth. _ | “The bottle is yours. Give him his choice, | barkeeper.” actions, ‘Solemn Saul quickened his pace the instant he cleared the brightly illumined doorway, burry- ing to the nearest corner around which he whipped, to turn and cautiously peer back, like one who expects an attempt at espial. If any such attempt had been made, it must have been detected by those keen eyes, thanks to the broad sheet of light coming through the open door and the bigh, wide windows on either side. But no such spy was to be seen, and with a long breath of relief, Solemn Saul hastened away, keeping in the deepest shadows where his too uncommon attire might run the less risk of attracting unwelcome attention. Down one street and up another he hastened, never for a moment at a loss which course to select, betraying a remarkable knowledge of the town for one who had never been noticed in Pros- pect previous to the night before the present one. Though still classed simply as a mining-town, Pro t was of considerable size and growing steadily in importance, containing some four thousand inhabitants, in addition to a consider- able floatin ae eg oe It was fair y well Jaid out, and could boast of a number of nice buildings, though not to be com- pared with older and more populous towns in that respect. There was an air of ‘“‘ newness ” about the place, and nothing like uniformity in the style of architecture, while as the center of business was left bebind, the houses were scat- tered and irregularly planted. The long legs of the man in livery quickly earried him into a quarter confined to dwell- ings, and at length he came to a halt not far from a modest story and a half frame building, standing by itself in a fair-sized inclosure. The yard was well stocked with shrubbery, and the sweet scent of roses in bloom came floating or the cool night air. Crouching in the shade, Solemn Saul gazed keenly, searchingly around him in all direc- tions, his actions those of one who meditated a burglary rather than one about to bid adieu to a world of sorrow, So far as he could see, there were no persons afoot in that immediate vicinity, and when thoroughly convinced that his actions were not being spied upon, the man in livery stole silent- ly into the yard, gaining a position not far from the house, Crouching down beside a fragrant rose bush, he put a band to his lips and sounded a low, peculiar whistle, repeating the signal twice, then pausing as if for an answer. It was not long delayed, though it did not come in kind, A tall, cloaked figure made its appearance, pausing when fairly clear of the eee as though uncertain which direction to take. ‘‘ Don’t ye be skeered, ma’am, an’ take to runnin’ away ef ye see the figger of a man climbin’ up out o’ the dark, now!” gently warn- ed Saul Sunday as he rose from bis place of con- cealment, ‘* It is—is you!” faltered the cloaked figure, shrinking back as though alarmed. . ‘“Cross my heart ef it ain’t, honey—I mean ma’am!” earnestly declared Sunday, moderat- ing his eager pace lest that flight become a fact. ‘*Good Lawd!” heaving a mighty sigh as he clapped a hand over the region occupied by bis heart. ‘‘Ef you loved—ef you felt as hard es J do, ma’am, you’d know me with the two pritty eyes o’ ye clean shet up tight to never open!” ‘* T recognize you now, but,” with coy hesita- tion in-figure as in voice, ‘‘ what must you think of me, sir? I never was guilty of so bold an ac- ‘‘ An’ now fera hole in the dark wharI kin tion before, and—” git b’iled ow] drunk!” CHAPTER XIV. SOLEMN SAUL AS A LOVE R. SOLEMN SavUL closed his table and pocketed | his shells as he uttered these words, turning to- ward the bar with bis little gray eyes sparkling | vividly. The barkeeper handed forth a bright labeled flask, which was hidden wlth remarkable celeri- ty in one of those black-bound pockets. “Good-evenin’, gents, all,” he bowed, nerv- ously edging away from the bar toward the outer door. ‘‘ Looks mighty boggish, I’m free to ‘fess, but ef you'll stop long enough fer to ‘sider the peculiar circumstances, mebbe you'll be kind enough fer to overlook it jest this once, ‘Time was—but now: only this weenty bot- tle atwixt me an’ the cold, onpityin’ world!” With a sigh that almost degenerated into a snuffie, the Sad Man from San bead and shuffled out of the saloon, looking like one who had no further hope, no prospect save that of leaving the cruel world by the shortest possible route! Saba bowed his | ‘Ef I only dared!” fervently murmured Sun- day, as he drew nearer, ‘‘ Ef I wasn’t skeered it’d set you. to trimblin’ an’ runnin’ away with skeeriness at the heat o’ my feelin’s, ma’am|! Only fer that, I wouldn’t ax nothin’ better then | to tell you jest what an’ jest how mighty much I think o’ you! Good Lawd—yes, sir, ma’am!” **T didn’t mean—I meant bow you must—how foolishly weak and silly you must think me, to conseat to meet an almost stranger in this man- ner,” murmured the woman, still visibly shrink- ing from bim. | lemn Saul paused, putting his hands behind him like one doing his utmost to resist tempta- tion, heaving a dolorous sigh the while. | Per what am I, ’sides bein’ a stranger? A | pore, mis’able, ruined critter! A man that was a man once, but who is only a walkin’ ghost—” | A faint sbriek checked his gloomy speech, _ and a woman drew closer to his side like cne mutely begging protection! “¢ Don’t—pray don’t speak of—ugh !” witha | shiver that ended in a tremulous little sigh as she yielded to his ardent embrace, “If you | knew what a holy borror I have of—of those ; ful creatures!” C—O —_—— ae Bae ek a ‘* Dreadful no end!” mournfully acquiesced Sunday, discounting that musical sigh with one that seemed to come from the ground heneath his feet, so deep, so hollow, so full of woe was it. **‘ An’ how much more dreadfuller the wim- men does make ‘em, too! Sometimes ('m clean *shamed o’ bein’ a man, jest fer that!” ‘*] meant ghosts, stupid|” with a short laugh, drawing back as far as bis long arm would per- mit. ‘* And why are you so bitter against the women, pray tell me, sir?” ‘* Not ag’inst all,” was the basty reply. ‘* Not ag’inst wimmen like you, Fanny— Miss Black, I meant to say, ma’am. But-- Story Ann!” This time Fanny succeeded in her attempt to free herself, perhaps because the effort was made in earnest. And with her tall, willowy figure drawn erect, her face showing white in the star-light, she almost sharply demanded: ‘Whom do you mean by Glcry Ann? Who isshe? What is she to you?” ‘*Wuss then nothin’, honey—ma’am,” stam- mered Sunday. ‘Jest a p’izen critter who— who run off with a handsomer mav, Jest—” Fanny struck down the band that offered to. touch her, drawing back and folding the cloak still more closely about her form, ‘*Not yet, Mr, Sunday, if you please,” her tones almost freezing as they fell upon his ears. ‘“*T want to know more about this Glory Ann of oo Why did she run off? Why did she ave torun off from you, even with a hand- somer man, as you put it? Answer me, sir!” and her foot tapped the ground sharply. “Durn Glory Ann!” groaned the man of misery, the picture of dejection. ‘‘ Wish’t she’d done broke her pesky neck afore she got through runnin’ !” Fanny bad borne herself bravely enough until now, but as though her emotions had gained the victory, her head drooped and the sounds of partially stifled sobs came to the ears: of the man whom she had ventured forth to meet under the twinkling stars, ‘Good Lawd! Fanny—ma’am—honey dove, don’t!” spluttered Saul Sunday, catching the rahe 8 figure in hisarms and holding her as though his grip should never more unclose. ‘*]T thought—you were a—a single man!” sob- bed the woman. Solemn Saul groaned anew, but he was not so utterly miserable as to forget the quickest method of soothing a jealous woman, And through the night there echoed faintly the sounds of kisses long and kisses short, kisses that drowned those sobs in skort measure! ‘*Fanny, you didn’t ort—you wouldn’t ef you only knowed how stingin’er then a p’izened dag- er them sobs stick me clean to the heart o’ me,” uskily murmured Sunday. ‘ An’as fer Glory Ann—” ‘* A married deceiver—and I thought—I hoped you were in—in earnest!” sobbed Miss Black, vainly trying to control her emotions, ‘But I be in airnest, Fanny!” assured Saul, earnestly. ‘* An’ I ain’t married no longer, fer —didn’t Glory Ann slope with Preserved Polly- carp Piety?” , ‘““But you haven’t—been divorced?” timidly asked Fanny, lifting her face until her great dark eyes met his ardent gaze. ‘‘Not yit, but I’m jest onto the p’int 0’ bein’, honey dove,” boldly asseverated Sunday. ‘I’m jest lookin’ fer the last missin’ link which ‘ll on- tie the knot that cost me ten—” Fanny deftly escaped his arms, motioning her ardent lover back as he tried to renew his em- brace. “Not yet, Mr. manesy, not until you can come to me in the bro light of day with full and ample proof that you are no longer the husband of that shameful creature who—who eloped with another!” ““ You don’t mean it honest, Fanny?” ‘1 do mean it, sir,” with a stamp of her foot to emphasize the assertion. ‘If I had even dreamed that you were a married man— how could youso shamefully deceive a poor, con- finding woman, Saul?” ‘““T didn’t mean—they wasn’t sca’cely time fer to tell,” stammered Sunday, his head droop- ping, once more the Sad Man, ‘** And I dropped into your arms so readily, why not add, sirf’ with a bitter laugh as she drew further away, ‘‘ Well, Vill not sin on a pee side again. Good-night, Mr, Sun- ay **Don’t—don’t go off in a buff, honey dove,” huskily cried Sunday, holding out his hands appealingly. ‘‘I won’t never do it no more. I won’t even tetch you ag’inst your own say- so. an git down on the two knees o’ me an’ You silly boy!” laughed Fanny, catching his hands as he was about to fit bis actions to his words. ‘* The ground is damp, and you’d catch the rheumatism, sure!” ** An’ the boss’d ax what I meant by stainin’ my rijimentals!” with a hollow sigh. ‘‘ Ef you only knowed how tremenjus strict he is, Fanny! Ef you only hed sech—but your mistress ain’t built that way?’ ‘She is very kind, and treats me more likea sister than a servant as a rule, though she is so cold and haughty to all others.” “*So I’ve hearn tell—’bout her bein’ so mighty Gomichboo (E (@) 1 ata,