Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 580 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

q fy i » o~ ~- from my children! Z 7, 16 4 Shadowing a Shadow. P <= A sarees - 7. _ f), me * * a . * ¢ don’t. Truth to tell, Mister Woggs, when I |. Kinworth was on the point of speaking to man insisted. ‘‘ I am not your husband, madam, first went into this business I was ashamed of Mrs, Ekyngs, to suggest that they remove her | nor anybody’s; I assure you that you have mis- it, [am sorry to say, and I tried not to be re- cognized.” ‘It is nothing to be ashamed of, Missus Snipes.” ‘Far be it from me to think so now, Mister Woggs! Yes, I knowed Griffit. I could tell vou a story about a man who married the bank- er’s only daughter, and what a rascal he turned out to be. But that would be tellin’ my secret, so you will excuse me ifI say again—Never do 3 mind, Mister Woggs, never do you mind. ‘** Missus Snipes, you are the smartest woman | I know. But I must get back to my own cor- ner and attend to business, And I must read the news, too. Alas! were it not for that tom- cat— ‘** And a vile smelling pipe!” Mr. Woggs heaved a mournful sigh and tot- tered away, CHAPTER XX, A STARTLING INCIDENT. DETECTIVE KINWORTH Was cousiderably puz- zled and not a little worrieJ, What was he to do to bring Mrs, Milburn back to her right mind? And suppose she were now to remain permanently insane, The latter thought troubled her most, ‘* What are we todo with ber?” queried Mrs, Spaldry, who was greatly excited over the turn things had taken. ‘* Do not be alarmed, madam,” answered Kin- worth, *‘ for we will take ber away in a little tune. She will do no harm toany one.” * Oh, it is not that,’ the woman hastened to explain; ‘‘but 1 am so sorry for her. Poor lady! is there anything I can do for you?” This was addressed to Mrs, Milburn, The demented lady looked at her for a mo- ment, and slowly replied: ‘* You are not Dorinda; I want her. 1 want Dorinda Snipes! Where is she? has she gone home again? Kinworth caught an idea now, and kindly asked: A Can we not send for ber? Where does she ive? ‘* Yes, yes, send for her,” Mrs, Milburn eager- ly requested, ‘* But, where does she live?” the detective in- sisted. ’ ** Why, at papa’s, of course! keeper, you know.” Here was another point gained. Some woman named Dorinda Snipes had been in the employ of Mr. Whitford as housekeeper. She was no doubt the elderly woman whom Mrs, Milburn remembered dimly. Kinworth made mental note of the name. _“ Very well,” he said, ‘‘ we will send for her.” Turning to Mrs, Spaldry, he added: ‘‘Go for Mrs, Snipes at once;” giving ber a signal to step out of the room on the pretended errand. The woman obeyed, and went into an adjoin- room, ‘“ Where are my children?” Mrs, Milburn de- manded. ‘‘ Why are - keeving them from me? Whereis my boy? Where is n baby ?” Kinworth paid close attention to aJl she said, 1 gm in her words might give him valuable clews. ere, now, was the certain information from her own words that her oldest child had been a boy. The baby she bad already spoken of as *‘ Essylt.” The detective lost nothing, ‘* Your children are perfectly safe,” he said, ** Are they not with Mrs. Snipes? She will take 00d care of them.” “Ob, yes, perbaps they are with her. My memory is so poor, and my bead feels so queer. But, where is Henry? Oh, ae will he treat me so coldly? Has he not been home?” ‘*No doubt he will soon be in,” Kinworth pacified, Again the poor woman began to weep and moan, and to rock herself to and fro, ** Oh, my poor head!” she muttered, ‘I shall go mad, mad! Oh, this is terrible to suffer so, and to be treated so coldly. Why can’t we all die? No! no!” wildly, ‘*‘ you must not part me hat will killme. You say i must travel for my health? Why can’t I take baby with me? Oh, Henry, do not ask me to leave my chiliren behind, if we must go!” Her manner was earnest and pleading, and the detective realized that she was living again in some trying experience of the past. e did She is our house- ' mot want to disturb her, and yet at the same time be was afraid to let her go on as she was, ‘* You are not going to leave me here—here in this strange city, and in this strange house, are you, Henry?” she presently demanded. She sat wg Pot the floor, a picture of help- less despair, her hands clasped in her lap. *But you will quickly send my children to me, will you not?” she spoke again. ‘I cannot live without them, Do not keep them from me. ‘You say that if I <4 here I will get well? Then I will stay; but, Henry, do not remain lon away from me. You do not know how sad aad lonesome it will be for me!” ‘ Her words and manner touched the hearts of , those who heard and saw her. | to the hotel, when the poor lady suddenly sprung to her feet with an awfulcry of anguish, ** Dead ?” she screamed; ‘*it cannot be! Oh, do tell me that it is not so, or I shall go mad in- ' deed! My husband and children dead? Oh, | doctor, it cannot be true!” She looked straight ahead of her for a mo- ment, and then, as though some one had spoken to confirm the truth of a previous statement, she dropped to the floor in a swoon, ‘“This must end,” decided Kinworth, as he stooped beside her, ‘‘ We must get her to the hotel before she recovers, Mrs. Ekyngs.” ‘** Indeed, yes,” that woman agreed. Mrs, Spaldry now returned to the room, ** Can i be of any service?’ she asked, **'Yes, if you can find some one to help me carry the lady out to the carriage, madam,” the detective answered, ‘* Please tell the coach- man to come here,” he added. She went out, and in a moment the coachman was at hand. With his help the detective took Mrs. Milburn tenderly up, and together they carried her from the house and placed her in the carriage. Mrs, | Ekyngs had got in first as before, when Mrs. | Milburn had fainted at the bank, and she re- Skin her friend and held her in her arms, ' ——— Kinworth paused to say something to Mrs, Spaldry, and then he too got in and the car- riage started for the hotel. The detective felt satisfied with the experi- ment in one respect, but he was alarmed as to the result of itin another. He feared that now Mrs, Milburn would remain permanently in- sane, If that p~oved true, it were better that she had never undertaken to solve the mystery at all. He was satisfied with it, on the other hand, because it had given him a few more points upon which to work, Now he had the name of the elderly woman who had been with Mrs, Abington, and the name of the female child. Small items, to be sure, but he knew how to make use of them. As soon as they were in the carriage they set to work to restore Mrs, Milburn to conscious- ness, the same as before, and finally succeeded. But, her mind was not right. She was still under the cloud that the excitement had cast over her. ‘‘ Where are we now, Henry?’ she asked. ‘* What city is this? When shall we arrive at our destination?” | This was some minutes after she had come to, when she had had time to glance around. As she spoke she looked at the detective, ‘* Who are you, sir?” she instantly demanded. “Where am 1? Where is my husband—Henry Abington?” ‘* Perba we shall see him when we reach the hotel,” Kinworth made answer. He did not want to try to bring her memory back to the present until they had arrived there. He was afraid of the result further excitement might produce. ‘*] cannot understand anything of all this,” the lady complained. ‘* My head is in a perfect whirl Where am I? Who am I? Oh! there is my husband now! Stop the carriage, quick |!” She had sprung up and was trying to n the door. Kinworth signaled for the driver to stop. PLet me out! Let me out, I say, and do not detain me a moment!” Mrs. Milburn demanded; and she already bad the door open, The detective followed the direction of her gaze, and saw Waldemar Blackwall and his friend Dugald Cambeth passing along! > Before the carriage had come toa stop the lady had her foot upon the step, and the instant it did stop, she sprung out. It had all occupied only a few seconds’ time, Kinworth would have detained her, but was afraid to try to hold her back, for in doing so he might cause her tofall. Her movements had been so sudden and unlooked-for that be had no time to act without using violence, What he did was to spring out after her as uickly as possible, As he did so he motioned the driver to pull in to the curb. Meantime, no sooner was Mrs, Milburn out of the carriage than she ran forward to Waldemar Blackwall, threw her arms around him and exclaimed: “Oh, Henry! My busband, my husband !” Detective Kinworth was amazed, but, that was not to be compared with the amazement and embarrassment of young Blackwall. “Madam,” he cried, ‘‘ you have made a mis- take. I do not know you. I am not your husband.” As he uttered the hurried words he tried to escape froin ber embrace, ** Not my husband!” Mrs, Milburn exclaimed ; ‘“*how can you say that? You know that you are my husband, Henry, and why do you deny it? Do you disown me, then, after having done all else you can? Where are my children?” | She had allowed him to break away from her, and stood regarding bim with a helpless, wistful expression. ‘You have made a great mistake,” the young taken me for some one else,” A crowd had collected. It takes but a few seconds to draw a crowd in the busy streets of New York. A policeman was pushing his way to the front, Kinworth took the matter in band. Such an event as this had surprised him completely, and he had moved slowly in order to see what would follow. ** Move off out of her sight, sir,” he directed in a low tone to Waldemar; ‘‘she is—” and he finished the sentence by tapping his forehead with his finger. ‘1 thought so,” the young man commented, and he lost no time in starting, Kinworth saw that Mrs, Milburn was deter- mined that he should not get out of her sight, and had to adopt a determined course. Catching the lady by the arm he drew her around quickly but not hershly, and exclaimed: ‘* Mrs, Milburn !” The lady gave a great start, came out of the spell she had been under, looked about her in amazement, and asked: ‘“Why, what has happened? Where am I—” ** We must return to the hotel,” Kinworth in- terrupted, fearing that she would speak his name, “Come! Hereis the carriage waiting, and Mrs. Ekyngs is in it.” ‘* What is the matter here?’ demanded the policeman, ‘* Nothing, nothing at all, sir,” answered the detective, but at the same time motioning that the lady was not right in mind; “ a make room for us to get into our carriage, officer, and we will be off,” The policeman ‘* caught on” to the signa] im- mediately, lent his assistance, and in a few mo- ments Mrs, Milburn was in the carriage and be- ing driven rapidly on toward the hotel where she was staying. it was a relief to Kinworth that she was re- gaining her right mind. CHAPTER XXIL A COUNCEL OF WAR. WALDEMAR BLACKWALL and his companion lost no time in getting away from the scene, as stated. ** Well, of all things expected and unexpect- ed,” Cambeth observed, ‘* that takes the prize.” ‘**T should say so!” observed young Blackwall. **Ha, ha! It was rich, though! You had a point on me, the other night, when I turned red on meeting Miss Parmilye at your house; but if I was any redder than you were on this occa- sion, it is a wonder that I did not ignite and ex- pire in a flame of spontaneous combustion,” ‘‘That is putting it strong, but I suppose I was red, for f felt red. The idea of a woman of her age claiming me for her busband! Why, she looked forty if a day.” ‘‘ Nearer fifty, I would say. She was not much younger, I guess, But, the old gentleman with ber explained it all; and she must be mad, truly. Ves, unless you have really been making a matrimonial venture—” ‘* Oh, bosb!” , They went on their way, tbeir adventure, and finally tination, , Their destination was the reading-room of one of the clubs, » Only alittle while had they been there when they were joined by Dr. Gonda Gonsalvo, who greeted them cheerily. ** You are on time, I see,” he observed. it was apparent that they had some engage- ment on hand, ** Yes, but we came near not being,” answered young Blackwall. ‘* Why, how was that?” the doctor asked. ‘““Why,” Cambeth hastened to explain, ‘* Waldemar’s wife met him and came near cat- rying him off.” ‘* Waldemar’s wife!” and the doctor looked at them both in surprise. They had to laugh. | ‘Yes, Waldemar’s wife,” Cambeth confirmed. ‘* At any rate the lady claimed him as her hus- band, Asshe was about fifty years old, how- ever, Wald would not own her,” Dr. Gonsalvo was interested, ‘‘ What are you talking about?” he demanded. “One would think that you have become sud- denly non compos,” ‘¢ [ will tell you about it,” Waldemar offered. ‘*Wewere coming down the street just now when our attention was drawn to a carria from which a lady was trying to escape, as it looked. Soit proved, too. She did escape, and greatly to our surprise she made straight for us. We moved to get out of her way, but she ran right up to me, threw her arms around me, and cried out—‘Oh! my busband, =] busband!” Again both fellows laughed, but the doctor’s face was serious, “That was rather a strange adventure,” he observed. ‘‘ Whatsort of escapade have you been guilty of now, Waldemar?’ ‘*None that I am aware of,” the young man answered, JOO still joking about came to their des- (E com S , a + ees - : - 7 . os ?