Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 84 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

4. Hunted Down: or, The League of Three. 5 bestowed their sweetest smiles upon the dashing young Irish- man. Yet he did not seem conscious of this power that he possessed, and often spoke with wonder of the ease with which he made friends. ‘* A thorough good fellow—no man’s enemy.” Such was | the @pinion of the world, ‘‘ Yes,” O’Connel replied to Montgomery’s speech. ‘‘I’m enjoying myself very well, but I’m a) little puzzled just Low.” “” At what?” O’Connel asked. ) “* Listen and Pll tell you. I suppose that it’s only a joke, but I don’t like such jokes. As I was promenading with a lady a few minutes ago, I was accosted by a woman dressed all in white, who, in reply to my question, said she was ealled the White Witch. She asked for a few minutes’ conversation with me alone, I followed her out on the bal- cony, and there she predicted that all sorts of misfortunes were going to come down thick and heavy upon my head. Mind you, this was all said in sober earnest; there didn’t seem to be the least bit of a joke about it. Then she re- urned to the ball-room. I followed the moment after, but she has disappeared as suddenly as she appeared, and I can not find any trace of her.” ‘‘ What were the evils with which she threatened you?” asked O’Connel, an earnest look in his eyes despite his efforts to appear unconcerned. | ‘The loss of wealth, of friends, and the woman I love,” @ O’Connel could not repress a slight start when Montgom- ery’s words fell upon his ears. | “IT see that you, too, are astonished,” continued Mont- es —— i _ gomery. | “ Yes, naturally 80,” replied the young Irishman, care-. _ lessly. ‘‘ Did you not recoghize this person?” ‘No; she is, I, think, a stranger to me. The voice was ‘1 not familiar,” | Well, it is odd, to say the least,” said O’Connel, thought y- ‘* Yes; I'd give something to find out who it is.” & “Oh, it’s only a joke,”. w- Yes, but I don’t like such jokes,” Montgomery said, . seriously. And as he. spoke, he caught sight of. the blonde beauty dressed as ‘‘ Morning ” coming toward him. “Will you excuse. me?” he said to O’Connel, hastily. “T see that I am wanted.” Then Montgomery joined Miss Chauncy, and drawing her arm in his, was soon lost to the eyes of O’Connel in the crowd, | Miss Chauncy was quite eager to know what the strange __ white mask had said to her lover, but Montgomery evaded ___ the question. He did, not tell the blonde beauty. of the | strange prediction of the White Witch. | | After Montgomery left him O’Connel remained motionless fora few momen 8, absorbed in thought. lt was evident that his musings were not pleasant ones, for a shadow was on his face. ‘“‘T can not understand it,” he muttered, at length. ‘‘ The words of the White Witch are strange to Mont gomery, but doubly so to me, that am behind the curtain. It is merely & masquerading joke, without meaning, or has some un- known power guessed the secret thoughts—not even yet translated into words—that are swelling in my brain? It must be a coincidence. How could any one guess my pur- __ pose? Ihave not yet begun to lay the train by which the 4 mine is to be exploded. I must to work, though, at once. Now for my tools; the hands who are to do the work that my brain plans.” Then his eyes fell upon two masqueraders standing to- gether near the wall and apart from the dancers. ‘There they are,” he said, and a smile came over his face. ‘* The two who in serving their ends, serve mine. bo guide, we are a host.” — - O’Connel replaced his mask and walked slowly over to _ where the two stood that ‘he had noticed. They were Tulip Roche and Herman Poll. --‘The two, busy in conversation, ‘did not notice the approach * | of O’Connel. . Just as O'Gonnel caine up, Montgomery sind Mise Chalintcy, arm in arm, chatting gayly together, walked past. “There they go. again,” said Stoll, ap and a manned curse against Montgomery was emothered_b y the that cov- ~ ered his lips, | “A pretty couple,” eaid O'oobnel in his eaey way, com. ing quite close to the two. i eee - §toll, and the third, Lionel O’Connel.” We three, separate, are powerless; together, with my head. ‘Hallo, Con!” exclaimed Stoll, in his coarse, way. He had recognized the voice of the Irishman. ‘“T say that they are a very pretty couple,” repeated O’Connel. | ‘* Who?” said Stoll. ‘‘Why, the two that you just referred to, Mr. Angus Montgomery and Miss Frances Chauncy. Don’t you agree with me? If you don’t, Stoll, I am sure that Tulip here . will. Every one knows how like brothers he and Angus are, and of course, brother-like, he thinks. the world of Miss Chauncy. I suppose you will act as Angus’ best man, eh; Tulip?” Had the mask been torn, suddenly, from the face of Tulip Roche, the action would have revealed features white with rage. But Tulip’s secret was hid by the mask, so, he held his place and said nothing. ‘‘ Montgomery is a lucky fellow, i isn’t he?”,, continued O’Connel. . “ Rich as an Astor, handsome, asa picture, and loved by an angel in the guise of this ‘blonde beauty, what else is wanting to complete his happiness?” ** You speak of the fellow as if he were a god, n said Stoll loweringly. ‘‘T have only spoken truth, given one. sida, of the picture’. Told of Angus Montgomery, rich and beloved. I:-have-not, yet said any thing about his three enemies, now standing in. |: this ball-room, who will pull him down from his:pinnacle of: ::; triumph, give his money to the winds and tear from, him the love of the woman that he fondly fancies)is all. his,own.”’, 95). ‘‘ Why, what do you mean?’ asked Stoll; in aspentahanent and Tulip’s eyes, too, asked the question. , anno boa ‘* Exactly what I say,” replied .O’Conhel,, poelly: ‘That, Angus Montgomery, bas three deadly enemies eeeeanet most within, ear-shot of him, Three men who; will,rob him: of every thing that he holds dear in this world.”)yo0l oved ots Tulip and Stoll looked at each other in woridets: ti1H3a [oid For a moment there was silence. The two a to be considering the strange words of O’Connel: . | ‘‘ Montgomery has three enemies?” said Stoll. ly soiled of ** Yes,” replied O’Connel, 19 ecw ai sheu ‘‘ Who are they?” _, ‘The first is called Tulip Roche; the second, a The two men started as though tliey had sanatnal an elec-., tric shock when the Irishman pronounced their names.; {...)«: ‘‘ What the deuce do you mean, Oon?’ asked, Stoll, hastily, ‘*‘ lam not aware that I am an enemy of Mr. Mont gomery.” ** Nor I,” said Tulip, slowly, ‘‘ Gentlemen, let us lay our cards upon the ‘tables. it * better that we should see each. other’s hand, for we must , play partners and not against each other in this game,” said O’Connel, coolly. ‘I, for one, hate this Angus Montgom- ery; you hate him, too, Stoll, and you, too, Tulip, although you may deny it.” se the ‘¢ Why should I bate him?” asked Stoll, bluntly... ‘‘ Because he has beaten you with your own weapons and... at your own game. He. now holds arod of. terror over,your, head. You.are to see him to-night and compromise, the mat-.., ter if possible,” Stoll hung his head, abashed. O’Connel had spoken but. the. truth, “And now, you, Tulip; you “hate him ‘because. “be, a won the love of Frances Chauncy from you,, She gaye you... her, word that. she would become your wife; she has broken. that word, And I hate. this man. because;1 hate him;.4 .,, woman’s reason. I propose to you, gentlemen,.a league... of three, the. object of which. shall:be to ruin this, Mont.. gomery. Yeu, Stoll, shall have the money. back, that oe fy man is going to wring from you; Tulip, you shall have .. Frances Chauncy, and I will have. nothing,, but, revenge}. that will content me, What Bay you, gentlemen? Alone,, we are powerless to injure him; united we,will, humble, this Angus Montgomery even. to. the dust, Come, decide, .. Shall we three fight this one man?” HOV ON {" CHAPTER IY, Stade ae WEAVING THE WER, - iy bow ,yoraradd lanco' iO) of TuLIP and Stoll looked at O’Connel jn sone eth replied not to his plainly put question, FOMmMmrendpooks, com