Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 580 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

es ; o- Shadowing a Shadow. 15 ee ————_—______ In»;:nnnEEIEEEITEEETEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE a low tone. Reuben Whitford. He is a banker on Wall ‘*- You live here with your father, | “T hope that you are well this morning, Missus Snipes. You certainly look well. You ** Alas, alas!” ‘*But what is the news this morning, Mister “af street. Just over there [the far-away look was are as fresh and rosy as a girl of fifty, upon my Woggs?” coming into the lady’s eyes] is the little old | word you are.” ‘‘Really, I haven’t looked, Missus Snipes. church where Dorinda attends so regularly. | ‘‘I am quite well,I thank you, Mister Woggs, | But I will do so soon, and will come over again W ho is Dorinda?” | and I hope that you are the same yourself. | and tell you about anything that I think will in- The question was put in a louder tone, But I can see that you are. You are as cheery | terest you.” Mrs. Milburn started. as a school-boy,” ‘*T shall be glad if you will do so,” ‘‘ Did you speak?” she asked, ‘* Thank you, Missus Snipes. Yes, I am quite ‘How nice it would be if we could only sit ‘‘ What were you thinking about?’ demanded | well, [ thank you.” together here all the livelong day, Missus Kinworth. Pericles Woggs aud Dorinda Snipes. Snipes—” ; : ‘‘ Why, my mind reverted again to the little It was morning, and after opening their stands ; __‘* Now, there you go again, Mister Wo gS. | church there, and I seemed to be dreaming. J | for the business of the day, the two old persons | We may just as well a it up forever. ou thought you were talking to me, but I guess I | greeted eacb other in their usual manner. siick to your pipe, and [ll stick to McAllester,.” failed to attend to what you were saying. Par-| Their morning greeting seldom varied half a | ‘Alas! But, by the way, Missus Snipes, don ae? | dozen words, It was nearly always the same, speakin’ of Mr. Parmilye, I have seen by the “Nothing to pardon, madam. But, what | and they both looked forward to it with as | papers that he wasn’t worth as much as folks were your thoughts?” much pleasure and certainty as Mrs, Snipes | thought he was, You know you said you sup~ ‘*} was reflecting that I was Miss Whitford, | looked forward to her cat and Mr. Woggs to his | posed he must be awful rich, or I did; anyhow, | daughter of Reuben Whitford, and that I lived | pipe and paper, it was one of us that made theremark. He on) in the house there, Then I thought of the ‘‘ Well, and bow was business with you yes- | basn’t left a great deal.” An church, and my mind seemed to be going still further when you startled me. What did you ask?’ ‘* T asked—who is Dorinda?” ‘‘Dorinda? lt is gone; I do not know,” ‘‘ Well, we will not stop here longer. point is gained, and that is that you were indeed the daughter of Reuben Whitford, and that you used to live here. Let us take the carriage and go to another scene.” “ Just as you direct, sir.” They passed on to the corner where the car- riage was now waiting for them, and entered the vehicle once more. They were driven to another street not a great distance away, and the carriage stopped before a house of neat but unpretending appearance. One © ‘¢ We will get out here and enter this house,” | remarked the detective, ‘‘ The family who live here have beev apprised of our coming. Letme | go to the door first, however, and explain who I the way along the hall to the front room of her apartments, and opened the door and in- vited them to enter, No sooner were they within, and the door closed, than Mrs, Milburn gave a cry almost like a cry of pain, clasped her hands to her head, and sunk moaning upon the nearest chair. Kinworth was not surprised. If anything would drive the cloud from her brain, he had | felt sure that this cneetepies scene would do | it. But the result was had looked for, ‘*f shall go mad, mad!” the woman mut- tered, as she rocked herself to and fro, ‘* Would that [ had died when poor papa died, and my children with me! Henry, why have you be- come so cruel to me? I cannot help it that [am mething more than he ill! Oh, my poor head; { know that Lamnot, One is no more necessary to me than the | keep a secret. I am sure that you will ex- ‘ myself at times. Dorinda! Dorinda !” other.” cuse me if I say: Never do you mind, Mister “4 Kinworth realized what bad taken place, Mrs, ‘Tush! Bosh and nonsense, Mister Woggs! | Woges, never do you mind,” » Milburn’s mind bad gone back wo the time of the first part of her life, and she was living it again. d she become again insane? Would she not return to her recent soundness of mind? He had grave fears as to the result of the ex- periment, CHAPTER XIX, —— | i terday, Missus Snipes?” Woggs presently asked, “Oaly fair to middlino’, Mister Woggs, only fair to middlin’, yesterday. How was it with ou? ‘* Well, it was middlin’ to tol’able yesterday, middlin’ to tul’able, Missus Snipes,” Mr. Woggs answered, ‘“‘I have seen it better, Missus Snipes.” ‘*Oh, yes, I have seen it a good deal better, Mister Woggs,” Mrs. Snipes agreed quickly, ‘' I have seen it a very good deal better. Business ain’t as brisk as it Was a few years ago, it seems to me.” ‘**T believe you are right, Missus Snipes, I cer- tainly believe you are right. I am inclined to think that this country is goin’ to the dogs about as fast as it can go. Why, there ain’t half the demand for Jews-harps that there was ten years ago,” ‘*T realize it, Mister Woggs, I realize it more and more every day, Peanuts ain’t nothin’ like we should meke use of the time while it is ours, Missus Snipes, and get all the enjoyment out of the speedin’ hours that we can.” “Is that so? But, then, that is the way. You think a person is so-an’-so as long as he lives: but when he is dead, then the truth comes out, and you see that he was only so-and- so.” ‘‘You are right, Missus Snipes, It takes grim death to tear off the masks, Oh, there is nothin’ so sure as death, and that is why I say all flesh is grass—” ‘Mister Woggs, there you go again,” ‘Well, well, it is true, alas! But, the papers say that Parmilye wasn’t so rich after all, and that his daughter won’t have over twenty or twenty-five thousand when they come to wind things up.” ‘* As much as any woman ought to have, Mis- ter Woggs.” ‘‘ Well,-yes, lagree with you there; but that ain’t all of it. It seems tbat his life was insured in a good many companies to the tune of about seventy-five thousand dollars or thereabouts, funny customer, too,” Mrs, Snipes impressed furtber, with a wink and a nod, ‘‘From what you have told me I begin to ‘* Nobody realizes that more than I do, Mister , think so,” Woggs made response, Woggs.” ‘* But [suppose you are still set on keepin’ | wink is as good as a nod from me, Mister that tom-cat, in spite of all.” ‘* Mister Woggs, I could not think of partin with McAllester, as | have ‘told you time an again. You ought to know it by this time, On your part sticking to that stinkin under a cloud of smoke all your days,” ‘¢ Missus Snipes, would you rob me of about the only enjoyment I have in life? Take away my pipe and bakky, and you rob me of my all. You might as well take away food and drink. There was my half-sister, who used to dip snuff with a rag. She was allus a-dippin’. could find rags by th’ dozen about the house till it would ’most gag you. You could smell snuff all over the house, She used to think the same as youdo. Once one of her rags got into a pie, ‘*You can rely upon it, Mister Woggs. A ORS; every bit as good asa nod, sir, a wink is, from me,” ‘‘T believe you, Missus Snipes,” ‘* This is a wink, Mister Woggs,” giving prac- I suppose you are still beut upon , tical illustration, “and you can't say thet one old pipe, and living | isn’t just as good as t’other, now can you?” ‘‘ Well, no, Missus Snipes, I must confess I can’t,” Woggs admitted. ‘* That is all the proof you need ask for then, I would not mind tellin’ you about it all, Mister Woggs, but I want to prove that a woman can ““Of course you are excused, Missus Snipes. You ; You areasmart woman, Missus Snipes,” and he looked upon her with a good deal of pride; ‘vou areasmart woman, as [ have allus said of you. If it wasn’t for that tom—” ** And that pipe!” ‘* Alas! no, I suppose not, Missus Snipes, for I | years, I should say.” | | am, as my appearance is not the same asit was they used to be. There is too many furreners | and that ’most all of it goes to his partner, PS when I called here the other day.” _ comin’ into this country, Mister Woggs.” Blackwall.” : ‘* Very well, sir.” | * You never spoke a truer word, Missus “The rascal!” . Kinworth left the carriage and rung the bell, Snipes, never in your life, Itis the furren ele- ‘* Who, Parmilye?’ a and when the door wag opened bya pleasant- ment that is playin’ the very dickens with this ‘“No; [ mean Blackwall, And J say: The faced woman of middle bee, stated his business. | country. Why, ina few years, Missus Snipes, | rascal! What right has he to it, I'd like to ~_ He had been there ore, and was now wel- | us’Mericans will be under some furren yoke, if | know?" £ comely received, | we don’t look out. You see what it is fifty years ‘*T cannot see that myself, One would think ‘eS Stepping back to the carriage he assisted the | from now, and mark my words.” | that the daughter would comeinforit. But, s ladies out, and telling the driver to wait, led | ‘“ Fifty years from now will be long after | then, it must have been some business transac- | them into the house. | | our day, Iam afraid, Mister Woggs. You for- ; tion.” ; F 4) He watched Mrs. Milburn closely, get that we are not vary young.” | **T don’t see how it could be.” ra As they entered the door the lady gavea start, ‘¢ True, true, true. erily, itiesus Snipes, all | ‘* Well, for instance: Suppose I took in a : but recovered herself witb an effort, and they | flesh is grass, and we can’t shut our eyes to the | partner who badn’t as much money as I had, fs followed the woman of the house up to the) fact if we would. Didn’t we have ’zample of it and we bought Jews-harps. Suppose I paid for va second floor. only a little whiJe ago in the death of Mr, Par- | them all, and he insured his life to my credit to y The house was arranged for two families, and | milye of the bank there?” make me whole. See?” a this woman, Mrs, Spaldry by name, occupied ‘* You are right, Mister Woggs.” | ‘‘Not very clear, Mister Woggs, but then I to the upper floors. ‘* And we can’t tell whose turn it will be to go ; am only a woman and not so well-read as you 5 These rooms were the ones where Henr | next.” Ae a Abington and his wife had lived during their | _ ** You are right again, Flesh truly is grass, ‘‘That is how itis, I think, but it is funny for gi residence in New York after their marriage. Mister Woggs, and poor grass at that.” all that,” =a On reaching the second floor, Mrs, Spaldry led | ‘** True, true. And all the more reason why ‘* And you can set it down that Blackwall isa ez Ss The lady looked around upon them all witha | and when she cut the pie she happened to get ‘* Missus Snipes, we may as well nevermen- wild, staring expression in her eyes. the very piece it wasin. She took a bite, rhe tion it again.” i ‘‘Oh, Dorinda, why do you not come?’ she | Well, you would ’a’ thought she was tryin’ to ‘‘That is what I have been tryin’ to impress c- called. ‘‘Who are these persons? I do not | beave up what she'd e’t ten days before. She | upon you. But, let’s drop it and let it stay know any Of you. Where are my children? , dipped no more snuff, and I am tellin’ ye.” dropped. Besides Mr. Blackwall, there is that 5 Where is baby Essylt?” oggs threw back his head and laughed | little Griffit. As I have told you, he knows ¥ Sbe looked from one to another of those , heartily. That seemed to tickle him all over. somethin’, that little Griffit does, and if you around her with a helpless expression that was ‘“ But,” he presently argued, ‘‘ you can’tcom- only knowed what be knows, you would know pitiable to behold. , pare such a filthy habit as that with smokin’, | somethin’ too, Mister Woggs.” a ‘Speak to her,” Kinworth directed Mrs. | can you?” ‘** No doubt of it.” an at f+ ‘* Call her by name sharply.” ‘* And why not? There ain’t no more’n a mile ‘*T have not been herein front of this bavk’s — ‘*Mrs, Milburn!” the woman complied, ‘‘do o’ difference between ’em, when it is a stinking | dvors for years fcr notbin’, Mister Woggs, not | " you not know me?” old pipe like yours, I'll be bound.” | by a good deal I ain’t. And I knowed that lit- | For one brief instant a gleam of intelligence _ ‘‘ But, tke idea of snuff on a rag, Missus | tle Griffit long afore I came here,too, Also—- flashed in the lady’s eyes, but it was gone im- Snipes. Ugh! the very thought almost makes | But never mind about that. I know bowto mediately. She was again insane, The two me gag. Now, if your half-sister bad simply | keep a secret, if no other women does. That ~ divisions of her life had suddenly changed smoked, as many good old women used to do—” | Griffit used to be in a bank on Wall street,he places, With her the past was now the present, | ‘*'You can’t draw th’ line that way, Mister did.” “4 | while the present was hid behind the vail which Woggs, no use your tryin’. We may as well “ A good while ago, Missus Snipes?” F & divided her memory in balf, _ never mention the subject again.” “Oh, yes, a good while ago. ‘Most thirty could never consent to have atom-cat m the | ‘‘ And don’t he know you, and that youknow BOTH WILLING, BUT FATE ADVERSE. house.” him?” i pie YY |, OOD-MORNING to you, Missus Snipes.” ‘‘Nor could I a-bear the smell of that old! “If he does he has never let on, and lam not Good-morning to you, Mister Woggs,” pipe.” . _ the woman to put myself for’d, ‘But I guess he i t é iA) Sos me | 3)