Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 574 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

et ag Re te — ——EE i ae. ne ee aie S- — ia een rr | ~— 3 : : : — OoOORORO oN — O.000€_0.>Q°>D&°&q— NN woaoaSaaoewTYs{maw—y—Tw[w—w{ “ws$""—_—_o—mv'" now I come to think of it, some folks call ’em copperbeads,” sé Ab }”’ The driver of the phaeton was hurriedly sum- moned, and given the requisite instructions, Half an hour later, when the driver, after a scramble up and down about the worst roads in bis passenger’s experience or conception, came to a pause at the top of a lofty hill, with the announcement that the mill was in sight below, but that he couldn’t venture to proceed any fur- ther, the “detective” sprung out of the car- riage with commendable alacrity. Below him the narrow, crooked lake, with the mill set in the deep hollow at its foot, and the landlord had not over-stated the wild and savage picturesqueness of its surroundings, But the detective had no time for even ad- miration just now, and he at once set off down the remainder of what was more like the bed of a dried-up mountain torrent than a road, af- ter instructing the driver to await his return, no matter how long he might delay. ‘*They do say, sir,” the man called after him, ‘ that there’s a better path along the edge of the cliff over yonder.” And, as the other looked around, he pointed to where the steep on which he was halting overbrowed the bosom of the water, a hundred feet or so below. Not loth to take advantage of a better path, ** Falconbridge ” nodded his thanks, sought and found the one referred to, and which was cer- tainly an improvement upon the road itself, though certainly somewhat more perilous, It led steeply down, wound along the very edge of the precipics that sheered down per- pendicularly into the lake, and was scarcely more than wide enough for two pedestrians to pass each other on its thread-like indication, by reason of an equally perpendicular rock-wall of lesser height which rose for a greater part of the distance on the inner side. However, it was comparatively smooth, which, taken in connection with the fact that the detective-personator was exceptionally cool- headed and sure of foot, with no little experi- ence as a mountain-clamberer, was the chief thing to be desired. He speedily made the descent, coming out quite Close to the mill, one of whose saws was uselessly in motion, to perceive a solitary work- man, or rather idler, sitting balf-asleep in the drowsy sunshine, on a chestnut log, which doubtless, but for his laziness, should be under- going the process of being sawed into boards, ‘* Hallo, Peter Kelly!” cried the new-comer, taking the chances of its being the right man, and good-naturedly advancing; *‘ you seem to be bitiae it easy enough here, it seems to me.” The man started, and then surveyed the other e with some suspicion. He looked woe-begone and was ragged. “* Aisy, is it, sor?” heexclaimed, ‘* Faith, an’ i find it the divil’s hard wur-rk, which is the raison I avoid it whiniver the boss is away. Who and what are you, sor?” The intruder remembered his recognition in the wine-room, and the sensation it had caused. ‘Who and what else but Falconbridge, the Falcon Detective?” he replied. CHAPTER XX, SUCCESS, AT this announcement, which seemed simply terrifying to its hearer, the man fell upon his knees and clasped his hands, “Och, murther!” he faltered; ‘‘ the great de- tective? But you w’u’dn’t arrist me, sor? I’m not guilthy of any crime no more than the babe unborn!” ‘* Who said you were? and I’ve no intention of arresting you,” said the “ detective,” reassur- ingly. ‘‘Stand up like a man, Peter, and let me have a little talk with you.” The woe-begone fugitive rather tremblingly aig Bei The ‘*‘ detective ” then tersely made it clear to his understanding what he was wanted in New York for, dwelt briefly but pronouncedly upon Burley’s villainy, and its consequences to an in- nocent man, and concluded with these words: ‘* Now let me tell you the state of your own predicament, Peter Kelly, when you can tell me whether I am right or wrong. ‘*‘ Through Burley’s promises, you have thrown up a good, remunerative employment in New York, and now find yourself living from band to mouth among the rude rustics of this savage place, unused to the rough manual labor im- posed upon you, often hungry, still oftener thirsty, half in rags, and with the plotter’s promised remittances—like enough reduced f. om the original amount promised—growing few and far between, and hardly knowing which way to turn or how to better yourself. Right or wrong * Right to a trivet!” half-yelled the unfortu- nate trishman. ‘The divil burn that Misther Burley for cat’s m’ate! He was to have sent me fifteen dollars a wake for a year, an’ he cut me down to tin in less than a fortnight, an’ now it’s twelve days since I saw the side or color of his dirty money, though I ha’nt the little post-office at the Ri ge ener me Jetther till they rt, Big aboot me, an’ call me the ghost of the Jetther that niver came, Bad ’cess to the oma- ~ . esd = a” . biel ° - 7 Fs | o- ? * é —_ a “dhe ee oe s-a> ¢ ite es Go ee O&O ee Sea oe ioe tetas emi 7 a, f ‘ .: thy 7 > “ : - i" +4 p<t* nnn nmin =n eee eee ——————————————————————————————_———_——_ cal é-22ls wet el: - = 4 . = - . - v » 4 al Old Falcon’s Double. dhoun! but for his glib spache an’ oily promises, I'd still be a happy waither at Misther G——’s, wid plinty to ate an’ dbrink, gocd wages, an’ tips galore. Och! but it’s murthered wid me bad luck that Iam intoirely.” And tbe duped Peter Kelly disdained not to bow his head In his hands and weep. ‘* Listen to what I propose,” urged the ‘‘ de- tective,” when he had in some measure effected the man’s composure, ‘* You shall go away with me at once. I shall install you in good quarters, where you shall be well taken care of, with light work, until I shall be ready to send for you, and then I promise you a return to your former employment, or to get you a better one. Peter’s face had already begun to shine, though it became momentarily clouded again. ‘*Is it to the detintion house, sor, yez w’u’d sind me?” he asked, with a quick look. Eleanor had come to think of a country cousin of hers, whose fine farm she had often visited at Merrit’s Corners, but two or three miles west of Mount Kisco, and with whom she was a great favorite. ‘“*By no means,” she replied, and then sug- ested his obtaining light employment on the arm in question, at her instance, adding: ‘* In addition to this, I shall pay you twenty dollars a week as long as you are out of your profes- sional employment, the first payment of which shall be made in advance to-day, upon my leav- ing you at the farm. And the only return | ask is that you keep perfectly quiet, have no communication with Mr. Burley, and be in readiness when I want you in the city.” Peter gave a wild whoop, and, leaping high in the air, cracked his heels together. ‘“‘Twinty dollars, an’ all the rist of it?’ he yelled. ‘‘ God bless you, sor! Are yezan angel in boots an’ trowsers, or only the ch’ate of me siven sinses? Wait till I get me bundle an’ shtick, an’ I’m wid you in the toot of a bag- piper!” Hold on a bit!” interposed the ‘‘ detective.” ‘‘ Perhaps I have been a little too fast. Did you read the newspaper accounts of the trial and conviction of Charles Howland?” ‘‘T did, sor. Bad ’cess to me in listening to that villain’s temptations, when a wur-rd from me lips moight have stipped in betwane that vartuous young gintleman an’ his unjust im- prisonment!” ‘* What could you gine to under oath?” “‘Faix, not much, sof! Only that I paped oover the ‘ petition’ wall of the cabbynet, and saw Misther Burley write and sign the chick what the other young gintlemon was convicted of forging (God pardon me!) and hand him the same, besides overhearing some wur-rds he said at the toime.” ‘To what effect?” “That he owed him five hoondrei dollars, and there was the chick for the amount.” The other gave a joyful movement, which, however, he instantly checked, » “That will do, Peter. Run for you stick and bundle.” ‘ The man danced rather than ran away, and quickly returned provided for the journey. ** Aren’t you goin to shut off the mill before you go?” demaaded the “ detective.” “ Divil a bit, your Honor, There’s but wan saw joggin’ up an’ down, an’ it’s lonely it w’u’d be shtandin’ shtill, wid nothing to occupy its moind.” ** All right.” Eleanor therefore sent Peter straight up the rocky road, to await him at the carriage on the hilltop, and then set out to return as he had come. She could now unstintedly enj scenery along the perilous, cliff-clinging path ; and, besides, ie the necessity of being alone, if but briefly, with her great sense of gratitude and relief. But when only midway up the airy trail, ost at its most dangerous point, steps were hear coming down toward her. The next moment John Burley, panting and po but with the face of a demon, was before er, : ** Dog of a detective!” he hoarsely growled; vou have parity prevailed against me—I ses itin your eyes. But you shall not live to enjoy your triumph!” He tore open his waistcoat, produced his poniard with the rapidity of thought, and pre- cipitated himself on the Falcon Detective’s Double with the savagery of a fiend. But at the same instant Eleanor—heroically standing her ground, though very pale be- neath her artificially-darkened complexion—had drawn the revolver, with which she had taken oa precaution to provide herself, leveled and r / The bullet went wide of its mark, but the re- sult was not the less unforeseeu and disastrous for the infuriated ruffian. The deseending blade struck the extended pistol-barrel, slightly wounding himself in the thigh, and,. forgetful of his situation, he raised it again, and swerved to one side for a surer stroke, | | At the same instant he lost his footing and toppled over, with a sharp, despairing cry, Ks ey ae Fico weiss PTE At a Ay PT Oe . s @ ee 7” =v + a ES 2 en eee ee ae ee ee se | pression of supreme joy and thankfulness to oy the wild | . . se : ‘~ a ee eee an Amazed and appalled, Eleanor could at first scarcely believe the evidence of her senses, She looked over and down, however, after the plunging body till it disappeared with a dull splash into the lake, sixty or seventy feet below, How terrible is the ending of buman life by sudden or unexpected violence, to the sensitive soul of womanhood, This man was a villain, bad been the ruthless foe of her dearest love, and she had as ruthlessly baffled his plots with counter-plots, desirous of his destruction; but to think of his death, even virtually at his own hand, and while it was raised against her own life—no, she could not as yet have desired that, and would have been in- expressibly shocked if her self-defensive bullet had done more than merely wound or disable. A moment later, however, an expression of thankfulness, utterly undeserved, broke from her lips. Burley had risen to the surface, and, though seemingly somewhat dazed, was swimming vig- orously, 2 | He could not effect a landing anywhere alon the foot of the sheer crag, and therefore direc himself to the shore beyond the head of the mill-race, a considerable distance away. Eleanor rapidly retraced her steps, to reach ~ the point first for his encouragement, for there would be danger of a drowning struggle with the lightning-swift water at the head of the race, Before reaching the latter, however, she per- ceived him battling with the arrowy current, and involuntarily stood still and in silence, In a few minutes, nevertheless, success. crowned the man’s undaunted efforts, She saw him gain the strip of low-lying shore beyond, climb with extreme difficulty the green bank, stagger and reel like a drunken man, and then fall prostrate, where he lay motionless. Crossing the race by a narrow foot-bridge, the detective’s Double hurried to him, .The man was senseless from sbock and ex- haustion, and would be likely to recover, unaid- ed, at any moment. Sas She saw this at a glance, and was correspond- ingly rejoiced. Then another feature of the accident caught her attention, giving rise to a new thought. CHAPTER XXTI, ‘‘7T NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS.” ea THE insensible man’s waistcoat was still ashe — had torn it open to obtain the knife with which he had menaced her life. 8 At one side of the interior was the small, rein- forced pocket which had been the weapon’s hid- den receptacle, At the other side was a broader, commonplace pocket, from which peeped a worn red morocco pocketbook, together with sométhing else from _ behind it, a thinnér pocketbook, most likely, but carefully swathed in delicate oil-skin, asif to — preserve its contents with the utmost cauti oi. and care. oe There was something intensely secretive and ea Ska suggested by the appearance of this Ae ast. 3 Obedient to the impulse of ber new thought— perbaps her new hope Bleanot deftly abstract- ed this secretive-looking pocket-book, while ~ earefuliy avoiding the other, which doubtless contained the man’s money. om Unwinding the oil-skin, its contents were — found to consist exclusively of half a dozen or — more folded papers. Geet. Swiftly examining the interior writing of each, one after another, she came upon one, an — old-looking letter, whose contents caused anex- Bs yp as u spring into ber face. a She unscrupulously appropriated this paper, returned the others to the pocketbook, and then — painstakingly secured the latter in the oil-skin just as she bad found it, after which she put it ack behind the red morocco one in the man’s pocket. eee Then, not giving him another thought, she hurried away, the entire interruption, tragicas it might have been, not having occupied more eeainin minutes. 4 sue. Wied ee Ga ey aining the top of t i the steep rocky road—nothing could have tnidiuond her to Bs resume the cliff path—she found Peter Kelly Pee patiently awaiting her at the side of thecar- riage, stick and bundle between his knees. ** This man will accompany me back to FS ws a] >, o fd . | -~ . Kisko,” the detective’s Double said to the — driver. ‘‘ And when we get there, I shall weet My to hirea horse and wagon for ustwo alone, — which I shall drive myself, and subsequently send back by another hand.” Zt" % * All right, sir,” was thereply, “Youcanbe — accommodated with almost anything at Barney — Tompkins’s stable.” _ ie She then got in with her protege, and they drove away. ee A short distance back, a horse attached to a sis light driving cart was observed tied to ‘ree ; near the roadside. | PR It was doubtless the one in which Burley — had driven over from Bedford Station; butbeing partly hidden from view by the surrounding © vic of "s come Omir¢e 900ks. a wt ry vi