Beadle's Dime Library No. 762: The Rounder Rogue in New York — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

~ yer > is assured, and that —_—— —-—-—-— —_—_ ed reccerd, but as instantly withdrew it. . **Oh, I cannot,” she half-moaned, in an te 1of hesitation. ‘*‘ Why did I ever write it? don’t know, But its loss or mislaying would give me up to the law—would destroy me, I cannot, Mauritius—I cannot!” ‘*'You mean that you will not,” contemptu- ously. ‘Stay! lution. chamber. at ym A disdainful gesture was her sole response. He had already taken his hat and cane from off the piano. ** Wait!” This time her band was in her bosom, doubt- less with the poe of surrendering the book, when Mincing Meg suddenly put in avother un- expected appearance, and placed Ler Land re- strainingly on her mistress‘s wrist. ‘* Don’t do it—don’t Le crazy!” fiercely ex- claimed the woman, with her eyes turned men- acingly toward the detective. ‘‘ Let him come to-night for it, or go without it!’ The pretended count could not understand, but, as Gladys obeyed the rough injunction, and withdrew her hand without the book, he made a furious gesture, and turned to go. ‘You will come with me to-night?’ Gladys called after him, in an agony of hesitation. ‘¢ The carriage will be in waiting at eight. Say ‘that you will, Mauritius!’’ ‘Yes, then!” was his husky answer, and he Ls gone, As he was descending the stairs, he caught a glimpse of Boston Nell’s face, with a warning, terrified look for him, which might have yet further increased his bewilderment, but that he was half-beside himself with disappointment and rage. - Hekailed the first cab that was convenient, no longer daring to trust himself in public while supporting his fictitious character, and was driven away to his lodgings. Ten minutes after he ‘omy reached the privacy of his room, with the somber intention of nurs- Then I will give it to you. ing his dissatisfaction at Jeisure, another - was heard to drive furiously up to the ouse, A moment later Boston Nell, bare-headed and looking wild, burst into the room, thrusting aside the servant with violence. ** Ajl is lost!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ Johnson saw your wig awry, and has advise Gladys of your identit;. Gladys is fairly maniacal!” CBAPTER XXXVIII. THE TERRIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING. NOTWITHSTANDING the fairly stunning nature of the intelligence brought to the detective by Boston Nell, the former’s coo)ness quickly re- turned to him after the first shock cf it all. ‘*Be calm, Nell,” said he, authoritatively. ** Now, tell me, are you sure that my exposure tladys’s eyes are thorough- ly opened tothe long deception J have been prac- ticing upon ber?” ‘* Sure!” echoed Eleanor. ‘If you could but see her tearing ber bair, and raving for your heart’s blood!” | ' ** What will be her first step, think yeu?” ‘‘She will manage to dissemble her revenge- ful intentions when you come again t<-night. But, assure as fate, if you go with her to tho quarry-chamber to-night, you will go to your ' death. She means your murder, and nothing short.” Old Grip drew a long,deep breath, and smiled. He alrea “ee a sense of glorious re- lief in rising, if even through no effort of his own, out of that stifling atmosphero of disguise and double-dealing, which had so long been forced upon him in the interest of law and or- der, and was, moreover, beginning to hail the frank and opendauger that wastheco uence of his release, like the breath of a new life. ‘‘No matter, Nell,” said he, ‘SI shall be there.” “You will?’ ‘* Undoubtedly.” 5 ‘It will be your ceath.” ‘ ‘* No, no! it will be casting aside the mask at last, and confronting the worst, most unmiti- gated criminal on the face of the earth to her confusion and dismay !” She would have said more, but he sternly si- ced her. ie: Now, as to yourself,” he continued. ‘“‘ Now did you manage to get away to me with this warning?” vs nt) | nn an excuse to slip out of the boudoir stole out of the house by one of the basemen doors, hailed a cab, hardiy knowing what I was doing, and here I aim.” : _“T am grateful for your zeal, Nell; but you may be missed—your mission even suspected. “TI think not—I hope not, I think 1 can man- age to return without exciting suspicion. ‘‘ Dispatch, then! and remember, on your life, nota werd of all this to a living soul—not even to Miss Avice.” Tho young woman hurried away, while Grip- pon began to pace the floor of his chamber, full ee — a eee ee her bosom, ag if intending to produce the covet- | of the exciting edventure that he doubted not | was in store for him, ' V3V3V—V—X—KX—“— oO OP eee a aR Ss | Butthere were yet to intervene strange and untoward interrupticns to one course cf his fixed anticipations, of which he could know nothing. | Eleanor Williams, for instance, had no sooner | returned to hermistress’s presence, having man- | aged very cleverly in concealing her absence, as Listen, Mauritius,” with a new reso- | she thought, when she perceived that her good ‘*Come with me to-night to the guarry- | faith was already under suspicion. swear Gladys had by this time recovered her com- posure, tbough a composure of a very deadly | sort, notwithstanding that she was still dishev- eled, together with other indications of the tempest of hate, fury and blocd-craving resent- ment through which she was newly passed. ‘* Williams, where have you been?’ she de- manded, the instant Beston Nell put in an ap- pearance, Meg, who was busy with repairs upon her mistress’s coiffure, also lcoked up venomously, while Romany Ralph peeped in on the scene frcm behind the crimson and gold portiére. ‘*T have been to my dressmaker, ma’m,” re- plied Nel), promptly. ‘‘ You frightened me by taking on as you did, and then I remember having promised Mrs, Kelly to go to her to be fitted at five this afternoon.” ‘*Tt’s a lie!” snapped out Meg, ‘‘ My life on it, Gyp, she’s Old Grip’s spy, and has been from the first! He hadn’t been rone five minutes in his disguise before I saw her scudding around the corner, bare-headed, Coubtless to carry him warning.” Eleanor was an adept at dissembling. She put on a shocked and puzzled air. ‘*T don’t know who or what you are talking about, Miss Johnson,” said she. ‘‘ But this I do know, that if you intimate that I'm a liar again or that lam anything but greteful to my dear lady yonder, I’li—we}], you’) find me a woman able rotect and kelp myself. That’s all.” But Gladys, whose eyes were like live coals amid the ghastly pallor of her face, was no more to be imposed on than was her tire wo- man. ‘** Williams, your actions have been very sus- picious,” she observed, with deadly calmness. “So important is it to me that the vile masquer- ader avho has been deceiving me should have no inkling of my having pierced his disguise, that I shall be compelled to take every precaution. You must submit to being restrained of your liberty, at least for a time.” ‘* May it please you, ma’m, but I'll just sub- mit to nothing of the sort!” cried Neil, whose blood was up. “ifI wrong you bg my suspicions, I’ll make ample amends to you hereafter, Williams,” con- tinued the Lady of the Frozen Smile. ‘ But for the present you must excuse ine if I treat you as a@ spy and an enemy on the venture.” Atthis juncture Mincing Meg suddenly pre- cipitated Lerself upon the ex-shcplifter and bore her to the floor. The lat‘er, however, had been trained in no delicate school, and she made such a good bat- tle for her libcrty that Meg would doubtless have been worsted if Romauy Ralph had not lent bis assistance. Between them they. managed to secure the young woman, after m bari tussle. ‘* The bath-room is weil-guarded,”’ said Gladys, quietly. ‘‘ Let her be confined there for the resent.” ‘* Til have the law on you!” screamed Nell, as she was being dragged Srey, ** You’re nothing but an adventuress yourself, fcr all your jewels and grand airs, J sized you up when clapped eyes on you,” Gladys did not go down to dinner that day but asthe bour approached for hcr ap ted drive with the pretended Montalvo she roamed restlessly about ber rooms, superbly attired as was her wont, and givirg no outward evidences of the hell of rage and thirst for revenge that boiled in her heart, Every now a then she would make a ner- vous pause, her jeweled hands clinching, her gaze fastened upon the slow minute-hand of her ormolu clock, ‘* Will he come?” she would mutter to herself. ‘Oh, yes! the Powers of Vengeance would not be so cruel as to whisper him a warning of what I know, or cheat me of my just revenge. What! even now I can scarcely realize it. Olid Gri himself, my bitterest enemy, all these days aed weeks in that cunning disguise, worming him- self into my heart's core, mastering my darkest secrets, insulting me in my love, the very cita- del of my Womanhood! Shame, shame! Small wonder he was so mad to possess my Diary—to hang me with—after obtaining my opal, in the flash of which the Followers themselves will cower at his feet. Wrath, ruin and despair! let him but come to me to-night, uns sting, self-assured. ’Tis all I ask!” Another glance at the clock. A quarter to eight, with word from Footman Ralph that the carriage is in waiting at the door. Another quarter of an hour! , But hold! is he not already come? Yes; Les- lie’s voice on the stair, and the count’s imper- fect English in response. Yer; bo is come, And, s in her quecaly beauty, she swept Old Grip, the Detective. oe NC eee eee ee ss MR a RR A lg > pia — SSeS ee ee across the floor, as the door opened to admit Leslie and—tbh» real Count Montalvo. But the imitation had bcen so perfect thet she did not for an instant suspect the truth. _“* You area few minutes before your engage- ment with me, count, but it is just as_ well,” said Gladys, gayly, after respondirg to Leslie’s greeting and explanation. ‘‘Come; the car- riage is waiting.” ‘““Oho! a prior engagement, ch?’ cbserved Leslie, with a puzzied lock from one to the other. ‘‘Then I’m de trop as a matter of course, You might have mentioned the fact to me, count, but a pleasant cvening to you just the same.” And he withdrew in a better humor than be would have manifested befcre experiencing the quality of her Jadyship’s claws, The ccunt kad remained in smiling expectance, feeling himself the hero of c. strange and fortu- nate misappreker sion, nct ono iota of whose zest did he intend to lose by any explanation or dis- play of unfamiliarity cn his own pert. e now advanced and kissed tle lady’s hand, murmuring some compliment, coupled with the title *‘ signorina,” just as his counterfeit might. have done. Gladys, cn her part, noted with surprise that. the count’s treath was heavily charged with. brandy—strange that this Lad never occurred to her before!—but that was all, and she was: tuo eager for her revenge to care for such lapses, ‘* Shall we be going?” and she bent her shoul- ders to receive her wrap at hishands. ‘* Come, abet my Mauritius!” with a falsely ravishing glance. The real count smiled again, looked inor- dinately eagcr, held bis peace, and followed. How utterly beautiful she was, acd what a ure § fellow was he, the count, then doubtiess standing in his double’s shoes! Unfortunate double! the count could almost fergive him his impudence for this exquisite privilege, this charming misunderstanding. As they got isto the coach, and wero driven away, neither of them remarked a man, in the count’s ewn image, who bad shrunk, pale as death, intothe shadow of the garden wall, at the. sight of the fatal misapprehension that was be- ing perpetreted. t was Old Grip, who had arrived exactly on the stroke of eight, but only to perceive his prototy pe going perhaps to his death in his, the: detective’s, place, and as to a masque. He remained for some momentsasif paralyzed at the discovery, the wkcle meaning and ex- planation of the extraordinary misunderstanc— ny Sine y gradually making themselves apparent in bis mind, But, come what might, the unfortunate count must be rescued from the consequences of tir complicaticn, of whose tregic nature he could, of course, have noconcepticrn. _ Rousing himself from his horrified apathy, the detective tore off his wig and silky false beard, and rushed away to tako such measures for the count’s safety, end the Frozen Smile’s defeat, as might be hastily devised. In tho meen time, the seemingly lucky dog cl a rake, Count Montalvo, was congratulating himself more and more upon his adventure. The lady seemed averse to talking, but she was at least complacent under his mute cr soft- ly-whispered gailantries, till he was fairly be- side himself —_ the rosiest anticipations; and atthe same timé little short of fox-like in his. own taciturnity. Oh, yes! be would pluck the rich fruit of this misapprehension, so ready to his hand, but he would keep his own counsel. No unguarded word cf his should apprise the fair dame of her mistake. Till the last she should imagine him the lover that he was so plausibly counterfeit- ing, ard who was doubtless tho very rascal that had personated him, the count, so impudently. What a turning of tke tables! and, taken all in all, was ever such a aren such a glorious, such a marvelous intrigue | As for Gladys, with her love turned to gall, brimming only with hatred and resentment, ske. maintained asomberand Peay ange silence, than which nothing could bave been better cal- culated to further the misconception of which she was likewise the victim. The band-kissings and even bolder advances that were occasionally ventured upon by her ion, were not distasteful, inasmuch as: <p 3 merely evinced, as she deemec, the depth Oo from whichher avenging deggershculd so rude- ly and so bloodil gen ate him, They quitted her guidance, passed through the trees and among the rocks, in tho cirection of the masked. passage. It a a night cf storm end rain,anl both were under one umbrella, the count’s, which compelled } pres to pe ca 8 ef groping an abe gerly bero and there. " Diavolo!” t oug devil’s rendezvous can the adorable step-motker” of my friend be leading me to?” But he persisted in his determination to ask no questions, and affected to be as familiar witl; the rough way as the lady herself. (ECO) MICE false security into which he was lulled, end e carriage at last, avd under — togetber, while. t the count: ‘‘ what sort of . a3 4 ™ tes. A ee aa é - ~ 4 Fall é JOO » s a Ye o . Py = . 2 ° * “ - a ee mmm a er ee ee to ae ees ae * 2 «te ; - ; z > bo + x ad ‘ a Zé ee * ~ Oe ee ee -* ar 2 “ s Pe " ee am, Vigte’y: > tee : 7