Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 574 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

: ; , f i . Us J 4 4 : 7 ar 7 ‘ce nak Wa Aes Mr rhs, Se - : ae 7 ra aS ‘ - Mead raul wf ied Ar > on fi 4a eu ‘ ae , - if 7 4 f "4 -so full vid 2 —— Old Falcon’s Double. person, had made many friends among the spec- tators, there were yet others who deemed that he might be the innocent victim of incriminat- Pg circumstances, and the foreman’s words ** Guilty as charged in the indictment,” caused a general thrill of sympathy and regret to pass through the crowded court-room, Miss Nellie Sherwood, the young lady who was understood to be tbe prisoner’s sweetheart, and who had stood by him loyally from the very start up, asif about to speak or cry out before submitting to be drawn back, with a quietin whisper, by ber father, Colonel Ezra Sherwood, who sat at her side, , This latter was the Wall street banker by whom the prisoner, together with John periaks - his chief accuser, had been employed as a cler _ As for the prisoner himself, he seemed to have been thoroughly prepared for an adverse ver- dict, and beyond a slight tightening of the mus- cles of his pale cheek, there was no betrayal of the inner shock that its enunciation must have cost him, His lawyer leaned forward, pressing bis hand, and whispered something which was generally understood to be a question as to whether or not a stay of sentence should be demanded as a preliminary to the argument for a new trial. Charles Howland shook his head decisively, | and then, carefully refraining from a glance in | Miss Sherwood’s direction, lest the sight of her | grief-stricken face might unnerve him, calmly | arose, facing the judge, the jury, and his prin- | cipal accuser, —— he latter was a small, dark, and foreign- | looking young man, the prisoner’s senior by | several years, and seeming much his inferior in | every respect by contrast, but, at the same | time, with an expression indicative of native resolution and force, not unallied with subtler and perhaps sinister characteristics, ‘* Your Honor,” said the prisoner, in a clear, enetrating voice, ‘‘ notwithstanding the verdict | is unfortunately against me, and that I must bow submissively to its mandate, I can only repeat, in simple justice to myself, that I am innocent.” “ There,” pointing to his whilom fellow-clerk | with contemptuous scorn, “ sits'the villain who | has ruined my reputation! None knows better | than he that it was from him I received the | fatal check, in payment for money that he had borrowed of me, If his signature thereto was so unlike its accustomed a t as to be pro- nounced a forgery at the bank on which it was drawn, he pl to make it so in order to effect my rain, not only with my employer and the world at large, but with the girl I love, and in whose graces he had vainly endeavored to sup- plant me by fairer means, ‘“‘ Unfortunately, the check was given to me by this scoundrel without witnesses, and I have had no evidence to support my simple declara- tion to this effect. **T can only say, bred Honor, that L_bow to the inevitable, but Ido not despair, You can sentence me at your pleasure. ButI feel it in my heart that my innocence will ere long be made known to all men.” ’ | The sensation produced by such an address as this, under the extraordinary circumstances ~— At pant it, can be better imagined than de- It was increaséd immeasurably, as the prison- er quietly resumed his seat, by Miss Sherwood swiftly and resolutely passing’ to his side, re- gardless of efforts on the part of her father and several lady friends to restrain, and silently giv- ing him her hand. . Howland looked up with intense surprise and epretitade, the color for the first time springing nto his pale face, while the deathly whiteness of hers remained unchanged. He simply returned her hand-pressure, and she quietly resumed her seat at her father’s side —that was all, _ « ,» It was over in an instant, but it was a strik- ingly dramatic incident, such as our matter-of- fact American court-rooms seldom afford, The extreme beauty of the young woman—a superb brunette of twenty-two or three, in all the glory of her freshly matured womanhood; the comeliness of the prisoner, fair, stalwart, noble and ingenuous, perhaps her senior by but two or three years; the agitation of his slender | _ and Spanish-appearing accuser, who had half- started from his seat with parted lips and furious eyes; the evident mortification of the young wo- man’s father and feminine friends; all contrib- uted their share to the intense realism of an in- stant which yet seemed like the intensest frag- ment torn out of an emotional drama’s thrilling art, - The murmurous stir among the spectators of this nge scene amounted almost to disorder. The clerk of the court rapped sharply with his gavel, the judge briefly announced that he would efer passing sentence until the following day, and the accused was led away to prison. He did not pass from sight, however, without ayy gh a farewell glance from Miss Sherwood of trust and encouragement as to cause renewed hope in his aching heart, Colonel Sherwood was regarded as a very wealthy man; his residence was a stately one in | the neighborhood of Mount Morris Park, Har- / : f 4 Mae ‘ ; ‘ Wy ; , 4 4 ' a 4 . ty + oe ee oa eee fae to) ee | first, was observed to turn deadly white, and to ~ « ~, é ' lem, and his circle was of that which has come to be designated as the ‘‘ upper crust.” He had long been a widower, and Nelly was his only child. | While the colonel and his party were about | entering a couple of carriages, after descending from the court-room, John Burley came hurry- ing up to them, ‘** Colonel?” said the young man, interrogative- My What is it, Burley?” and the banker turned gravely, but urbanely, to bis questioner. ‘* My concern is so great, sir,” continued the clerk, ‘‘ that I cannot forbear speaking to you on the spot before returning to my office duties, I do hope, sir, that Howland’s unjust aspersion of character and motives in those last words which be addressed to the court could not have impressed you against me!” here was an outward entreaty in his man- ner, underlaid by a covert boldness that could not have been noticed by any one save the per- son directly addressed, and which he for some reason did not resent, ‘* Dismiss your anxiety, Burley,” replied Col- onel Sherwood, easily. ‘*‘ The evidence was so conclusive against Howland that Ido not see how any importance could bave been attached to his exasperated last words, pity him as we may. Such is my opinion, at least.” ‘* And you, Miss Sherwood?” Burley turned eagerly to the girl as she was about stepping in- to the carriage. She turned to him with an icy indifference more absolutely crusbing than her scorn could have been, ‘‘ Sir, I have nothing to say—at present,” she replied, A moment later they drove off, leaving the young man looking gloomily after them from the sidewalk, ** So, my proud beauty !” he muttered, ‘* How- ever, the coast is clear for me at last! You cannot possibly marry my accursed rival now, howsoever you may want to; and, with the hold I have got upon your father’s honor, if you are not my wife before my miserable dupe is out of wrison, my name is not Juan Burleo, and there is no Spanish Creole blood in my veins, The trial had ended at noon of the second day. Colonel Sherwood had driven with his party to luneh at a neighboring down-town restau- rant, chiefly because he thought that Nelly was looking faint and required it, and notwith- standing her remonstrance to the contrary, Besides the father and daughter, the party consisted of Miss Jerusha Bigbee, a strong- minded maiden aunt of Nelly’s a, poor relation who lived with them in the capacity of house- keeper, and Florine Dope, iss Sherwood’s French maid, a very stylish-appearing and self- young woman, indeed, After lunch, the colonel, still anxious about his daughter, and aware of the mental anguish she had long been sustaining on her unfortunate lover’s account, accompanied them home on the Elevated cars, Following upon the verdict, Nelly had borne herself with a thoughtful calmness and forti- tude that had puzzled him not a little, notwith- standing what he knew of her exceptional nerve and strength of character, Therefore, directly after the arrival home, he said to her: Way dear child, if you are not too deeply distressed, I should like to talk with you in the library a few moments,” | ‘* Certainly, papa,” she replied, in her self- contained way. ‘I s merely change my gown, and be with you in a few moments,” | CHAPTER II. A BRAVE GIRL’S RESOLVE. ** Now, papa!” Nelly had changed her dress for a handsome in-door toilette, and was calmly seated in her ho elegant library, facing him. olonel wood was a well-preserved, even fashionable man of ae or thereabouts, some- what ulub lite a a aig tie but much ven to club life an living. OTs vecunek tana Gawed's little as a taney 2 what he was about to say. If the truth must be told, he was often more or less ill at ease with this beautiful and strong-souled only daughter of his, who, besides pene of legal age, with a will and intelligence to decide for herself which he felt to be superior to like ualities in bimself, was possessed of a con- derable fortune in her own right, an inherit- ance from her maternal or Ca er. “‘ My dear, it is just this,” Colonel Sherwood at last blurted out. ‘‘ Apart from what you may have suffered, and doubtless still suffer, on account of une Howland’s ras—ur—well, we will say misfortune—and which, of Sage Suir, puts him out of the question as to further intimacy with him, I—I do wish you would be a little less offish—a little more complacent, you know— with young Burley.” | pire Fyn half rte the words, and ccn- sequently was not taken by surprise. ‘Why?’ she quietly asked. Her father gave ber a troubled look before answering. He knew that, with her penetra- tion, beating about the bush was superfluous, | Mote re- 4 ¢ w4h swe : rs ' : s ‘ah? | —" oe, 4 ‘ Le; , 4 * > 4 *- (? . Pe . i selilieniiendl Th i “ “a ~ = —_—_—_$—<—<—<—<—<—<—K—K—K<&K&K<X<r&<—K—evoee is —_———— eee Ll ‘**T shall tell you, Nelly,” he replied. ‘‘ In the first place be is, I believe, a really worthy young fellow, and I know he loves you to dis- traction.” ‘* Anything else, papa?” still unmovedly. ‘*'Yes,” with hesitating hurriedness, ‘“‘ He has discovered a business secret of mine—an ac- cursed secret of my past, regretted, but too late to recall or amend—whicb, to a certain degree, places me in bis power. There you are!” Miss Sherwood remained thoughtful for a moment, after which the slight cloud that had athered upon the smileless melancholy of her ace cleared away. ‘“So be it, papa,” she quietly answered. “Since such is your wish, I shall be less ‘ off- ish,’ if not exactly more complacent, with Mr, Burley, in the future.” Colonel Sherwood at once rose and kissed his daughter heartily. He had intended to ask more than this of her in Burley’s behalf, but was content, knowing her temper, with having gained this much asa preparative. . ‘“ What a dear, submissive little darling you are, Nelly!” he exclaimed. ‘* You have relieved me more than you can imagine, Fact is, I don’t know of any young business man in New York ['d sooner become more intimate with in a family sense than John Burley. Sha’n’t keep you any longer, dear.” He took up his hat, and cast a critical eye down over his altogether irreproachable exterior. ‘' There is time left for a run down to my office. And by the way, N elly, I shall probably dine at my club this even- ing. ‘** Good-by, papa!” After he was gone, she remained seated as he had left her, her head leaning on ber hand, her figure and attitude the picture of refined and unconscious grace, He could go to his club and enjoy himself while Charles Howland, his whilom friend and most trusted clerk, whom he also knew to have been the lover of her heart, was languishing in prison, the innocent victim of a jealous scoun- drel’s plot, and with the certainty of the State Prison staring him in the face! ‘However, Nelly’s face again cleared, and there was something like pity mingled with the resoluteness that came into it, Poor weak papa!” she murmured. ‘* How- ever, I shall soon place it out of your power to, surrender to the slave of il. She bestirred berself, rung for her maid, and, when the latter had appeared, turned to a writ- ing-table and wrote lowe ‘Telegraph this dispatch for me, Florine, my dear,” she said, banding over a slip of writing, ‘¢‘ wait for the answer, and bring it to me with- out delay. I would send one of the men-ser- vants, but that it is too confidential a matter to intrust with any one but yourself,” Florine thanked her young mistress for her good opinion, and went off upon her errand. In half an hour, she returned with the follow- ing return-dispatch: ‘* Will be with you in less than two hours, ‘* H. A, SPENDER.”” H. A. Spender was the head of a prominent firm of criminal lawyers, and was Nelly’s sec- ond cousin on the maternal side, He bad de- fended Charles Howland in the forgery case. He had known Nelly from her infancy, and con- joined with his admiration for her character a pronounced dislike for the colonel, her father, whom he regarded as without principle in busi- ness, and of morals none too strict in private life. He was himself a thoroughly honest man, though with an enthusiasm for his profession, and a "proportionate fondness for sensational effects. Nelly busied herself with various matters about the house, and had a long chat with her aunt, Miss Bigbee, ou the latter’s favorite topi woman suffrage, with a vivacity that ca the good woman to wonder whether she had really forgotten her lover’s misfortune, or was masking the anguish of a genres the cap and bells of a forced good-humor, But when Mr. Hugh Spender promptly ar- rived from his down-town Center-street office, at about four o’clock in the afternoon, Miss Sherwood was calmly awaiting him in the Beh ** Don’t interrupt me by a word, save to an- swer my questions, until I finish with my propo- sition, Cousin Hugh,” she said, in her brisk, business-like way as soon as he had seated him- self. ‘‘I know you did everything that could be done for Charles. You have seen him in prison since the verdict?” ** Just quitted him to run up here,” was the reply. - ts What will be the sentence?” '**No more than three years, I am quite cer- tain. The judge is very well disposed in the matter.” vs Nelly’s face lightened, and a_ perceptible shiver ran pny her frame, but she was her brave self again in an instant. ‘* Cousin Hugh, I have resolved upon a daring roject. You must help me.” Mm <S) ‘comicboo your own weakness or make me — ’ heart under ~ ‘With all my heart, and in anything you | 1 bee he mo + * ~4 = Pe. ~ = ete i ee . —_- — ia 4